Humans have been baking bread for millennia, and yet, the process can still feel intimidating. If you've tried baking your own bread in the past and produced nothing but rock-hard disappointments, using a bread maker can help give you more consistent and delicious results for just a fraction of the time and effort.
If you have the space in your kitchen for a specialty cooking gadget and the desire to bake your own bread using your own ingredients, bread makers are fantastic. They are especially helpful for people who have trouble kneading by hand, have specific dietary needs, or simply don't have the time to babysit a dough ball as it takes hours to proof.
One important thing to consider is that bread makers are best at making sandwich bread-style loaves. But if you wanted to make pizza dough or a crusty round loaf, these machines can still do the kneading and proofing for you. Then, you can finish baking it in your regular oven. Reading the instructions and following the basic recipes that come with your bread maker is really important, no matter which model you get — and there may be some troubleshooting involved when you first start out.
Nearly all bread makers now come equipped with multiple bake settings to make breads of varying sizes that are salt-free, gluten-free, light- or dark-crusted, and even filled with nuts and fruits — along with cakes and quickbreads, too. These specific settings will vary a little bit between models, so you may be able to save some money if you get a simpler machine with fewer functions.
Once you master a basic bake on one of these machines, a world of delicious opportunities open up. Here are the best bread makers you can buy.
If you're willing to spend a little more for a bread maker that does everything, looks sleek, and guides you through every step of the way with clear instructions, this model from KBS is the one to buy. You can knead and proof dough, bake different types of bread, and make yogurt and jam all with this one device. It even has a fruit-and-nut dispenser that automatically adds your mix-ins for you!
This machine has an impressive 15-hour bake timer that allows you to add ingredients first thing in the morning, and then enjoy a warm, freshly-baked loaf at the dinner table. It may not be the smallest model, but it does everything incredibly well.
Not fancy but definitely reliable, this compact bread maker from Hamilton Beach offers all the basic bake cycles in one user-friendly device. Its small screen displays each of these settings and your current run time, although some reviewers say that it's a little hard to read.
However, its baking results are consistent. It runs at a low hum, punctuated by a few microwave-level beeps for different steps in the cycle.
Zojirushi's bread maker is one of the largest and priciest models available, but it does pretty much everything that this type of machine can do.
Its horizontal orientation may take up more room, but its two paddles inside allow for more even kneading. This option also gives your bakes more of a traditional loaf-pan look, rather than a blocky, rectangular result. (But don't worry: It all tastes delicious nonetheless!)
There are two standout features in this bread maker: The large, easy-to-read LCD screen that helps guide you through the baking process and the 13-hour delay timer. This helps you bake on your schedule, rather than having to set aside a few hours in order to oversee the process from start to finish.
4
Cheapest Model
Amazon Basics 2-Pound Non-Stick Bread Making Machine
Dare we say it? Amazon's bread maker is pretty darn cute. This device offers 14 different dough and bake cycles, and tracks the entire process on its small display screen.
It's also one of the cheapest models you can find, but there is a small tradeoff — the machine is pretty noisy as it kneads. If you (and your household) can handle several loud minutes before the bake starts, though, this is still a top choice.
This bread maker from Oster is incredibly user-friendly with its clear labels and digital display. This machine is also the one to get if you want to bake multiple loaves of bread in one day, since its Expressbake cycle can bake a 2-pound loaf in just 1 hour. It also has a 13-hour timer for baking overnight.
It's not a particularly loud machine, either — once you get past the dough-kneading churn, it's very quiet and non-disruptive.
Melanie YatesSenior Home Decor EditorMelanie is the senior home decor editor of Best Products, where she's been researching and testing out home and bedding products since 2015 — her work can also be found on House Beautiful and Women's Health.
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