Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Machine Review
There are many bread maker models on the market with different functionalities. In this post, we review the Cuisinart CBK-100 Programmable Breadmaker.
If you like eating freshly made bread, the Cuisinart CBK-100 is for you. This home baking appliance is similar to a standard oven but a little bit smaller. The unit is specially designed to bake the bread evenly. Baked bread from the machine is fluffy, thick and high-textured.
Features of the CBK-100
Basic Design
The CBK-100’s look doesn’t thrill on first glance. However, if you look a little closer you see that it’s not quite as dull as it first appears. The unit has interesting raised black rims around a lot of brushed stainless steel. And, the vents and handles give it a stylish retro Flash Gordon appeal. Also, the handles are pretty, well, handy for moving it when the case is hot.
Dimensions
The rectangular canister measures 12.5″ high x 14.5″ wide x 7.5″ deep, just the right size for a standard countertop but a little small for making truly big loaves. And, at 22 lbs., the bread machine is neither too heavy to move conveniently nor so light that it will get dumped over from a casual bump.
The CBK-100 is small in size and, therefore, doesn’t make the largest loaves. However, this statement needs qualification. You can use a pre-packed mix to create anything, from a 1 lb. to 2 lb. loaf, which is certainly large enough for many families. I like to bake in one session for a whole crowd when friends come to visit. However, if you want a large bread using the CBK-100, you may not mind so much using it multiple times in one day. The Rapid Bake option makes that easier.
Alternatively, you can buy a bread machine for large loaves.
Horizontal Orientation
The CBK-100 has a horizontally-orientated pan. With the pan, you will end up with the more common loaf dimensions. Moreover, apart from being able to slice the bread in a more ‘natural’ way, the horizontal orientation means you will have more crust. Yum!
Controls and Options
The controls of the CBK-100 are well-laid out. The LCD panel at the top of the control panel has clear markings and the font is large and not fancy.
The menu button is a little hard to press, but that’s the case with most electronic controls these days. If you don’t mind them, you’ll do just fine.
The menu options are easy to see as the surrounding indicators. Selecting one of the 3 crust colors or 3 loaf sizes is a breeze.
The Delay Start button is less convenient because it’s a + and – pair, which can take a little longer than desired if you need increments every a few hours. The CBK-100 has a today delay time of up to 13 hours.
12 Pre-Programmed Menu Options
The CBK-100 has a huge selection of pre-programmed menu options, including:
- Basic/White
- French/Italian
- Whole Wheat
- Dough
- Gluten Free
- Jams
- Cake/Quick Bread
- Sweet Bread
- Bake-Only
- Packaged Mix
- Pasta Dough
- Rapid Bake
The Jam setting is useful, considering how intelligently Cuisinart has implemented this. The heating element is placed so that you won’t burn the stuff, a problem with some models. Ditto the Cake/Quick Bread setting.
Best of all, for my taste, is the Sweet Bread setting. Baking sweet bread can be tricky. When you have dough with high amounts of sugar, the loaf can get too dark too quickly. The CBK-100 deals well with that potential problem.
There’s also an option for Bake-Only, used to bake store-bought pre-made doughs.
When everything is done, the unit beeps 15 times. For busy bakers, the beeping is a real blessing.
The CBK-100 also has automatic warming (for up to 60 minutes) when the bake cycle is complete. This is a great way of keeping everything hot until you’re ready to serve.
Accessories
The CBK-100 comes with a few accessories. There’s a measuring spoon and a measuring cup, which are just basic.
The recipe book is ample and well done. Granted, you can find a thousand bread recipes today on the Internet in a few seconds. Still, it’s worthwhile getting some from the actual makers of the device.
Rapid Bake Settings
With the Rapid Bake option, you can bake a recipe that uses rapid rise yeast instead of standard yeast. The setting is not for making bread quickly as some people imagine.
When using Rapid Bake, you cannot set the crust color or load size. The setting will give you a 1.5 lb. loaf with a medium crust color.
Cuisinart CB-100 Bread Maker Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOr05osSZ90
This excellent 2-pound bread maker comes with 12 preset menu options and three crust color shades; light, medium and dark. The bread making appliance is programmable, comes with various user-friendly features and is reasonably priced. With a Cuisinart product, you get the best in terms of technology producing the highest quality bread that has the best crust, color and feel.
The CBK-100 boasts of the conventional Cuisinart line, embossed logo, large and sturdy stay-cool handles. It also has a removable lid along with a viewing window.
The machine features a 13-hour delay timer, power failure back up and a 15 minutes pause. You can use the pause function to when you need to add extra ingredients in your bread, such as shredded cheese, fruits and nuts.
The unit’s stay-cool handles allow you to move it even when the bread is still warm.
The appliance has a removable kneading paddle and a non-stick bread pan, which are easy to clean. Finally, you also get a measuring cup, a spoon, a recipe guide and a limited 3-year warranty.
Features of Cuisinart CBK-100 Programmable Breadmaker
- Bake only option
- Three crust color options
- Has non-stick pan and kneading paddle
- Can make three loaves of bread at a time
- Has a power failure backup feature
- Comes with a 13-hour delay timer
- Gluten free and low carb preset menu and recipe options
- Artisan selection option for better quality bread production
- It has an option to bake non-bread delicacies such as pizza dough, jam, cakes, etc.
- Comes with a limited 3-year warranty
- 15 preset menu choices
- Weighs approximately 9 pounds
- Has a viewing window lid
- Dimensions: 18 x 12.2 x 15 inches
- Comes with a measuring cup, spoon and exclusive recipes
- Has stay-cool handles.
- Programmable and bakes 1 to 2-pound loaves at a go
- 680 watts power usage
- Comes with a recipe booklet for all 12 settings
- All parts are dishwasher safe and, therefore, easy to clean
Cons
- The manual does not state the duration of the bread program
- The bake, rise, and knead times cannot be customized
- The Gluten-free setting only allows you to make a 1.5 lbs. load
Reputation
The Cuisinart CBK 100 makes it easy to bake bread at home. The appliance will alert you when the kneading is done so that you can remove it just before the machine goes into the bake cycle.
This compact bread maker can bake multiple bread crusts and deliciousFrench-style baguettes. You can also customize the dough with various ingredients, including fruits, herbs, nuts, garlic, and so forth.
Everybody loves homemade bread. However, not everyone has got time to make it. Cuisinart CBK-100 will do the job for you. With the bread maker, you can bake varied colored crusted loaves of bread of different sizes. The bread machine bakes a better looking crust due to the convention feature that enables even circulation of air.
However, with the Cuisinart CBK 100, you cannot cancel the baking processes once it has started. Even when the machine is off, it does not reset itself. Irrespective of this, you are getting a great product for your money.
You can program the bread machine 100 to automatically bake bread when it is convenient for you. With the Cuisinart CBK-100, you can have freshly made bread whenever you want.
