We Tested 30 Bread Machines—These 4 Are the Ones You Definitely Knead

How We Tested

We purchased and tested 30 of the top bread machines by using them to make standard white bread, whole wheat, gluten-free, and banana bread (following the recipes included with the machines, or a standard The Spruce Eats recipe if one was not included). We also tested ease of cleaning by washing the machines following manufacturer recommendations after baking both bread. Each machine was further evaluated overall on ease of use, performance, versatility, and value for the price. We paid special attention to:

• Clarity of manufacture's instructions
• How customizable settings are
• The largest size loaf a machine could make
• Final loaf appearance
• How easy or hard the clean-up is
  

Other Options We Tested

• Zojirushi Home Bakery Maestro Breadmaker: Zojirushi might be most famous for rice cookers, but all three of its bread machines we tested made fantastic loaves. The Maestro is just more limited in functionality and smaller in capacity than our top pick, the Zojirushi Virtuoso, and more expensive than our favorite for mini loaves, the Zojirushi Mini.
• Amazon Basics 2-Pound Non-Stick Bread Making Machine: They did at least get the "non-stick" part right, as it was indeed easy to remove the loaves from the pan with this machine. It emitted burning plastic-smelling smoke as it baked, though, and the white bread came out with a completely sunken, concave top. It's certainly cheap, and you get what you pay for.
  

What to Look for in a Bread Machine

Size, Power, and Capacity

Most bread makers produce loaves that weigh 1 to 2 pounds, but some models are capable of baking 2.5-pound family-sized loaves. In theory, you can add more or less flour and water to any bread machine to make a larger or smaller loaf, but if you try to bake a 2-pound loaf in a machine designed for 1-pound loaves, it might be pale, underdone, or rise too far out of the pan. And baking a small batch loaf in a machine designed for larger loaves might result in a very short loaf with a dry texture and crust that is too dark and thick.

Most bread machines have somewhere between 500 to 1000 watts of power, and larger, denser loaves require more heat to bake. If you plan to bake heavy breads and cakes, or loaves with lots of add-ins like nuts, seeds, or dried fruit, you'll want to look for a bread machine on the higher end of that wattage range to ensure it can bake fully and evenly.

The overall size and weight of the machine matter, too. Larger-capacity, higher-power ones generally take up more counter space and are heavier, though clever design configurations can save space. Smaller machines are easier to store out of sight when not in use—some even have a portable carrying handle—but they may have fewer settings and can't make large loaves of bread.

Kneading Paddles

Bread machines typically work by kneading the dough using a paddle (or pair of paddles) that either stays in place or folds down during baking. This can leave a hole in the loaf when you pull out the paddle after baking, an aesthetic flaw many users accept as a trade-off for the ease and convenience of a bread machine. A bigger potential issue with paddles is that they can get bits of dough stuck to them that get baked on and can be tough to clean off, especially if the paddles can't be submerged to soak or go in the dishwasher.

Budget bread makers will include at least one kneading paddle, but higher-end machines usually come with two. Multiple paddles are preferable for the best kneading results. Some machines have you remove the paddles before baking, which prevents those bread-machine holes but is an extra manual step in what's supposed to be a fully automated process.

Settings and Programs

Today’s bread machines come with at least several different programs for different types of bread. Extra settings are handy for people who want to experiment with different grains and bread styles, but a simple bread maker will suffice if your goal is to make basic sandwich bread to replace store-bought bread.

Most bread machines include the option to knead dough without baking it, so you can bake your bread machine dough in a standard oven if you prefer. There's also the option to bake without mixing or kneading if you want to bake cake or muffins in a bread machine. You might come across bread machines that make jam or yogurt, but these settings are only useful if you'll actually use them.

Other potential features include rapid modes that speed up the process if you're in a hurry; a keep-warm mode that holds freshly baked bread; a mix-in hopper that automatically adds nuts or fruit in the middle of the process; and a knead-only mode for pasta or pizza dough. Most machines have crust color options, while others let you create custom programs.

Delayed Start

An often overlooked feature of most bread machines is that you can load them up with ingredients and then set them to start the bread-making process 12 or more hours in advance. All the cycles of kneading and rising can take several hours, and a timer lets you plan ahead to be sure your bread is hot and fresh exactly when you need it. You can fill the machine in the morning and set it to have bread ready for dinner, or at night so there's the smell of fresh bread to wake you up in the morning.

Types of Bread Makers

Vertical Bread Machines: When bread machines were first sold, they produced bread loaves that were tall and rectangular. These vertical bread machines are still popular today. They tend to be less expensive, have a smaller footprint (and smaller loaves), and are easier to store. The downside is the shape can be odd for making sandwiches, and you might need to cut the slices to make them fit neatly into your toaster. Also, because the heating element is located on the bottom of these machines, very tall loaves can bake unevenly with darker browning on the bottom and a very pale top crust.

Horizontal Bread Machines: If tall loaves are too awkwardly shaped for you, look for a bread machine that produces horizontal, rectangular-shaped loaves. These machines have a longer bread pan with a larger baking chamber and tend to be able to bake larger loaves of bread than vertical bread machines. However, the increased baking capacity means this style of break maker tends to be larger overall and will take up more space in your kitchen.

Since the dough has more room to move around, a single paddle may be less efficient at kneading the dough. Sometimes it can get stuck on one end of the pan while the paddle spins on its own, which results in unevenly shaped loaves. Higher-end machines might have two paddles for more efficient kneading and evenly shaped loaves.

FAQs

Do you need to grease the bread maker pan?

Yes, you should grease the pan of your bread maker before putting in your ingredients. Greasing will help you easily remove the baked loaf of bread from the pan. You can use your favorite cooking oil or butter to grease the pan.

What is bread machine yeast?

Similar to rapid-rise or instant yeast, bread machine yeast is formulated to work best in bread machines. It has finer granules and doesn't need to be activated in warm water before being added to the machine. (You can still use active dry yeast in bread machines, but you'll need to dissolve it in water and let it get frothy first.) Bread machine yeast proofs bread in less time than active yeast, but the final products' texture or flavor may differ slightly.

"The advantage of the rapid-rise yeast is that the rising time is half that of the active dry [yeast], and it only needs one rising," says Lacey Baier, a Dallas-based food and lifestyle blogger at A Sweet Pea Chef. 'Though this is an advantage, you do sacrifice some flavor and texture by speeding up the rising process as the yeast does not have time to develop its own flavor."

Can a bread machine make gluten-free bread?

Absolutely, though if you’ve ever made gluten-free bread, you know that the process is different from making standard bread. Many bread machines offer at least one setting for gluten-free loaves, which adjusts the process to account for the different properties of gluten-free flours.

It can be helpful to scrape around the sides of the pan when making gluten-free bread. "Gluten-free bread dough is not like “normal” bread dough … it's really wet and almost like cake batter," says Jessica Galsworthy, a U.K.-based recipe developer. "During the kneading stage, any bits you add to the loaf (chocolate chips, fudge pieces, fruit, etc.) can get pushed to the outside of the bread pan. Once the bread machine has moved onto the rise stage, open the lid and scrape right around the outside of the pan, bringing all the bits into the middle."

Of course, results will vary depending on your recipe, so it's best to consult gluten-free recipes adapted for a bread machine. If you plan to make gluten-free bread, clean every nook and cranny thoroughly to remove any leftover flour residue to avoid any cross-contamination in your gluten-free loaves.

How do you make homemade bread look like it came from the store?

"A secret to giving your bread the professional bakery look is to use a cornstarch glaze," says Linda Stradley, Oregon-based food author and head of the recipe website What's Cooking America. She makes her cornstarch glaze by mixing a teaspoon of cornstarch into half a cup of cold water and keeps the mixture in the fridge to brush over the bread she makes.

How do you clean a bread machine?

Bread machines should be cleaned after each use to keep them sanitary. After use, unplug the bread machine and let it cool completely before cleaning. Removable bread pans and mixing paddles can be hand-washed or placed in the dishwasher, depending on the manufacturer's recommendation.

The actual bread machine can not be submerged in water since it contains electrical components. If you notice any flour, dough, or crumbs in the bread machine chamber, you'll need to unplug the unit and wipe the residue away with a cloth, similarly to how you'd clean a toaster. Any bits of leftover dough should be left to dry out so they can be easily brushed away.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Donna Currie, a writer for The Spruce Eats, is a bread-making expert. Not only did she review a couple of our top picks, but she also wrote Make Ahead Bread, which breaks down the bread-baking process for readers. Donna occasionally likes to ditch the recipe book and experiment and loves that the Zojirushi bread maker was up to the task.

The Spruce Eats editor Siobhan Wallace compiled testing data from our Lab and expert home reviewers to update this roundup, and The Spruce Eats commerce writer Jason Horn updated this story further with a new set of Lab testing insights.

Sources

• Lacey Baier, food and lifestyle blogger at A Sweet Pea Chef
• Jessica Galsworthy, recipe developer and founder of Jessica's Kitchen
  
• Linda Stradley, food author and head of What's Cooking America