Panasonic SD-YR2540 Fully Automatic Bread maker, with Yeast/Raisin & Nuts Dispenser, 32 Programmes, 4 Gluten-Free Mode, Dual Temperature Sensors, 13 Hours Digital Timer, Stainless

I had never made bread by hand. I’ve always wanted to but lacked the confidence to try. I believe this stems from my bitter childhood experiences with authoritarian home economic teachers who would shout and punish you for the slightest mistakes made which has in turn left me to fear anything to do with cooking. But when I put my mind to it I can follow simple recipes, and with a hankering to try my hand at bread making whilst avoiding my lack of knowledge of how to make dough, I decided a bread making machine was the way to go. So, I went for the plunge and brought the best model out there, the Panasonic YR2540. I can confidently make bread whilst avoiding the laborious mixing, kneading, proving, and baking as this can be all done by my bread machine. All I have to do is weigh out a few simple ingredients and let the machine do all the work. My confidence in baking has drastically improved since I got this machine. I can now make many types of bread with maximum flavour and minimal fuss, or stress. This machine has over 30 settings allowing you to make whole choice of breads from simple white and traditional wholemeal loafs to speciality breads made with flours such as spelt and rye, gluten free, and all manner of flavoured breads. It also has a cake mixing and cake backing settings allowing you to make all types of cakes. You can also use ready made bread mix and cake mix that you can buy from the supermarkets. This model also has an automatic yeast dispenser, and a fruit and nut dispenser. Plus, it has a timer so you can wake up to the smell of freshly made bread. The instruction booklet has many recipes. These are also available on the Panasonic website which are good but the recipes are not that easy to follow as aimed more for the American market. There is however a conversion chart on the website which helps you to convert US named flour types to UK ones. I tend to follow recipes provided in a really good book called “Brilliant Breadmaking In Your Bread Machine” by Catherine Atkinson, which is easier to follow as the recipe ingredients and measurements are for the UK market. Overall, I highly recommend the Panasonic YR2540 bread machine as its one of the best. Now I can fill my home with the wonderful aroma of freshly backed bread! The only negative point was the delivery as it arrived without being inside a delivery box. I don’t like this because I don’t want anyone seeing what’s been delivered to me. An outer box helps to protect the original box which in my case arrived with the corners crushed in. Luckily the item within the original packaging wasn’t damaged! Update 20/06/25. This bread maker also has a jam setting, so today I made jam for the very first time which turned out really well. If you search Google for Jam recipes you will find a number specifically for bread machines.

I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this breadmaker, and it did not disappoint. With an impressive array of programmes, I'm excited to experiment with a variety of breads and pizza dough. The machine is slightly larger than others I've owned, and I appreciate the sturdy metal construction and sleek design. It comes equipped with a handy sourdough cup for precise water measurements, a measuring spoon, and a specialised spoon for the sourdough starter, all of which underscore the thoughtfulness of its design. Using it is a breeze, and the included operating instructions and recipe booklet have proven to be incredibly helpful. This versatile machine allows me to bake loaves ranging from medium, large to extra large, and I can choose from medium, dark, or light crusts to suit my preferences. The breadpan removes easily, too. I couldn't wait to test it out, so I quickly gathered the recommended ingredients for a classic white loaf. To my delight, it wasn't long before the machine delivered a beautifully risen loaf, its aroma wafting through the kitchen. The first bite was nothing short of heavenly—there's truly something magical about fresh, homemade bread. I've also tried my hand at whole wheat bread, which turned out just as delightful, with a robust flavour that was hard to resist. Fuelled by my successful attempts, I'm eager to make spelt bread, another reason for investing in this outstanding breadmaker. Overall, this premium appliance is a fantastic addition to my kitchen, promising to keep me busy and fulfilled for months ahead. I wholeheartedly recommend this breadmaker to anyone who shares a passion for baking!

I am in love with this machine! It is fabulous and so easy to use. I have been baking bread almost daily. I generally bake the 400g Italian loaf for everyday use. It takes me less than 5 minutes to load the machine, program it and switch it on. Unlike a previous bread maker that I tried many years ago, this one has a tiny paddle that only leaves a small hole and a neat notch in the base of the loaf as opposed to tearing the middle of the loaf out as I had in the previous machine. It is expensive but I already think it’s worth it. No more steamed mass produced bread for us. The Italian loaf tastes great and slices as finely as you could want. Who wouldn’t want constant fresh bread that tastes wonderful and can be sliced thick or thin? The shape of the 400g loaf fits perfectly into my toaster. I get three loaves out of a bag of flour. If you like proper bread and are used to paying for it then this bread maker will save money in the long run. It makes the house smell divine too. As a last note to mention…I thought I would over eat this bread because it tastes so good but I find it strangely filling even when sliced thinner than average which makes me wonder what is in packet bread because that always made me unsatisfied and hungry again quickly.

I've had this machine over a year now and I love it. I've not even come close to using all the settings, despite my best intentions, but I have tried a few different types of loafs and had some amazing successes. I've found the recipe leaflet that is included brilliant. So much so I actually haven't used anything else, as the recipes work for what I want. I have experimented with different ingredients (eg honey instead of sugar etc) and seen a big difference in the density of the loaf, so would definitely say, follow the recipe to the T and you'll find the loaf comes out better than when you tweak. But equally it's wonderful for giving you the flexibility to play and find out what you like / don't like. It's a chonky piece of kit and does take up a reasonable amount of counter space, but is so easy to use. I can prep a loaf now in less than 5 mins and then 3-5 hours later I have a fantastic loaf of bread, with zero effort. Am v happy I opted for this (I did consider cheaper alternatives as I wasn't sure I could justify it as a new baker), it's been brilliant and a year later is still going strong. Would happily recommend.

Onky used for bread mix from supermarket at the moment, but easy to use and perfect loaves every time

This machine is an excellent piece of kit, producing pretty much everything “Loaf” and everything “Kneaded and Proved” if you want Rolls or Baguettes, and in doing so this machine pretty much removes all of the hard work in making dough, leaving you just to bake it! It’s a pity it doesn't have a range of trays that you can insert into the machine for other bread shapes, but thats a minor issue as the lack of such trays is really just an inconvenience in the process. It’s central core is the loaf and it does this brilliantly basically add the ingredients set the size, bake colour and timer and abracadabra great tasting breads when you want it; with a cost per loaf of about 50 percent of that of the shop bought loaf. That’s not to say it will save you money as the £200ish price tag will take some time to recover, but warm fresh bread everyday without any preservatives or additives is a compensation that goes a long way in payback for that overhead! It fits into my Kitchen very nicely and is about the same size as a microwave, is easy to maintain and clean. Its digital readout is self explanatory and with menu options printed alongside for reference. So if you like fresh bread and can swallow the machine cost for what is clearly well designed and built and turns out great results you can purchase this with confidence…

This is the 4th Bread Maker I've had in the last 8 years. It is easily the best. It is also the most expensive. I chose a Panasonic because they are regularly rated as Best Buys by Which Magazine, although this model, the SD-YR2540, has not as yet been reviewed by Which. The price quoted by Amazon was the best i could find, being £40 less than the recommended retail price. I took the trouble to ascertain, in advance, with Panasonic UK that spare parts are readily available for this machine. They are, and I ordered a spare bread pan and kneading blade from Panasonic. These are yet to arrive. 11th Jan spare bread pan arrived. The first loaf I baked was the standard white. It was fantastic, easily the best texture and taste of any white loaf i have baked in a machine in the last 8 years. I have subsequently baked another 2 loaves, to test the various functions of this machine. I've not had chance to taste them as yet, but the loaves looked really good with a uniform colour all over and a good shape. I'm sure they will taste good. This machine is very quiet when kneading the dough, unlike the 3 machines I had previously. Also it did not creep around the work surface when kneading, unlike 2 of my past machines. The instruction and recipe book is very detailed, giving the times of each process occurring during the bread making cycle. It is so much better than manuals I have referred to in the past. This makes using the machine very easy. As yet I haven't found any downsides apart from the high purchase costs of the machine itself and the spare bread pan and kneading blade. However this the top of the range Panasonic bread maker comes complete with all the bells and whistles. I suspect there will be some functions that I rarely / never use, but it willl be useful to have those options available to me. The build quality looks to be excellent and spares are readily available. This machine should have a lifespan of much longer than the average 2 years 8 months of my previous 3 machines. in which case it will justify the extra cost. So far I am extremely pleased.

I have had the Panasonic SD-2540 for 2 weeks or so., I used to buy those Hovis sensation seeded bread 🍞 until this automatic breadmaker. I kid you not the taste is unreal, every loaf I have made and oh boy have a made a few erhh yes, yes I have. Everything is better making your own bread facts, this machine is brilliant automatic yeast extracter and nut extracter so good. If you love bread and want to be healthy you have to get good quality ingredients for that over the rainbow pot of gold bread. Since switching to this machine, using good ingredients I'm loosing weight without trying due to hell healthy this bread is. The only down side is because it's so good and tasty it doesn't last long, but setting it up and having it done and ready from when you wake up and have fresh bread dear god you wonder why didn't you do it sooner. Give it a go you won't buy bread again, and Panasonic have a link for lovely bread recipes to try and there good. 🥖👍

Alle Rezepte sind kinderleicht und besser als beim Bäcker geworden. Beste Investition.

Bonjour. C'est ma deuxième machine à pain PANASONIC en France. Auparavant, j'avais le mode d'emploi en français, notamment les recettes. Elles mentionnaient de la farine française. Comme les noms sont très différents des noms anglais, je suis très déçue qu'il n'y ait pas de mode d'emploi en français. Où puis-je le trouver, SVP? ? Pourquoi ne pas traduire le mode d'emploi dans la langue du pays où votre produit est vendu ? Les machines à pain Panasonic sont par ailleurs excellentes ! Merci.

9 months so far with with it, this is an awsome break maker. Easy to use, timer settings, and recipes included. We use it 5-6 time every week, standing solid so far.

Lors de la commande, pour le matériau il était dit : INOX ! Or à la réception je me retrouve avec une cuve en ALUMINIUM !!! Très déçue...et la brochure uniquement en anglais !

No joking, but we use this machine almost every three days to bake fresh loaves of bread.