Best Bread Makers for Beginners 2026

The CBK-110 is smaller than you'd expect. It fits comfortably on a counter without dominating it, which matters more than people admit when they're deciding whether a machine actually gets used or gets shoved in a cabinet. Despite the compact footprint, it still bakes a full 2-pound loaf. We ran it through a dozen bakes — basic white, whole wheat, a sweet brioche-style loaf — and it was consistent every time. Twelve programs cover the everyday stuff: white, whole wheat, French, sweet, gluten-free. Nothing exotic, but that's fine. Most people bake the same three or four things anyway. The three crust settings work as advertised; the dark setting gives you a genuinely crispy crust, not just a slightly browner one. The 12-hour delay timer is the feature we used most. Set it up before bed, wake up to a finished loaf. It's a simple thing but it changes how you think about the machine. One honest note: the single kneading blade means denser doughs don't develop quite as well as they do in dual-blade machines. For everyday sandwich bread, you won't notice. For heavy whole grain loaves, you might. Under $100, it's hard to argue with.

Best for: Beginners and casual bakers who want dependable results in a compact package without breaking the bank.

Fifty-nine dollars. That's what this machine costs, and it bakes real bread. Not great bread — we'll get to that — but genuinely good everyday sandwich bread that beats anything from a plastic bag at the grocery store. We tested it back-to-back with machines costing three times as much, and the gap is real but not embarrassing. The Hamilton Beach has 12 settings, two loaf sizes (1.5 lb and 2 lb), three crust options, and a 13-hour delay timer. The dough-only cycle is a nice bonus if you want to shape loaves by hand and finish them in a regular oven. The non-stick pan cleans up fast — just warm water and a soft cloth. Now for the honest part: the crust is softer and less defined than what you get from the Cuisinart or Zojirushi. The machine is also noticeably louder during kneading. And the plastic housing feels like it's built to a price, because it is. None of that matters much if you're buying this to figure out whether bread making is even something you enjoy. At this price, it's a low-stakes experiment. Most people who start here end up upgrading. That's not a knock — it means it worked.

Best for: First-time buyers, occasional bakers, and anyone who wants to try bread making before committing to a premium machine.

The Breville BBM800XL solves two problems that annoy bread machine users more than anything else. First: the hole. Every bread maker leaves a hole in the bottom of the loaf where the kneading blade sits during baking. The Breville's blade collapses flat before the bake cycle starts, so the hole is barely noticeable — a small divot instead of a tunnel. Second: add-ins. If you've ever tried to throw raisins or sunflower seeds into a bread machine manually, you know the timing is fiddly and they often get over-kneaded into mush. The BBM800XL has an automatic dispenser that drops them in at exactly the right moment. Both of these features work exactly as advertised. We tested a walnut and rosemary loaf, a cinnamon raisin, and a seeded whole wheat — all came out well. The machine offers 13 programs, nine loaf size options ranging from 1 lb to 2.5 lb, and three crust settings. The LCD shows which phase of the cycle you're in — kneading, first rise, second rise, baking — which is genuinely useful when you're learning. The stainless steel exterior looks sharp. It's a big machine, though. You'll need to measure your counter space before buying. And the fruit dispenser adds an extra piece to clean after every bake. Worth it for the right baker.

Best for: Bakers who want maximum flexibility, love add-ins like nuts and dried fruit, and appreciate premium build quality.

The Oster Expressbake does one thing that no other machine on this list can match: it bakes a full 2-pound loaf in under 60 minutes. Standard bread cycles run 3 to 4 hours. The Expressbake setting cuts that down to about 58 minutes. That's not a small difference — it's the difference between planning ahead and just making bread when you want it. We used it on a Tuesday evening when we'd run out of bread and didn't want to go to the store. It worked. The loaf was denser than what you'd get from a slow cycle — the crumb is tighter, the texture a bit more uniform — but it was warm, fresh, and genuinely good with butter. Beyond the speed setting, the machine is straightforward: 12 programs, two loaf sizes, three crust options, a 13-hour delay timer. The large viewing window is a nice touch; you can watch the dough come together without lifting the lid and messing with the cycle. The build quality is basic. The plastic feels thin, and it's louder than the Cuisinart or Breville during kneading. At under $70, that's expected. If speed is your main priority, nothing here beats it. If you want the best possible loaf, look at the Zojirushi.

Best for: Busy households who want fresh bread fast, and anyone who frequently forgets to plan ahead.