Bread Maker
A practical bread maker for fresh home-baked bread with minimal effort.
Are Bread Makers Worth It? (Honest Answer)
Bread makers were a craze, then fell out of fashion, and are popular again. So are they actually worth it? Here's an honest look at the pros and cons so you can decide.
The case for
A bread maker gives you fresh, additive-free bread whenever you want it, often cheaper than a comparable bakery or premium shop loaf once you factor in the flour and a little electricity. It does all the work - mixing, kneading, proving and baking - and a delay timer means a warm loaf for breakfast. You also control exactly what goes in, which suits anyone avoiding additives or managing a special diet.
The case against
A bread maker takes up cupboard space, and home loaves stale faster than shop bread because they have no preservatives, so you need to bake regularly to make it worthwhile. The kneading paddle leaves a small hole in the loaf, the classic 'brick' shape isn't to everyone's taste, and each loaf takes a few hours (mostly hands-off). People who bake once and forget about it are the ones who end up storing it in a cupboard.
Who should buy one
Bread makers suit households that eat bread regularly, anyone wanting additive-free or special-diet bread (especially gluten-free), and people who like the smell and quality of fresh bread for less. If you rarely eat bread or have no spare space, you may not use it enough to justify it.
Our top picks
#1
#2 
Moulinex OW6101
A practical bread maker for fresh home-baked bread with minimal effort.
#3 
Morphy Richards Fastbake
A practical bread maker (1.5lb loaf, 12 programmes) for fresh home-baked bread with minimal effort.
#4 
Moulinex Bread Maker
A practical bread maker for fresh home-baked bread with minimal effort.
#5 
Panasonic
A practical bread maker (30 programmes, gluten-free) for fresh home-baked bread with minimal effort.
#6 
Panasonic
A practical bread maker (21 programmes, gluten-free) for fresh home-baked bread with minimal effort.
Frequently asked questions
Why did bread makers become less popular?
The novelty wore off for casual users who didn't bake often enough, and the paddle-hole loaf shape put some off. For regular bread eaters they remain genuinely worthwhile, which is why they've had a resurgence.
Is home-made bread cheaper?
Usually yes - flour, yeast and a little electricity often cost less per loaf than premium or bakery bread, and you control the ingredients. The machine pays for itself if you bake regularly.
Bottom line
Our top pick is the Bread Maker (our score 9.6/10) - A practical bread maker for fresh home-baked bread with minimal effort..