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Best Bread Machines – My Favorites!

Here is our list of the best bread machines. They are perfect for people looking to make bread at home for the first time or for any home bakers who need an upgrade because their old bread machine broke down. These bread machines range from the inexpensive but functional to more costly machines that include tons of bells & whistles.

Be aware that most bread machines do an excellent job making bread. Nevertheless, brands differ in size and cost. In addition, they vary in their ability to make larger/smaller loaves, baked goods such as moist “quick breads” (i.e. banana bread) and/or gluten-free products. You need to buy a bread machine that will best produce the baked goods that your family eats (i.e. large loaves, artisan breads or gluten-free breads). Therefore, here are our favorite bread machines.

Bread Machine

FYI – I used a Sunbeam bread machine for many years in order to make the recipes on this website. When it finally broke down, I purchased a Hamilton Beach (as I am kind of frugal!) in early 2022. I currently use the Hamilton Beach bread machine listed below in order to make all of my new bread machine recipes… although I am eyeing the Zojirushi. 🙂

As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. At no extra cost to you, we make a small commission if you buy products via the links below.

Bread Dad’s Favorites – These bread machines make great gifts for your favorite home baker. Use the links below to learn even more about these machines.

Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker (BB-PDC20BA)

  • The Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso is one of the most expensive bread machines but it also has lots of bells & whistles. FYI – This will probably be my next bread machine… if Bread Dad wins the lottery!!
  • The machine comes with a wide bread pan with 2 mixing paddles (versus the one paddle found in most standard bread machines). This allows you to create a bread loaf that is shaped more like a “real” loaf versus the “block” shape created by most standard bread machines.
  • This bread machine has a wide range of settings including Multigrain, Whole Wheat, Rapid Whole Wheat, Gluten Free, Salt Free, Sugar Free and Vegan. Of course, it also has settings for basic breads such as White Bread.
  • The Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso has heaters on the bottom and lid of the bread maker to promote even baking.
  • This bread machine even has a “Homemade” setting where you can adjust the kneading, rise and baking settings in order to create your own unique baked goods or to manage more specialized recipes.
  • Their recipe book includes recipes for things such as Cinnamon Roll Bread, Mini White Bread, Meatloaf Miracle, Homemade Pasta, Gluten Free Dinner Bread, etc.
  • It is a larger & heavier machine than more “standard” bread machines.
  • Always read actual customer reviews on the seller’s website before buying a bread machine in order to see if the machine is right for your family & kitchen. You will be able to find many pros & cons by reading these reviews.

Hamilton Beach Bread Maker Machine (29882)

  • Bread Dad owns and uses the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker Machine (29882).
  • Moderate cost versus more expensive bread machines.
  • It has 12 settings including basic, French, quick (quick breads), whole grain, cake, dough and gluten-free. The whole grain setting covers “heavy varieties of flour that require a longer phase of kneading and rising (whole wheat flour, rye flour)”.
  • I like their detailed instruction manual because it shows the kneading, rising and baking times for each setting. This helps you to find the appropriate setting for recipes (i.e. banana breads). This can be confusing on some machines (given similar setting names such as Quick vs Rapid).
  • Uses only one mixing paddle.
  • This machine produces the standard bread machine “block” shaped loaf. This is the standard loaf shape with most bread machines (except some of the larger and/or high end bread machines).
  • Noisier than my old Sunbeam.
  • Always read actual customer reviews on the seller’s website before buying a bread machine in order to see if the machine is right for your family & kitchen. You will be able to find many pros & cons by reading these reviews.

KITCHENARM 29-in-1 SMART Bread Machine

  • KITCHENARM 29-in-1 SMART Bread Machine is popular with Bread Dad visitors.
  • Highly rated on selling websites.
  • This bread machine has 29 automatic programs including Basic White, Sweet, French, Whole Wheat, Gluten Free, Sourdough, Cake, Jam, Yogurt, Pasta, Dough, etc.
  • The number of settings (29) is more than the settings on most other bread machines.
  • This bread machine even has settings for breads such as “dark rye”, “Spanish”, “salt free” and “ciabatta”.
  • Beyond the recipes included in the documents with the machine, the company website also provides online recipes for this bread machine.
  • This machine uses one mixing paddle to mix & knead. It is not a dual paddle machine (such as the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso).
  • Always read actual customer reviews on the seller’s website before buying a bread machine in order to see if the machine is right for your family & kitchen. You will be able to find many pros & cons by reading these reviews.

Best Selling Bread Machines – Beyond looking at my favorites, you should also explore the best selling bread machines on Amazon. This page is a best sellers list that is frequently updated by Amazon with rankings based on product sales. These best selling machines will show you what other people are buying based on price, performance and functionality (i.e. ability to make banana breads or gluten-free recipes). I would look at the top 5-10 names on this list in order to get a good idea of the best & newest options on the market. This list includes names such as Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Neretva, Zojirushi, KBS and others.

Other Bread Machines Used By Our Visitors – If you don’t like my picks, there are many other great bread machines. Below are some of the other bread machines that are used by the visitors to Bread Dad. Nevertheless, you should make sure that any machine that you purchase includes the settings that you want. Not all bread machines can make banana breads/cakes, create extra large loaves and/or handle gluten-free recipes.

  • Breadman 2 lb Professional Bread Maker, Stainless Steel, BK1050S – This machine has 14 settings to help you make white bread, whole wheat, French bread, quick breads, artisan dough, pizza dough, jams, gluten-free, etc. It also has a fruit and nut dispenser, collapsible kneading paddle and more.
  • Breville BBM800XL Custom Loaf Bread Maker – This is one of the more expensive bread machines. It has an automatic fruit & nut dispenser and a unique collapsible kneading paddle to minimize the hole in the bottom of the bread.
  • CBK-110C Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker – The compact size of this machine is a benefit for families with smaller kitchens. It uses a vertical design in order to maximize space.
  • KBS Large 17-in-1 Bread Machine, 2LB All Stainless Steel Bread Maker – This bread machine is popular (for health reasons) because it has a nonstick ceramic bread pan (non-Teflon). It also has “presets including Soft bread, Sweet bread, Natural sourdough, Whole-wheat, Quick, Sugar-free, Multigrain, Milky loaf, Cake, Raw dough, Leaven dough, Jam, Bake, Yogurt, Gluten-free, Ferment”.
  • Oster Expressbake Bread Maker (CKSTBR9050-NP) – The manufacturer claims that this bread machine can make 1 lb, 1.5 lb and 2 lb bread loaves. It has 13 settings including basic, French, whole wheat, dough, cake, bake, gluten-free, etc.
  • Panasonic SD-RD250 Bread Maker with Automatic Fruit & Nut Dispenser – Renown for its electronics, Panasonic also makes bread machines.
  • Pohl Schmitt Stainless Steel Bread Machine Bread Maker – This machine has 14 settings for “Whole Grain Bread, French bread, Quick Bread (no yeast), Dough, Cake”, etc. According to the company, it also makes 1 lb, 1.4 lb and 2.2 lb bread loaves.
  • West Bend Hi-Rise Bread Maker (47413) – A number of our visitors own this machine. They like this machine because it has a larger capacity than many traditional bread machines. According to the company, this machine can handle “2 lb, 2.5 lb, and 3 lb. loaf sizes”. In contrast, most traditional bread machines only make 1.5 lb and 2 lb loaves. Larger loaves are great for large families who eat a lot of bread. However, be aware that there are not many 2.5 lb and 3 lb recipes online. You might be stuck with the manufacturer’s recipes for these larger loaves or you will need to experiment with “upsizing” a favorite 2 lb bread machine recipe.
  • Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Home Bakery 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker – This popular bread machine is designed for people who want smaller breads (1 lb loaves) and baked goods. Best for individuals or people with small families (who don’t want to deal with lots of leftovers or having to freeze larger 2 lb loaves). The machine has settings for “basic bread (regular, firm), soft, French, dough, cookie/pasta dough, cake, jam and quick bread”.

Cookbooks for Specific Bread Machines – These popular cookbooks look at recipes that work with specific types of bread machines.