The Cuisinart CBK-100 is a compact and functional bread maker that you will love. It’s a programmable automatic bread maker from Cuisinart, so it requires minimal effort. Literally all you have to do is add the ingredients and select the time. We’ve tested the product, and the ease of use is definitely one of the major benefits.
Who Should Buy The Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Maker?
The Cuisinart CBK-100 is a medium-sized bread maker which weighs about 17 pounds. You can use it for both 1 pound or 2 pound loaves of bread. So it’s ideal no matter the size of your family. With its 18 x 12.25 x 15 inch dimensions, it will take some space, but it’s still perfect to put it on your countertop.
The bread machine is very budget friendly. The Cuisinart CBK-100 costs less than $100USD. Maybe that’s what the number in the product name means? Anyway, we were more than happy after seeing the price. Considering that other bread machines from a different brand can easily cost $200 or $300, we believe that Cuisinart provides the best price vs quality. It provides a great set of features for the money.
Before settling on this machine, you might want to consider the following:
- This bread machine is not that small, and will take up some room in your kitchen (8 x 12.25 x 15 inch dimension).
- You can delay bread baking up to 13 hours. If you have to go to work or have other responsibilities, this feature will be quite useful.
- Clean the machine after use. There’s a viewing window; removable lid, pan, and paddle for a quick cleanup.
The Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Maker: Full Review of 2020
We’ve tested this product extensively after reading all the good reviews online. One of the functions we love is how many different options you have to customize your bread. For beginners, there is a recipe book and instruction booklet that comes with this machine to help you.
But back to all the options.. It has 12 preprogrammed options! We’ll discuss all these options in further detail below. With the bread maker’s versatile three loaf sizes and three crust colors you can customize your bread even further.
But that’s not all of it. This bread maker will give notifications when to add extra ingredients. Are you a fan of nuts, seeds, fruits? The bread maker will notify you when it’s time to add these ingredients. You can also remove the kneading blade to avoid it being baked into your bread.
We initially bought this bread maker because of its aesthetics. We weren’t expecting such a quality product for the little money we’ve spent. Safe to say, we are extremely pleased with both the function and design of this machine.
Pros:
- Perfect for small and large families
- Automatic and programmable
- Delay bread baking up to 13 hours
- Easy-to-use and clean
Cons:
- It can make some loud noises while making bread
- Your kitchen may smell like bread for the next 4 hours 🙂
Features and Benefits
One of the first things you notice about this product will probably be its control panel. While at first sight, it can be a bit overwhelming (yes, a lot of options indeed..), it’s actually very easy to use. The bread maker is silver in color and has a great compact look to it.
Let’s discuss all the features in a bit more detail now.
1. Easy-to-Use and Intuitive Control Panel
Easy-to-use LCD display available. It will both display your loaf size and the crust color. There’s an extensive selection of 12 preprogrammed menu selections. These selections include basic/white bread, French/Italian, Whole Wheat, Sweet, Gluten Free, Packet Mix, Cake, Dough, Pasta Dough, Jam, Bake-Only and Rapid Bake.
As you can see from the image below, it all looks pretty advanced, but it’s incredibly easy to use. Instructions are clear, and you can set them as per your needs. At the bottom of the panel you also have the delay start timer buttons. You can use the delayed baking mode and set a delayed time of up to 13 hours.
2. Recipe Book and Instruction Manual Included
This could be a necessary benefit. It can always happen that something goes wrong, so having an instruction manual is essential. If you’re out of inspiration, try using one of the new recipes from the recipe book.
The recipe book includes recipes for all 12 bread settings. Although some reviewers have been unsatisfied with some of the recipes, it seems that most users do love the recipes mentioned in this bread machine cookbook.
3. Gluten-Free Cycle Available
We feel like this part deserves its own section. I was VERY surprised when I saw a gluten free setting on the Cuisinart CBK-100. Besides that, it also has a 100% Whole Wheat setting. Finding these settings on a bread machine that costs less than a 100 dollars is extremely rare. It’s definitely one of the cheaper bread machines that his this feature.
Both settings worked really well when we tried out some of our gluten free recipes.
4. Pre-Set Beep Reminders
If you want to add extra ingredients during the kneading and rising process, we recommend this product as well. You won’t have to guess when to add fruits or nuts because this bread maker will simply tell you.
A lot of people appreciated this feature. We should mention that a lot of people also complained about the loud noises and beeping this machine makes. If you want a silent machine, we might recommend another product.
This is what one customer had to say about the beeping:
“The beepings of this machine are many during a cycle, they are loud and last as long at 15 seconds and they are annoying like a digital alarm clock. No option to deactivate. No fun when baking at night.”
Social Proof
Before buying a product, it’s always recommended to read some of the past reviews. There are plenty of positive reviews about the Cuisinart CBK-100 Bread Maker on the web. In fact, there are 2,899 product reviews, of which 68% are extremely positive. At the time of writing this product receives 4.2 stars out of a possible 5 on average.
Some customers have a bit of problems with this bread maker. Apparently some people have been unsuccessful with making tasty loaves of bread. Other people also complain about the constant beeping this machine makes.
Other Cuisinart Alternatives
In case you would like to learn more about other Cuisinart bread machines, here are 2 other bread makers of this fantastic brand:
1. Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Lb Convection Bread Maker
The Cuisinart CBK-200 is an upgraded version of the CBK-100. It’s slightly more expensive, and has a couple of differences with its older brother. CBK-200 has a max 12-hour delay cycle vs the CBK-100 13-hour. The CBK-200 also has more program settings (16 compared to the 12 that the CBK-100 has). Artisan dough and low carb are some of the newer settings of the Cuisinart CBK-200.
2. Cuisinart CBK-110P1 Bread Maker
The features of this bread machine are almost identical to the CBK-100. There are some small differences however. The most noticeable difference is the shape and size of the machine. If we look at the features more closely, there are 2 main differences. This machine has an interior light, and the color is stainless steel instead of silver.
Conclusion: Best Bet for your Money
The Cuisinart CBK-100 feels like a high-end machine, but with a low price tag. If you are looking for a professional bread machine that won’t break the bank, don’t look any further. It’s simple to use and your loaf of bread will have the perfect shape. It’s also very versatile, and you can use it to make all kinds of bread (even gluten-free bread). Since it can bake up to 2 pound loaves, we would recommend this bread maker to both small and large families.
Overall, it has plenty of features and comes at an affordable cost. Thanks to the instructions that are included you will be making delicious bread in no time!