The biggest benefit of the bread bowl is that it is an all-in-one accessory that you can mix in, proof in, and bake in. For someone new to baking who only wants one piece of equipment, this make sense.  It works well as mixing bowl and a bread baker. However, I still prefer to use a banneton for the second proofing, which, because it is much shallower than the bowl, allows me to more gently transfer the dough to the lid for baking. Once it gets into the oven, the mixing bowl and lid create the perfect steamy environment to rise (oven spring) and create a crispy crust. Because the bottom of the bread is baking on the lid, the bread slides right off when done. All in all, while I think the product could be improved by making the bowl shallower, it succeeds as an all-in-one accessory for creating tasty, crispy bread.