Compare the Best Bread MakersJune 2018

A bread maker, as the name suggests, is a machine that allows for the easy baking of all different types of bread. Bread makers usually consist of a rectangular box, with a removable baking tin into which the ingredients are added. This is then placed into the machine, and a program controls the mixing, rising and baking of the bread. They dramatically cut down on the work required to make high-quality bread, meaning it's easier than ever to bake it in your home!

Bread makers are primarily differentiated by their capacity. The bigger the bread maker, the larger the loaves it can bake. Some smaller machines can only bake loaves around 500-600g, while larger models can bake loaves as big as 2-3kg.

Programs

Nearly all bread makers will come with some form of programs already set up on the machine. These provide easy ways to make specific different types of bread - from standard slicing loaves, to French bread, doughnuts, pizza bases, cakes and buns. Many machines also allow you to specify the crust of your loaves - you can set it to light, medium or dark depending on how well-cooked and crispy you prefer your bread.

Some bread makers will allow you to create custom programs, so you can experiment with different recipes. They may also contain extra programs for non-bread cooking - such as making risotto, soup, pasta sauce, and even jam!

Finally, if you frequently find yourself short on time, and need to bake some bread quickly, it may be worth seeking out a bread maker with a fast bake program. While it doesn't create a loaf as high-quality as the longer settings, this mode can create a full loaf of bread from scratch in under an hour - perfect if you need some quick bread for dinner, or are running to a tight schedule.

Programs

Nearly all bread makers will come with some form of programs already set up on the machine. These provide easy ways to make specific different types of bread - from standard slicing loaves, to French bread, doughnuts, pizza bases, cakes and buns. Many machines also allow you to specify the crust of your loaves - you can set it to light, medium or dark depending on how well-cooked and crispy you prefer your bread.

Some bread makers will allow you to create custom programs, so you can experiment with different recipes. They may also contain extra programs for non-bread cooking - such as making risotto, soup, pasta sauce, and even jam!

Finally, if you frequently find yourself short on time, and need to bake some bread quickly, it may be worth seeking out a bread maker with a fast bake program. While it doesn't create a loaf as high-quality as the longer settings, this mode can create a full loaf of bread from scratch in under an hour - perfect if you need some quick bread for dinner, or are running to a tight schedule.

Timers & Pre-programming

One of the large benefits of bread makers over standard hand baking is that they contain a timer for baking the bread. You can schedule the bread to be ready for exactly when you want it - the machine will automatically start baking at the correct time. This is especially useful for breakfast - simply load up the machine with ingredients before you go to sleep, set the program to finish when you wake up, and you’ll have fresh bread waiting for you at breakfast!

Fruit/Nut Hopper

Some more advanced types of bread maker contain separate hopper for additional ingredients to be added to the bread, such as dried fruit or nuts. When used in a program, these ingredients are gradually introduced to the dough during the mixing stage, allowing the nuts or fruit to be mixed consistently through the dough. With this addition, it's easy to create delicious specialty loaves such a walnut loaf, dried cranberry bread, or Greek black olive bread!

Bread Maker Prices

In total we found 39 bread makers ranging from £44 to £240. A new bread maker costs on average £108 and 80% of bread makers are priced between £50 and £199. The cheapest bread maker that we found is the Russell Hobbs 23620 at only £45, and the most expensive is the Panasonic SD-ZX2522 at £240.

Bread Maker Brands - Price Range

Flama bread makers range in price from £239 to £239, and the highest average bread maker price out of all brands is Flama bread makers with an average price of £239.

Sage bread makers start at £199 and their most expensive bread maker costs £199. The second highest average bread maker price out of all brands is Sage bread makers with an average price of £199.

The average price of Gastroback bread makers is £179 which is the third highest average price of all bread maker brands. Gastroback bread makers start at £179 and their most expensive bread maker costs £179.

Bread Maker Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 21 expert reviews and 5,857 user reviews for bread makers written online and used these reviews to calculate the average rating for each brand of bread maker.

Biggest Bread Maker Retailers

We found 29 current offers for bread makers from Amazon UK making it the biggest bread maker retailer. That is the same as the second biggest retailer, eBay for whom we found 29 current offers for bread makers. The third biggest retailer is Currys with 5 current bread maker offers.

When Are Most New Bread Makers Released?

January to March is the most common period for new bread makers to be released in. 11 new bread makers were released in March 2017 making it the biggest month that year for new bread maker releases. In 2016 most new bread makers were released in September, with seven new bread makers released that month. January was the biggest month in 2015 for new bread makers, with 15 new bread makers released that month.

How Fast Do Bread Maker Prices Drop After Release?

On average, in the first 6 months after release, bread makers drop in price by 1%. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of £2 on a typical £108 new bread maker by waiting 6 months before buying.

Maximum Bread Weights

This is the largest weight of bread that can be made in your bread maker.

Comparing all bread makers, the maximum bread weights range from 450g to 1.6kg. The maximum bread weights of most bread makers range from 900g to 1kg. The bread maker with the biggest maximum bread weight is the Sage BBM800BSS, which is a 1.3kg loaf size bread maker and is priced at £199.00. The Panasonic SD-ZX2522, which is on sale for £239.99, has the smallest maximum bread weight and is a 566g loaf size bread maker.

Auto Programs

This denotes the amount of built in programs that your bread maker will come with. These allow for the easy creation of everything from loaves and rolls to more specialist types of bread, and even non-baking foods like jam or risotto.

Comparing all bread makers, the auto programs range from 3 to 37. The auto programs of the majority of bread makers range from 11 to 15. The bread maker with the most auto program is the Panasonic SD-ZX2522, which is a 37 auto program bread maker and is available at £239.99. The bread maker with the least auto program is the Unold 68425, which is a 6 auto program bread maker and currently retails for £111.09.

Available Colours

We found 34 bread makers that are bread makers that have a White coloured, which makes White the most common colour amongst new bread makers. The second most frequently found colour amongst new bread makers is black. We found 18 bread makers that are bread makers that have a black coloured.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Bread Makers?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying bread makers. For each retailer it shows the total number of bread makers where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying bread makers. For each retailer we took all of their prices and looked at what proportion of those prices where the cheapest on the market. The cheapest retailer that we found was eBay. 15 of their bread maker prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of Bread Makers for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for bread makers by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of bread maker prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's bread maker prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 51.7% of their bread maker prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.