Top 5 compared
The best bread makers
Fresh bread without the kneading: add the ingredients, set the timer and wake up to a warm loaf.
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The top 5 at a glance
A bread maker mixes, kneads, rises and bakes in one nonstick pan, so a loaf is a matter of measuring in the ingredients and pressing Start. Most bake a loaf of 1 to 2 pounds in a few hours, with programs for whole wheat, gluten-free, dough and jam alongside the basic white; a few compact machines make a single small loaf for one or two.
Every machine here has a delay timer of 13 hours or more, so the usual trick is to load it at bedtime and wake up to a warm loaf, and some beep when it’s time to add nuts or fruit. Pans are often hand wash only, and the paddle sometimes bakes into the loaf; a removal tool or a well-timed alarm deals with that.
What matters
- A keep-warm setting, for a loaf that finishes before you’re up.
- Crust shades and a choice of loaf sizes on one machine.
- Custom or knead-only modes, for running your own recipes.
- Width against the counter, and headroom to lift the lid.
#1KITCHENARM 29-in-1 Smart Bread Machine (2 lb)
$100–$150
Twenty-nine programs cover almost any loaf, from 100% whole wheat and dark rye without added gluten to gluten-free, sourdough and keto, plus cake, jam and yogurt. It remembers your last settings, so a favorite recipe is one press of Start the next time, and up to four menus of your own can set every knead, rise and bake.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to run and say the loaves come out right time after time, rolls included, and they rate the detailed manual and recipe book.
A closer look: Start with the 77 recipes in the book, written for this machine, before adapting family favorites in a custom menu. One alarm says when to add nuts, and a later one when to pull the paddle out so it doesn’t bake into the loaf. The pan is hand wash only.
- Remembers your last settings
- Up to 4 custom menus
- 77 recipes in the book
- Add-nuts and remove-paddle alarms
- 3 crust colors
Best for: Bakers who like to experiment
- Loaf sizes
- 1, 1.5 and 2 lb
- Programs
- 29
- Gluten-free
- Yes
- Size (W x D x H)
- 8.9 x 14.2 x 12 in
- Delay timer
- 15 hours
- Power
- 550W
#2Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker (BB-PDC20)
Over $300
Zojirushi’s 2 lb machine bakes a long, rectangular loaf, with two kneading blades for a thorough knead and a second heater in the lid for even baking and browning. Its 15 courses include gluten-free, vegan, sourdough starter and a Homemade setting for your own timings.
What owners say: Owners call it dependable, and they like that it handles sourdough and other less common breads as well as the everyday loaf. Opinions split on the price, and some have had the paddles stick in the pan.
Heads up: At 18 in wide, it needs a good stretch of counter, so measure the space first.
A closer look: The 13-hour timer counts to when the loaf should be done, so set it at bedtime for bread at breakfast. If the blades stick, soak the pan in warm water for a few minutes rather than prying at them, and wash it by hand.
- Long rectangular loaf
- Two kneading blades
- Second heater in the lid
- Sourdough starter setting
- Set your own timings
Best for: Bakery-style 2 lb loaves
- Loaf sizes
- 2 lb
- Programs
- 15
- Gluten-free
- Yes
- Size (W x D x H)
- 18 x 10.5 x 12.9 in
- Delay timer
- 13 hours
- Power
- 700W
#3OSIPOTO 17-in-1 Bread Maker (2 lb, BM8205)
$75–$100
A 2 lb machine with 17 programs, from basic white and whole wheat to gluten-free, cake, jam and yogurt, with three loaf sizes and three crust shades. OSIPOTO puts it at about 50 decibels, quiet enough to run through the night on the 15-hour timer.
What owners say: Owners like how quietly it works and how easily the nonstick pan wipes clean, and some use it for pizza dough as well as bread. The manual divides opinion: simple for some, hard going for others.
A closer look: A basic 2 lb loaf takes about 3 hours 45 minutes, so count back from when you want to eat. If it pauses partway through a long run of loaves, that’s the overheat protection: give it 20 to 30 minutes to cool and it picks up again.
- Runs at about 50 dB
- 3 crust shades
- Overheat protection
- Nonstick pan
Best for: Quiet overnight bakes
- Loaf sizes
- 1, 1.5 and 2 lb
- Programs
- 17
- Gluten-free
- Yes
- Size (W x D x H)
- 11.4 x 13.8 x 10 in
- Delay timer
- 15 hours
- Power
- 600W
#4Zojirushi Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker (BB-HAC10, 1 lb)
$200–$300
Made for one or two people: a slim machine, 8.5 in wide, that bakes a single 1 lb loaf, small enough to finish while it’s fresh. Settings for cake, jam, cookie and pasta dough and quick breads go beyond the daily loaf, and a carrying handle makes it easy to put away.
What owners say: Owners in small households say the one-pound loaf is just the right size, and they find it quiet and easy to clean. Many get years from it, though a few found the pan’s coating wore out after about 100 loaves.
A closer look: There’s no gluten-free setting, so it’s one for wheat breads, cakes and jam. Use the included recipes, sized for its 1 lb pan, rather than halving a 2 lb recipe, and slice and freeze what won’t be eaten in a couple of days for toast later in the week.
- Carrying handle
- Cookie and pasta dough settings
- Nonstick blade and pan
- Recipes sized for its pan
Best for: Small loaves eaten while fresh
- Loaf sizes
- 1 lb
- Programs
- 9
- Gluten-free
- No
- Size (W x D x H)
- 8.5 x 11.3 x 12.3 in
- Delay timer
- 13 hours
- Power
- 450W
#5Briskind 19-in-1 Compact Bread Maker (1.5 lb, BM8605)
$75–$100
A compact 1.5 lb machine with a carrying handle, sized for two or three people, with 19 settings that include gluten-free, sourdough starter, low carb, yogurt and jam, plus knead-, rise- and bake-only modes for running your own recipe step by step.
What owners say: Good loaves come out of it reliably, owners say, and the recipes in the booklet work as written; a few found it didn’t last as long as they’d hoped.
A closer look: Bake from the booklet’s recipes, written for its 1 and 1.5 lb sizes, rather than scaling down 2 lb ones. It beeps when it’s time to add fruit and nuts, and if the paddle stays in the loaf, the removal tool in the box lifts it out cleanly.
- Knead, rise and bake-only modes
- Spare paddle and removal tool
- Fruit and nut reminder beep
- Carrying handle
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Couples and small families
- Loaf sizes
- 1 and 1.5 lb
- Programs
- 19
- Gluten-free
- Yes
- Size (W x D x H)
- 9 x 12 x 10.5 in
- Delay timer
- 15 hours
- Power
- 500W
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1KITCHENARM 29-in-1 | #2Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus | #3OSIPOTO 17-in-1 | #4Zojirushi Mini | #5Briskind 19-in-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| Price | $100–$150 | Over $300 | $75–$100 | $200–$300 | $75–$100 |
| Loaf sizes | 1, 1.5 and 2 lb | 2 lb | 1, 1.5 and 2 lb | 1 lb | 1 and 1.5 lb |
| Programs | 29 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 19 |
| Gluten-free | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Size (W x D x H) | 8.9 x 14.2 x 12 in | 18 x 10.5 x 12.9 in | 11.4 x 13.8 x 10 in | 8.5 x 11.3 x 12.3 in | 9 x 12 x 10.5 in |
| Delay timer | 15 hours | 13 hours | 15 hours | 13 hours | 15 hours |
| Power | 550W | 700W | 600W | 450W | 500W |
| Best for | Bakers who like to experiment | Bakery-style 2 lb loaves | Quiet overnight bakes | Small loaves eaten while fresh | Couples and small families |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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