KEEPEEZ MBF-041 Bread Machine: Full Review

The KEEPEEZ MBF-041 is a versatile and well-built bread machine that provides excellent bread baking performance for the price. This dual-paddle horizontal bread machine features 10 automatic baking programs, dual heaters for even baking, a large 1.5lb loaf capacity, spacious vertical baking pan, viewing window, adjustable crust settings, delay timer, and keep warm function. With 650 watts of power, the MBF-041 can reliably knead heavy doughs and create consistent high-quality bread loaves. The machine has a sleek stainless steel exterior that matches most kitchen decors. Overall, the KEEPEEZ MBF-041 is a great option for home bakers looking for an affordable bread machine with professional-grade performance and useful bread making features.

Design & Build Quality

The KEEPEEZ MBF-041 bread machine features a sturdy stainless steel exterior with a sleek matte black finish. It has a box-like design with a horizontal bread pan that slides out from the front of the machine. With dimensions of 14.6 x 11.4 x 12.2 inches and weighing 22 pounds, this bread maker has a substantial footprint but can fit well on most countertops.

The bread pan itself is made from non-stick coated aluminum which allows for easy cleaning. It can make loaves up to 2 pounds in size. The viewing window on the top of the machine is relatively small but allows you to monitor the baking process.

Overall, the build quality feels solid with no loose or flimsy parts. The stainless steel and matte black exterior gives it an elegant, modern look that would fit into most kitchen decors. While large and heavy, the horizontal design saves some counter space compared to vertical bread machines.

The Zojirushi BB-CEC20 is another excellent option for home bakers. It features dual kneading blades for thorough dough kneading and a large viewing window to easily monitor your bread. The BB-CEC20 has a sturdy build quality with a sleek design and also offers multiple custom settings for various types of bread and dough. This model is known for its reliability and high performance, making it a popular choice among baking enthusiasts. Despite its advanced features, it maintains a user-friendly interface, making it a great choice for both beginners and seasoned bakers.

Features & Settings

The KEEPEEZ MBF-041 bread maker comes with a wide array of features to handle all your bread baking needs.

Types of Bread

This machine can make a variety of breads including basic white bread, whole wheat, French, sweet bread, quick bread, cake, jam, rice bread, and more. It comes with settings for 1.5lb and 2lb loaf sizes.

Crust Settings
There are 3 crust color settings to choose from - light, medium and dark. This allows you to get the exact crust you prefer on your loaf.

Delay Timer The delay timer is extremely convenient, allowing you to add ingredients to the bread maker in the evening and set it to have fresh bread ready when you wake up or get home from work. The timer can be set up to 15 hours in advance.

Keep Warm The keep warm function prevents the freshly baked loaf from cooling too quickly after it's done baking. This keeps the bread tasting fresh for longer.

Fruit & Nut Dispenser There is a built-in dispenser that automatically drops your choice of fruits, nuts, seeds, etc at the optimal time during the kneading and baking cycle. This ensures everything is evenly incorporated in the dough.

LCD Display An easy-to-read LCD display shows you the full menu of settings and options. It displays information on the bread cycle, crust color, and time remaining.

The Cuisinart CBK-110P1 bread maker stands out with its compact design and superior functionality. It offers 12 preprogrammed menu options to make a variety of breads, doughs, cakes, and more. Adjustable crust settings allow you to choose from light, medium, or dark crusts. It includes a convenient 13-hour delay start timer and a viewing window to check bread-making progress. The appliance is equipped with a removable nonstick pan for easy cleanup and even incorporates a backup feature in case of power interruption.

Ease of Use

The KEEPEEZ bread machine is designed with ease of use in mind. The controls are intuitive and straightforward to operate even for first-time users. There are just a few buttons to select the baking cycle, crust color, and loaf size. An LCD display clearly shows the selected settings and countdown timer.

Operation of the machine itself is quiet, without excessive noise that would be disruptive. This makes it fine to run while doing other activities at home. The stainless steel body is easy to wipe down and keep clean after use. Removable parts like the kneading paddle and bread pan detach easily for hand washing or placement in the dishwasher.

One thoughtful aspect is the viewing window in the lid. This allows monitoring the progress of the dough during the kneading and rising cycles without having to stop the machine and open it up. Overall, the simplicity of use combined with the quiet operation makes this a very user-friendly bread maker. Beginners will appreciate how easy it is to get started baking tasty homemade loaves.

Baking Performance

The KEEPEEZ MBF-041 Bread Machine bakes up aromatic loaves with great oven-like flavor and texture. The dual heating elements on top and bottom provide even heat distribution for nicely risen bread. The non-stick pan also helps promote rise and easy release.

Loaves have a nice consistent density, not too dense or airy. The texture is similar to hand-kneaded bread with a good crumb structure. The crust comes out crisp on the outside with some chewiness, while the interior crumb is soft but not doughy. With the longer cycles, dark crust settings, and steam function, you can achieve more gourmet bread styles with crisp bakery-quality crusts.

The flavors are delicious and taste like bread baked in a regular oven. You can taste the richness of ingredients like butter, cheese, nuts, fruits etc without it getting lost. Recipes for sweeter breads like banana walnut come out great too. The machine does an excellent job bringing out the complex flavors in high-hydration or sourdough recipes as well. Overall, the MBF-041 makes bread that tastes fantastic with excellent baking results.

Value

The KEEPEEZ MBF-041 bread machine offers good value for the price. At around $139.99 on Amazon, it's reasonably priced for a bread maker with its features and performance.

The KEEPEEZ comes with a few handy accessories including a measuring cup, measuring spoon, hook for removing the bread, and recipes to get you started. It doesn't come with more advanced accessories like a kneading paddle or gluten-free bread pan that some higher-end models include. But for the price, you get everything you need to start making bread right out of the box.

Considering its sturdy stainless steel build, dual kneading blades, multiple settings, and consistent baking results, the KEEPEEZ MBF-041 provides quality and functionality that stacks up well against other bread machines in this price range. It's a good value pick for home bakers looking for an affordable machine with reliable performance.

The price is reasonable given the features and quality. And it includes the basic accessories you need to start baking a variety of breads. Overall the KEEPEEZ MBF-041 offers good value for money compared to similar models.

Pros

Large baking capacity: The MBF-041 has a large 1.5 lb bread loaf capacity, allowing you to bake full-sized loaves. This is ideal for larger families who want to bake multiple loaves at once.

Dual kneading paddles: This bread machine comes with dual kneading paddles that efficiently knead dough and shorten the kneading time. The paddles are sturdy and do an excellent job developing gluten.

16 preset programs: With 16 pre-programmed settings for different loaf sizes and styles, this machine can make everything from basic white bread to whole wheat, sweet bread, jam, and cake. The programs are easy to select and execute.

Adjustable crust control: There are 3 crust color settings to choose light, medium or dark crust. This allows you to customize the crispiness and browning of the crust.

Cons

• The KEEPEEZ bread maker has a smaller capacity than some competing models, with a maximum loaf size of 2 pounds. This can be limiting for larger families or those who like to bake multiple loaves at once.

• There have been some complaints about the kneading paddle leaving a hole in the bottom of bread loaves. This seems to be an issue primarily with softer dough recipes. Using the raisin/nut dispenser can help minimize the hole.

• The inner pan has a non-stick coating which can become damaged over time with regular use and cleaning. Replacement pans may be hard to find.

• Some users report issues with the dispenser failing to add ingredients like raisins or nuts at the right time. So it's best to manually add them to avoid an uneven distribution.

• The LCD display is not backlit, so it can be hard to see in low light conditions. A backlight would make the controls much easier to use.

Comparable Models

The KEEPEEZ MBF-041 has similarities to other popular bread machines such as the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 and the Cuisinart CBK-200.

Zojirushi BB-HAC10

The Zojirushi BB-HAC10 is a high-end model that is known for making delicious homemade loaves with an even, consistent texture. It has dual kneading blades and multiple settings like the KEEPEEZ, but also includes specialized options for making gluten-free breads. The Zojirushi tends to carry a higher price tag than the KEEPEZ but is comparable in performance.

Cuisinart CBK-200

The Cuisinart CBK-200 is a quality bread machine that is slightly more affordable than the KEEPEEZ. It can make loaves up to 2 pounds in size and has 13 settings. The Cuisinart has an LCD screen and push button controls. It doesn't have some of the higher-end features of the KEEPEEZ like dual kneading paddles or a viewing window, but still produces consistently good loaves for the price point.

The KEEPEEZ MBF-041 stacks up well against competitors with its build quality, customization options, and baking abilities. It hits a nice sweet spot between affordability and premium features.

Final Verdict

The KEEPEEZ MBF-041 is an excellent bread machine that produces high quality loaves with great crust and texture. It offers many useful features like dual kneading paddles, multiple crust settings, and a viewing window. The large capacity can make up to 2.2lb loaves suitable for larger families.

Operation is straightforward with an easy to use control panel and LCD screen. It has several automatic programs plus custom settings to accommodate different recipes and tastes. The non-stick pan is easy to clean and insert vertically for convenient loading and unloading of dough.

Overall, the MBF-041 delivers exceptional performance and value. The build quality and durability match more expensive models at a fraction of the price. For home bakers that want consistent, delicious homemade bread without the effort, the KEEPEEZ MBF-041 is highly recommended. It's an affordable workhorse bread maker that outperforms expectations.