After Baking 30 Loaves of Bread, These Are the 4 Best Bread Makers

• Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Bread maker: This was a top performer in our tests, producing bread that tastes like it's straight out of the bakery. It would have been our best overall pick, so I was disappointed to find out after testing that it's on backorder or out of stock on most websites. We checked Zojirushi’s website, which previously noted that limited stock was released every Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. At the time of writing, however, the product appears to be back in stock. If you’re willing to wait, this is an excellent machine
  
• Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker: This is one of the most compact machines we tested, taking up very little counter space. In testing, it produced good bread, but the Zojirushi Home Bakery Maestro outperformed it with slightly better results, and is only a bit larger. The Hamilton Beach model is similar in size and performance, and less expensive. However, if you prefer the look of this all-stainless steel machine over the others, it's still a good choice for a compact bread maker.
• Breville The Custom Loaf: Most Breville appliances I've tested are excellent in terms of performance and ease of use, so I was surprised that this one didn't perform as well as some of the other bread machines. However, it is one of the few bread makers that can bake a 2.5-pound loaf; most have a maximum 2-pound loaf size. Like most Breville appliances, the interface is very easy to use. It even has a light for the viewing window.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliance and Innovation Lab tests hundreds of appliances a year, evaluating each based on its performance and ease of use. In our latest roundup, we tested seven of the most popular and newest bread machines.

✔️ Bread size: Think about your ideal loaf size. Standard bread machine loaf sizes are 1 pound, 1.5 pounds, 2 pounds, or 2.5 pounds. If you primarily bake small loaves, choose a machine with a smaller pan for optimal results. Larger pans don't always handle smaller recipes well, and I found during testing that they often come out misshapen because there's not enough dough to fill the pan. However, the shape didn't have a significant effect on the taste or texture, and most machines beep to allow you to remove the paddle and reshape the dough mid-cycle for an evenly shaped loaf.

✔️ Horizontal vs. vertical loaf shape: Bread machines produce either horizontal or vertical loaves. Horizontal loaves resemble the traditional bread you buy at the store. The pans for vertical loaves are taller than they are wide, which can make slicing more challenging unless you turn the bread sideways. The advantage of vertical loaves is that the machines are more compact and can save counter space.

✔️ Settings: Most bread machines come with settings for different types of bread, such as white, whole wheat, or sweet loaves, and some offer additional special cycles for various doughs or even jam. They also offer the option of crust color, with most options available in light, medium, or dark. Many models include a delay timer, allowing you to add ingredients in advance and have fresh bread ready when you're ready. Extra features are convenient, but keep in mind they often come with a higher price tag.

✔️ Automatic add-in feature: Some machines have a dispenser that automatically adds mix-ins like nuts or dried fruit at the right time, which is great if you want to set it and forget it. One thing to note is that the amount the add-in compartment could hold looked sparse in some of the larger loaves. If you prefer a lot of extras in your bread, you may need to add more manually during the cycle. If the bread maker doesn't have an automatic add-in feature, the machine beeps to signal when to add extra ingredients, but a few times I missed the alert when stepping away and ended up with plain bread. Setting a phone alarm can help, but it's also an extra step.

✔️ Cleaning: Bread makers are convenient, but every model I tested required hand washing the pan and paddle. Since soaking can lead to corrosion, manufacturers recommend washing and drying the pan soon after use. You'll want to consider the quick cleanup required after baking to keep your machine in good shape.

✔️ Order of layering and ingredients: The recipe booklets included with each machine specify the exact order for adding ingredients, and it is best to follow the instructions for optimal results. This is especially important with a delayed start, so the yeast doesn't weaken or activate too soon. I also found that spreading ingredients evenly in the pan, rather than dumping them in the center, helped produce a uniformly shaped loaf. Most of the recipes call for bread flour, which in my testing produced the light, fluffy texture you'd expect. The recipes with all-purpose flour worked, but the bread was much denser, so bread flour is the better choice when available.

Bread makers are convenient because you can simply add the ingredients, press a button, and a few hours later enjoy freshly baked bread. They’re especially worthwhile if your household goes through a lot of bread and you’re tired of spending money on store-bought loaves. Additionally, nothing beats the flavor and aroma of bread fresh from your own kitchen compared to loaves that have been sitting on store shelves for a long time.

Another advantage of baking bread at home is having complete control over the ingredients, which is especially useful for accommodating food allergies or specific dietary needs. Many bread makers even offer specialized settings, such as vegan or low-carb options. Additionally, you can get creative by adding your own mix-ins, such as dried fruit, nuts, seeds, or herbs, to make each loaf unique.

However, if you only bake bread occasionally, the cost and counter space required for a dedicated appliance may not be worth it.

Almost all the bread makers I tested include a gluten-free setting, and as someone who has been cooking and baking gluten-free for over 15 years, I was especially excited to give it a try. However, after testing two gluten-free bread recipes in the machines, I can't in good conscience recommend a bread maker for gluten-free loaves without experimenting with more recipes, and here's why.

If you frequently bake gluten-free, you already know it's trickier than baking with wheat flour. Gluten-free flour blends vary widely, from almond and rice flour to potato starch and more, so a simple 1-to-1 swap doesn't always work. This makes the specific recipe especially important. I found that the same applies to bread makers—just because a machine has a gluten-free setting doesn't mean the bread will turn out well; the recipe makes a bigger difference than the machine.

I tried one gluten-free bread recipe from a machine's booklet, which turned out dense and bitter. A different recipe I used produced a lighter bread, but it was dry, crumbly, and eggy. I also tested these recipes with King Arthur’s gluten-free bread flour, which I’ve had success with at home to produce great bread (though I have yet to find something that beats Caputo gluten-free flour, but it's pricey). I find that both of these gluten-free flour blends generally yield better bread results, regardless of the recipe; however, the recipe still matters a great deal, as it isn't fail-proof.

That said, you can likely achieve a good gluten-free loaf in a bread maker if you're willing to experiment. In that case, I recommend choosing a model that offers both gluten-free and customizable settings, allowing you to tailor the entire process to your own recipes. I recommend the Cuisinart Custom Convection, Zojirushi Home Bakery Maestro, or Panasonic Automatic, which have customizable settings for the best chance of success.

This article was most recently updated by Jamie Ueda, who has been a home baker for almost her whole life and an avid gluten-free enthusiast for over 15 years. She helped develop the testing methodology for this story, including choosing bread recipes to test and criteria for performance and ease of use. She is a consumer products expert with nearly two decades of experience in product testing, development, and manufacturing. She has tested products and written numerous reviews across various baking categories, including stand mixers, hand mixers, cake decorating tools, and many other kitchen products.

Nicole Papantoniou runs the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she oversees all content and testing related to cooking and baking products. She has been testing and developing cooking tools, gadgets, gear and appliances since 2014. She has tested the full gamut of baking-related kitchen gear, such as bread makers, waffle makers, and bakeware sets.