Cuisinart CBK-200 Review

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Cuisinart CBK-200 convection bread machineYou’ve probably come across convection ovens before. But what about a convection bread machine? Just like a convection oven, a convection bread machine uses a fan to circulate heat while baking. This is to ensure even browning and a crispy crust on the loaf. The Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker (CBK-200) is Cuisinart’s way of separating itself from the competition as the only bread machine that uses a convection fan.

With the Cuisinart CBK-200, you can select from three different loaf sizes: 1 pound, 1.5 pound, or 2 pound. It has 16 pre-programmed settings including several “rapid” modes and a gluten-free mode. You can set the bread machine to one of 3 crust settings: light, medium, and dark. There’s also a 12-hour delay timer that you can take advantage of to delay the baking process up to 12 hours. Like the CBK-100, this Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker has a large viewing window at the top that allows you to watch the progress of your bread as it bakes. The removable baking pan comes with a single removable kneading blade.

This beautiful bread machine has handles on the side which is great for carrying around. You’ll likely have to move it to the storage as it will take up some counter space. The housing is made of stainless steel and looks very modern. One of the interesting things about this machine is the removable lid. But we don’t really see this as a particularly useful feature, if we can call it that!

Our Cuisinart CBK-200 Review

Most of you are probably wondering: Does a convection bread maker produce better results than a non-convection bread maker? What we can tell you about the CBK-200 is that the convection fan is located on one side. And we noticed that the sides are coming out browner than the top of the loaves (which is the case with most bread machines). So does this mean air isn’t circulating to the top? It does seem like it. As far as even browning goes, still nothing beats having a bottom and top heater like on the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus.

If you want to bake with fruit and nuts, the Cuisinart CBK-200 will beep and tell you to add them during the second kneading cycle. There is also a beep after kneading is complete and just before the last rise cycle to tell you to remove the paddle before baking. We know that most people will appreciate this so we wanted to mention it. You can avoid having the paddle baked into the loaf. And then having to tear it out, creating a hole in your loaf.

The one disappointing thing about this bread machine is that it doesn’t always mix the ingredients properly (which happens often with bread machines that have a single kneading blade), and you need to use a spatula to help it combine everything. If you don’t want to bother with this potential problem then go straight for a machine with double kneading blades like the Zojirushi BB-PDC20. Having said that, this machine costs way less (and has a greater warranty to boot) than the Zo, so you may not mind scraping the sides with a spatula if it means the extra savings. The great thing about this machine is it feels sturdy and doesn’t make a lot of noise.

As far as programmable options go, it will handle all the basics (white bread, whole wheat bread, etc.) and more. The recipe book isn’t anything fancy or colorful, but grab a good bread machine cookbook and you’ll be on your way to baking some delicious treats with the Cuisinart CBK-200.

Cuisinart CBK-200 Rating
  • Features
  • Quality of Bread
  • Price
  • Performance
  • Versatility
4.5

Summary

The Cuisinart CBK-200 is a great mid-range, no-frills bread machine that will work for most people. It has an attractive stainless steel housing with side handles, a large viewing window, and a 3-year warranty.

Cuisinart CBK-200 Features At A Glance

  • Makes a classic horizontal 1-, 1.5-, 2-pound loaf
  • Bakes bread in as little as one hour, and has a 12-hour delay timer
  • Has side handles for easy carrying
  • Has a large viewing window
  • Has 16 pre-programmed settings: white, rapid white, whole wheat, rapid whole wheat, French/Italian, rapid French/Italian, quick bread/cake, low carb, gluten-free, dough/pizza dough, artisan dough, sweet bread, rapid sweet bread, jam, last-minute loaf, bake only.
  • Has 3 crust settings: light, medium, dark.
  • Comes with instruction manual/recipe book, removable bake pan, removable kneading blade, measuring spoon, and measuring cup
  • Has limited 3 year warranty (as opposed to 1 year for most manufacturers)

Concluding Thoughts

Compared to other bread machines in its price range the Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker CBK-200 is a solid choice. It has a reasonable price tag with a whopping 3-year warranty. While it won’t dazzle you with its creations, you can count on it being a no-frills, mid-range kitchen helper. We imagine most people will be satisfied with this bread machine. Since it has a capacity between 1 to 2 pounds, it will work for both small and large households.

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