The Breadman Ultimate makes and bakes most kinds of yeast bread--white, whole wheat, rye, honey banana, or crusty French--as well as quick or batter breads. Try the recipes in the booklet or your own favorites--just be sure the dry ingredients total less than about 5 cups so the dough doesn't overflow the 9-1/2-inch (nonstick) baking pan. If your recipe calls for adding ingredients late in the kneading cycle, there's a tray to hold and automatically dispense them. If you want to make bread that doesn't conform to the loaf shape, the machine can mix and raise the dough prior to shaping for baking in a conventional oven.

For the beginner the process couldn't be easier, and even if you're an old hand at making bread from scratch, you'll find yourself baking much more frequently. And this machine quickly pays for itself: think of how many $3 or $4 loaves you won't be buying over the bread maker's lifetime! One drawback is worth noting: If you're a fan of the Breadman Plus, you may be less satisfied with the mixing results of the Ultimate's single bread hook versus the Plus's dual dough hooks. --Toni Reineke