Black & Decker BK1015W 1.5 Pound Bread Machine Review

We all know Black & Decker as one of the leading brands in kitchen appliances.

And the Black & Decker BK1015W 1.5 Pound Bread Machine is just another of their affordable and effective devices, perfect for simple recipes.

It’s a great bread machine all in all and, although there are a few bumps here and there, this bread machine will take you down the delicious road to perfect loaves of bread.

Let’s get the deets…

Black & Decker BK1015W 1.5 pound Bread Machine: The Details

In a Nutshell

• Weight: 11.4 pounds
• Dimensions: 15.1 x 15 x 13 inches
• Loaf Capacity: 1 pound and 1 ½ pounds
• Settings: 12 baking programs (including 3 crust color options)
• Timer: 13 hour delay timer
• Stand-Out Feature: 1 hour power failure back-up

Features

Loaf size

This machine makes bread sizes of 1 pound and 1 ½ pounds, which are good sizes if you’re just looking for a nice breakfast for yourself or for a small family, but not quite big enough a big party or a larger family.

9 Baking Programs

Considering the low cost of the Black & Decker BK1015W, they have a generous number of pre-programmed settings for you to experiment and play around with.

Here’s the full list of bake programs:

1. Basic
2. French
3. Whole Wheat
4. Sweet
5. Rapid White (in just 58 minutes!)
6. Gluten Free
7. Dough
8. Jam
9. Bake

It’s very unusual to have a gluten-free program on such a low-cost machine — ideal for gluten-free eaters on a budget!

3 Crust Color Options

As with most bread machines nowadays, the BK1015W offers you three different crust color shades: light, medium and dark.

 

Keep Warm Mode

This setting is excellent if you want to eat your bread later, but don’t want to put it in the refrigerator to have to reheat it after.

The Keep Warm mode, which runs for one hour, keeps the bread as warm and fresh as the moment it was finished baking.

This mode starts immediately and automatically after the baking process ends, but it doesn’t apply to the jam, dough, or bake cycles.

Delay Timer

A very handy function that can be used to delay the completion of the baking cycle until breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so you can have freshly baked bread in time for your meal.

This specific model can delay the process for up to 13 hours; however, it cannot be used for Rapid, Quick Breads or the dough setting. It is not recommended for whole grain bread or preserves either.

60 Minute Power Failure Back-Up

The machine has a power back-up feature, so if the electricity goes off, the memory will store your cycle selection for up to 60 minutes.

If the power comes back on within this time, the bread making cycle will resume where it left off.

Most bread makers — even the very expensive ones — can only offer this function for up to 15 minutes, so a full hour is a real god-send (and ideal for bakers in areas with a bad power supply!).

Mix-Ins Beeper

The Black & Decker BK1015W has an audible beeper that goes off to let you know when it’s time to add in your fruit, nuts or what-have-yous.

We’re pleased to report that unlike many of its competitors, this isn’t a beeping noise that’s loud enough to wake the dead. If anything, it’s a little too quiet!

LCD Screen

The LCD on the BK1015W is a little on the small side but is certainly easy to use with only a few buttons to get your head around.

This certainly isn’t a technologically innovative bread machine, but it’s easy to master and great for beginners.

Viewing Window

A small viewing window on the top of the Black & Decker machine allows you a sneak peek at your loaf as it blossoms.

Again, it’s not the biggest we’ve seen — but at least that means that not a lot of heat is escaping!

Black & Decker BK1015W 1.5 pound Bread Machine Review

The Positives

Great Design and Build

The Black & Decker 1.5 pound Bread Machine has a great design.

It’s small enough that you can store it anywhere in your kitchen, but elegant enough that you can have it on display on your counter without it looking bad.

At just over 11 pounds, it doesn’t weigh much, so it is easy to move around, and the simple, sleek design looks amazing compared to other bulkier breadmakers.

Simple to Use

One of the key features this breadmaker has is that it doesn’t overwhelm you with too many buttons. It’s easy to set up the cycle the way you want if you follow the instructions manual.

It’s pretty hard to go wrong with the BK1015W: we think it’s a great buy for beginners or for anyone looking for a reliable bread machine that can conquer the basics for a bargain basement price.

Excellent Range of Features

The fairly extensive amount of features is one you won’t find anywhere else… unless you’re willing to pay extra, of course.

Besides the features we mentioned above, the Black & Decker 1.5 pound Breadmaker also comes with cool-touch housing, French bread settings, low carb settings, sweet bread settings, wholemeal bread settings, a removable lid, an alarm, and much more.

Like we’ve already mentioned, it’s very rare to spot a machine at this price point with a gluten free setting. Certainly something to write home about!

Affordable and Dependable

While it may not be the best breadmaker ever, it sure does get the job done for half the price of other machines.

If you’re looking for a professional, super-powered breadmaker, you’ve got to shell out for it.

But, if you want a reliable machine that gets the job done, look no further than the Black & Decker BK1015W bread maker.

Cleaning is Easy

Cleaning the breadmaker’s pan and interior is hassle-free due to the design.

Taking the pan out to wash is fast, and the interior is big enough that you can put a hand in and easily clean it each time after use.

The Negatives

Manual Not Up to Par

Though the instructions manual is easy to follow once you get started, it falls flat when it’s time to consult it for specific problems and troubleshooting.

The instructions can be unclear and unhelpful sometimes, so if there is a serious issue, you’ll have no choice but to get in contact with the Black & Decker customer support.

The recipes in the manual are also rather plain and offer little variety. If you want to make fancy, complicated recipes, you will have to look elsewhere.

Although, Black & Decker probably did this because they knew this model works best for simpler recipes.

Rattles a Little

Make sure you move the machine back as far away from your kitchen counter’s edge as possible, because this machine vibrates enough to move and fall right off the counter if you let it.

While we love that the BK1015 1.5 Pound Bread Machine is super lightweight, some minor vibrations and rattling are the compromise when you take away a sturdy base.

Alarm Not Loud Enough

An alarm sounds twice during the baking cycle: once when you need to add in your mix-ins, and again once it’s completed.

While you’ll certainly be able to hear it if you’re close by, you may struggle a little if you’re not in the next room — or if you’re hard of hearing.

We mixed a mix-in alarm when we were sat out in the garden — very irritating!

Overall Verdict

The Black & Decker BK1015W 1.5 pound Bread Machine is rather simple, so it’s a good machine for anyone looking to get into bread making or who needs one for general household baking.

It won’t wow you if you try more complicated bread styles, but it certainly gets the job done if you just want some bread for yourself and your family.

It’s lightweight and small, so will fit into even the smallest kitchen.

The machine does have its vices, but considering the fact that it is a functional breadmaker with a few great features and a good price, we say it’s worth it.

Where to Buy the Black & Decker 1.5 Pound Bread Machine

Black and Decker are a well known and respected name in the kitchen appliance world, so you’ll be able to find the BK1015W bread maker in a variety of stores.

Check out these online marketplaces for starters:

• Black & Decker
• Walmart
• Sears

And, of course, it’s available on Amazon.

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Have you tried the Black and Decker BK1015W bread maker yet?