Hamilton Beach 29890 Bread Machine: Full Review

The Hamilton Beach 29890 is a programmable bread machine that can make a variety of breads, doughs and jams. This model has a number of useful features such as a viewing window, 12 pre-programmed settings, 3 crust color options, and an automatic fruit & nut dispenser. The 29890 can make loaves up to 2.5 lbs, allowing you to bake larger loaves or multiple smaller loaves in a single cycle. With its intuitive controls and convection baking, this Hamilton Beach bread maker aims to provide homemade bread with minimal effort. This review will examine the key features, performance, accessories, and pros and cons of the Hamilton Beach 29890 bread machine.

Design & Appearance

The Hamilton Beach 29890 bread machine has a sleek, modern design with a sturdy build. It measures approximately 14 x 11 x 13 inches and weighs around 14 pounds, making it a medium to large sized bread maker.

The bread machine comes in two different color options - black and silver/stainless steel. The black model has a smooth, matte finish that gives it a sophisticated look. The silver/stainless steel version has more of a shiny, metallic appearance that fits with both traditional and contemporary kitchen decors.

Both color options feature a large viewing window on the top lid, so you can watch your dough being kneaded and keep an eye on the progress. The control panel is located on the top front of the machine and contains easy-to-use buttons for selecting settings and starting/stopping the bread making cycle.

Overall, the appearance is stylish yet functional, with a relatively compact footprint that won't take up too much counter space.

Another excellent option is the KEEPEEZ MBF-011A, which features a user-friendly design and a variety of programmable settings. This model boasts a sleek, space-saving design, measuring just a bit smaller than the Hamilton Beach. The KEEPEEZ MBF-011A also has an attractive finish, making it a great addition to any kitchen. Its intuitive interface makes it simple to select kneading times and crust preferences, ensuring perfect bread every time. Plus, with its efficient performance, it stands out for those who love baking fresh bread at home.

Features

The Hamilton Beach 29882 bread maker comes loaded with features to help you bake a variety of breads with ease. It offers 12 preset menus including options for making white bread, French bread, sweet breads, whole wheat bread, and more. You simply add the ingredients, select the appropriate cycle, and let the machine do the work.

For additional customization, the bread machine has 3 crust settings - light, medium, and dark. Choose light for soft crusts like sandwich breads or dark for crisper, chewier artisanal loaves. The delay timer is another handy feature, allowing you to add ingredients in the evening and set the timer so fresh bread is ready when you wake up.

Baking progress and settings are clearly displayed on the digital display. It shows the selected menu, crust setting, timer, and cycle progress. The display makes the bread maker easy to operate and monitor. Overall the ample features allow both beginners and experienced bakers to effortlessly bake a variety of bread recipes.

The SEEDEEM BM8220 offers additional versatility with its 15 menu settings for various bread types including gluten-free and artisan options. Its 3 loaf sizes cater to different baking needs. The intuitive digital interface ensures ease of use, while its non-stick baking pan facilitates cleanup. Enhanced with a viewing window, you can monitor your bread as it bakes. Ideal for both novice and seasoned bakers, the SEEDEEM BM8220 promises exceptional results and a seamless baking experience.

Ease of Use

The Hamilton Beach 29890 bread maker is designed to be very easy to use, even for beginners. It has an intuitive control panel with a simple LCD screen and buttons to select your settings and desired bread type. The buttons are clearly labeled which makes navigating the menus straightforward.

There are 14 pre-programmed settings to choose from including options for basic breads, quick breads, sweet breads, artisan dough, jam, and more. You simply add your ingredients to the non-stick bread pan, select your desired setting, choose crust color, loaf size, and press start. The machine does the rest of the work automatically.

The unit comes with a handy recipe booklet that provides easy to follow instructions for making a variety of breads. It includes details on ingredients, measurements, and directions for programming the machine. The recipes range from basic white and wheat breads to more specialty options like banana bread, cinnamon swirl bread, herb focaccia, and pizza dough. Even novice bakers will find great success using this breadmaker thanks to the intuitive controls and useful recipe guide.

Baking Performance

The Hamilton Beach 29890 bread machine bakes loaves with excellent quality and consistency. The heating elements and fan blade distribute heat evenly for uniform rising and baking. This results in bread with an even golden brown crust and moist, airy interior texture.

Customers report the machine reliably bakes high quality loaves batch after batch. It can handle basic white and wheat breads as well as more complex recipes with nuts, fruits, and seeds mixed in. The non-stick pan allows bread to slide out without sticking. The kneading paddle leaves only a small hole in the bottom of the loaf.

Overall, the baking performance matches or exceeds other bread machines in this price range. For home bakers looking for delicious homemade bread, the Hamilton Beach 29890 delivers excellent results.

Accessories

The Hamilton Beach 29890 comes with a number of handy accessories that make using this bread maker easy and convenient.

It includes a measuring cup for accurately measuring ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, yeast, etc. The cup has easy to read markings so you can quickly level off ingredients.

A measuring spoon is also included, which is useful for getting precise measurements of smaller amounts like yeast, baking powder or salt. The spoon has both 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp markings.

For mixing and kneading your dough, the 29890 comes with two sturdy kneading paddles. The paddles are designed to thoroughly mix and knead dough to develop gluten for a good rise. They rotate in opposite directions for efficient kneading. The paddles are easy to insert and remove from the bread pan.

Having the right accessories takes the guesswork out of bread making. With the included measuring tools and kneading paddles, you can follow recipes precisely and expect consistent results every time.

Noise Level

The Hamilton Beach 29890 Breadmaker has a relatively quiet motor that operates at around 58 decibels when kneading and 55 decibels while baking. This is comparable to the noise levels of casual conversation and won't significantly disrupt your household.

Some users note the kneading noise is a bit louder and more noticeable than baking, describing it as a "whirring" sound. But it's not excessively noisy by bread machine standards. The non-stick, removable bread pan also helps minimize clanking and banging sounds during the kneading cycle.

Overall, the 29890 won't wake sleeping family members if used early in the morning and isn't loud enough to drown out TV or music at moderate volumes. While not the absolute quietest bread machine available, the majority of users find the noise level acceptable and not bothersome. It's comparable to many other quality bread makers in this price range.

Cleaning

The Hamilton Beach Breadmaker is very easy to clean thanks to its removable bread pan and kneading paddles. The non-stick interior surface of the pan ensures that dough does not stick, making cleaning very simple. Just remove the pan after baking, allow to cool fully, and wash with warm soapy water. The pan is dishwasher safe for added convenience.

The lid of the machine can collect some condensation and drips during the bake cycle, so it's good to wipe this down after each use. There are no hard to reach areas or components that are difficult to clean. The exterior of the machine just needs an occasional wipe down with a damp cloth to keep looking nice.

Overall, clean up after using this bread machine is quick and hassle-free. The removable pan is the key, allowing you to easily clean all the surfaces that come in contact with dough.

Warranty

The Hamilton Beach Digital Bread Maker 29890 comes with a 1 year limited warranty. This covers any defects in materials or workmanship for the first year after purchase.

The warranty is valid as long as you register your bread maker online within 30 days of purchase. It also only applies to purchases made in the United States or Canada from authorized retailers.

The limited warranty covers the cost of repair or replacement of parts found to be defective. However, it does not cover any damage caused by misuse, abuse or alterations made to the product.

Normal wear and tear over time is also not covered. For example, scratches to the exterior or discoloration of the inner pan.

To receive warranty service, you will need to contact Hamilton Beach and provide proof of purchase. This can include the original receipt or invoice.

They may request that you ship the bread maker to them for inspection and repair. In some cases they may authorize a local service center to handle the warranty claim.

Overall the 1 year limited warranty provides decent protection in case you get a defective unit. But any issues that come up after the first year would not be covered.

Pros & Cons

The Hamilton Beach 29890 2-Pound Bread Maker has several pros and cons worth considering:

Pros

• Large 2-pound bread capacity. Can make loaves up to 2 pounds or 1.5 pounds for medium or 1 pound for small. Good for larger families.

• 14 preset programs for making different types of bread like French, gluten-free, sweet, and more. Adds versatility.

• LCD screen and control panel is easy to use and program. Intuitive interface.

• Optional dispenser automatically dispenses ingredients like fruits, nuts, seeds, etc at optimal times. Convenient feature.

• Includes measuring cup, measuring spoon, kneading paddles, and hook for easy cleanup. Good accessories.

• 3 crust color settings from light to dark. Allows customization.

• Viewing window to monitor baking progress.

• Rapid program makes bread in under 1 hour. Helpful for quick baking.

• Automatic Keep Warm mode for up to 3 hours after baking. Keeps bread fresh.

Cons

• Loaf shape is more vertical than horizontal. Not ideal aesthetic.

• No fruit and nut dispenser version available. Have to purchase dispenser model to get this feature.

• Kneading paddle leaves small hole in bottom of bread. Minor aesthetic flaw.

• Exterior gets very hot to the touch while baking.

• No gluten-free bread paddle included. Must purchase separately.

• Timer does not automatically start when ingredients are added. User must program time.

• No dough or cake settings. Only makes bread.

• No memory function to save customized recipes and settings.