Compare the Best Bread MakersJanuary 2020

A bread maker, as the name suggests, is a machine that allows for the easy baking of all different types of bread. Bread makers usually consist of a rectangular box, with a removable baking tin into which the ingredients are added. This is then placed into the machine, and a program controls the mixing, rising and baking of the bread. They dramatically cut down on the work required to make high-quality bread, meaning it's easier than ever to bake it in your home!

Bread makers are primarily differentiated by their capacity. The bigger the bread maker, the larger the loaves it can bake. Some smaller machines can only bake loaves around 500-600g, while larger models can bake loaves as big as 2-3kg.

Programs

Nearly all bread makers will come with some form of programs already set up on the machine. These provide easy ways to make specific different types of bread - from standard slicing loaves, to French bread, doughnuts, pizza bases, cakes and buns. Many machines also allow you to specify the crust of your loaves - you can set it to light, medium or dark depending on how well-cooked and crispy you prefer your bread.

Some bread makers will allow you to create custom programs, so you can experiment with different recipes. They may also contain extra programs for non-bread cooking - such as making risotto, soup, pasta sauce, and even jam!

Finally, if you frequently find yourself short on time, and need to bake some bread quickly, it may be worth seeking out a bread maker with a fast bake program. While it doesn't create a loaf as high-quality as the longer settings, this mode can create a full loaf of bread from scratch in under an hour - perfect if you need some quick bread for dinner, or are running to a tight schedule.

Programs

Nearly all bread makers will come with some form of programs already set up on the machine. These provide easy ways to make specific different types of bread - from standard slicing loaves, to French bread, doughnuts, pizza bases, cakes and buns. Many machines also allow you to specify the crust of your loaves - you can set it to light, medium or dark depending on how well-cooked and crispy you prefer your bread.

Some bread makers will allow you to create custom programs, so you can experiment with different recipes. They may also contain extra programs for non-bread cooking - such as making risotto, soup, pasta sauce, and even jam!

Finally, if you frequently find yourself short on time, and need to bake some bread quickly, it may be worth seeking out a bread maker with a fast bake program. While it doesn't create a loaf as high-quality as the longer settings, this mode can create a full loaf of bread from scratch in under an hour - perfect if you need some quick bread for dinner, or are running to a tight schedule.

Timers & Pre-programming

One of the large benefits of bread makers over standard hand baking is that they contain a timer for baking the bread. You can schedule the bread to be ready for exactly when you want it - the machine will automatically start baking at the correct time. This is especially useful for breakfast - simply load up the machine with ingredients before you go to sleep, set the program to finish when you wake up, and you’ll have fresh bread waiting for you at breakfast!

Fruit/Nut Hopper

Some more advanced types of bread maker contain separate hopper for additional ingredients to be added to the bread, such as dried fruit or nuts. When used in a program, these ingredients are gradually introduced to the dough during the mixing stage, allowing the nuts or fruit to be mixed consistently through the dough. With this addition, it's easy to create delicious specialty loaves such a walnut loaf, dried cranberry bread, or Greek black olive bread!

Bread Maker Prices

Bread makers range in price from $20 to $305 and in total we found prices for 12 bread makers. The average price of a new bread maker is $158 and the 80% of bread makers are priced between $38 and $275. The cheapest bread maker that we found is the Ariete 132 at only $20, and the most expensive is the Panasonic SD2511W at $305.

Bread Maker Brands - Price Range

The highest average bread maker price out of all brands is Gastroback bread makers with an average price of $275. Gastroback bread makers start at $275 and their most expensive bread maker costs $275.

Panasonic bread makers start at $164 and their most expensive bread maker costs $305. The second highest average bread maker price out of all brands is Panasonic bread makers with an average price of $226.

The average price of Zojirushi bread makers is $220 which is the third highest average price of all bread maker brands. Zojirushi bread makers range in price from $180 to $260.

Bread Maker Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 22 expert reviews and 2,731 user reviews for bread makers and used this information to determine the average rating for each brand of bread maker.

Biggest Bread Maker Retailers

We found 12 current offers for bread makers from eBay making it the biggest bread maker retailer.

How Fast Do Bread Maker Prices Drop After Release?

On average bread makers drop in price by 13% in the first 6 months after release.

A typical new bread maker costs on average $158. By waiting 6 months before buying you could save on average $20.

Maximum Bread Weights

'Maximum Bread Weight' is the largest weight of bread that can be made in your bread maker.

The maximum bread weights of bread makers range from 450g to 1.6kg. The maximum bread weights of most bread makers range from 900g to 1kg. The Tower T11001, which is available at $114.45, has the biggest maximum bread weight and is a 1kg loaf size bread maker. The Zojirushi BBSSC10WZ, which is on sale for $259.99, has the smallest maximum bread weight and is a 450g loaf size bread maker.

Auto Programs

'Auto Programs' denotes the amount of built in programs that your bread maker will come with. These allow for the easy creation of everything from loaves and rolls to more specialist types of bread, and even non-baking foods like jam or risotto.

The auto programs of bread makers range from 3 to 37. The auto programs of most bread makers range from 11 to 15. The Panasonic SDZB2512KXC, which is available at $209.04, has the most auto program and is a 33 auto program bread maker. The bread maker with the least auto program is the Zojirushi BBCEC20BA, which is a 10 auto program bread maker and is on sale for $180.00.

Colours

White is the most frequently found colour amongst new bread makers. We found 42 bread makers that are bread makers that have a white coloured. We found 24 bread makers that are bread makers that have a black coloured, making black the second most common colour amongst new bread makers.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Bread Makers?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying bread makers. For each retailer it shows the total number of bread makers where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying bread makers. For each retailer we took all of their prices and looked at what proportion of those prices where the cheapest on the market. The cheapest retailer that we found was eBay. 12 of their bread maker prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of Bread Makers for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for bread makers by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of bread maker prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's bread maker prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 100% of their bread maker prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.