The Toastmaster Breadmaker’s Hearth is one of the most unique bread machines on the market. What makes this machine so unique is that it is also an oven, broiler, and toaster. All in one microwave sized unit.

The controls are simple to use and allow for a wide variety of options. The unit comes with a 2-pound horizontal bread pan and paddle, a broiler pan and a wire cooking rack. Also, included is a cover for the kneading mechanism. This cover is placed over the shaft in the bottom of the unit and protects it from spills and grease when using the toaster, broiler, or bake functions.

This machine is loaded with features. For example, it can make 1-1/2 and 2lb loaves. It has 8 cycles, including Basic White, Instant or Rapid, Whole Wheat, Whole Wheat Rapid, French, Sweet, Cake, Dough, Pizza Dough, Mixing. You also have control over the crust color (light, medium, dark). The Instant or Rapid cycle can make a loaf of bread in less than 2 hours. It has a keep warm cycle, so if you can’t get too the bread when completed it won’t get soggy. It has a 13-hour timer so you can wake-up/come home to fresh baked bread. In addition, there is an add ingredients beep.

As for the oven, toaster, and broiler functions, these are rather complete also. The oven can be digitally set from 100 degrees to 500 degrees. It also has a 4-hour digital timer. In broil mode there is a 60-minute digital timer. The toaster function can handle 4 bread machine sized slices of bread or several bagels, English muffins, etc. It also has 8 shade settings from light to dark.

If you like to watch what is happening you will love the full view glass door. The only real problem with this is that once the pan is in place, you can’t see in it. In addition, if your bread rises too high it will stick to the top. Perhaps the biggest disappointment for me was that a pizza baking stone wasn’t included. When these first became available one was included, however, that special offer has terminated, and now you can’t even buy one. Because of the size needed to fit in the oven, I have been unable to locate one that will fit.

Overall, this is a very nice machine. That is perfect for the person with limited space but would like to have a bread machine, large object toaster, and second oven/broiler. It takes up about the same amount of space as mid-sized microwave. We made 40 loaves of bread and 10 batches of dough. The machine made great bread and there were no unkneaded ingredients left in the pan. All of the bread we made rose well and had a nice golden crust. I however didn’t like the toaster. By the time, the ceramic elements heated up to toast the bread it had dried it out.

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