The Best Bread Machines for All Types of Bakers
Updated: Sep. 05, 2023Make baking easy with a bread maker. Our Test Kitchen tried 10 different brands to find the best bread machines for all kinds of bakers.
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Looking for the Best Bread Machines
Fresh bread is the most delicious smell to have wafting from your kitchen. However, making bread from scratch takes a lot of time—not to mention elbow grease for all the kneading! But if you invest in one of the best bread machines, you can have homemade bread at your fingertips anytime.
Before you click “add to cart” on just any bread maker, check out our Test Kitchen’s top bread machine picks; they’re all vetted and tested by our pros.
How We Tested Bread Machines
For this test, our team tried ten different bread machine models. Our pros sourced bread makers that ranged anywhere from $80 to $300 because we’ve learned with other product tests that you can find some great gear at any price point.
With these ten models on hand, our Test Kitchen put each through its paces. Alicia Rooker in the Test Kitchen had the team baking white, wheat and sweet loaves in each machine. Each bread maker was judged in these categories:
- Quality of bread:Â This is key! Our team tried all sorts of bread machine recipes in these gadgets to gauge their success. The best bread machines should create evenly-baked loaves with a tender texture and nice crust.
- Ease of use: A good bread machine should be simple and convenient to use—plain and simple.
- Features:Â Today’s bread machines do so much! Our team took diligent notes on all the features these gadgets offered from pre-programmed breading settings (many for whole wheat and gluten-free recipes) to timers to variable loaf sizes. Some machines even come with options to make pasta and pizza dough!
- Price:Â Every countertop appliance, including the best bread machines, should be worth the money spent on it. Our team makes sure all their picks provide value for the money.
Find out which brands make the best bread machines, the ones we call Test Kitchen-Preferred.
Best Bread Machine for Beginners
Cuisinart Bread Maker
If you love the idea of baking your own bread but aren’t quite sure where to start, our Test Kitchen recommends the Cuisinart Bread Maker.
This affordable machine does everything that most bakers need—especially bakers that are just starting out. Just measure the ingredients, make your bread selection (choose from 12 options including white, artisan, packaged mix and even cake) and press start. This Cuisinart bread machine takes care of all the rest including proofing and kneading.
“We were all very happy with the results of white and wheat breads,” says Alicia. “The texture is nice and airy which is a nice contrast to the crunchy crust.”
Unlike other models, this Cuisinart bread maker doesn’t have a special chute for extra mix-ins, like the nuts and fruit needed for this panettone, but our team didn’t have any issues. “The mix-ins were surprisingly well dispersed,” explains Alicia.
She sums up this bread maker: “Overall, this is a good bread maker. The team liked the compact, stainless steel design, and the display was very easy to understand and use.”
Features
- 12 pre-programmed options
- 3 crust settings: light, medium or dark
- Customizable loaf size: 1-, 1.5- or 2-pound loaves
- 13-hour delay start
- Includes kneading paddle and hook to easily remove the insert
ProsÂ
- Compact stainless steel design
- Includes a packaged mix setting—ideal for newer bread bakers
- Intuitive controls
- Easy-to-read display
Cons
- Does not include a chute for adding fruit and nuts
Price: $130
The Best Bread Machine for Semi-Pro Bakers
Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker
If you like to churn out loaf after loaf like you’re running your own bakery, invest in the Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker. This countertop appliance can do it all when it comes to bread—and then some!
The Breville bread machine has all the bells and whistles you could want, including the ability to make four different-sized loaves, plenty of presets (these include white bread, sweet bread, crusty loaves and pasta), plus the ability to manually program the machine to your exact specifications—perfect for bread perfectionists. You can also pause the cycle shape or glaze the dough inside.
Despite all these luxury functions for artisan breads and precisely baked loaves, this bread machine also makes a very good basic white bread. “This one made the loaf we preferred over all others,” says Alicia. “And the wheat loaf was also one of the best loaves of the test with even browning, tender crumb and rounded top.”
And if you ever find yourself at a loss when using this machine, Alicia says you needn’t look further than the booklet included in the box: “It’s well written and gives lots of hints, tips and recipes to make the most of this bread maker.”
“If you’re looking for a gift for an avid bread baker, this would be it,” says Alicia.
Features
- Makes 1-, 1.5, 2- and 2.5-pound loaves
- Manual setting plus 13 preset functions
- Customize the crust: light, medium or dark
- 13-hour delay function
- Includes fixed and collapsible paddles
ProsÂ
- Disperses mix-ins evenly
- Versatile pause function allows for hand-shaping crusts and adding glazes
- Includes pizza and pasta dough settings, which are great extras for passionate home cooks
- Stores customized settings for personal recipes
- Collapsible paddle makes for a more seamless loaf
Cons
- Higher price tag
Price: $300
Best Easy-to-Clean Bread Machine
Hamilton Beach Premium Dough Bread Maker
No doubt that bread machines make mixing, kneading, proofing and baking bread simple. The Hamilton Beach Premium Dough Bread Maker goes one step further by making clean up just as easy.
This top-notch bread machine has a dishwasher-safe paddle and pan—a unique feature among the bread machines our Test Kitchen tried. Our team liked this because once the bread is done and a slice (or two) is sampled, all that’s left is to load the dishwasher—no scrubbing up in the sink.
As for the bread this machine makes, our Test Kitchen team gave it two thumbs up. “All our tests produced even browning, tender crumb and rounded tops—all that you would want in a loaf of bread,” explains Alicia.
When you’d like to expand beyond basic sandwich loaves, you can do that with the push of a button. Add your ingredients and choose from 14 different programs, including one just for banana bread. Who doesn’t love the idea of banana bread on demand?
“If you want bells and whistles but not a crazy expensive price,” says Alicia, “this is the model for you.”
Features
- Makes 1-, 1.5- or 2-pound loaves
- Includes a measuring cup, measuring spoon, paddle and paddle-removing tool
- Choose from 14 preset programs
- Delay timer
- Automatic keep-warm function
ProsÂ
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Creates exceptionally tender bread
- Includes settings for popular bakes including sourdough, gluten-free bread and pizza dough
Cons
- The mix-ins are not evenly distributed throughout the loaf
- Takes up a good amount of space
Price: $180
Best Compact Bread Machine
Dash Everyday Bread Maker
While our Test Kitchen has ample room for all kinds of wonderful gadgets—from electric griddles to ice cream makers—our pros know that not every kitchen is as roomy. If you love the idea of having a great bread machine on hand but don’t want to sacrifice too much precious kitchen space, go for the Dash Everyday Bread Maker.
“This is such a cute little machine,” says Alicia. And it creates cute little loaves to match. The small loaves that this machine makes are perfect for small households (think three or fewer people).
When you’re craving a loaf of fresh bread, Alicia explains that using the Dash bread machine is super simple. The touch-activated display lights up when you’re making your selections. Choose from 12 different presets including white bread, French bread and gluten-free bread. Just add your ingredients, select the program and let the machine do all the work. If you desire, you can even set up this appliance to delay its start by up to 13 hours—perfect for when you want to have fresh bread ready right before dinner starts.
Our team was impressed by the resulting white and whole wheat loaves this Dash bread maker produced. According to Alicia, these loaves had a “tender, airy crumb with a good crust.”
The only recipe this gadget stumbled upon was with a fruit-laden bread. These mix-ins were not evenly distributed throughout.
Features
- 3 crust settings: light, medium or dark
- 1- and 1.5-pound loaf settings
- 13-hour delay timer
- 12 pre-programmed settings, including options for jam, boxed mixes and gluten-free bread
- Includes a kneading blade, pan removal hook and recipe guide
ProsÂ
- Compact size doesn’t take up much counter space and is easy to store
- Easy to operate and clean
- Creates a delicious crust on white and wheat loaves
- Available in three colors, including a vibrant teal
Cons
- Doesn’t distribute mix-ins like dried fruits and nuts very evenly
- Cannot make large loaves
Price: $120
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing kitchen gadgets, cleaning gear and delicious food, looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test-Kitchen Preferred.
If you’re looking to outfit your kitchen with a few new items, be sure to check out these tests:
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