Details Overview
- Panasonic SD-RD250 Bread Maker Retail Cost $219.99
- Makes approximately a 1.5 & 2.5 lb. loaf
- 8 Settings, including Rapid Bake, Pizza Dough, & Pasta Dough
- Key Special Features: automatic raisin & nut dispenser, 13 hour delay timer, and 10 minute power failure back-up
- Includes measuring cup, measuring spoon, 1 kneading blade, and instruction manual with recipe book
Specific Details
Exterior
- Product Dimensions: 12.8″ x 11.1″ x 14.5″
- Product Weight: 15 lb.
- Product Color: White
- Glass viewing window
- LCD display – shows settings and time
- Settings are listed around the LCD display
- Buttons on the top include Select, Option, Size, Crust, Timer, & Start/Stop
Settings
The 8 Menu Select options are:
- Basic Bake
- Basic Bake Rapid
- Basic Dough
- French Bake
- French Dough
- Pizza Dough
- Pasta Dough
- Bake Only Bake
The Crust Color options are:
- Light
- Dark
The Loaf Size options are:
- M – 1.5 LB
- XL – 2.5 LB
Special Features
- 13 hour delay timer
- Keep warm
- 10 minute power failure back-up
- Automatic raisin & nut dispenser
Interior
- Nonstick bread pan & kneading blade
- Uses 1 kneading blade
- Makes a horizontal, rectangular loaf
Included
- Bread machine oven
- Bread pan
- 1 Kneading blade
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoon
- Instruction manual with recipes
Warranty
Limited One-Year Warranty
Amazon has the option of a 2-Year Protection
The Reviews
This bread machine has many positive customer reviews. People are pleased that it consistently makes great bread with even baking. It does not have a viewing window, something that none of the Panasonic bread makers seem to have. This could help with its quality and creating an even bake, although some people may prefer a window to see how the bread is doing. A nice feature to this bread machine is its automatic fruit & nut dispenser. You no longer have to wait and/or hear a beep to add them in.
The biggest complaint among negative reviews is that it does not have a Whole Wheat setting. The manual has some 30% whole wheat bread recipes using the Basic Bake setting , but it is not able to make 100% whole wheat bread. While this bread machine is newer than the SD-YD250 model, some have complained that this is not a step-up version. The Panasonic SD-YD250 Bread Maker does have a Whole Wheat setting. In fact, it has 18 total settings, while this model only has 8.
Many people who have moved to America from other countries have had great success with Panasonic bread makers in the past. Because of the electrical changes, they have gotten this machine, sticking with the Panasonic brand. Unfortunately, they have found that the American version is not as well made or does not have the same amount of settings as their previous bread makers.
There are a couple more things I would like to point out. First of all, Panasonic does not seem to have the best customer service. Although this bread machine has a 1 Year Warranty, if it breaks down you may have to pay to ship it to a repair center and/or talk to a representative who could care less. If you are not as concerned with customer service, you may consider getting this bread machine on Amazon and also getting the 2-Year Protection plan. Amazon will take care of you if your machine stops working and your warranty is up with Panasonic.
Another thing I wanted to point out is that this bread machine has a “relax” cycle which heats up the ingredients to the optimal temperature. Some customers have complained about this and how long it takes to make bread. The Basic Bread setting will take an average of 4 hours to complete. Although this machine also has a Basic Rapid Bake setting which takes approximately 2 hours, some complain that the rapid mode is not as good of quality. If you are used to making bread in a bread machine that takes about 3 hours, beware that this one may take longer. The “relax” cycle is nice so that you do not have to get your ingredients to the right temperature, but it does make the whole bread making process a bit longer.
Conclusion
The Panasonic SD-RD250 Bread Maker is a higher end bread machine that is great for beginners or people who want a machine that will pretty much take care of everything for you. Although this bread machine is more on the expensive end, it does not have any memory/custom settings, so more experienced bakers may want to choose a different one. If you are okay with not making 100% whole wheat bread, then this a good machine that makes great quality bread.
