How to Choose the Best Bread Maker for Your Kitchen

One thing I’ve always loved is when you walk into a supermarket on a morning and they bake their own bread.  That smell is delicious and always makes me want to go and buy something tasty and just a little warm!  When I first learned about bread makers, that was what came to mind – having that just baked bread smell in our home and access to fresh bread.

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But at the time, there wasn’t room in our kitchen for another appliance.  Now we are in our new house and there’s a lot more room – which means I’ve been eyeing up the bread makers!  Let’s take a trip together to see how to choose the best bread maker for your kitchen and why they are for more than just bread.

Basics of using a bread maker

The bread maker is a specialist kitchen appliance that is designed primarily to make bread.  It does do other things (more on that in a bit) but the key part is you can have fresh bread in your home without all of that kneading, watching the oven and hoping it all works.  It essentially combines a mixer with a small oven to make the process simpler and more reliable.

As you might expect, there are also multiple types of bread you can make with these gadgets.  Sure, you can do basics like white bread but there are also many other options, with supermarkets stocking a whole range of products designed for this purpose.  Plus, there are other functions and things you can do with the best bread makers.

What can a bread maker do?

A bread maker can make bread in different sizes – for example, 1 pound, 2 pound and even 3 pound.  A 2 pound loaf will usually feed a family of four for two days.  They also have different shaped breads you can make and different styles depending on the ingredients you put into them.

But that’s not all.  Depending on the model of bread maker you choose and the features it has, you could potentially make things like:

• Cake – this is the most common non-bread thing to make in a bread maker and they will often have a setting just for this
• Savoury bakes – including non-yeast breads such as soda breads
• Meatloaf – this isn’t something we really eat in the UK much but if you are a fan, some bread makers will bake a mean meatloaf
• Jam – lots of bread makers have a jam setting to easily make homemade jam
• Sauces and soups – similarly, you can use the settings to make sauces or even soups if you don’t have your own soup maker (I told you I love gadgets!)
• Rice dishes – the cake setting will also make sweet rice dishes such as rice pudding
• Scrambled eggs – the jam setting is often a great way to make scrambled eggs, you just need to beat the eggs first as the stirring setting isn’t usually vigorous enough for this

Is a bread maker cheaper than buying bread?

Yes, it is often cheaper to make your own bread than buy it.  Obviously, it depends where you live but a rough idea is that the ingredients to make bread in a bread maker cost around $2 and add the cost of electricity to use it, that’s around $2.20 in total.  A loaf of bread costs around $3 so it is cheaper to make than buy your own bread.

Plus, there are added benefits.  Sure, buying bread is quicker than making it but you never know what is in a store-bought product – many of them have strange additives to keep them fresh longer.  Then there’s the taste – fresh bread is always best and that just cooked, still-warm factor is definitely a major plus.

Finally, with the benefit of timers on many models, you can set the bread maker up the night before and wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread in your home.  Heaven.

How long does homemade bread last?

How long homemade bread lasts does depend on the ingredients but as a rule of thumb, it will last 2-3 days from cooking.  Store bought bread does last longer but that’s because it contains additives to make it do this. 

Store homemade bread at room temperature, somewhere cool and dry.  Heat and humidity leads to mould.  Don’t put it in the fridge as this will make it stale.  You can try freezing it just after baking and then it will store for around 3 months.

5 reasons to buy a bread maker

Bread makers can definitely be seen as a gadget you don’t have to have because you can buy perfectly good bread at the store.  We have managed all these years without one.  BUT there are also some strong reasons to buy a bread maker.  One is mentioned above, the cost of the load.  And there are more.

Homemade bread is healthier

A basic load of bread made in the bread maker will contain white bread flour, salt, sugar, butter or oil, yeast and warm water.  A loaf from the supermarket will contain more because it needs to last longer. 

From transport to shelf to a decent amount of time in your home, store-bought bread has to contain additives to do this and these aren’t always healthy.  Check out the packet on your loaf from the store and see what else is in the mix that is not an actual bread ingredient.

Bread makers are easy to use

There’s a simple reason more of us don’t make bread at home – it is a bit of a fiddly job!  But with a bread maker, you simply follow the recipe and let the machine do the work for you.  There are plenty of products in the store to use with them and you get reliable, tasty results.

They do more than make bread

I love a good multi-function gadget which is why I love my Instant Pot – it does so much more than just be an electric pressure cooker or a slow cooker.  Bread makers are the same – most of them will have different functions that allow you to make a whole range of different recipes with them. 

They make less mess

Making bread at home is quite a messy process with lots of equipment needed – the kneading stage, the measuring and mixing of ingredients, the adding of the yeast.  With all of this done within the bread maker, there’s less mess and less dishes.

They create the best tasting bread

There’s nothing like the taste of freshly baked bread and unless you want to go to the supermarket early every morning to get it, a bread maker is the best way to enjoy this.  Plus, with the variation of styles of bread you can make, there’s always something new to try.

Disadvantages of a bread maker

So, you can tell, I’m a fan of the bread maker.  But let’s keep it real because there are always some disadvantages to any gadget.

• You have to cut it yourself – most breads come pre-sliced in a nice, even size but with a bread maker, you have to cut it yourself which may result in less even results
• You need to store it – this was the main reason we don’t already have one, the need to store another gadget and the lack of space
• You are limited to the shape of the bread maker – most of your bread is going to come out the same shape as the bread maker for obvious reasons

What to look for in a good bread maker

There are definitely more pros than cons for the bread maker, as long as you have room for it.  So, with the decision made that we are interested in one, the next question is what to look for in the best bread maker and what features are handy to have.

Bread size

Look to see what different size loafs the bread maker can create.  A classic may be one and two pound loafs, a bigger one may handle a three pound load and there could be other variations between.  A two pound loaf is normally good for a family of four for a couple of days.

Bread shape

One of the downsides of a bread maker is you are limited to bread shape by the machine’s size and shape.  But there are different sizes and shapes of bread maker available so look at the dimensions of the bread produced and see if this is what you want.

Bread pan

You can get machines with removable bread pans which can be easier to clean.  If it doesn’t remove, look at how you clean it to make sure it is easy.  As a rule, aluminium bread pans will make lighter and thinner crusts while thick cast aluminium pans will make darker, thicker crusts.  Always aim for a non-stick coating on the pan.

Kneading paddle

Kneading paddles are a crucial part of the process.  They are also worth checking to see if they are removable.  If they are, this can be good because otherwise, you will have the impression of the kneading paddle in the bottom of your load of bread.  Some styles might have a collapsible paddle instead or you might not care about slightly odd shaped bread bottoms!

Control panel

Because bread makers have pre-set functions, you will have a control pane on it.  Some of these include a viewing window so you can see how the loaf is going.  It might also include different settings for different functions, size, and crust colour.

Replacement parts

Check that you can buy replacement parts for your bread maker if things go wrong.  Kneading blades and the bread pan are the two most likely items to need replacing over time so see if you can get them and how they look cost-wise.

The top 5 bread makers

Armed with a range of features you know you want and things you would prefer, you are now ready to look at some actual bread makers.  So, here are five that jumped out at me from different price ranges and features to help you choose.

The serious bread maker – Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker

If you want a bread maker that your local baker would be impressed with, this is the one for you.  This bread maker has a whole range of settings including multigrain, whole wheat, gluten free, salt free and even vegan so you can create bread for any diet or preference. 

It also has rapid programs that produce a white load in less than two and a half hours and has jam, dough and cake settings.

There are double kneading blades to ensure the mixture is thoroughly mixed and the dual heaters in the lid and the base make certain the bread is cooked properly.  It has a large, easy to read LCD display to make sure you can use all of those settings plus there’s a big viewing window on the top.

The big family – KBS Pro Stainless Steel Bread Machine, 2LB 17-in-1 Programmable XL Bread Maker with Fruit Nut Dispenser

If you have a few more in the household or have the need for a lot of bread, then this larger bread maker might be the one to consider.  It has 17 customised automatic programs for everything from gluten free bread to jam as well as a patented fruit and nut dispenser to cleverly mix in these ingredients at the right time.

There’s a 15 hour delay feature, 1 hour keep warm and even a 15 minute power interruption if there’s a power cut.  With a tempered glass cover, you can see what’s happening inside and the bread pan is a ceramic one for more uniform heat.

Great all-rounder – Cuisinart CBK-110 Bread Maker, New Compact Automatic

Cuisinart are a great, reliable make when it comes to all kinds of kitchen gadgets and their bread maker is no different.  It comes with 12 pre-programmed options and three crust shades as well as the ability to make a two pound loaf.

It has a vertical bread pan so takes up less room than the horizontal styles.  It also has those removable kneading paddles and even prompts you when to take them out to get a flat bottomed loaf.  There’s a viewing window and also a 13 hour delayed start for early morning breads.

Space friendly – Hamilton Beach 2 lb Digital Bread Maker

This bread maker is another great all-rounder that is space friendly due to the vertical bread pan style.  It has 12 different settings including for sweet breads, dough, cake and express settings.  It can make 1.5 and 2 pound loafs with different crust settings.

You can check what’s happening with the viewing window and the dishwasher safe pan is removable for easy cleaning.  It includes an audible reminder to add fruit or nuts at the right point and a delay to the timer.  Plus, it includes an extra kneading paddle to use one while the other is in the wash.

Budget friendly – Sunbeam Programmable Bread Maker

If you are looking for a budget-friendly and simple bread maker that still has 12 different baking functions, then this is the bread maker for you.  It creates a 2 pound loaf and has a 13 hour delay to the start.

There’s a non-stick removable bread pan for ease of cleaning and a viewing window to see how the bread is doing.  You operate the bread maker with the push button panel with ELD display, which also shows progress of the program.

Choosing the best bread maker

Choosing the best bread maker is a personal thing, depending on what you need and the features you want.  For me, from these appliances, the one that grabs my attention is the Cuisinart – it is a good price and has the right blend of features for our needs.  It is also quite a good size because, while we have a bigger kitchen, I’m always conscious of how much space something needs.  It also contains enough programs that it ticks the box of being ‘multi-functional’ which is something I always want in my appliances.

Do you have a bread maker?  What’s your favourite type of bread to make with it?