The best bread makers are great companions to achieving your favorite bakes, whether they're standard, gluten-free, or vegan. No matter if you're just now foraying into the world of home baking, or perhaps you're an accomplished baker, there are options in this guide to suit all abilities.
Baking bread at home has become a popular hobby as it will save you money in the long run. Even if you decide to invest in a more premium (and therefore more expensive) machine now, the cost of ingredients to make the loaf is far lower than buying one from a bakery or supermarket. Additionally, you can customize your bread to your taste and adjust recipes to cater to any dietary requirements.
When it comes to choosing the right appliance for you, you'll want to consider these uses you'll have for the bread maker, as well as the settings you would like it to have. High-end models might feature different load sizes and settings to achieve various types of bread, while more budget models will likely only accommodate one shape. Some bread markers come with digital displays, different kneading hooks, and even glass viewing windows so you can watch your dough rise in real-time. If you're after a machine that can handle the needs of a family, you might want to consider one that has a large capacity and enough kneading power.
If you're looking to expand your arsenal of kitchen appliances, check out our guides to the best slow cookers and the best rice cookers to upgrade your cooking experience.
The best bread makers we recommend
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While we haven't been able to test any of the units in this guide in person, we've instead honed in on top-rated brands and used our knowledge of the best features to help you make the right decision for your home, all for the best price.
The best bread maker overall
The Breville BBM800KL is a high-quality, user-friendly bread maker that’s fully programmable and has 13 automatic settings. It also provides four loaf sizes and three options for crust color.
The Breville is more expensive than most bread makers we reviewed, but it also has much more capability. This machine is only 9.6 inches long, but it can make a loaf of bread weighing up to 2.5 pounds. You can choose from multiple pre-programmed settings or manually input preferences for the machine’s preheat, knead, rise, punch-down, bake, and warming phases. There’s even a delay timer of up to 13 hours.
This bread maker has a blue LCD display, rubber feet, and a collapsible paddle. The collapsible paddle is especially nice because it prevents the hole that can be left over by the kneading paddle. The Breville has a nut and fruit compartment that holds extra ingredients until it’s time to add them. It also has an oven light button and a viewing window.
The best bread maker for gluten-free bakes
A gluten-free diet that includes homemade bread may seem like a strange idea, but there are a few bread makers on the market who have workarounds for making gluten-free bread.
Not all of them have a specific setting for gluten-free, but the Cuisinart CBK-100 does. It also has settings for French, whole wheat, sweet, packaged mix, and pizza dough, so you can make a lot more than just basic bread. You can also choose from three crust colors and three loaf sizes.
A delay-start timer means you can add ingredients and set them to automatically start baking hours later. The machine makes the bread for you whenever you choose – up to 13 hours later. You can also opt to do more of the prep work, if you like, with the bake-only option. The kneading paddle and other parts are removable for easy cleaning, and a power failure backup means your bread-making cycle can continue even after a power outage.
The best bread maker for beginners
The Hamilton Beach HomeBaker is a high-quality bread maker at a midrange price. Its programming menu is easy to use, and it has specialty settings for whole grain, gluten-free, French, and sweet breads. You can also make pizza and roll dough, as well as jam and cake.
When you need to add ingredients mid-cycle, the HomeBaker beeps to tell you it’s time. It comes with two paddles, which is nice if you want to make a second loaf while the first paddle is being washed. The machine has 12 program cycles and three crust settings. It can bake loaves from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, and it has a delay timer. It also has an express option for faster baking, but loaves made with this feature are smaller and have thicker crusts than regular loaves. This bread machine’s interior baking pan has a handle that makes it easier to remove bread from the unit. The Homebaker’s outer housing is plastic, with a silver base and rubber feet.
The best bread maker for speed
This Oster bread maker can make a 2-pound loaf and has a delay timer, so you can put the ingredients in and wake up to freshly baked bread in the morning. The window on the top is a nice touch that allows you to watch as the machine bakes your bread. The bread maker’s controls are straightforward, and a digital display lets you track each stage of the bread-making process.
The machine's 13 settings help you prepare the type of bread you want. This machine can make many types of bread, including French bread, pizza dough, and bread with fruit, even though it is also one of the more affordable models we evaluated. It's also suitable to produce gluten-free loaves and has an express option if you want to bake in less than an hour. You also have the option to choose between three crust colors: light, medium, or dark.
The best premium bread maker
The Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA is a high-spec bread maker from a reputable Japanese appliance brand, and it has a correspondingly high price tag. At $385 on Amazon, this is the most expensive appliance in this guide and thus the best suited for regular and experienced bakers.
At the time of writing, the Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA scored 4.7 stars out of 5 on Amazon out of 3,404 ratings. Happy customers praised the product's quality and versatility, commenting on how easy to use and clean the machine is. A few negative reviews complained that the blades had worn out after a few uses, and that customer service from the brand left to be desired.
It comes with a viewing window to track your bread's progress, double kneading blades to help your dough prove more easily, and dual heaters at the bottom to achieve an even bake. The design is simple and made with ease of use in mind: a large LCD screen simplifies program selection and shows the remaining time in your course.
The bread maker comes with measuring cups and a spoon, and its recessed handles make it easy to carry around to your designated baking spot. However, it's worth bearing in mind this appliance weighs 24 lbs, so it's not the most portable. There's a nifty timer that allows you to delay your bakes by up to 13 hours, which is handy if you're going to be out all day but still want fresh bread when you get back.
For the price, you'd be right to expect that the Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA can produce other things apart from bread, and it does: think pizza, cakes, and even jam! You can also create your own homemade program where you can adjust the knead, rise, and bake times according to your needs. This customizable bread maker is great for cooking with a wide range of grains, ideal if you're catering to dietary requirements. It also has programs for gluten-free, salt-free, sugar-free, and vegan loaves.
The most aesthetically-pleasing bread maker
Bread makers are notoriously not the most beautiful appliances around - this Neretva Bread Maker Machine is an exception to the rule. It comes in three colorways: green, mint green, and stainless steel, and its matte surface makes it a product we'd proudly display on our countertops.
At the time of writing, the Neretva Bread Maker Machine had a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon, from 1,066 ratings. Positive reviews highlighted how easy to clean and use the machine was, as well as the flavorful bakes that came out of it. The few negative reviews complain that it is hard to bake a large loaf in the machine, and some report defects after a few uses of the product.
But it's not all about the looks - this bread maker has 20 preset programs ranging from a quick cycle to specialized settings for gluten-free bread, wholewheat bread, pizza dough, and jam. It also has a timer that lets you delay the start of your bread-making by up to 15 hours and a "keep warm" function that works up to an hour.
While it is compact and portable (it only weighs 8.37 lbs), this bread maker can still produce loaves up to 2 lbs, so it will suit a whole family. The non-stick pan, kneading paddle, measuring cups, and spoon all go in the dishwasher for convenience, which removes a lot of hassle from the bread-making process. Additionally, there's a viewing window at the top of this appliance so you can track your bread's progress throughout the cycle.
How to choose the best bread maker for you
The sheer amount of bread makers on the market can make your purchasing decision overwhelming - we're here to cut through the noise and empower you to choose the right machine for you. Below are a few things to look out for when you're making your purchase:
Size and capacity
First, think of how much countertop or storage space you have to keep the machine in. You'll also want to consider how much bread you want to make and how many people you want each loaf to feed, which in turn will inform how big a capacity your machine needs to have. Larger machines can produce loaves up to 2.5 lbs or more, while smaller ones might limit you to 1.5 or 2 lbs.
Bread types
Not all bread makers have cycles suitable for gluten-free or vegan bakes, for example. If you anticipate needing to accommodate dietary requirements or simply want to experiment with your bread maker, choose one that has a variety of functions (some have upwards of 20!) and plenty of cycle options to make your bread in.
Materials
As this machine will produce something you eat, you need to be careful about the type of materials it is built from. Avoid metal tins that aren't properly non-stick or plastic with BPA in it.
Price and size
Obviously, when choosing your bread maker, you'll want to take your budget into account. This guide includes options at a range of prices, from budget to premium. Even the more basic models nowadays are reliable and come with a few different programs to choose from. If you're concerned about durability, some brands have better warranties than others, so make sure you check this before you click "buy".
