The Ultimate Guide to the Best Bread Machine

Freshly baked bread can be very inviting. However, seeing that you may not have the time to mix all the ingredients, knead and proof the dough, bake the bread and finally wait for it to cook you may consider buying a bread machine to help you. The best bread machine lets you make homemade bread with little or no effort at all.

Top 3 Bread Machines Comparison

There are many things to put in to consideration when buying a bread machine. It goes without saying that you want to get the best possible machine that addresses all your baking concerns adequately. To help you choose the right bread machine that fits your needs, we created a comparison for 3 top-rated bread machines on Amazon.

	Panasonic SD-YD250	Zojirushi BB-CEC20	Cuisinart CBK-100
Price Range	$130-$175	$250-$290	$100-$185
Ratings	4.3	4.3	4.1
Dimensions (inches)	14 x 13.5 x 9	18 x 12.2 x 15	12.8 x 13.6 x 18.9
Customer Reviews	1,807	585	826
Recipes	Included	Included	Included
Timer	13-hour preset	13-hour preset	13-hour preset
Where to Buy	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Amazon

What to Look for in a Bread Machine

1. Size of Loaves

You must establish the size of loaves you intend to make with your bread machine. Most machines will make loaves that range from 1 to 3 pounds and come with two or more loaf size options. Don’t forget that machine-made bread is highly perishable and hardly lasts past one or two days. It’s thus important that you eat it as soon as you can to avoid wastage.

In the same breath, there’s no need of buying a machine that makes a lot of loaves at one instance unless you have a large family. The best bread maker for a midsized family should make a 1.5 pound loaf. In addition, go for a bread machine that offers two to three loaf size options since it will work with a variety of bread-machine recipes and will let you make different-sized loaves to suit specific occasions as well.

2. Types of Bread

An ideal bread maker will let you make all kinds of bread easily. The most popular machines are programmable can come with in-built settings for popular bread types. They automatically adjust the amount of kneading and proofing as well as baking for a particular type of bread.

While there are many varieties of breads, the most popular include artisan, sweet, whole-wheat and gluten-free breads. You don’t have to follow recipes as the automatic setting comprehensively addresses the speculations that are associated with making different types of bread.

3. Bread Orientation

Traditional bread makers could only produce square or vertical breads. This in effect meant that you could differentiate between a loaf made by a bread maker and the one that’s not. However, today there are machines that can make more than the typical horizontal breads. The best bread machine makes bread that’s easier to slice and pleasing to the eye as well. As a matter of fact, there are more machines that make horizontal breads that those which produce vertical loaves.

4. Digital Timer

If you want to eat freshly baked bread once you get to the house on in the morning when you wake up, then you’re better off with a bread maker that comes with a digital timer. Most machines can be set to bake bread up to 13 hours in advance. This is a relatively common feature and most people take its full advantage. Programmable bread machines come in a variety of designs and range in prices too.

5. Convection Cooking

Virtually all bread makers are fitted with light, medium and dark crusts. If you want to have even coloring and crunchy crust, convection cooking is an incredible option. Most of the top-rated bread machines come with convection cooking settings. You don’t have to use the settings all the time, but it may come in very handy most of the time. Note that units that have the convection cooking option are a bit expensive.

6. Ingredient Dispensing

Certain types of breads require that you add some ingredients like nuts and dried fruits at some point during the baking process. The best bread machine will beep to let you know that you need to add these ingredients. Others have cubicles where you can place these ingredients before you start baking and automatically add them when time comes.

Some models have yeast dispenses that automatically adds yeast at the exact time when it’s supposed to be added. Bread makers that can dispense ingredients make the whole baking process much easier and you can be sure of high quality bread.

7. Pre-programmed Settings

Not everyone is used to making breads, and even the seasons bakers may have a hard time mixing ingredients in the correct proportions. A good bread machine can have up to 12 pre-programmed settings. They let you choose the precise selections including raisin, whole grain, white, french or any other type of bread you want to make thereby guaranteeing high quality results.

8. Crust Control

You need to check if your model of choice has the crust control feature before making a purchase. This feature ensures that your bread’s crust is not burnt and browned or neither does it end up being excessively light.

9. Additional Accessories

The ideal bread machine is the one that has a host of additional accessories that are aimed at making the bread’s cooking process a lot easier. Be on the look out for accessories such as recipe booklets, measuring spoons, bread paddles and measuring spoons as well as a kneading blade. Special pans designed to cater for different types of breads would be an incredible inclusion. Better yet, the pans would be great if they’re the non-stick type.

10. Warranty

Various models will have different warranties that have different clauses. Be sure to go through the warranty before making a purchase. This will not only help you make the best buy but you will also know what is covered in case your bread maker has some malfunctions in the future. It is needless to say the most ideal bread maker will have a warranty that is more than three years and covers a wide scope of eventualities as well.

While it’s important that you go for the unit that has the best warranty, it’s also imperative that you buy a top-rated machine. Read the bread machine reviews on some sites and on online stores such as Amazon to know whether other users have been satisfied with the unit you’re about to buy. Obviously, positive reviews mean that the bread maker is worth spending your money on.

Conclusion

A bread maker can turn out to be a very resourceful kitchen appliance. It is for this reason that you must buy the best bread machine which won’t disappoint you. You don’t have to buy an expensive one since it may not essentially translate to better performance. All you need to do is ensure your machine of choice meets the above criteria to the letter.