For being relatively new to the market, the Costway Stainless Steel 2lb Electric Bread Maker is a surprising bargain for what it can do in comparison to other machines you can currently buy.
It comes with 19 pre-programmed settings, measuring tools, a maximum capacity of 2.2-pound bread, and up to a 15-hour delay start timer.
Still, a bargain can come with some less savory characteristics that may not slide for everyone. For instance, the manual could be better but in all honesty, how often do you really read the manual?
Everyone has their own needs and desires, as well as things they’re willing to put up with or pretend they don’t exist.
At the end of this review, maybe you’ll figure out that this is absolutely, positively, 100% the product for you – or not. Only one way to find out!
Contents
Costway Electric Bread Maker Machine: Stainless Steel Programmable Home Kitchen
In a Nutshell
- Weight: Two pounds
- Loaf Capacity: 500g (1.1 pounds) to 1000g (2.2 pounds)
- Settings: 19
- Timer: 15-hour delay timer
- Power: 550 watts
- Cord length: Four feet
Accessories
- One measuring cup
- One measuring spoon
Features
Three Loaf Sizes
You’ll be able to set the machine to make a loaf that’s 500 grams (1.1 pounds), 750 grams (1.65 pounds), or 1000 grams (2.2 pounds).
You can adjust the size of the bread when programming the machine to which setting you want to use, as the cook time for a 500g batch of white bread would take a much different amount of time than 1000g of cinnamon rolls.
For those unfamiliar with using weight as a measurement for how big your bread is, remember that one pound of bread can equal up to 16 slices.
Viewing Window
There’s a large glass window on the top of the machine to check in on how your bread is coming along.
This is largely a cosmetic function, but what’s not fun about watching your bread rise and bake?
It does bake the bread vertically so you’ll just see the end of your loaf – but it’s not really a big difference.
Power-Off Protection
Nothing’s worse than putting together everything you need, setting your timer so you’ll have fresh bread in the morning, only to find out after you wake up that the power went off for a while and so now you have half-baked bread – or half-baked dough, depending on if you’re a half glass full or empty kind of person.
This feature aims to solve that issue so you won’t be disappointed when it’s time for breakfast.
Completely Automatic
Once you program the machine with what you’re making and you’re ready to start, the bread machine will do the rest.
That includes mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, giving it time and heat to rise, and the baking of the bread.
Once you set it to start, it needs no further input, meaning you have more time on your hands or that you can wake up with fresh baked bread without waking up early to make it yourself!
Just imagine rising in the morning to the beautiful aroma before you even roll out of bed to start your coffee.
LCD Display
This bread maker has so many options that it might be hard to keep track of. This is where the LCD display is helpful.
Not only is it how you program the machine, but it helps to make the whole process easier, being clear and big enough so you can actually see what you’re about to make.
Delay Timer
Nowadays, bread makers are coming out with delay start timers.
For the Costway Electric Bread Maker, you can set it to wait 15 hours after you’ve loaded and programmed it before it starts the process.
Keep in mind when you enter the amount of time, it waits not for when you want it, but for when you want the process to begin.
The last thing you’ll want is to wake up and find out the several hour process had only just started.
Slide Resistant Grip
On the bottom of the feet of this bread maker are non-slip grips that will keep your machine from being knocked off by a pesky cat or a rowdy toddler.
As this machine isn’t as heavy as some others on the market, it uses this feature to make sure it isn’t pushed around very easily, even on a smooth, clean countertop.
Still, it’s probably best if you can keep your pesky cats and rowdy toddlers away from the bread machine for reasons other than your bread maker being knocked off the counter.
Costway Electric Bread Maker Machine Review
The Positives
Cheap and Effective
Bread makers can cost big bucks even if they save you a couple dollars here and there by making your own breakfast, lunch, and dinner side dishes.
The Costway Stainless Steel 2lb Electric Bread Maker is a bargain and it comes with everything that the other, more expensive machines provide, such as the variety of settings and a delay timer.
Besides, what’s better than telling your friends that you not only get fresh bread whenever you want it but that you also got it for a steal?
Little Clean-Up Required
The most daunting part of cooking and baking is the clean-up. After spending a length of time on a recipe, the last thing you want to think about is tidying.
The Costway will help with that issue. While the outside of the bread maker is stainless steel, the bread basket is non-stick.
If everything is done correctly, there should be little need for clean-up other than to routinely wipe out any residue from the previous loaf between uses.
Nonetheless, you’ll save so much time cleaning had you decided to make the bread personally. Imagine flour all over the counters, on your clothes, on the floor! No thanks!
Many Settings to Pick
No one’s ever looked at a machine and said, “I wish this had fewer settings!” Well, perhaps someone has, but not over a bread machine.
While it doesn’t come with a gluten-free bread baking option, it does come with 19 pre-programmed settings to make things from hot dog buns to whole wheat bread to cinnamon rolls!
This is great for bakers looking to experiment with more than just bread loaf recipes and can be a huge lifesaver when prepping for a dinner party.
With all these added options, you really get a bang for your buck.
Sturdy, Durable and Lightweight
Not only do the non-skid feet make this more durable for your kitchen, but the body is made up of a combination of strong stainless steel, and high-quality plastic.
This ensures that it can withstand whatever recipes you throw at it, and keep churning out bread and other goodies for a long time – stretching your dollar even further.
Weighing in at under 10lbs, you won’t need to be a bodybuilder to move it around should you need to rearrange your kitchen or bring your bread maker to another location.
Caters to All
As mentioned, the Costway Stainless Steel Bread Maker gives you options making it easy to adapt to different meal settings, and different preferences.
Since you can choose between 3 different sizes of bread, you’re able to be prepared for both a small family breakfast or a larger brunch with friends.
Not only that, but you’re able to even choose the kind of crust you want from light, medium, or dark. This means you’re not just satisfied, but you’re able to cater to the likes of others as well.
The Negatives
Confusing Manual
Some have found the manual to be poorly written with unclear directions and language that is hard to understand.
It’s the equivalent of a high school math teacher that tries three times to teach how an equation can be applied in real life but with every word added on, the students get more and more confused.
The result is, you have the information but you still don’t know how it works or why.
Incomplete Recipes
With the manual being confusing, we’re not surprised the recipes aren’t any better.
We’d recommend against relying on the manual for your recipes since they can be both confusing and incomplete and trying to copy a recipe that’s half-finished won’t give you the product you’re after.
This can be an easy fix since you can find recipes online, in videos, and in cookbooks, but this will take a bit of extra time which doesn’t really cater to the impatient.
Hard to Program
As a result of the aforementioned manual, the machine can be hard to program if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Those with prior bread machine experience may find it to be less difficult as the machine should still be similar in function to most other bread makers.
But to those just starting out, it may be more trouble than its worth if you’re easily frustrated or don’t have the time to puzzle it all together.
Overall Verdict
Those new to bread makers or those unsure if they’re going to stick with bread making via machine for the long term, may find this device unsuitable.
While the instructions may seem confusing, that doesn’t make the machine itself unusable.
We believe that bread makers with experience using other bread machines may be able to adapt to this faster, but the flaws will be hard to move past, the same way a fantastic chef in the kitchen could make do without a whisk but would prefer to have one anyways.
Still, as a starting machine, you won’t find a better deal than the Costway Stainless Steel 2lb Electric Bread Maker.
Once you figure out how to use its multiple features, the rest will be a piece of cake. Or, well – a good loaf of bread.
Where to Buy the Costway Stainless Steel 2lb Electric Bread Maker
Despite it’s few flaws, Costway has made a solid machine with its 2lb Electric Bread Maker.
Its affordable price makes it a popular choice amongst bakers being offered through a number of retailers both in-store and online.
To start, check out the following online outlets.
And of course, you can also find this product on Amazon.
That’s a wrap on our review of the Costway Bread Maker. Tempted to give it a try?
Costway Stainless Steel 2lb Electric Bread Maker Rated
MBAH Verdict
The Costway Stainless Steel 2lb Electric Bread Maker is a solid choice for those on a budget.
While it comes with a couple flaws like confusing instructions and recipes, it comes with an array of options, settings, and recipes for an affordable price.
-
Loaf Quality
-
Variety of Settings
-
Ease of Use
-
Design
-
Value for Money