Getting your first bread machine? You might want to look at the Sunbeam 5891, which may not be a high end bread maker but it has enough features to please and most importantly, doesn’t cost a bomb.

It may surprise you how feature-packed this bread machine is, for the price that you pay for it. Being a frequent baker myself I always go for the models above $100 to ensure good quality, but this inexpensive bread machine struck me to be as good as those more expensive ones.

The Sunbeam 5891 is really easy to use, which is another advantage for novice bakers. The settings are clearly labeled and numbered so there’s no way you can go wrong even if you don’t read the manual. Just remember that liquids go in first if you are using the delay timer to bake your bread.

The window on the machine is large and allows you to check on the bread as often as you like. I often don’t bother if it wasn’t the first time I’m using a certain recipe.

Anyway, the recipe book that comes with this bread machine is crap. All of them failed! From my experience I gathered it was the amount of yeast that was wrong. If you don’t want to waste time experimenting with the right amount of yeast to use, just go and get a good bread machine recipe book like this one. Good recipes are the key to getting tasty bread, even if you are a beginner.

I prefer to use the light crust setting for all my bread when I’m using the Sunbeam 5891. I find that the other crust shades are too dark with this bread machine, and they become rather dry too.

Some other reviewers received a defective pan with their bread machine, which leaked oil into the bread it was baking. Sunbeam does cover the defect with their one-year warranty, so if this unfortunately happens to you, don’t hesitate to get a replacement pan from them.

The good thing about the Sunbeam 5891 is that it is quiet compared to other cheap bread machines. It didn’t make loud grinding noises when it kneads but don’t compare it to the expensive, more powerful models.

If this is the first time you’re buying a bread machine and not sure whether you will use it much, go ahead and give Sunbeam 5891 a try. You may find yourself eating more homemade bread after all.

The Sunbeam 5891 makes 1.5-pound or 2-pound loaves, if you are looking for a smaller bread machine, look at the best small bread maker, or the best big bread machine if you want large loaves. More bread machine reviews here.