Cuisinart CBK-200 Bread Machine Review

The Cuisinart CBK-200 bread maker is an interesting machine if you are interested in taking your baking to the next level. It allows you to bake fresh, homemade bread with foolproof results every time. Being more advanced than it’s little brother, Cuisinart CBK-100, this machine has features that are hard to find among other types of baking machines.

Features that make the Cuisinart CBK-200 stand out

Convection fan

One of the features that makes this machine special is the convection fan that improves the air circulation inside the machine. This has an impact on the crust and the texture of the bread.

Many settings for a versatile machine

The other added feature is the artisan bread setting that the CBK-100 lacks. This setting allows you to use your own bread maker recipes without having to used one of the pre-set programs. The artisan bread setting allows you to bake bread using more advanced techniques like slow cool rise which gives you a thick, crispy crust and a good texture without having to use much yeast.

The Cuisinart convection bread maker has 16 pre-programmed options. This makes this machine very versatile so you can use it for many recipes. It also has an option for gluten free bread and for low-carb bread which is not something that all baking machines have.

Removable parts in high quality materials

When you unpack this Cuisinart bread maker you can immediately sense that it’s made in good materials. The design is elegant and the stainless steel design looks good on any counter top.

The bread pan and the kneading paddle is non-stick which makes the parts easy to clean. All the parts that come in contact with the dough are BPA-free.

The kneading paddle can be removed before the baking cycle begins to avoid having holes at the bottom of the loaf. The machine will beep to let you know that it’s time to remove the paddles. This feature is also useful if you make dough for pizza that you don’t want to bake inside the bread maker.

Features at a glance

  • Convection fan that circulates the air better for better crust and texture
  • 16 programs including artisan bread, low-carb and gluten free
  • 3 loaf sizes
  • 3 crust options
  • timer with 12-hour delay option
  • Power failure backup
  • 15-minute pause option
  • Bake only option
  • Removable lid and bread pan for easy cleaning
  • Removable kneading paddle, non-stick
  • Viewing window
  • LED display
  • Notification for mix in time
  • Notification when it’s time to remove the kneading paddle
  • Elegant design, brushed stainless steel
  • Comes with a recipe book, manual, measuring cup and spoon
  • 3 year warranty
  • Dimensions: 19 x 16 x 13 inches ; 16 pounds

cuisinart-cbk-200

Pros:

  • Versatile machine with many settings including artisan
  • Convection fan for improved circulation
  • The parts that come in contact with the bread are BPA free
  • The dough cycle is good for pizza dough, rolls etc.
  • The machine beeps when it’s time to add ingredients like seeds, nuts, dried fruits etc.
  • The machine notifies you when it’s time to remove the kneading paddles if you don’t want the bread to bake with them inside
  • It is easy to get replacement parts if you need them as Cuisinart is available all over
  • 3 year warranty

Cons:

  • The LED display can be difficult to read
  • The convection fan is noisy

Concluding thoughts 

In my opinion, the Cuisinart CBK-200 is a very good buy. It is easy to use for inexperienced bakers and it has lots of options for experienced bakers, so nobody will get disappointed with this bread maker.

Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Machine Review

The Cuisinart CBK-100 bread maker is a sleek, modern looking bread maker that will allow you to make tasty, delicious bread without having to invest too much money in the project. It is one of the bread machines that can be found for less than $100 without having to make great compromises with features and programs.

This Cuisinart bread maker has 3 different loaf sizes to choose between. This makes this machine great for different sizes of households. It has programs that allow you to bake 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-pound loaves.

It has 12 different programs to choose between which allow you to bake everything from soft, french bread, whole wheat bread, to gluten free bread, pasta dough and jam.

It has a timer that allow you to delay the baking time so you can add the ingredients and bake the bread later. For example, you can use this setting if you want to bake bread in the early hours of the morning to wake up to the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread.

It has a notification setting where the machine beeps in order to let you know when to add extra ingredients to the dough, if you want to add for example seeds, nuts, dried fruits, cheese etc.

Furthermore, it beeps again towards the end to let you know when to remove the kneading paddle to avoid having holes at the bottom of your loaf. Some baking machines bake the bread with the paddles baked inside the bread, which leave bad-looking holes at the bottom, which often result in a few broken slices of bread. This you can easily avoid when you are using the Cuisinart CBK-100 bread maker.

Click Here for The Best Prices on the Cuisinart CBK-200 Bread Maker

Features of the Cuisinart CBK-100:

  • Horizontal design that allows you to bake 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-pound loaves
  • LCD-display with a 13 hour delay timer
  • Large viewing window
  • 12 pre-programmed settings
  • 3 crust settings
  • Modern silver looking design
  • Comes with a measuring cup, measuring spoon, a manual and a recipe book
  • Removable kneading blade
  • Removable lid and pan for fast cleaning
  • Stay cool handles
  • Power failure backup
  • Specificaions: 15 inches x 18 inches x 12.25 inches, weighs 18 pounds

Pros:

  • Easy settings. The machine is very easy to use
  • Loaf size. The machine allows you to make different sizes of loaves.
  • Crust setting. You can set the crust for light, medium or dark.
  • Package-mix setting. This is really easy if you use a ready bake mix. Basically all the work is done for you.
  • Removable kneading paddle. The machine only has one paddle but it beeps to let you know that you can remove it, or if you need to reorganize the dough before baking.

Cons:

  • No custom settings. It is not easy to make you own recipes without custom settings. It doesn’t have a program that allow you to adjust the settings according to your own recipes so this is a big con for me as I like to experiment with my own recipes.
  • Large and heavy. It has a nice design but with a weight of 18 pounds it’s on the heavy end of the scale.
  • The recipe book is not very detailed.

Concluding thoughts

As a bread maker at a price below $100 it is a good buy. So it’s a good choice if you are on a budget. It has most of the necessary features of a good baking machine but in my opinion it lacks the custom settings that I would’t want to live without. But if you know from the beginning that you would never want to make your own experiments then this doesn’t matter.

It makes excellent white bread, and the gluten free program works really well as well. It is very versatile and even has a program for homemade pasta dough.

Generally, this is a good bread machine if you are looking for a simple, easy-to-use machine that makes simple, decent bread. It is really useful if you like to bake with bake mixes. However, if you have high expectations and you want to bake like a pro then you should aim for a bread machine a bit higher on the price scale.

Click Here for The Best Prices on the Cuisinart CBK-200 Bread Maker