Which bread maker is the best?
While nothing can beat the smell and taste of a freshly baked loaf of bread, making bread at home by hand can be a hassle. With a bread maker, however, you can make delicious loaves with minimal effort.
Investing in a bread maker is a significant purchase, so you’ll need to weigh a range of factors before you buy, such as your budget, how often you’ll use your bread maker and how much counter space you have.
Pros of buying a bread maker
The primary benefit of using a bread maker is that you can enjoy freshly baked loaves without all the kneading, shaping, proving and baking that usually goes into breadmaking. Simply measure the ingredients, put them in the machine, select the setting and the bread maker will do the rest. This is perfect for people who want homemade bread but don’t want to spend the time or effort doing everything by hand.
Homemade bread is also great for anyone who wants to avoid the additives in shop-bought bread — all you need is flour, water, salt, and yeast—or who can’t eat gluten and wants to experiment with gluten-free bread. You can also experiment with fun new flavors and get creative, making types of bread you might not find in a store.
What else can you make with a bread maker?
Bread makers aren’t just for sandwich bread and baguettes. You can use a bread maker to knead and proof dough before removing it and shaping it, and then baking it in a standard convection oven. The bread maker can be the start of making a wider range of bread products, including braided loaves, sourdough, brioche, burger buns, pizza, pita and cinnamon rolls.
The best bread makers
Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Bread Maker
This high-end bread maker performs exceptionally well and is perfect for people serious about baking bread. It features a range of settings for different loaf types, a quick bake option and crust darkness control.
Sold by Bed Bath and Beyond and Amazon
Cuisinart CBK-200 Convection Bread Maker
This model can make three different sized loaves, up to 2 pounds. It offers settings for three crust colors and a specific mode for gluten free bread. A beep indicates when to add mix-ins, which is great for anyone who loves fruity or seeded loaves. Its fan-assisted convection oven cooks more evenly for excellent results every time.
Sold by Amazon
Breadman 2 lb Professional Bread Maker
If you’ve avoided bread makers in the past because of the damage the kneading paddles can do to the dough, this model might change your mind. The paddles collapse before baking to avoid holes or marks. Plus, it cooks evenly and features a variety of great settings to tailor your loaves.
Sold by Amazon
Hamilton Beach Premium Dough & Bread Maker
Made from stainless steel, this durable bread maker is high-quality, yet reasonably priced. The automatic fruit and nut dispenser makes adding in mix-ins easy. It has 14 settings plus three crust color and loaf size options.
Sold by Bed Bath and Beyond and Amazon
Breville BBM800XL Custom Loaf Bread Maker
This machine is great for both large and small households, with a maximum loaf size of 2.5 pounds and a smallest loaf size of 1 pound. There are a variety of settings to perfectly customize your loaf, plus an automatic dispenser for mix-ins.
Sold by Amazon
The compact nature of this model makes it ideal for kitchens without a lot of spare counter space. It has 12 settings, including programs for preparing non-bread options, like cake and jam.
Sold by Amazon
Baking loaves up to a whopping 3 pounds, this is a great option for households that love bread. The dual blades knead dough thoroughly for lighter, airier bread. It’s versatile with a range of settings, including gluten free and low carb modes.
Sold by Amazon
KBS 17-in-1 Premium Bread Machine
While this brand may not be a household name, this bread maker provides quality features, such as a durable stainless steel construction and an automatic mix-in dispenser. It offers excellent value for the price and features all the settings you’d expect from a great bread maker.
Sold by Amazon
If you’re looking for an affordable bread maker, this is an excellent choice. You can pick from 12 programs, plus options for crust color and loaf size. There are even programs for jam and cake.
Sold by Amazon
Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker
While this is one of the pricier options on the list, if you’re looking to make bread daily, it’s worth splurging on this bread machine that produces top-notch loaves. Its unique top and bottom heating elements give you a more even bake. Plus, it features all the programs and other settings you’d expect from a high-end bread maker.
Sold by Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond
Pohl Schmitt Stainless Steel Bread Machine
Sturdy but reasonably priced, this bread maker offers ample settings and is great for gluten free loaves, with a dedicated gluten free cycle and a gluten free button you can apply to other cycles. It has three loaf size options up to 2.2 pounds.
Sold by Amazon
Hamilton Beach Artisan Dough & Bread Maker
This bread maker has a range of excellent programs for artisan bread, including options that you can shape and bake outside the bread maker. It also has all your classic programs for basic white and wheat breads.
Sold by Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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