Breville the Custom Loaf™ Bread Maker

I'd like to offer insights not already covered by other owners: Like other Breville appliances, this bread maker uses a multi-function rotary switch for navigating and changing the values of various settings. This is a faster, easier method than keypad buttons used on other machines. This machine has a high level of features and settings, so this choice of interface really shines. There's also tactile metallic buttons that perform single purposes, (Ex: Oven light), and their layout and size make them unambiguous. This layout, and the large, easy to read black-over-white LCD display are friendly to old duffers like me who don't appreciate scrambling to find our glasses to use an appliance. Also, the important buttons have an illuminating halo ring that changes color to indicate they are, or are not available for use depending on the present state of the machine's cycle. Another clever detail. A word on the folding paddle angst some owners have expressed: Complaints relate to seizing, cleaning or aesthetics of the 'hole' in the bottom of the loaf . . really? I lube the thing with olive oil prior to use. I also place a cup of hot water in the baking tin w/paddle after it cools to soften remnant dough, then use the edge of a common dish brush to clean away baking remnants. Cleaning takes seconds not minutes - far less time than complaining, and if a small hole or gash in the bread your about to digest troubles you, consider meditation or a therapist. Things to like: 1. Widest range of loaf sizes of any machine I could find. 2. Oven light is awesome - not critical, but a really thoughtful luxury. 3. Fruit/nut dispenser a plus. 4. 850watt rating - most powerful machine I could find. 5. Fixed and folding paddles provide for a wide range of uses. 6. Greatest number of custom program settings and memory for personal recipes. Lastly, and surprisingly important, 7. The manual/recipe book is a real quality item. Thick, glossy pages, spirally bound so you can open to a recipe and it lays flat. It is made to be in a kitchen. Most other manufacturers completely cheap out at this point. The many recipes are a great starting point for spectacular personalized custom loafs. A note on price: Welcome to inflation. I had to pay $300. Who WANTS to do that? I didn't, and first I bought a KBS import special with a fancy glass top for $150. But on only the second loaf, that machine's wimpy motor started to make unhealthy sounds and got returned. On the other hand, my 6-7 year old Breville espresso machine, juicer, and countertop oven function as perfectly today as they did in 2015. Coincidence? Maybe, or it shows value for the prices paid - who's to say. In the end, performance and longevity are more important to me than low price. Once the money is spent, it's easy to forget the pain as long as the product excels year after year. O.K., time for a perfect crusty dill rye for Reuben sandwiches. It's a ripper :) P.S. If you haven't tried Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread flour, there's a real pleasure waiting for you.