You simply can't beat a freshly cooked loaf of bread. With the best bread maker, you'll be able to wake up to that fresh bread smell every single morning. Bread is simple and convenient to make from scratch, but with a bread maker, you won't even need to rely on the best stand mixer to knead your loaf for you. Simply add in your ingredients and press a button to pick your desired mode.
Whether you're a fan of sourdough or rye, prefer a white loaf, seeded, or wholemeal batch, you'll be able to bake whichever type of bread takes your fancy. Many of the best bread makers are also capable of making delicious cakes and even jam and yogurt. Yep, a whole plethora of breakfast foods can be yours with the help of this handy kitchen helper.
What is the best bread maker?
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The Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker is our pick of the best breadmaker. It has 12 modes, and a 13-hour delay timer.
Want to keep looking? Just scroll to see more of our bread maker reviews from brands such as Breville and Bella.
The 5 best bread makers
Why do we love the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker? It's easy to use and simple to keep clean. If you want a bread maker that can make lots of different bakes, this is the best bread maker for you. In fact, we rate it the best bread maker you can buy.
Modes
As well as having 12 different bread modes – including french or artisan bread – this machine has three loaf sizes and lets you choose your crust color. The display will show your chosen settings.
Timer
A 13-hour digital timer allows you to choose when to have your loaf ready. The viewing window will allow you to look in as your bread cooks, and there is even a button to help you illuminate the inside of the machine.
Compact design
You can take advantage of the vertical baking pan with this compact bread maker. It will sit pretty on any kitchen counter, and the nonstick bread pan will allow you to tip the bread out easily from the pan when it's finished.
This bread maker from Bella does all the hard work for you – simply add the ingredients, pick your programme and press start.
Modes
There are a variety of bakes to choose from – preparing dough for bread rolls, pizza and cake as well as making jam. But what makes this design stand out is the the Quick Bread function that produces a fresh loaf in just 2 hours.
We like the sound of that. It also has a choice of three crust settings so you can really personalise your loaf. What else? You can keep an eye on your bake using the clear viewing window
Timer
The 13-hour delay timer is really handy. This way you'll wake up to fresh, warm bread every day... The 60-minute keep-warm mode will also ensure that you don't miss out on a fresh, warm slice.
This bread maker from Breville (known as Sage in the UK) oozes style and capabilities which would really appeal to the more confident baker.
Super smart interface
This smart-looking bread maker has smart features too. The 'turn' and 'confirm' dial makes it easy to choose between the 60 different settings and gets you started baking in seconds.
The clever interface then computes the correct temperature and baking time each time you make a selection, and displays the major variables on one easy-to-read screen.
Collapsible blade
Once the bread maker has finished kneading the dough, the blade collapses before baking so it maximises the amount of usable bread without any dents in the crust.
Looking for an easy to use, compact bread maker that has lots of features? Bingo. This bread maker from Oster Expressbake Breadmaker is our best bread maker that can make a loaf in under an hour
Modes
We love the sheer variety of loaves this bread maker can produce – crusty white, mixed seed, bagel dough, European... As mentioned, this machine is super easy to
use thanks to its delay timer, which proves really handy for baking a loaf exactly when you want it. You can pick the speedy mode to make a fresh batch of bread in just 50 minutes.
Looks
With a modern, compact design and the fact that it’s easy to clean, it really is a true winner. We definitely wouldn't mind having this on our kitchen worktop.
The Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus has twice the kneading power of other bread makers, with a pan that resembles traditional shop-bought bread,
Very capable
This bread machine really can cater for all; it has modes for vegan, gluten-free, and even sugar-free loaves for all sorts of diest. You can even choose your favourite crusts by selecting the desired browning level.
Speciality mode
Amongst the 15 modes you can follow a homemade mode with custom settings for specific recipes. The recipe book has instructions for pasta dough and even meatloaf.
What to consider when buying a bread maker
Automatic functions
Look for automatic functions to make life easier. Not all models are automatic; some require the dough to be kneaded and added to the bread maker while others simply require you to add the separate ingredients while the machine does the rest.
Versatility
Do you want to be able to create different types of bread and styles of loaf? Think about how versatile you want it to be as the higher the price tag, the more features and functions the bread maker will offer.
Some designs come with pizza and pasta functions and can help prepare cakes and jams too, while others have a gluten-free setting.
Ease of use and storage
Check if the parts are dishwasher-safe and think about where you’re going to store it when not in use. If it’s going to sit on the worktop, measure up the space available and check dimensions before you buy as you want to be sure it will fit snugly without taking up too much space or hanging over the edge of the surface. If it’s going to be stashed away in a cupboard, check how high the shelf space is to ensure the machine isn’t going to be too big to fit.
Timers
Timers are another must to ensure perfect results, every time. A timer allows you to set the bread maker to start baking at a time to suit you, so you can wake up to warm crusty rolls or have a loaf waiting when you get home from work. Here’s a round up of the best buys with something for every budget.
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