7 best bread makers for baking the deliciously doughy homemade loaf of dreams
There's no smell more delicious than that of freshly baked bread, but baking a beautifully doughy loaf from scratch doesn't come easy. That is, unless, you're the proud owner of one of the best bread makers. Then? Well, the entire process is a doddle.
Bread makers are clever (albeit often bulky) cooking gadget that were first developed by the company now known as Panasonic back in the 1980s. They take all of the faff, stress and guesswork out of your bread-baking process. Plus, they can significantly lower your cost-per-loaf.
Taking just seconds to set-up, bread makers can be left to their own devices to make everything from classic wholemeal loaves to hearty white bread, pizza dough and sweet bakes like brioche. All you have to do is measure out your ingredients, pop them in a bread pan and leave it to do its thing. If you get one of the best bread makers, you can often choose between size of loaf and colour of crust. Some of the newest bread makers on the market even have settings for making jam, soups, sauces and scrambled eggs. Yep, these things are versatile.
Here's everything you need to know before purchasing a bread maker, plus the best bread machines on the market.
Is a bread maker worth buying?
If you and the other members of your household get through lots of bread on a weekly basis - or if you simply adore baking - then yes. A bread maker is definitely worth buying. It'll save you a hell of a lot of time and effort that would otherwise be spent kneading dough and guessing how much yeast/flour/water you need.
Which brand of bread makers is best?
There are a few brand that crop up time and time again when it comes to the best bread makers. Lakeland bread makers are wildly popular (we've reviewed their basic digital bread maker down below), while Panasonic bread makers are staggeringly good often with an array of settings and options. We'd recommend the new Panasonic SD-YR2550SXC Automatic Bread Maker. Russell Hobbs bread makers are also great: the 23620 Fast Bake Breadmaker is one of the smallest and most affordable on the market. Keep scrolling to find out more.
Is it cheaper to make your own bread with a bread maker?
In short: yes. You can get a bag of Hovis Malted Brown Granary Flour for £2 - but this will last you for quite a few loaves. All in all, you're looking at around 60p per loaf when you make it yourself, which is definitely cheaper than the loaves you've buy at your local supermarket. Sure, your bread consumption might go up... but it's just so much nicer.
How long does homemade bread last and how do you make your homemade bread last longer?
At room-temperature, homemade bread typically lasts for around three-four days. Want to make it last longer? Keeping your bread in the fridge can increase the shelf life of both shop-bought and homemade bread by 3–5 days.
What is the best bread maker to buy in 2021?
We've rounded up the best bread makers on the market right now below, including a Russell Hobbs bread maker, a Lakeland break maker, John Lewis bread makers and the best bread maker for gluten free bread. Keep scrolling and happy baking.
After more cooking content? Head this way for the best juicers more immune-boosting green juices and smoothies, over here for the coffee machines that'll upgrade your caffeine addiction and in this direction for the best cookware sets for curating post-lockdown dinner party dishes to perfection. We've also found the best dinnerware sets (presentation is key), the best drinking glasses and the best cookbooks for ultimate inspiration. Happy eating.
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Panasonic bread maker: John Lewis bread makers
Panasonic SD-YR2550SXC Automatic Bread Maker, £199.99, John Lewis
Why we love it: Testing Panasonic's new bread maker was an absolute dream: it's sleek, stylish and made the entire process totally fuss-free. It has 31 programmes and can be used to make everything from wholemeal bread to jams, cakes, compotes and gluten-free treats.
What's new? There are two swanky new features on this Panasonic bread machine that haven't been seen before. First, there are new manual modes which mean you have the freedom to make your bread and cakes exactly how you like. All you need to do is enter the kneading and rising modes. There's also a dedicated Bread mix with Yeast mode, so you can simply add water for fresh and delicious bread. It saves so much time and hassle.
Save when you shop for the best bread maker with these John Lewis discount codes.
Best bread maker for gluten free bread: Morphy Richards bread maker
Morphy Richards Homebake Breadmaker 502001 White, £69, Amazon
Why we love it: First up: top points for style. This bread maker is a tall and sleek looking machine which gently curving sides that help it to take up less space on your countertop. There's a viewing window, 14 programmes for everything from basics white bread to cakes, jam and yoghurt (!), and the instruction booklet makes it super easy to master. No complaints.
Save money on the best kitchen appliances to bake bread with these Amazon discount codes.
Best bread makers for gluten free bread: Sage bread maker
the Custom Loaf™, £149.95, Sage
Why we love it: This is one of the more expensive bread makers in this edit, but as the name suggests, it's all about making your very own loaf - whcih we adore. There are 12 settings, 9 of which are customisable. You can store your preferences from temperature to crust colour, which means you can easily curate a programme of recipes you know you adore. Great for more experienced bread makers. There's a collapsible blade that folds down after kneading but before baking (something many other bread makers on the market lack), and you can use it to make gluten free bread, jam, pizza and pasta dough and more.
Save when you shop for the best bread makers with these John Lewis discount codes.
Best small bread makers: best bread maker for speed
Morphy Richards 48281 Fastbake Breadmaker, £62.99, Amazon
Why we love it: This small bread maker is one of the most compact we've tried. It's totally devoted to speed, with three fast programmes (out of four in total) from Quick (taking just over half the time a basic white loaf would) to Fastbake I (for a 1.5lb loaf) and Fastbake II (for a 2lb loaf). There's no waiting around with this one. There isn't a gluten free option on this bread maker but there are plenty of other programmes like jam, cake, pizza dough and bread rolls. There's also a 13-hour delay start setting, so you can set the bread maker to start when you're asleep for perfect bread in the morning. The results? A perfectly golden loaf from a bread machine isn't too noisy.
Save money on loaf bread makers with these Amazon discount codes.
Best bread maker for multitasking: Amazon bread makers
Gastroback 62823 Design Automatic Bread Maker, £129, Amazon
Why we love it: You get what you pay for with this more premium bread maker. It boasts 18 pre-programmed recipes for white bread, wholemeal bread, gluten-free loaves, yoghurt, jam and more. Plus, it has a defrost programme and a REALLY good ice cream-making function (although you do have to purchase an attachment separately for this to work).
Save money on the best bread makers to bake the perfect loaf with these Amazon discount codes
Best bread makers: Russell Hobbs bread maker
Russell Hobbs 23620 Compact Fast Breadmaker, £64.99, Amazon
Why we love it: One of the smallest bread makers in this edit is this Russell Hobbs bread maker which, despite its compact size, can still bake loaves of up to 1kg in weight. Perfect for all the family. It's sleek in design, has 12 pre-programmed recipes and settings for three different bread sizes and crust colours. There are also two fast bake settings which will have you enjoying your fresh bread in under one hour.
Save when you shop for the best bread makers with these John Lewis discount codes.
Best bread makers: Lakeland bread maker
Lakeland Digital Bread Maker, £99.99, Lakeland
Why we love it: This bread maker is easy-to-use and a good all rounder. It has 12 programmes for everything from white bread to pizza dough and gluten free bread - and you can set it to bake loaves and cakes of a range of sizes and colours. We love the viewing window so you can keep an eye on your bake, plus the simplicity of the LED screen. For under £100, we're impressed with how good this bread maker is.
Save money on bread makers with a generous 13-hour delay timer with these Lakeland discount codes
Best bread maker UK 2021: bread machines on Amazon
Tower T11002 Digital Bread Maker, £98.49 Amazon
Why we love it: This bread maker is mot only professional looking and durable but complete with a viewing window, straightforward instructions and a touch panel. It has 19 pre-programmed settings that vary from gluten-free bread to traditional white loaves, cake and jam. There's also a detachable seed and fruit dispenser which clips to the lid when you fancy adding an extra finishing touch to your bake. It might be a little noisier than some of the other bread makers in this edit, but the results are brilliant.
Save money on machines to bake the perfect loaf of bread with these Amazon discount codes
Best bread maker for delayed start: Kenwood bread maker
Kenwood BM450 Breadmaker, £199.98, Amazon
Why we love it: We love the fact this bread maker has built-in lights so you can see exactly what you're baking - something that other bread makers on the market, surprisingly, lack. It has touch controls, fan-assisted baking for more even loaves and plenty of custom programmes including rapid bake. There's a 15-hour delay start which means you can set it and forget about it with ease, plus, there's a dispenser for extra additives like nuts, fruit, chocolate and cheese. YUM.
