The 7 Best Bread Machines, Tested & Reviewed

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Sourdough, gluten-free, and banana are no match for its baking power

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I absolutely adore baking homemade bread. When I have time, I love the whole process of mixing, kneading, and shaping. Waiting for it to rise is calming, while shaping and scoring the dough is like an art form. Eating fresh bread is, of course, the best part.

But I don’t always have time for all of the steps. That’s where a bread machine comes in: It distills the process down to simply adding ingredients, pressing some buttons, and unmolding the loaf when it’s fully baked. The bread doesn’t look as artisanal as a hand-shaped loaf, but it’s great for sandwiches, toast, and more. The Spruce Eats has tested top-rated bread machines to come up with the best of the best, so you can have fresh, homemade bread any time you want it.

Consistent results

Even browning due to two heat sources

Great documentation and recipes

No quickbread setting

This bread machine has one feature that you won’t find in any others. Along with the usual heating element below the pan, it also has a heating element on top. That means we got lovely browning on top of the loaves, just like we’d get in an oven. That’s not the only reason this was our top choice. The manual, the recipes, and the variety of breads it can bake made this machine a clear winner, producing breads that even experienced bread bakers will appreciate—with practically zero fuss.This bread machine has two paddles, so the ingredients mix well, and its kneading ability is excellent. A 13-hour delay timer allows you to set the machine up at night for a morning loaf or set it up in the morning before work to have a loaf ready for dinner.Even when we started winging it with our own recipes and ingredients, the results were still good. And that’s a tough thing for a bread machine to do.

Dimensions: 18 x 10.5 x 12.9 inches | Loaf Size: 2 pounds | Programs: 15

Small footprint

Quiet operation

Excellent small loaves

Only one small size option

Considering how much we liked the full-sized Zojirushi bread machine, it’s not very surprising that we also liked the mini version. This is the perfect bread machine for anyone who wants a small loaf of bread, and it works quietly, too. Of course, this bread machine has a smaller footprint than a full-size one. There’s even a handle for taking the machine on the go, and it makes it easier to carry it to its storage space if it’s not going to live on the counter.This machine makes 1-pound loaves and has many of the same settings you’d find in large machines, including an interesting option for regular or firm loaves of bread. There are also crust settings as well as a quick baking setting that produces a loaf in less than two hours. The loaves were all very well baked and nicely domed on top, and they came out of the pan easily.

Dimensions: 8.5 x 11.3 x 12.3 inches | Loaf Size: 1 pound | Programs: 9

Compact for small kitchens

Lots of options

Easy operation

Exterior gets hot

This machine is compact, but it can still bake full-size 2-pound loaves along with 1- or 1.5-pounders. It’s great for anyone who doesn’t have space for a full-size machine, with the understanding that the smaller size comes with less insulation, so this machine gets hot on the outside during baking. It’s also fairly light at just over 10 pounds, so it’s easy to move around or tuck into a cabinet when it’s not being used.

We were skeptical about the machine’s ability to bake a 2-pound loaf every time. The largest batches made tended to hit the lid and deflate, so it might be best to stick with smaller loaves or look for recipes that don’t rise quite as much. That said, it was easy to use, the control panel made sense, and the bread was nicely browned. It also has plenty of options, including crust darkness, bread types, and even non-bread settings for sauces and cakes.

Dimensions: 10.3 x 13.3 x 11.3 inches | Loaf Size: 1, 1.5, or 2 pounds | Programs: 12

Paddles collapse after kneading

Mix-in dispenser

Ability to save custom recipes

Noisy

Breville appliances have done consistently well in our testing, so it’s no surprise this bread maker made an appearance. It’s a bit pricey, but the features make up for that. On the top of that list is the collapsible kneading paddle. One issue with bread maker loaves is the hole created by the bottom paddle. Sure, you can opt to remove the paddle before the final rise, but that’s not always convenient. This machine’s paddles collapse when kneading is done, so the hole is much less noticeable.This machine also has a mix-ins dispenser, so they are added to the dough at the right time for even dispersion through the dough. No more fruit smashed or crumbled during kneading, or nuts sinking to the bottom. We also love the ability to pause the process if you need to do something manually, like shape the dough or add a topping. Speaking of pausing, this has a 1-hour backup battery, so it will keep working during short power outages.

It has the ability to program and save up to nine custom recipes, which is great for bakers who want to create their own special loaves. The breads we tested were all good, including both standard and gluten-free, although the yeasted banana bread would have benefited from a bit more mixing. One downside is that the machine is a bit noisy, but we can forgive that, considering everything else it does well.

Dimensions: 16.4 x 9.6 x 13.3 inches | Loaf Size: 1 to 2.5 pounds | Programs: 14

Can create a custom program

Extremely thorough manual

Two mixing paddles for better kneading

Can’t make small loaves

The SAKI is a great option for people who love bread, since it can make larger loaves than most machines. As a matter of fact, the sizes start where most bread makers end—at 2 pounds. It can also make 2.5- or 3-pound loaves.To start, we loved the manual. It included recipes, breadmaking tips, and information about the machine’s functions, as well as a separate full-color cookbook that included even more recipes. There are multiple recipes for each of the settings, except for the single yogurt recipe. Speaking of recipes, this machine has a custom program called “Home-Made,” which allows the user to set the time for each of the 12 stages the loaf goes through, which is great for bread bakers who are particular about their bread recipes.Since this machine has two mixing paddles, it’s more efficient at kneading than single-paddle bread makers, and any add-ins mix well into the dough. However, that also means two holes are left in the baked bread from the paddles. Of course, you can always remove the dough from the pan, remove the paddles, and form the dough for the last rise and bake, but that’s not as convenient as just letting it run from start to finish. The SAKI has a delayed start, and the buttons and display are easy to see. While the icons aren’t completely intuitive at first, they will make sense after you use them. One little quibble we had with this machine is that the lid is hinged on the short side, but that’s forgivable considering all the other things that this machine did so well.

Dimensions: 10.47 x 17.2 x 13.7 inches | Loaf Size: 2, 2.5 and 3 pound | Programs: 12

Good value

Compact size

Dishwasher-safe parts

Loud

This bread machine has a compact size, but it’s still capable of baking 2-pound loaves as well as smaller sizes. We made multiple custom loaves; one was absolutely divine and achieved a perfect rise.

This machine isn’t as feature-laden as some others we tested, but it produced great loaves and the price makes sense. We encountered a slight learning curve when making country white bread, with our recipe working better on the second try when we used the 2-pound rapid cycle. A loaf of whole wheat cornmeal bread, though, absolutely blew us away.

One downside is that the machine isn’t quiet. The beeps are loud, which might be a good thing for some bakers, but the kneading is also loud, possibly because the machine isn’t as well insulated as others. The controls are easy enough, once you get used to them. Unlike most other bread machines, the bread pan is dishwasher-safe, but it is also easy to wash by hand.

Dimensions: 13.9 x 11.4 x 11.2 inches | Loaf Size: 1, 1.5, 2 pounds pounds | Programs: 12

20 programs

External temperature sensor to adjust heating

Super nonstick baking pan

Expensive

This high-tech machine has a few features we haven’t encountered elsewhere, such as an ambient temperature sensor that adjusts the cooking temperature to make sure the bread is rising and baking perfectly. It has a whopping 20 easy-to-operate programs, including four options for gluten-free doughs, and a dispenser for adding in ingredients at the right time during kneading.The first loaf we tested deflated a bit; using our own recipe might have been part of the problem, however. Regardless, the flavor and texture were good, despite the imperfect look. We then tried Panasonic’s banana bread recipe, which required all the mixing to be done in separate bowls before adding everything to the machine. The flavor was good, and the bread was moist and dense.The nonstick bread pan is super-slick, with finished loaves sliding out easily and any dried-on bits easy to clean off. Also, this machine is quiet—any noises it made were easily masked by the dishwasher.

Dimensions: 9.9 x 16 x 14.3 inches | Loaf Size: 1, 1.5, 2 pounds pounds | Programs: 20

The Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Bread Maker is our clear favorite, thanks to the two sources of heat that ensure a perfectly browned top crust. We also gave a nod to the SAKI Bread Maker Machine for its ability to make larger loaves of bread, up to 3 pounds, and for the excellent documentation and extra recipe book.

The Spruce Eats

We tested 36 bread machines by making 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 evaluated each machine on ease of use, performance, versatility, and value. We paid special attention to:

The Spruce Eats / Julie Bang

Most bread machines can bake bread in several different sizes, and it’s important to know that usually means vertically. We tested machines that could handle from 1-pound up to 3-pound loaves, which can satisfy most people’s needs. While there’s a little leeway to bake slightly smaller or larger loaves in each machine, the quality would likely suffer if the recipes stray too far from the stated capacity.

Smaller machines typically have a single paddle for mixing and kneading, while larger machines typically have two paddles to manage the larger amount of dough and the wider bread pan. Paddles can be connected to the pan and rip their way out of the bread as it’s removed, or they stay in the loaf and have to be removed by hand. Either way, there will be a hole in the final loaf. Some machines have paddles that fold down automatically to take up less space in the loaf. While it’s possible to remove the dough and paddles before the final rise, that’s not always convenient.

All of the machines we tested had a variety of programs, including options for pizza, cake, and even yogurt. Importantly, your bread machine should have options for different types of bread, as well as knead-only, bake-only, and fast-bake settings. Of course, there should be options for loaf sizes, if the machine can bake more than one size, and we like to be able to select a light, medium, or dark crust.Another setting we like is the delay-start, which means you can set up the machine in the evening to have a fresh-baked loaf for breakfast, or have a loaf that’s ready when you get home from work.

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It’s not necessary, and it would actually be difficult to do unless the bread is removed from the pan before the final rise and bake. The bread pans in today’s bread machines all have a nonstick coating. If the bread does stick, the paddles are likely holding the bread in the pan. A few vigorous shakes usually allow the bread to break free.

Bread machine yeast is similar to rapid-rise and instant yeast, in that the particles are smaller than active dry yeast. There are some subtle differences between rapid-rise, instant, and bread machine yeast, but in practice, we’ve used them interchangeably. The smaller granules means that those types of yeast can be added directly to the flour—you don’t need to let it dissolve in liquid before baking, as you would with active dry yeast. Some brands of active dry yeast have fine particles similar to instant yeast, so they can be mixed directly into the flour without needing to dissolve them in water first.

Yes, most of today’s bread machines have a gluten-free bread setting and may also have gluten-free recipes in their manuals. If not, it may take some trial and error to find the perfect recipe and settings, but it should be possible to make a good loaf of gluten-free bread in a machine. One thing to keep in mind is that gluten-free bread dough is really more like a gloopy batter rather than a firm dough, so it’s wise to check the pan after mixing to make sure everything is well incorporated.

The bread pan is removable, and the paddles should be removed from the pan. The pan and paddles are not usually dishwasher-safe, so they should be washed by hand. Since the pan and paddles have a nonstick coating, that should be easy to do. The rest of the machine can be wiped down with a damp cloth.

Because of the long rise that sourdough requires, it’s not usually a good candidate for baking in a bread machine. It’s possible to tweak the process, however, by using the machine for mixing and kneading, then allowing the loaf to rise in its own time before finally baking in the bread machine. There are also faux sourdough recipes that use sourdough starter for the flavor, but use standard yeast so the bread rises in the usual time.

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.