Unlike bread machines developed many years ago, today’s machines have many features and settings that didn’t once exist. Modern bread makers don’t just make plain white bread anymore. They are versatile and reliable. Even better, they don’t have to be incredibly expensive for the features offered.

What was once a time-consuming task is now actually fun. The added benefit to bread-making machines is the consistency with which they product bread. You don’t have to worry about how things will turn out batch to batch and can enjoyably predict a consistent product. The aroma of bread filling a house is a delicious, welcome added bonus as you get to sit back, relax and let the machine do the work for you.

So which bread makers are the best? We’ve got our favorites and we want to share them with you today.

Hamilton Beach Programmable Bread Machine

With 12-settings that can handle French Bread, quick bread (no yeast), sweet bread, dough, jam, cake, whole grain, gluten-free, plus an audible reminder for adding fruits and nuts this bread maker offers everything you could want. Besides making incredible bread, it can also make pizza dough, cakes, jams, flatbreads, and croissants. This truly is a universal tool for your kitchen.

You can choose a light, medium or dark crust setting and all of this can be scheduled in advance with a  timer so you can make sure when your bread is ready at the exact moment you want it.

Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker

Unlike other bread makers, this bread machine has settings for three different loaf sizes, up to a large sized 2 1/2 pound loaf. There are settings for white bread, whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, French bread, and quick breads and cakes. A beep lets you know when it is the proper time to add raisins, seeds, nuts, or other add-ins.

A rapid bake setting produces a loaf quickly, and a no-bake feature lets you use the machine for kneading only, so you can form and bake bread or buns and then bake them in your oven instead.

This machine has a yeast dispenser, so the yeast is added at exactly the right time, and there’s a timer so you can delay the baking time up to 13 hours to fit your specific needed schedule. 

There’s no window in this machine so you can’t see the loaf in progress, but this reflects heat inside the unit for more even baking. 

Breadman Professional Bread Maker

This bread maker truly does it all. It has 14 baking functions: white, white rapid, whole wheat, whole wheat rapid, French, French rapid, sweet bread, quick bread, low-carb, gluten-free, dough, artisan dough, jam, and bake only.

You can set the crust for light, medium, or dark, and it makes loaves in 1 pound, 1 ½ pound and 2-pound sizes. The timer is a bit longer on this model, allowing for up to a 15-hour delayed start option. There is a 1-hour keep warm option.

A top window lets you check the process without lifting the lid. 

The machine has collapsible kneading paddles, so you won’t have big holes in the finished loaf, and it makes it easier to remove the loaf from the pan. A fruit and nut dispenser lets you add ingredients towards the end of the kneading process.

Cuisinart Convection Bread Machine

Convection cooking provides even baking in this breadmaker. You can choose to make 1 pound, 1 ½ pound, or 2-pound loaves. An audible tone alerts you so you can add mix-ins at exactly the right time, and another tone lets you remove the finished dough to shape it by hand for the final bake with the paddles removed.

The controls are easy to use, with a 16-item menu that automatically adjusts the kneading, rising, and baking times to perfectly bake a variety of breads, doughs and more. You can choose from pizza dough to sweetbreads to cakes to jams, and you can choose a light, medium or dark crust for your loaf. 

With a sleek brushed stainless steel surface, and embossed logo this is a bread maker you wouldn’t mind leaving on your kitchen counter. The built-in window lets you peek at the bread during the process and LED indicators on the unit update you on its progress. 

Zojirushi Mini Bread Maker

This bread maker is perfect for couples, or small families who don’t want large loaves of bread. The body of this maker is slim and fits in smaller spaces. It makes a simple 1-pound loaf, yet it still has features you look for in a quality machine.

The maker features a viewing window so you can check the loaf and an easy-to-read LCD control panel with a programmable timer that can pre-schedule baking for up to 13 hours in advance.

The maker has different settings, allowing for basic bread, soft bread, French bread, bread dough, cookie/pasta dough, cake, jam, and quick baking. The crust can be set for regular or light, and the quick baking setting produces a loaf of bread in less than two hours.

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