Bread Machine with Raisin, Fruit And Nut Dispenser

Tired of staring at the bread machine, waiting to add raisins or nuts to the dough at just the right moment? Nuts! Consider getting a bread maker with an automatic fruit and nut dispenser. In that case, the bread machine can do the waiting while you get on with other things. I have chosen a few examples of bread machines with a fruit and nut dispenser from brands such as Hamilton Beach, Breville, Zojirushi, Breadman and Panasonic.

Hamilton Beach Bread Machine With Fruit And Nut Dispenser

Image shows Hamilton Beach 29888 Artisan Bread Maker
The Hamilton Beach 29888’s fruit dispenser is visible on top of the lid.

The Hamilton Beach 29888 seems like a popular choice for a bread maker with an automatic fruit and nut dispenser. It adds the mix-ins required by the recipe into the dough at the right moment. This bread maker has a single fixed paddle and its nonstick bread pan can handle a 1, 1.5 or 2 lb. loaf size.

You can choose one of the 14 menu settings to automatically prepare a variety of baked goods:

  1. Basic
  2. French
  3. Sweet
  4. 1.5 lb Express
  5. 2.0 lb Express
  6. Quick Bread
  7. Gluten-Free
  8. Artisan Dough
  9. Whole Grain
  10. Dough
  11. Rise
  12. Bake
  13. Cake
  14. Jam

For the most part, the Hamilton Beach 29888 bread maker is a versatile appliance that is easy to use and clean. I do not know how durable it is, but it seems to be highly recommended. Besides, its suggested retail price and stainless steel appearance make it an attractive offer (check price on Amazon – paid link).

Breville Bread Machine With Automatic Dispenser

Breville BBM800XL Custom Loaf Bread Maker Top View
The Breville BBM800XL’s automatic dispenser is located in the lid above the viewing window.

The Breville BBM800XL can handle 4 different loaf sizes from 1 pound up to 2.5 pounds. Choose between 14 automatic settings and 3 crust colors. The menu settings are:

  1. Custom
  2. Basic
  3. Basic Rapid
  4. Whole Wheat
  5. Whole Wheat Rapid
  6. Gluten Free
  7. Crusty Loaf
  8. Sweet
  9. Yeast Free
  10. Dough (Bread)
  11. Dough (Pizza)
  12. Dough (Pasta)
  13. Bake Only
  14. Jam

You are able to modify the preheating, knead, rise, punch-down, bake and keep warm times of the Custom setting. You can store your customized times and temperatures in the bread machine’s memory.

The Breville BBM800XL has a collapsible kneading paddle which folds down before the baking starts to decrease the hole left in the bottom of the bread. It also comes with a fixed paddle that is used exclusively when making jam with the jam setting.

How do you use the Breville BBM800XL’s automatic nut dispenser? You remove the bread pan, insert the collapsible paddle, add the ingredients and then replace the bread pan inside the bread machine. Before closing the baking chamber’s lid, find the dispenser outlet at the bottom of the lid. Make sure it is closed.

Close the baking chamber lid. Open the inlet of the automatic fruit and nut dispenser and load it with the dried fruits, chopped nuts, herbs and seeds. Do not overload the dispenser: it can only hold a maximum of 3/4 cup of ingredients. Never use the dispenser for liquids!

You can continue by plugging in the bread machine and selecting the setting, crust color and loaf size. The automatic fruit and nut dispenser only works with the following menu settings: Basic, Basic Rapid, Whole Wheat, Whole Wheat Rapid, Gluten Free, Crusty Loaf, Sweet, Yeast Free and Dough (all three dough programs). The dispenser opens up about 8 minutes before the end of the second kneading phase.

The Breville BBM800XL Custom Loaf is one of the more expensive bread machines that has an automatic fruit and nut dispenser. In addition, it has a stainless steel finish, collapsible paddle and a customizable bread making menu setting (shop now on Amazon – paid link).

Zojirushi Bread Maker With Fruit Dispenser

Zojirushi BB-SSC10 Home Bakery Maestro 1 pound loaf bread maker
The automatic dispenser of the Zojirushi BB-SSC10 is hidden under the lid.

If you are looking for a small 1-pound bread maker that has an automatic dispenser, then the Zojirushi BB-SSC10 Home Bakery Maestro might be your only choice.

This mini bread machine has an automatic dispenser that is attached on the inside of its lid that adds nuts or other mix-ins into the dough. The dispenser is both removable and washable.

This Zojirushi 1-pound bread maker might look small, but it offers you 15 menu courses for making bread, cake or making jam. Here is a list of all the menu course options:

  1. White
  2. European
  3. Quick White
  4. Whole Wheat
  5. Quick Whole Wheat
  6. Multigrain
  7. Gluten Free
  8. Salt Free
  9. Sugar Free
  10. Vegan
  11. Bread/Pizza (dough)
  12. Pasta (dough)
  13. Cake
  14. Jam
  15. Homemade (3 memory settings)

The BB-SSC10 Home Bakery Maestro has a few new health-conscious options such as Multigrain, Salt Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free and Vegan.

Even though this is a small bread machine, it still has a place for a Homemade memory course. You may edit the duration of the kneading, rising and baking times and then save it in one of the memory slots.

As indicated, the Zojirushi BB-SSC10 is a good, yet expensive, choice for a small 1-pound bread machine with an automatic nut dispenser (buy on Amazon – paid link).

Breadman Bread Maker With Nut Dispenser

I am going to suggest two Breadman bread maker models that have a fruit and nut dispenser, but keep in mind that the TR2500BC is an old model that might not be available anymore. The Breadman BK1050S is the newer model.

Breadman BK1050S

Breadman BK1050S bread machine top view of lid control panel
The dispenser is easily visible on top of the lid above the window.

This Breadman has a single collapsible kneading that is designed to fold down after the kneading and rising cycles are finished and just before the baking cycle starts. As a result, the collapsed kneading blade leaves a shallower hole in the bottom of the bread loaf.

The Breadman BK1050S has 14 baking functions that includes setting for artisan, low-carb and gluten-free bread loaves. It can make three loaf sizes: 1 lb, 1.5 lb and 2lb.

The part that is of the most interest for this review is the fruit and nut dispenser. You can load the dispenser with ingredients such as nuts or raisins after you have inserted the bread pan and closed the lid. The extra ingredients should be completely dry before adding it into the dispenser so that it may fall freely into the dough. In fact, never add spices or liquids into the dispenser. The automatic dispenser can hold up to two-thirds of a cup, so be careful not to overload it.

Some owners like the automatic dispenser while others think that it is much too loud when it opens. Bread makers that do not have such a feature use loud beeping noises to alert you to add the extra mix-ins, so there will always be some kind of noise. The collapsible paddle might scrape the pan in some isolated cases: for that reason I prefer bread makers with a fixed paddle.

The Breadman BK1050S has a stainless steel exterior and a suggested retail price that are similar to the Hamilton Beach 29888, but it has a collapsible kneading paddle (check price on Amazon – paid link).

Breadman TR2500BC Ultimate Plus

Breadman TR2500BC Ultimate Plus Showing Fruit Nut Dispenser
The mix-ins are visible inside the dispenser when the lid is open.

Let us start by listing the main features of the TR2500BC Ultimate Plus bread maker:

  • 24-hour delay timer for delayed start baking.
  • Automatic fruit nut herb dispenser.
  • Bread loaf sizes: one pound, one and a half and two pounds.
  • Convection fan circulates hot air for crispier crusts.
  • Light, medium or dark crust colors.
  • Low-carb and gluten-free bread menu programs.
  • Single non-collapsible kneading blade.

How do you use the fruit and nut dispenser of the Breadman TR2500BC?

You can start by removing the bread pan and placing the kneading paddle on its drive shaft. Follow the bread machine bread recipe and add the ingredients. Remember to add the yeast, or baking soda, on top of the dry ingredients, so it stays dry until the first kneading cycle begins. Replace the baking pan inside the baking chamber of the Breadman TR2500BC.

You use the select button to select the bread program that matches the bread machine recipe. Choose the crust color with the crust control button.

Please note that the loaf size selection button does not work with the Sweet, Jam and Pizza Dough settings. The TR2500BC will use its default loaf size of 2 pounds. The bread machine gets the best results with a 2-pound loaf size, especially if you are going to add nuts and seeds.

You are now ready to fill the automatic fruit and nut dispenser. Take care not to add more than two thirds of a cup (about 5 ounces) or the dispenser will overflow. Do not use the automatic dispenser for spices and make sure all the fresh ingredients you rinsed with water are completely dry before adding it.

Press the start button to begin the bread making process. The fruit dispenser will drop the ingredients into the dough at a preset time.

If you want to learn more about the TR2500BC bread maker, then you can read its review by clicking here.

Panasonic Bread Maker With Raisin Dispenser

Panasonic SD-RD250 Bread Maker
Panasonic SD-RD250

The Panasonic SD-RD250 automatic bread machine has only five programs: Basic, French, Pasta, Pizza Dough, and Bake Only. You are not faced with a multitude of bread making programs. You simply have fewer options to choose from: either make bread or knead and rise dough.

You can choose between a medium or extra large loaf size and a light or dark crust color. It has a 13-hour delay timer. The timer button is also used for setting the baking time of the bake program.

The Panasonic SD-RD250 has a nonstick baking pan with a diamond-fluorine coating that is resistant to scratching.

There are two things about the Panasonic SD-RD250 bread machine that people dislike. First, it does not have a viewing window in its lid. Second, it does not have a whole wheat setting, so it is not suitable for baking 100% whole wheat bread.

The most important feature of the Panasonic SD-RD250 is the automatic raisin dispenser for dropping raisins, nuts or seeds into the dough. Let us discuss how to use the dispenser in greater detail.

You put the ingredients into the raisin nut dispenser. Do this after you insert the bread pan into the baking chamber, and before you choose a bread type.

Avoid extras that are coated with sugar because the sugar will get sticky and prevent the extras from falling into the bread pan. You also need to clean the stickiness from the dispenser afterwards.

You should add fresh fruit directly to the bread pan. Do not load fresh fruit into the dispenser because it is too moist. Cheese and chocolate are other ingredients that will melt and stick inside the automatic dispenser, so add these ingredients directly into the dough.

Dried fruits and nuts can be chopped into fine pieces. Do not add whole nuts and seeds because it might scratch the nonstick coating of the bread pan. You may load dried or fresh herbs into the dispenser if the recipe requires it.

The SD-RD250 is an older model that might not be available anymore. We suggest that you take a look at a newer model Panasonic bread machine that has an automatic dispenser: it is the SD-YR2500.

Conclusion

To sum up, here are your possible choices when it comes to bread machines with fruit and nut dispensers:

  • If you want a small 1-pound bread maker, get the Zojirushi BB-SSC10.
  • For a 2-pound stainless steel bread maker, consider the Hamilton Beach 29888.
  • The best collapsible paddle bread maker might be the Breville BBM800XL.

That concludes my review of bread machines with a raisin, fruit and nut dispenser. Thank you for reading and keep baking.