Scouring the internet for the best French bread machine was not an easy task. With all the high end choices on the market, it was hard to pick just one bread machine. We had to take into consideration the dynamics of baking French bread.
However, after searching relentlessly for a great machine for baking French bread, we found an affordable machine with strong features that help you bake the tastiest and sweetest French bread you’ll ever have the pleasure of eating.
The Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Maker is rich with features and settings, including a French bread setting, all of which we’ll go over in detail below.
This bread machine has a shiny sliver finish. It includes carrying handles that stay cooled on the side so you can maneuver the machine around your kitchen as needed.
It’s built to North American Electrical Standards.
There’s a large viewing window on the side of the machine so you can check on your bread any time throughout the baking process.
It has an LCD display on the top of the machine so you can choose your settings to your liking. It also tells you what part of the process your bread is at, whether it’s kneading, rising, or baking.
This bread machine includes a touch-pad remote controller to manage the settings from a distance.
It includes a measuring cup and measuring spoon for exact measurements.
It also comes with a handy recipe book. This book has a recipe for every one of its’ settings.
The 12 Settings:
Basic/White
French/Italian
Sweet Bread
Packaged Mix
Cake/Quick Bread
Dough
Pasta Dough
Jams
Bake Only
Rapid Rise
Gluten Free
Whole Wheat
Crust Settings: Light, Medium, and Dark
Loaf sizes: 1 pound loaves, 1 and a half pound loaves, and 2 pound loaves
You simply place the ingredients in the hinged lid on the top of the bread machine. The machine then drops the ingredients into the bread pan on the inside of the machine. The hinged lid is removable for your convenience. The liquid ingredients must go in first and the dry ingredients second, like with most bread machines.
The bread pan is removable and nonstick. Cuisinart uses Silver stone, a nonstick coating.
It has a single paddle that’s also nonstick like the pan and it’s removable. For the paddle, they also use Silverstone as a nonstick coating.
There’s a built-in timer in this bread machine. You can pre-set your bread machine for a 13 hour cycle. This timer comes in handy. If you need to add extra ingredients like cheese during the kneading, rising and baking process, you can set the timer to remind you. This timer also beeps 6 times once the kneading process is finished so you can remove the kneading paddle. Removing the paddle prevents the paddle from creating a giant hole in your bread and prevents it from getting stuck. This ensures a beautiful finished bread. This built-in timer also beeps 15 times when your bread is finished baking to alert you.
The “Baking Only” option gives you the opportunity to pause the baking process for up to 15 minutes.
This Cuisinart bread machine can keep your bread warm for up to an hour after baking. So, if you can’t get to the bread right away, you don’t have to worry. You’ll still have warm and fresh bread for dinner.
Cuisinart also has a wonderful power failure backup feature. If the power goes out in your home or the power to the bread machine cuts out, it will still finish baking your bread perfectly.
What Do Others Have to Say?
People who have purchased the Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Machine have great things to say. On average, this bread machine is 4 stars out of 5 stars.
The most cited advantages of the Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Machine:
The Cuisinart Bread Machine has the ability to make both a long French loaf of bread and tall loaves too. Bread makers love making sweet baguettes and more using this machine.
The machine is super easy to use, whether you’ve been baking bread forever or you’re a newbie.
It has several pre-programmed options for almost any bread you can image wanting to bake.
The machine keeps the bread warm for awhile after baking.
It’s super durable and lasts quite awhile.
The “Gluten Free” option makes sure it doesn’t over-mix or over-knead since this is what creates gluten in most types of breads. It’s a super great option for anyone who’s allergic to gluten.
It’s affordable and has the extensive options that most higher priced bread machines have.
The most cited disadvantages of the Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Machine:
It weighs about 18 pounds. It’s also 18 inches long and 15 inches in height. This makes it a bulky machine that’s difficult to lug around your kitchen.
The beeping will continue until you remove the kneading paddle. It’s very loud and can be annoying. You can’t turn it off or turn the volume down on the beeping. So, if you don’t remove the paddle right away, you’ll know.
It’s so tall it’s hard for a few shorter bread makers to see the settings. The controller comes in handy if this is the case.
Final Thoughts
Cuisinart has a long history of quality kitchenware. Their CBK-100 Bread Machine doesn’t disappoint. It makes the sweetest French bread, just like the tasty bread you would get if you were dining in France.
