Best Bread Machines 2023

When it comes to bread, nothing beats the joy of slicing into a freshly baked loaf. However, not everyone has the time or desire to go through the process of nurturing a wild starter and mastering the art of sourdough baking. For those who want a quick and effortless way to make bread at home, investing in one of the best bread machines is a great alternative. Not only do they deliver fresh loaves without a lot of fuss, but you can be picky with ingredients to suit your dietary needs. After weeks of testing nine bread machines, I determined that the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker is the absolute best option for most home bakers. It was one of the few machines that consistently delivered beautifully baked loaves, while being an absolute joy to use. For a more affordable option, I recommend buying the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker, an unbeatable value pick with an “ultra-fast” bake option. Other top performers I tested include the Zojirushi Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker, which is ideal for small kitchens, and the SAKI Bread Maker, an easy-to-use machine that makes loaves large enough to feed a crowd.

For anyone who wants a quick and effortless way to make bread at home, investing in one of the best ... [+] bread machines is a great alternative. Major Equipment In Bakery

Best Bread Machines 2023 - Forbes Vetted

Here is a list of all the winners from my rigorous testing process:

Unlike early bread machines that produced oddly shaped, bland and poorly textured loaves, the latest crop of machines yield delightful loaves that are great for sandwiches and toast, with an array of additional settings that make jams, cakes, yogurt and more. After years of baking bread from scratch, I was surprised by how easy it was to produce soft, pillowy loaves in some of the top-performing picks I tested. So whether you’re just starting out on your journey or looking to elevate your game with special ingredients and mix-ins, use this guide as an intensive head start in your search for the best bread machines.

Most home bakers are turned off by the prospect of bread machines, thanks to their reputation for producing inconsistent loaves that are square and tall with a big hole in the bottom where the kneading paddle leaves an impression. I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case with the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker. Throughout my testing process, the machine produced loaves that were properly shaped and easy to cut, plus they rose beautifully, resulting in a pleasant texture and firm crumb structure that wasn’t uneven. The end result was consistently delicious and an overall wholesome experience.

The Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker produced properly shaped loaves that were easy to ... [+] cut and had an overall pleasant texture and firm crumb structure.

Another standout feature is the machine’s powerful motor designed specifically for kneading dough, making it an ideal pick for most home bakers, but especially great for anyone with physical limitations who struggles with kneading and shaping yeast dough. To put it to the test, I kneaded brioche and pasta dough in the machine and was amazed at how effortlessly the dough came together. By simply adding the ingredients to the pan and selecting the “homemade” setting, the machine handled the entire process without any intervention, surpassing the performance of my much louder and less capable KitchenAid stand mixer.

The Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus is also user-friendly, with an easy-to-read display screen, large viewing window and recipe book and manual that provide valuable insights into the bread-making process. (Even as an experienced baker, I found the information included in the manual to be surprisingly helpful.) Overall, I was impressed by its seamless operation that effortlessly created delicious loaves in just a few hours.

For $128, the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker is one of the best bread machines on the market. It’s a great choice for anyone who wants to try their hand at baking bread at home without investing too much. For starters, it bakes loaves without the customary dreaded hole at the bottom, thanks to a helpful beeping sound that alerts users to remove the kneading paddle before the baking process commences. While this may seem like a minute detail, it makes a huge difference in the final appearance of your loaf, which looks homemade rather than machine-made. These thoughtful touches, combined with a comprehensive recipe book and user-friendly display, elevated this machine above others in its price range during my testing process.

I used the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker to bake three loaves of bred, including a loaf of ... [+] Panettone.

Designed to produce loaves in three sizes, bakers can choose between a light, medium or dark crust. There’s also an “ultra-fast” option that bakes bread in under 2 hours—a helpful feature for anyone who prefers baking their loaves right before mealtimes. I appreciated the easy-to-use display with 12 programmable settings that are conveniently listed on the lid, eliminating the need to repeatedly consult the recipe book. Additionally, cleaning the bowl is a breeze, especially after removing the kneading paddle mid-mix. While the slim and compact design occupies minimal space on the countertop, you may need to carve out vertical storage space if you decide to tuck it away in your cabinet. I did encounter some difficulty observing the baking process through the small window, but if you don’t care about snagging a front-row seat to the bread-making process, this little machine surpasses expectations given its price point.

Although comparable in size to the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker, the Zojirushi Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker only produces 1-pound loaves, making it an ideal pick for anyone who wants freshly baked bread but doesn’t need a whole lot of it.

With nine bake options and a crust control feature, the Zojirushi Mini gives users the flexibility to make a wide variety of loaves. The instructions are helpfully listed on a sticker that’s pasted on the side of the machine—a detail I appreciated—and despite its petite size, the machine evenly distributed ingredients, producing a loaf I was very happy with. Much like the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker, the Mini also has an equally powerful motor that handles kneading exceptionally well. However, it’s worth noting that the final result is square and quite compact compared to the other machines I tested.

Can it handle more than just bread as advertised? I did make a nice batch of blueberry jam that required little to no effort on my part. And given the powerful kneading feature, I would gladly swap my KitchenAid for the Mini when working on smaller baking projects.

Of all the bread machines I tested, the SAKI Bread Maker was the only one that makes 3-pound loaves. It’s a large and long machine that takes up significant room on your countertop, but given the price point, it’s a solid option for anyone who likes to bake bigger loaves.

Other standout features include an easy-to-use digital touchscreen display that lets you seamlessly toggle between 12 programs and even helpfully lets you know exactly what stage of the baking process the bread is in. None of the parts are machine-washable, but I found it easy to clean the pan and paddles.

Overall, I was happy with all three loaves baked in the SAKI. The French bread recipe I tested had a lovely thick crust and chew, and given its size, I was able to enjoy it for several days. The accompanying recipe book is filled with interesting recipes to try—it was the only machine to offer recipes for scrambled eggs, chocolate pudding and coconut mochi, all possible to make using the machine’s various customizable settings—and given the weight capacity and dual kneading paddles, it would be the perfect machine to try your hand at making bagels or a stiffer dough.

KBS Large 17-In-1 Bread Machine: The first machine I received displayed an error message indicating a malfunction even before I put it to the test. The second replacement performed adequately, producing satisfactory loaves without any standout qualities. However, I wasn’t impressed with the lackluster manual and recipe booklet, which provided insufficient details. The resulting loaves had a lingering metallic taste reminiscent of machine bread from bygone days.

Hamilton Beach Artisan Dough And Bread Maker: I was disappointed with this popular bread maker. While it’s simple and straightforward to use, all three loaves I tested were less than exceptional in taste, with noticeable holes at the bottom. The included recipe book also lacked depth and failed to offer comprehensive guidance. To add to my woes, one of my loaves unexpectedly exploded during the rising stage. The machine’s small window made it challenging to monitor the baking process, and the programming display was not as intuitive as its competitor, the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker.

Hamilton Beach Bread Maker Machine: While this machine’s dishwasher-safe pan could be a deal-maker for anyone who appreciates quick cleanups, I found it to be bulky and the end result just average. It’s a decent option for making basic bread, but I wouldn’t use it for more advanced baking projects. Unfortunately, this one was a hard pass for me.

During my rigorous testing process, I baked different three loaves in each of the nine machines I ... [+] tested, making a note of the shape, size, crumb texture and overall taste of each load of bread.

Neretva Bread Maker Machine: The Neretva bread machine's recipe for whole wheat sandwich bread had an amusing oversight—whole wheat flour (a key ingredient in whole wheat sandwich bread) was listed as optional. This lack of clarity, oversimplified recipes and lack of customization became more apparent when I tested their white bread and French bread recipes. The machine produced decent loaves, but I found its display screen and instructions hard to use. And while 20-in-1 features may seem exciting, many were unnecessary and unlikely to be used regularly. I must admit, the pork meat floss setting did pique my curiosity, but as a vegetarian I couldn’t really put it to the test. The retro look was spiffy on my countertop, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression overall.

Breville Custom Loaf: With its many bells and whistles, enormous recipe book, automatic fruit and nut dispenser and large display screen, the Breville seems like a great pick. But the loaves it produced didn’t ultimately justify the price tag. If you’re going to spend that amount of money on a bread machine, the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker is the way to go for its powerful motor and kneading capability. The breads I baked weren’t always perfect—some collapsed or looked and tasted wonky—and though its paddle had a collapsing function, saving the breads from the signature hole, it didn’t seem worth the money in the end.

Over the course of 3 weeks, I extensively tested nine different machines, preparing more than 20 loaves of bread. To keep the testing process standardized, I used only the recipes provided in each machine’s recipe book. I started out by baking a basic white bread and carefully examined each resulting loaf, considering its shape, rise, crumb structure, texture and overall flavor. Some loaves exhibited leathery crusts or a collapsed surface, while others were delightfully airy and chewy. I repeated this test, focusing on whole wheat loaves, which generally proved to be more flavorful and texturally pleasing than white loaves, although personal preference may have played a role. Lastly, I selected one challenging recipe to assess each machine’s capability to perform beyond the basics.

I also had a specific set of criteria that I used to evaluate each bread machine throughout the testing process. For starters, I considered ease of use, assessing the clarity of the display screens, the simplicity of the hardware and the quality of the included instructions and recipes, preferring machines that did not have an excessively large or complicated booklet. (For example, both Zojirushi machines featured stickers on the side with default recipes for their simple white bread, which made them easy to follow.) The machines that won out had intuitive and user-friendly displays that didn’t require excessive searching or digging through menus. It was important for the display to provide clear and easily understandable information during the bread-making process. Lastly, I took into consideration the size of each machine and its ability to blend in with other countertop appliances. While it’s not necessary to have the bread machine constantly on display, it’s preferable for it to fit seamlessly into the overall kitchen environment.

Like any extraneous kitchen appliance—and by that I mean the task of making bread could easily be handled in your oven, so a bread machine is not an essential gadget—the size of the machine ranks high on the list of qualities to pay attention to. “If you have to take it out of storage to use it, you’ll never use your bread machine as much as you might want to ,” warns PJ Hamel, a food blogger and recipe developer at King Arthur Flour. But if kitchen space is an issue, she offers an interesting solution: “Do all your prep in the kitchen, then simply take the pan to wherever the machine is, press start and let it do its thing.” (Hamel keeps her machine in a closet.) So consider what you have space for—either on your counter or in a closet—and go from there.

You’re probably considering buying a bread machine primarily for baking bread. But most machines offer a ton of additional features, making everything from cakes to yogurt. Because bread machines also function as kneaders, proofers and mini ovens, it’s possible to customize the functionality of most machines so they can be put to use for only one of the steps in a bread-making cycle.

Bread machines should ideally be easy to use, or you’d likely be babysitting your sourdough starter instead. Some of the machines I tested, like the Breville Custom Loaf and the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker, had much more straightforward displays, while others, like both Zojirushis and the SAKI Bread Maker, had excellent, clear manuals and recipe books. But if you’re interested in a bread machine only because you want a classic sandwich bread, don’t stress too much about the additional features a machine offers. In my testing experience, I found that the simpler the machine, the better the overall user experience.

The most expensive bread machine I tested, the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker, retails for almost $400, while the least expensive, the Hamilton Beach Artisan Dough and Bread Maker, goes for $110. And what’s interesting is that both machines offer a slew of additional features. But while one machine does an okay job at doing a lot, the other excels at almost every task, particularly bread making. So if you do value the quality of your loaves over using your machine for making 11 different things, then it’s worth paying a slightly higher cost upfront, because the more you enjoy your bread, the more use you’ll get out of your bread machine.

I have been baking bread at home for over 7 years and have been writing about food—with a specific focus on bread—for a similar amount of time. My work has appeared in publications like Taste Cooking, Eater and Bon Appétit. Currently, I run a micro-bakery in my home city, where I bake sourdough bread and bagels using a small deck oven every Saturday morning. This extensive bread-making experience has given me a deep insight on what constitutes a superior loaf of bread, the ideal ingredients to use and a thorough understanding of the complete process from flour to the final product. My sourdough starter has been going in some form for over 8 years now and has followed me across many different countries and cities.

Prior to taking on this assignment, I had never used a bread machine, and neither had many of my bread-baking friends. However, for this story, I had the opportunity to speak with three experts who know a thing or two not only about baking bread but also about bread machines in particular. PJ Hamel, a food blogger and recipe developer at King Arthur Flour, frequently uses her bread machine for kneading. Jane Bonacci, co-author of The Gluten-Free Bread Machine Cookbook: 175 Recipes for Splendid Breads and Delicious Dishes to Make with Them, finds bread machines particularly beneficial for individuals with dietary restrictions, given the high cost of gluten-free bread at grocery stores. Lastly, Marsha Perry, the founder of the recipe blog Bread Machine Diva, has been baking with bread machines for over two decades and diligently catalogs her experiments on her website.

A bread machine can be a game changer for the right home cook. If you’re someone who regularly buys packaged bread but are concerned about the added preservatives and sugars, a bread machine allows you to take control of your ingredients and know exactly what goes into your loaves. It offers the opportunity to create healthier homemade options. It also can be marginally cheaper to make your own bread at home, rather than spending on artisanal loaves. This is particularly helpful for anyone who consumes bread daily or has a large family to feed. Lastly, making fresh bread from scratch can be tedious, especially for anyone with mobility issues. A bread machine lets you enjoy fresh loaves, without having to put in almost any effort.

Generally speaking, making bread with a bread maker is cheaper than buying loaves at the store. While investing in a machine can be a relatively big cost upfront, homemade bread only requires a few low-cost ingredients: yeast, flour, salt and sugar. If you typically buy artisan loaves at the grocery or bakery, you’ll save significantly with a bread maker. If you typically buy cheaper loaves of sliced bread, though, making your own loaves might not result in major savings.

If you’re just starting out on your bread-making journey, and budget isn’t a constraint, the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker is the best pick for most home bakers. The clear user manual and helpful recipe book make it easy to navigate for most folks, while the clear display is a breeze to use even for first-time bakers. If you’re on a budget but don’t want to compromise on quality, the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker is a solid option. The compact machine is easy to use and can make great loaves in under 2 hours.

I'm a technology reporter and senior writer at Forbes based in San Francisco. Have a tip? Email me at ebakerwhite@forbes.com or emilybakerwhite@protonmail.com.

Jenni is a writer, editor and business coach for freelancers. She typically writes about parenting, purchasing and psychology. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, skiing, running and camping in the Central Oregon mountains with her two kids and her husband.

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I am an assistant editor for Forbes Vetted currently residing in Austin, Texas. I primarily cover deals and consumer shopping, and previously worked as a deals staff writer for Wirecutter. My byline has also appeared in the New York Times. I have over four years of experience writing in the e-commerce sphere, and spend most of my time scouring the web for the latest consumer news and best discounts.

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Leah Koenig's writing and recipes have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Epicurious, Food52, and Tablet, among other publications.

Machine To Bake Bread Leah is the author of six cookbooks including The Jewish Cookbook (Phaidon, 2019) and Modern Jewish Cooking. (Chronicle Books). In addition to writing, Leah also leads cooking demonstrations and workshops around the country and world. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and two children.

Best Bread Machines 2023 - Forbes Vetted