If you’re looking for bread maker reviews because this is your first time buying such a machine, you’ve come to the right place.
Or maybe you want to replace your old one.
Whatever the case, I’m sure my post containing these 5 best bread maker reviews will help you find the right appliance for your household.
Regardless of your budget.
Nowadays,
Bread makers are affordable, too.
Obviously,
There are some more expensive with some fancy functions and more cycles but anyone can get what they desire.
That’s the important thing and I’m glad that the tiny world of bread machines is pretty much accommodating the needs of a large array of consumers.
We can all agree that a bread maker is a truly useful appliance.
This appliance can make and bake bread (white, wheat, gluten-free, French bread, and so on, the options are endless), bread dough, pizza dough, cake dough, jam, and one particular model even has a setting for meatloaf.
Even if you only use it for making dough and then baking in a conventional oven, it’s still totally worth it.
You can make such a wide variety of things with so little effort!
I’m always amazed by how delicious my bread made from scratch and baked by my machine is.
For my bread maker reviews, I’ve selected some of the best 5 machines on the market.
Obviously,
There are more models out there and some of them are excellent but, in my opinion, the 5 bread makers that I’m going to in-depth review in this article are some of the most worthy of your money.
You know how it is:
When there are too many choices, a person can get confused and when there are too little, the choice is too restricted and makes you feel like there should be more.
Contents
What’s So Good About These 5 Bread Maker Reviews?
As you’re going to discover, there are a lot similarities between the units.
There aren’t as many differences but those differences dictate the price gap that’s between some models.
When I made the choice which machines should be featured in my bread maker reviews, I firstly wanted to cover all budgets so that, anyone who wants fresh homemade loaves with minimum effort, can have it.
Even if you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you’re still going to be able to enjoy delicious things.
I just love the things that my machine does and I hope you’ll become as addicted as I am to fresh bread that’s practically made without you doing anything!
You can also make sweets and jam.
5 Bread Maker Reviews: From the Cheapest Bread Machine to High-End Models
1. Oster CKSTBRTW20 Bread Maker Review: Cheap and Good
Pros:
This is the cheapest unit from all these 5 bread maker reviews.
But it’s also incredibly good.
If you are on a tight budget but still want to eat delicious loaves whenever you feel like it, this is perfect!
It’s so simple, so affordable, so great!
It comes with the following accessories:
- double-ended measuring spoon
- measuring cup
- kneading blade
- nonstick pan
- viewing window
- a very simple and intuitive control panel
- user manual plus recipes
- and 1 year warranty
It bakes vertical loaves and there are 3 sizes:
- 1 pound
- 1.5 pounds
- and 2 pounds
You get to choose from 4 crusts: light, medium, dark, and rapid.
And there’s a 13-hour delay timer.
There are 12 preprogrammed settings: basic (white), whole wheat, French, sweet, Expressbake 1.5, Expressbake 2.0, quick (no yeast, backing soda is an alternative), European, dough/pasta, bagel dough, jam, and bake.
These are all basic settings but they work really well.
You will get good dough and delicious loaves.
That’s the most important aspect.
The Oster CKSTBRTW20 is also called the Expressbake Breadmaker and the two Expressbake cycles (1.5 and 2.0) make and bake either 1.5 pounds or 2 pounds loaves in just 58 minutes.
It’s pretty amazing.
But it’s also a little complicated because the water needs to be at a certain temperature, since the machine skips some phases in order to get that awesome time of just under an hour.
You’re going to read more about it in the user manual.
Also,
The bread is not as delicious as the one made with the basic cycle but it’s still a nice option to have around.
It actually seems to be a characteristic of cheap bread makers.
The Sunbeam bread maker also has them and the Hamilton Beach 29882, too.
The basic white cycle is completed in 3:25 hours.
My unit needs 4 hours for this cycle so the CKSTBRTW20 from Oster is pretty fast.
The instructions are nicely detailed for every recipe. And you will find plenty recipes in the user manual.
It’s also one of smallest bread makers if you’re interested in getting a model who can be easily stored away when you don’t need it.
That way, you don’t have to make room for it on the kitchen counter.
Cons:
I don’t think there are big cons to be mentioned.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be worthy of featuring in these bread maker reviews.
One would be that there is no gluten-free setting.
My argument is: you can’t really expect much more from a machine that is so incredibly affordable and so good, at the same time.
And that’s why it’s featured in my bread maker reviews.
This is one appliance to be with you for a long time, you can enjoy so many delicious creations with its help.
If you want more info, check this Oster CKSTBRTW20 review.
Also,
The Hamilton Beach Programmable Bread Machine is almost as cheap but it also has the gluten-free setting if that’s what you’re looking for.
2. Panasonic SD-YD 250 Bread Maker Review: Long-Lasting Medium-Priced Machine
The Panasonic SD-YD 250 is among these 5 bread maker reviews due to many reasons.
Pros:
Firstly,
This is one of the oldest machines that’s been around for more than 10 years.
Panasonic is the manufacturer that came up with the idea of a machine that makes bread and so anyone can have fresh, healthy, and exactly-how-they-want loaves, whenever they want.
It’s incredible that it has been launched so long ago but it’s still so good and so popular.
It’s of high quality and there are people who have had a SD-YD 250 for 5 years, 6 years, and even more.
It stood the test of time and that’s all I need to include it in my bread maker reviews.
Secondly,
It transforms recipes into delicious treats and it makes nicely risen breads.
If you follow the instructions, that will happen every single time.
The accessories include:
- double-ended teaspoon/tablespoon
- measuring cup
- nonstick pan
- removable kneading paddle
- yeast dispenser instead of a viewing window
- modern and simple control panel
- user manual plus recipes booklet
- and 1 year warranty
You get to choose from 3 loaf sizes:
- M
- L
- and XL, up to 2.5 pounds, to give you some actual numbers instead of these letters that might not mean much
There are 3 crusts: light, medium, and dark.
And you have the option of a 13-hour delay timer.
There are 6 programs: basic, whole wheat, multigrain, French, pizza, and bake only.
And 6 baking options: bake, bake rapid, bake sandwich, bake raisin, dough, and dough raisin.
It takes 4 hours for the SD-YD 250 to complete the basic white cycle.
It’s not the fastest bread maker but it’s not like that you have to do something to it withing those 4 hours.
You can do whatever you have to and just leave it on the counter, plugged in and with the ingredients all in the pan.
After 4 hours you will remove a delicious loaf.
It’s so simple that I love it and I love all these 5 bread maker reviews.
I also own a Panasonic, a slightly different model, mine doesn’t have a yeast dispenser but it’s the first bread machine that wasn’t bought by my mother and I’m still extremely satisfied with it.
Cons:
There’s no gluten-free menu, although the next bread maker review will introduce a slightly more affordable unit than this one, which also includes a gluten-free setting, among many other features.
Even so,
The Panasonic SD-YD 250 is rightfully included in my bread maker reviews for standing the test of time with its impeccable quality.
3. Cuisinart CBK 100 Bread Maker Review: Gluten-Free Cycle + Affordable Price
Pros:
The Cuisinart CBK 100 offers more than what you are paying for.
You’re going to see why I’m saying that.
It’s almost medium-priced, somewhere in the middle, between the Oster and the Panasonic, the above two bread maker reviews.
Besides the Hamilton Beach Programmable Bread Machine, the CBK 100 is the most affordable unit that has the gluten-free setting included.
The accessories are:
- double-ended measuring spoon
- measuring cup
- nonstick pan
- kneading paddle
- viewing window
- a nice-looking easy-to-use control panel
- user manual and the recipe booklet
- and a 3-year warranty
From all these 5 bread maker reviews, this is the only one where a 3-year warranty is offered.
All the other 4 machines offer only 1 year warranty.
But all will last much longer than that, for sure.
The Cuisinart CBK 100 lets you choose from 3 loaf sizes:
- 1 pound
- 1.5 pounds
- and 2 pounds
Given the fact that it offers the 1 pound size, it makes it perfect for people living by themselves, too.
There’s also a light, medium or dark crust and a 13-hour delay timer, which means that you can add the ingredients now and have it ready in maximum 13 hours.
It’s nice if you know exactly when you want your steaming hot bread removed from the pan.
I use this function quite frequently.
The 12 preprogrammed settings are: basic, French/Italian, whole wheat, sweet, gluten-free, packaged mix, cake, dough, pasta dough, jams, bake only, and rapid bake.
The basic takes around 3 hours until completion so this is one of the fastest bread machines.
Additional features:
- There are 6 beeps that let you know when it’s safe to remove the dough so that you can remove the the kneading paddle.
At the end, when you remove the loaf from the pan, it won’t have a large hole at the base. It’s really helpful and practical.
Or you can ignore the 6 beeps entirely. It makes no difference.
- Stay-cool handles, however the bottom of the pan will still be hot. So, when you remove the loaf take an oven mitt.
- Power back up feature for up to 15 minutes power failure.
Cons:
There’s not much to complain about.
The Cuisinart CBK 100 makes good loaves, even the gluten-free one is a success, really good dough, and can even help you make delicious sweets.
Let me know if you own this unit and have any complaints about it.
4. Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Bread Maker Review: Quite Possibly the Best
Now,
We’ve reached the point in my bread maker reviews where we discover 2 of the most expensive units on the market.
Let’s start with the Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA, an immensely popular and highly appreciated option.
It’s actually considered to be the best bread machine on the market.
And it’s also the most expensive bread maker on the market.
There’s no way I wouldn’t praise it with the occasion of these bread maker reviews.
Pros:
This unit makes and bakes a rectangular loaf instead of the vertical ones, like the majority of bread makers do.
And the other 4 models reviewed in my post.
It definitely looks entirely different.
A rectangular loaf looks like a bread that you would actually bake in an oven.
That aspect appeals to many people.
There’s only the 2 pounds loaf size.
And there are 3 crust options: light, medium, and dark.
If you want the perfect browned crust, you’ve found what you were looking for.
Why am I saying that?
The reason for that is the placement of the heater in the lid.
However,
There’s no crust options for the whole wheat, European, sugar free, and homemade cycles.
It’s probably the only weird thing that I can think about when talking about the Virtuoso.
It also has a 13-hour delay timer, obviously.
Besides the unit, the box also includes:
- double-ended measuring spoon
- measuring cup
- 2 kneading blades – this feature is what actually makes it one of the best horizontal bread machines
- nonstick pan rectangularly shaped
- modern control panel with LCD screen
- the panel is pretty straightforward and easy to use
- viewing window
- it’s also a nice-looking kitchen appliance, it can blend well in any kitchen
- user manual plus recipes
- and 1-year warranty
- power failure feature
It has a dual kneading blade, another unique feature, which leads to a perfect kneading so even the whole wheat loaves or loaves made with flours that don’t have a high concentration of gluten will be nicely risen
There are 15 settings: white, whole wheat, European, multigrain, gluten free, salt free, sugar free, vegan, rapid white, rapid whole wheat, dough, sourdough starter, cake, jam, homemade (where you can record 3 of your favorite recipes)
That’s an impressive number and it covers anything you might think of making.
Pair the Zojirushi Virtuoso with a bread machine cookbook and you can make so many recipes that it will take years to discover your favorites.
The homemade cycle lets users customize 3 of their own favorite recipes and transform them into 3 preprogrammed settings.
It’s a feature that’s only offered by the expensive models, like this one and the one following. So, I can only mention it in these two last bread maker reviews.
I should also add that it’s not a really fast machine because it takes 3:45 hours for the basic cycle to be completed but that shouldn’t bear any influence.
The recipes are fantastic, truly mouth-watering, and there’s even a recipe for meatloaf for the home made course.
It’s a heavy appliance, it weighs 24 pounds.
It will require a permanent space in your kitchen, it can’t be easily stored away and taken out when needed.
Cons:
There aren’t actually any that I can think of.
The no crust control for the whole wheat, European, sugar free, and homemade cycles is a weird thing, indeed.
There also no nut & fruit dispenser.
The Virtuoso is incredible but that price can be just too much for many of us.
It’s not affordable, I would say that that’s its biggest con.
If you care about brand name and are particularly interested in the Zojirushi brand, there’s also a cheaper alternative: the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Home Bakery 1-Pound-Loaf.
5. Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker Review: the Smartest Model
And last but not least in my bread maker reviews, there’s the Breville Custom Loaf.
It hasn’t been around for so long so it’s not as popular as the above units.
Before getting into what it offers, I have one confession: this bread machine is too expensive for me.
If you can easily afford it, go for it!
If not, there are more affordable options above.
Pros:
It’s the smartest unit and I want to make that clear right from the start. It’s not as intuitive and as easy to use as the above models.
The accessories that come with the unit are:
- double-ended measuring spoon
- measuring cup
- collapsible kneading paddle and fixed kneading paddle, the latter being only for making jam
- nonstick pan
- viewing window
- automatic fruit and nut dispenser
- a truly modern control panel and LCD display
- user manual plus 46 recipes
- and 1 year warranty
With the Breville Custom Loaf, you get to choose from 4 loaf sizes:
- 1 pounds
- 1.5 pounds
- 2 pounds
- and 2.5 pounds
They have covered all the options.
It’s the only unit among my bread maker reviews that offers the 4 sizes possibility.
As usual, there are 3 crust types: light, medium, and dark.
And this unit, too, has a 13-hour delay timer.
There are 14 amazing preprogrammed settings: custom (for transforming 9 of your recipes into settings), basic, basic rapid, whole wheat, whole wheat rapid, gluten-free, crusty loaf, sweet, yeast free, dough-bread, dough-pizza, dough-pasta, bake only, and jam.
And they have covered all the essential dough options: bread, pizza, and pasta.
Breville has really covered everything with these 14 cycles.
You can customize 9 of your favorite recipes and transform them into preprogrammed settings.
That’s plenty of customizing options.
The control panel has some unique buttons, like: weight/temp, beeper button, light button, modify button, and the select push-dial button.
The kneading collapsible paddle has the purpose of making the whole that remains at the base of any loaf a lot smaller.
It should automatically collapse before the commencement of the bake phase.
However,
There are users who have complained that it doesn’t always collapse, making it useless.
The alternative is to remove the dough when the “remove paddle” alert will beep, right before the “rise 3” phase, and then add it back, letting the machine do the baking without the paddle in.
That sounds quite complicated to me.
Additional features include the nut & fruit dispenser and the power failure protection.
Cons:
The fact that the collapsible paddle doesn’t collapse each time as it should is a con to be taken into consideration.
I truly love the Breville Custom Loaf, even though it’s too much for my budget.
Features to Look for when Choosing your Next Bread Machine
And, now, that I’ve rounded up my bread maker reviews, let’s see what are the common features to look for when making the choice:
- it must make an awesome loaf, whether you prefer white or whole wheat or gluten-free, and so on
- it must make great dough for pizza or pasta
- the nonstick pan should be of good quality because a bread machine can last for many years as long as the pan continues to be nonstick
- the included recipes are a good start and most user manuals include plenty
- an easy-to-use control panel, an intuitive one, in case you’re not that into technology
- if you want more freedom, get an unit that lets you transform your own recipes into preprogrammed settings
- a nut & fruit dispenser if you are into that
- and, last but not least, a design that blends in with your kitchen’s overall design
As you can see, it’s not that hard shopping for the perfect model for you and I truly hope that my bread maker reviews will help you with that.
