Black & Decker B2250 Bread Machine

I found it difficult to make good bread with this machine. The designers of the programming on this machine decided that everyone must want quick baking, high rising bread. They cut out the extra kneading and the multiple rise cycles that normally make a much finer textured and more flavorful loaf of bread. Instead they use an excessive amount of yeast to make sure the bread rises and instruct you to use warm water (difficult to judge the same every time) instead of providing a preheat cycle. They do not provide enough different recipes to serve as a templates for altering your own recipes. There are very few whole grain examples and no rye breads. It is likely they are not there because the machine is excessively noisy, rocky and easily jammed by heavier bread doughs. The machine is so lightweight that it moves in a circle during kneading cycles and could likely fall off the counter. There are no statements of times for cycles, or how many rises or other helpful information that might aid recipe adjustment. I had to watch the machine like a hawk to figure a few of these things out. Like most all bread machines, it bakes too dark. Their standard and wheat cycle is like a fast one-rise cycle in other makers, and their quick cycle is even quicker. (I didn't ever try any quick cycles, as I didn't want to waste any more ingredients.) I sold my maker after about 6 undesirable loaves of bread and decided to go for a Zojirushi machine, which made a great loaf of bread, first try. I bake bread at least once a week, so it is not like I have not experimented with lots of different recipes and machines over the years. This was the worst ever.