Price/Costco is selling an Oster breadmaker for only $90! I didn't check
the model no., but it looks like the #4811 I paid $120 for there last year
(it makes 1- & 1.5-lb. loaves). A consumer magazine said all the machines
make good bread. The timed-delay and whole-grain features seem to be standard
now. On my Oster the crust control for whole-grain can be set only to Medium,
but that's been fine. I decided on this machine partly because it has a fan
(as has the expensive Zojirushi). The fan comes on if the pan isn't removed
from the machine when the baking is done. The purpose is to take out the hot
air so the bread won't get soggy as it sits in there. Oster said the fan
running time varies because it is stopped not by a timer but by a tempurature
sensor (which is better). I experimented and found that the fan ran 1/2 hour.
By then the crust had become too deep and chewy. It's definitely better to
remove the bread promptly (or program your robot to do it). The warranty is
for 2 yrs. The no. for breadmaker questions is (800) 526-2832, M-F, 8-5
Central.
Question about breadmakers that don't have a fan: When whole-grain bread is
left in after the baking has ended, what happens to it? Does it actually
become soggy?
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