The Panasonic SD-RD250 is an automatic bread maker that has a raisin and nut dispenser, but no viewing window. This Panasonic bread machine has a bread pan which is coated with a nonstick diamond-fluorine coating that makes cleaning it an absolute gem. My Panasonic SD-RD250 bread maker review starts with a summary of its best feature and biggest disadvantage. I continue with a list of its features, explain its mode selection options, and answer a few questions.
Summary
Its best feature is probably the raisin dispenser. This might be the biggest reason to buy the Panasonic SD-RD250 instead of the much more popular Panasonic SD-YD250, which has a yeast dispenser in its lid.
Its biggest disadvantage might be that it is unable to handle 100% whole wheat recipes. Its manual only has recipes for making 30% whole wheat bread. If you regularly bake 100% whole wheat bread loaves, then avoid the Panasonic SD-RD250 bread machine.
Please note that the Panasonic SD-RD250 bread machine has been discontinued, so you cannot buy it anymore.
Panasonic SD-RD250: List of Features
- Loaf size choices: medium or extra large.
- Crust color control: light or dark.
- Select mode: Basic, French, Pizza, Pasta or Bake Only.
- Mode options: Bake, Bake Rapid or Dough.
- 13-hour programmable delay timer.
- Raisin dispenser with a 5-ounce (150-gram) capacity.
- No viewing window: reduced heat loss.
- Nonstick baking pan.
- Bread maker weighs about 19 pounds.
- Measuring cup and measuring spoon are included.
- Digital LCD.
- Single kneading blade.
- Plugs into a 120-volt outlet.
Mode Selection And Options
You select the bread or dough mode by pressing the SELECT button. Additional options for the bread programs might be available when you press the OPTION button.
The BASIC bread mode has three options available for baking bread or making dough: BAKE, BAKE RAPID and DOUGH.
The FRENCH bread mode has BAKE and DOUGH options.
The PIZZA and PASTA modes obviously do not have any baking options.
BAKE ONLY does not have rapid baking or dough making options. It can only be used for baking. The baking time of the BAKE ONLY mode can be set with the timer button for up to a maximum of 90 minutes of total baking time. This is useful for baking fruit cakes or tea breads.
Does the kneading paddle leave a hole?
Yes, the single kneading blade leaves a single hole in the bottom of the bread loaf. All single paddle bread machines have that problem. If you want a bread machine that has a single collapsible kneading paddle that leaves a smaller hole in the bread loaf, then take a look at the Breville BBM800XL.
Can the Panasonic SD-RD250 prepare dough recipes?
Yes, it has a pizza dough mode for making pizza dough and a pasta dough mode for preparing pasta dough. You can also select the BASIC or FRENCH mode and then use the option button to select the dough option.
Can the Panasonic SD-RD250 make gluten-free bread?
No, it does not have a specific menu setting for gluten-free baking. If you want to make gluten-free bread loaves, then you should get a bread machine with a gluten-free menu setting.
Does it have an automatic yeast dispenser?
No, it does not. The Panasonic SD-RD250 bread maker has an automatic raisin dispenser.
The Panasonic SD-YD250 (which almost looks the same) has an automatic yeast dispenser. You can read my SD-YD250 review for more information.
Panasonic SD-RD250: Advantages And Disadvantages
- Easy to use and quick to clean.
- The pizza dough mode prepares a great pizza dough.
- The raisin dispenser works well for making raisin bread.
- It cannot prepare 100% whole wheat bread.
- It does not have a viewing window, so you cannot see the bread being made.
- The rest period before kneading can be very long: from 25 minutes to more than an hour.
Conclusion
The Panasonic SD-RD250 bread maker has been on the market for many years, but it has not achieved the popularity of its twin, the Panasonic SD-YD250. Why?
Well, I am not going to go into a detailed discussion of the Panasonic SD-RD250 versus the SD-YD250 in this review, but it seems that the yeast dispenser is a more popular feature than the raisin dispenser. The SD-YD250 is also a few dollars cheaper than the SD-RD250, which makes it the more affordable option.
As noted in the summary, the Panasonic SD-RD250 has been discontinued by Panasonic, so it is no longer available.
In brief, if you want a Panasonic bread maker with a raisin dispenser, then you will have to take a look at a different model, such as the newer Panasonic SD-R2550. The SD-R2550 has a raisin nut dispenser and 20 menu presets, including multiple options for gluten-free baking. You can see current pricing and details for the Panasonic SD-R2550 on Amazon (paid link).