Nothing beats walking into your home and breathing in the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread. But making homemade bread can be a ton of work if you’re doing it all by hand. If you prefer to have control over the flavors and ingredients while also saving time, then a bread maker may be the tool you’ve been missing.
If you’re ready to take on a fun, rewarding baking hobby and wow your friends and family with your delicious creations, then you’ll want to choose the best bread maker possible. We spoke to some bread making experts to find out what to consider when shopping for a bread maker and their top picks.
How to choose the best bread maker for your kitchen
When shopping for a bread maker, prioritize the types of bread you regularly eat, size of your household, and how much customization you desire, says Ilana Schachter, RDN, a registered dietitian and nutritionist for Consumer Health Digest. “A machine that makes it easy to prepare nutritious bread consistently is more valuable than one with features you rarely use,” she notes. Here are additional factors she suggests considering:
- Dedicated settings. If whole-grain bread is a priority, look for a whole-wheat cycle. For gluten-free baking, choose a machine with a dedicated gluten-free program.
- Loaf size. Choose a size that matches your needs; smaller households may benefit from a machine that makes 1-pound loaves, while larger families may prefer a 2-pound capacity.
- Ingredient flexibility. Look for a machine that accommodates recipes using whole-wheat flour, oats, seeds, or other whole-grain ingredients. A fruit-and-nut dispenser or an audible add-in reminder can be useful if you regularly customize recipes.
- Ease of cleaning. A removable bread pan and kneading paddle make cleanup easier.
- Finding replacement parts. Check whether replacement pans and paddles are available and whether the manufacturer’s warranty is sufficient for your needs.
- Counter space and storage. Bread makers can be bulky, so measure the intended space and consider the machine’s weight if you plan to store it between uses.
- Timer features. If you plan to bake overnight, consider a delay-start timer.
- Noise. Some bread machines are very loud and also move on the counter as they work, so read reviews carefully.
- Total cost. Compare the purchase price with the ongoing cost of flour, yeast, seeds, and other ingredients.
Most affordable: Amazon Basics 2-Pound Programmable Bread Maker
If you’re new to baking and on a tight budget, then you may want to try the lowest priced bread machine available. Minoo Mahdavian, the chef and creator behind Minoo Makes Stuff, a food blog based in Toronto, Canada, sought out the least expensive bread maker to personally test it. She has a video you can watch here.
“This unit is my recommendation for anyone who wants fresh bread but doesn’t want to commit to the counter space or the Zojirushi price tag,” Mahdavian says. “It comes with 14 settings, such as gluten-free, dough, jam, and an express cycle that makes a loaf in less than 90 minutes. It was small, lightweight, the pan lifts out for easy cleaning, and it makes a great loaf!” It also offers three crust color options in light, medium, and dark to suit your preference.
But it’s the affordable price that sticks out most to her. “The price of bread in my area is approximately $4 to $6 a loaf. The cost of the ingredients for a homemade loaf was about $1.50, and it pays for itself and then some in no time!”
While some people complain online that this bread maker moves around on the counter, Mahdavian didn’t experience that during her test. However, it is a noisy unit. “Just a heads up, the kneading part is quite loud, and the instructions are not the most detailed,” she notes.
Specs
- Color: Black or white
- Materials: N/A
- Dimensions: 11.6″D x 8.8″W x 11.4″H
- Weight: 8 pounds
- Capacity: 2-pound loaves
- Power: 550 watts
- Voltage: 120 volts
- Settings: 14 settings for making breads, doughs, gluten-free options, jams, and more
- Care instructions: Wipe with dry cloth
- Warranty: 1 year
Best for beginners: Cuisinart 2-Pound Bread Maker
For someone looking for a more budget-friendly, beginner-friendly option, the Cuisinart 2-Pound Bread Maker is a model worth considering, says Schachter. “Its preset programs for whole-wheat and gluten-free bread offer flexibility without requiring extensive baking experience.”
Here are Schachter’s pros and cons for this unit:
Pros
- Beginner-friendly operation: Its 12 preset programs handle mixing, kneading, rising, and baking, making homemade bread accessible without much hands-on work.
- Versatility: It offers whole wheat and gluten-free programs, as well as settings for white bread, dough, cakes, and other preparations.
- Flexible loaf sizes: It can make 1-pound, 1.5-pound, and 2-pound loaves, which is useful for different household sizes.
- Compact design: Its vertical baking pan helps conserve counter space.
- Customizable results: Three crust settings let users choose a lighter or darker crust.
Cons
- Limited control compared with traditional baking: Although the presets are convenient, experienced bakers may prefer a machine with more customizable cycle settings.
- Loaf shape: The vertical pan produces a taller, more compact loaf than a traditional rectangular loaf, which may affect slicing preferences.
- Recipe adjustments may be necessary: Whole-grain and gluten-free doughs behave differently from standard white bread dough, so users may need to experiment to achieve their preferred texture.
Specs
- Color: Silver
- Materials: Plastic, stainless steel
- Dimensions: 10.25″D x 13.25″W x 11.25″H
- Weight: 11 pounds
- Capacity: 1-, 1.5-, or 2-pound loaf options
- Power: 550 watts
- Voltage: 120 volts
- Settings: 12 settings to select from white, French, whole wheat, sweet, artisan dough, jam, cake, and a dedicated gluten-free program
- Care instructions: Hand wash bread pan with warm water and soap; to clean interior, unplug, then wipe down inside and outside with damp cloth before drying thoroughly
- Warranty: Limited 3-year warranty
Most professional: Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus
Baking since childhood, Ellen Hoffman is a bread influencer who offers bread machine and baking videos at EllensBreadMachineRecipes.com. Her absolute favorite bread maker is the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus. “I’d never buy any bread machine other than a Zojirushi,” she proclaims. “They are the workhorses of the industry, and many people I know have had Zojirushis that still work after 40 years. They are unbeatable!”
Some of her favorite features of this unit include:
- Rest/preheat at the beginning to warm the ingredients so there’s no need to warm liquid, soften butter, or have eggs at room temperature
- Horizontal bread pan
- Two paddles
- Custom “homemade” course and gluten-free course
- Top heating element for even baking
- Excellent customer service
Indeed, Zojirushi often makes it to the top of bread machine review lists, as the company is well known for producing high-quality products. This unit is sought after for its many features; powerful motor; durability; two paddle system; and consistent performance producing airy, golden-brown loaves of bread. It also has an extra heating element on the lid for better results. The biggest drawbacks of this model are its large size, weight, and higher price point.
Specs
- Color: Stainless steel/black
- Materials: Stainless steel
- Dimensions: 10.5″D x 18″W x 12.87″H
- Weight: 24 pounds
- Capacity: 2-pound loaves
- Power: 700 watts
- Voltage: 120 volts
- Settings: Choose from three crust shades (light, medium, or dark) and from various healthy course settings, such as multigrain, whole wheat, rapid whole wheat, gluten free, salt free, and vegan. Best of all, the machine’s timer can be set to delay the end of the baking cycle by up to 13 hours, which makes it possible to wake up to the smell of freshly baked, homemade bread in the morning or to come home to a warm loaf at the end of a long day at the office.
- Care instructions: Hand wash only
- Warranty: 6 months
Sources and further reading
- Ilana Schachter, RDN, Consumer Health Digest, Bread maker buying advice; Cuisinart pick, pros and cons
- Ellen Hoffman, Ellen’s Bread Machine Recipes, Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus pick
- Minoo Mahdavian, Minoo Makes Stuff, Amazon Basics bread maker test
- Minoo Makes Stuff on YouTube: Amazon Basics bread maker test, Video of the hands-on test