Best bread makers 2018: Quality fresh bread the easy way

Started in 2003, Trusted Reviews has become the premier online destination for buying advice. Every year, our team of expert reviewers sees thousands of products, which lets us bring you the most trustworthy guides, such as this list of the best bread makers below.

All of our reviews are independent, and we’ve tested every single product in this roundup. We may make money if you buy a bread maker by clicking one of the links – this demonstrates that we want you to be happy with your choice, so you return to us the next time you need buying advice.

best overall bread maker

Panasonic SD-ZX2522 Bread Maker

If you want the best premium bread maker, this is our overall pick. Its methodical pace ensures the best quality bread. This outstanding model can handle all types of bread with delicious results.

£251.93

View deal

We’ve tested 10 bread makers, and can recommend five of them. For the ultimate experience, the Panasonic SD-ZX2522 is the best choice. It can handle all types of bread, including more complicated recipes, turning out delicious results each time. If you’re on a tight budget, the Swan SB1041N Quickbake is a good choice for basic loaves.

How we pick the best bread makers

For bread makers, there’s one clear goal: producing excellent quality bread with minimum intervention. To see how the models stack up, we run each machine through a series of recipes, seeing how good they are for wholewheat and white loaves.

best value bread maker

Swan SB1041N Quickbake

Proof you don't have to part with big bucks to get excellent bread, the Swan SB1041N is our pick for best value bread maker. This low-cost model is a good choice for anyone not needing anything too fancy.

£49.99

View deal

We test the crust (it should be firm, but not overbaked), and the quality of the inside to ensure that the bread is cooked all the way through. Where bread makers have special functions, we also test these. These can include how they cope with loose ingredients (seeds and fruits), sponge cakes and sourdough.

We evaluate the quality of the instructions, plus ease of use too, letting us separate the quality bread makers from those not up to the job.

1. Panasonic SD-ZX2522 Breadmaker

Pros:

• Great range of programs
• Consistently excellent results
• Yeast and seed dispensers
• Quiet

Cons:

• Pricey
• No viewing window

High-end bread maker, the Panasonic SD-ZX2522, is the best choice if you want to create a variety of loaves, and even tackle bakes that are traditionally more complicated and tough.

The SD-ZX2522 certainly isn’t fast, but its methodical pace means that you get the best-quality bread. With our test white loaf, we got the best bread that we’ve seen. Switching to rye, we achieved a moist, well-cooked loaf; our only issue is that there’s no blade-removal tool, so you have to handle this by hand.

All further bakes were excellent, with a panettone, sourdough and a wholewheat olive loaf all handled perfectly. For the latter, the ingredient dispenser distributed the whole pitted olives through the finished bread.

Although a little expensive, the Panasonic SD-ZX2522 is an outstanding bread maker that can handle all types of bread, consistently outputting delicious loaves.

Buy Now: Panasonic SD-ZX2522 Breadmaker at Amazon from £251 

2. Swan SB1041N Quickbake Breadmaker

Pros:

• Affordable
• Simple to use
• Quiet

Cons:

• Some programs need manual adjustment
• Instructions aren’t very thorough
• Short cable

The Swan SB1041N Quickbake proves that bread makers don’t have to be super-expensive. If you’re on a tight budget and want something that’s easy to operate, then this is a great choice.

There’s no seed-and-fruit dispenser, so anything more complicated has to be handled manually. But if you want a bread maker that can create basic loaves quickly, the Swan SB1041N is up to the task.

Testing with a simple white loaf, the finished loaf had a golden-brown crust. Cooking was a little uneven on the outside, although the inside was consistent and strong enough not to be torn by a cold buttery knife.

We’d avoid using the fast-bake option: we found that the bread was pale on top and almost burnt on the underside; the longer cook programmes do a far better job. Provided you’re not looking for anything too fancy, the low-cost Swan SB1041N Quickbake is a good choice.

Buy Now: Swan SB1041N QuickBake Breadmaker at Amazon from £49.99 

3. Panasonic SD-ZB2502BXC

Pros:

• Bakes superb bread
• Yeast and seed dispensers
• Quiet

Cons:

• Pricey
• Slow programs
• No custom program

If you want the absolute best bread maker out there and hang the cost, the Pansonic SD-ZB2502BXC is it. This advanced machine costs over £100, but it makes outstanding bread and has all the features you need to make a wide variety of bread, doughs and jams.

A few things make it stand out. First, it has a seed and dried-fruit dispenser, plus a yeast dispenser that perfectly separates the yeast and water. Second, it comes with a rye kneading blade, so you can make 100% rye loaves as well as mixed loaves.

Finally, it comes with a comprehensive recipe book of more than 100 recipes. Sure, you can find more online, but all these recipes are tuned to work perfectly with the Panasonic bread maker. It’s a great all-round package that you’ll love to use.

Buy Now: Panasonic SD-ZB2502BXC at Amazon from £159 

4. Cuisinart CBK250U Automatic Breadmaker

Pros:

• Looks great
• Makes big loaves
• Can create your own program

Cons:

• Pricey
• Dense loaf
• Loud

If you want something a little more stylish for your kitchen then the Cuisinart CBK250U Automatic Breadmaker is a great option. Although it features a seed and dried fruit dispenser, it looks like a sleeker, more modern appliance.

It makes very good bread, too, of course – and it also makes the largest loaves of any bread maker we’ve tested. Its biggest loaf is a whopping 700g, which is a 100g more than the Panasonic can manage.

One final interesting feature no other machine has is a programmable setting. This lets you create your own recipe, setting the baking time, rest time and so forth to your own preferences. It’s a nice option if you want to fine-tune your efforts to get the perfect loaf.

Buy Now: Cuisinart CBK250U Automatic Breadmaker at Amazon from £155 / $150

5. Kenwood Bread Maker BM260

Pros:

• Nice styling touches
• Eco mode
• Affordable

Cons

• A bit loud
• No window in lid

If you’d rather not spend upwards of £100 on a bread maker, the Kenwood Bread Maker BM260 is a good compromise. It lacks extra features such as dispensers for seeds and yeast, but it isn’t short of a trick or two itself.

Our favourite feature is the supplied adjustable spoon. This makes it easy to measure out ingredients perfectly, so you don’t have to get the scales out. The breadmaker is also fan-assisted to help speed up the baking process.

We also rather like the provided recipe book, which includes some unusual recipes such as a caramelised onion loaf and even a chocolate loaf. Yum.

Buy Now: Kenwood Bread Maker BM260 at Amazon from £89 / $255

That was our choice of the best bread makers. For more information on choosing the right model, keep reading.

Bread maker buying guide

Best bread maker – What main features do I need?

It’s worth keeping an eye out for a few key features in your hunt for a breadmaker. For instance, most machines offer three loaf sizes, but some compact models offer only one or two. Your breadmaker should also have a minimum of around a dozen programs including white, brown and wholemeal loaves.

Many bread makers offer ‘fast-bake’ programs, although make sure you keep an eye out when considering these since some only have fast recipes for white loaves – not very helpful, if you only eat wholemeal bread. Also, checkout the timings of such programs, as some machines can make a large white in less than an hour, while others take longer.

Best bread maker – What about a timer?

Avoid any bread maker that doesn’t have a timer delay. These are handy for baking bread that’s ready just in time for breakfast or your return from work. Other extra perks can include a seed dispenser to drop in seeds at just the right time, a yeast dispenser and a kneading blade for loaves that use rye flour.

Best bread maker – Do I need a seed-and-nut dispenser?

A seed-and-nut dispenser is a great way to create filled bread, with the bread maker releasing the ingredients at just the right point so that they don’t sink to the bottom of the loaf. These aren’t just for seeds and nuts, either: many models can use the same dispenser for fruit, too, which is great if you want to make something different or tackle a sweet, rather than savoury, bake.

Best bread maker – What else should I look out for?

If you’re gluten-intolerant, look out for one with a special program designed for gluten-free bread mixes. More advanced models might also have dough programs for everything from pizza to ciabatta and croissant dough.

 

The post Best bread makers 2018: Quality fresh bread the easy way appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

from Trusted Reviews https://ift.tt/2lzu3Qp