The smell of homemade bread is a universal panacea. And if getting to the shops is tricky at the moment, making your own bread saves a job. Baking bread is also a nice thing to do with the kids, and if you have the best bread maker it can be easy as well as fun.
Whether you're a fan of sourdough or rye, prefer a white loaf, seeded or wholemeal batch, you'll be able to bake whichever type of bread takes your fancy. They are no one trick pony though, with many capable of making delicious cakes and even jam and yoghurt. Yep, a whole plethora of breakfast foods can be yours with the help of this handy kitchen helper.
The results of your bread making are sure to impress your family and guests – not to mention the money you'll save at the bakery – knead we persuade you more?
We've rounded up our top picks of the best bread makers below. So keep scrolling for our bread maker reviews. Or, if you want to get your hands on another helpful kitchen gadget for autumn, see our best slow cookers.
The best bread makers 2020
1. Panasonic SD-2501WXC Automatic Bread Maker with Fruit and Nut Dispenser
Best bread maker: bake whatever you please – including gluten-free bread – in our best-rated bread maker
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Why do we love the Panasonic SD-2501WXC? It's easy to use and simple to keep clean. If you want a bread maker that can make lots of different bakes, this is the best bread maker for you. In fact, we rate it our best bread maker you can buy.
Modes
As well as having 10 different bread modes – including rye – this machine has three loaf sizes and lets you choose your crust colour.
Timer
A 13-hour digital timer allows you to choose when to have your loaf ready and it even adjusts for the ambient temperature on the room it’s running in.
Fruit and nut dispenser
The handy dispenser means you don’t have to stand by the bread maker to add fruit or nuts at the right time, while the choice of recipes and clear instructions are also a bonus.
2. Morphy Richards 48280 FastBake Bread Maker
Best budget bread maker: an automatic bread maker that doesn't cost the earth
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This bread maker from Morphy Richards does all the hard work for you – simply add the ingredients, pick your programme and press start. And it gets our vote for the best budget bread maker too!
Modes
There are a variety of bakes to choose from – preparing dough for bread rolls, pizza and cake as well as making jam. But what makes this design stand out is the fastbake function that produces a fresh loaf in just 50 minutes. We like the sound of that. It also has a choice of three crust settings so you can really personalise your loaf. What else? You can keep an eye on your bake using the clear viewing window
Timer
The 13-hour delay timer is really handy. This way you'll wake up to fresh, warm bread every day... It’s also got a cool-touch body so is safe if you have little ones running around.
3. Sage by Heston Blumenthal BBM800BSS Custom Loaf Bread Maker
Best smart bread makers: with its advanced features and comprehensive manual, this one is for the professionals
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This bread maker from Sage by Heston Blumenthal oozes style and capabilities which would really appeal to the more confident baker.
Super smart interface
This smart-looking bread maker has smart features too. The 'turn' and 'confirm' dial makes it easy to choose between the 60 different settings and gets you started baking in seconds. The clever interface then computes the correct temperature and baking time each time you make a selection, and displays the major variables on one easy to read screen.
Collapsible blade
Once the break maker has finished kneading the dough, the blade collapses before baking so it maximises the amount of usable bread without any dents in the crust.
4. Morphy Richards 502001 Homebake Bread Maker
Best multi-function bread maker: it makes bread, and yoghurt, with a variety of programmes to choose from
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Looking for an easy to use, compact bread maker that has lots of features? Bingo. This bread maker from Morphy Richards is our best multi-funtion bread maker, if you want more than just bread!
Modes
We love the sheer variety of loaves this bread maker can produce – crusty white, mixed seed, cinnamon, raisin…
Timer
As mentioned, this machine is super easy to use thanks to its delay timer, which proves really handy for baking a loaf exactly when you want it.
Looks
With a modern, compact design and the fact that it’s easy to clean, it really is a true winner. We definitely wouldn't mind having this on our kitchen worktop.
5. Panasonic SD-ZB2502BXC Bread Maker
Best bread maker for custom loaves: another great Panasonic bread maker, and a little cheaper too
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The Panasonic SD-ZB2502BXC is another great option from Panasonic which we just had to shortlist, for value AND its ability to bake loaves in three different sizes.
Loaf sizes ad crusts
This Panasonic bread machine really can cater for all; bake a small loaf for yourself or an XL loaf for the family.You can even choose your favourite crusts by selecting the desired browning level.
Speciality mode
Amongst the 27 modes is the new Speciality Mode which enables you to use various grains and flours, such as Spelt flour. There's also a Rye Bread Program which can mix together the spelt and rye (for example) with the unique mixing blade, and a Gluten Free programme which allows you to bake gluten free loaves.
What to consider when buying a bread maker
Where to buy the best bread maker
Automatic functions
Look for automatic functions to make life easier. Not all models are automatic; some require the dough to be kneaded and added to the bread maker while others simply require you to add the separate ingredients while the machine does the rest.
Versatility
Do you want to be able to create different types of bread and styles of loaf? Think about how versatile you want it to be as the higher the price tag, the more features and functions the bread maker will offer.
Some designs come with pizza and pasta functions and can help prepare cakes and jams too, while others have a gluten-free setting.
Ease of use and storage
Check if the parts are dishwasher-safe and think about where you’re going to store it when not in use. If it’s going to sit on the worktop, measure up the space available and check dimensions before you buy as you want to be sure it will fit snugly without taking up too much space or hanging over the edge of the surface. If it’s going to be stashed away in a cupboard, check how high the shelf space is to ensure the machine isn’t going to be too big to fit.
Timers
Timers are another must to ensure perfect results, every time. A timer allows you to set the bread maker to start baking at a time to suit you, so you can wake up to warm crusty rolls or have a loaf waiting when you get home from work. Here’s a round up of the best buys with something for every budget.
What is the best bread maker you can buy?
The Panasonic SD-2501WXC Automatic Bread Maker is our pick of the best breadmaker. It has ten modes, a 13-hour delay timer and a fruit and nut dispenser for when things get interesting. Click to shop the now.
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