Best Bread Machines
Bread machines are home machines which make bread. They are not too expensive and cost around the same as most other small kitchen appliance. They however are very convenient if you are looking to go on a diet and want to substitute pre made food with cooked food.
Depending on the kind of machine that you buy you can get a very simple one that will take pre kneaded dough and bake a bread out of it, or will actually accept flour itself and do everything itself. In fact the high end machines will be fully automatic and just requires that you choose which program you want to run depending on the kind of bread you would like to make. Some of them even offer custom cycles where the user can program their own individual cycle that they want.
When it comes to bread makers, it is a little different from other appliances as if you see the list of top sellers, you will find that the most expensive ones actually feature in the top three. This is a little surprising considering that the usual bestsellers are those that are the cheapest in their respective classes.
In fact there are no bread makers that sell at below the $100 price in the top 5 bestsellers at all. The reason for this could be that the variation in price is not as huge as in other appliances. For example the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive ones is only $200, and while this may be quite a bit of money for something to just make bread, most of the good ones are all around the $150 average.
As mentioned earlier, there is really not much point in you getting a machine and then having to do half the work beforehand, when you can get one that does everything. This seems to be the predominant opinion among all users.
In the interests of categorization however we have divided bread makers into three based on their price. We have reviewed the top selling machines in each category below.
Budget (Under $75) Bread Machines
The low end machines are those that are below $75 in price. At this price you will only get the most basic of machines as the starting price itself is usually around $50. There are not too many options in this price range but if you look around for some time there is always the chance that you will get a good deal.
The only problem with these machines is that they are very basic. You will have to knead the dough before you put it in. Some of them do not even have different options for different breads. They are only meant for those who are basically looking for a machine that will work as a combination oven and kneader. This removes the hassle of you kneading the dough to the required consistency saving you labor if not anything else.
The top selling models are given below.
1. Sunbeam 5891 2 lb breadmaker
This model is actually a fully automatic one that costs around $100, but if you go here you can get it for just $55 which makes it a very good buy which is probably the reason why this model is the top seller in any category. It is a fully automatic model and does everything that you want of a bread maker, and it is also the largest size that you can get at $2 lbs. There is nothing lacking at all, and if there is anything that you hold against the Sunbeam name, the price tag is a very serious counterweight that pulls most people towards it.
The only negative is that this model does not make the traditional shape to the bread, making it slightly tall instead of long as you would like your bread.
2. Breadman TR875 2 lb bread maker
This is the second most selling model in this price tag. Once again it is a fully automatic model that usually costs around the $130 mark. You can however get it at just $99 here which makes it quite a good deal. Once again this is a fully automatic model and does everything, and the only negative is that it is not the right shape for a bread maker. The bread tends to come out in a sort of cylindrical shape and although there is nothing wrong with the way it has been cooked this is the only thing that you can say against it.
3. West Bend 41300 high rise dual blade bread maker
Just like the previous two models this model too is an automatic one and is an expensive one in most stores. You can however get it at around $81 which makes it quite cheap. The Breadman is chosen over this because you get a larger capacity for just $20 more. Even this price is a very discounted one and is available only here. As a bread maker it is pretty efficient and there is nothing wrong with it at all, but this too suffers from the same problem of the previous two of giving you bread in the wrong shape.
Economy ($75 – $150) Bread Machines
The mid range machines are the ones that are the most sold when it comes to bread machines. This is because they give you a fully automatic machine in the right shape and with all the features that you are looking for. The single and dual paddle design does not really count as a difference as it is finally the quality of the bread that matters. There are a number of single paddle designs that give you better bread that a dual paddle one so this should not be a criteria.
The baking cycles do count, especially for those who will tend to use it more often. This is because if you are having bread everyday, you may want to try out different mixes in them and having a machine that will accommodate them is a big difference. The user defined cycle is useful only for those who are really going to play around with the settings to get bread to their liking. Most of us though tend to go with the pre configured settings simply because they are good enough for most of us.
1. Breadman TR2700 stainless steel bread maker
Breadman makes good quality bread makers and it shows in the number of their models that appear in the top three in all categories. This category is also not different and the top selling two models are from breadman. This model is very similar to their low end category when it comes to features except that it has a stainless steel outer casing. This means that cleaning it is not as difficult as if it were just painted.
This model too gives you differently shaped bread although you get a better multi-functional display with more settings. It is a very efficient bread maker and it only costs around $105 which makes it a very good option, especially to those who are looking at one in the lower end. Make sure to go here for this price as most in store prices are around $180.
This unit is basically the same as the 2700 in most things. It even has very similar functionality, but looks different. This model too comes in stainless steel and a 2 lb capacity. This one though costs $15 more at $120 and the reason for this price hike is that it has an automatic fruit and nut dispenser. As long as you are only interested in making plain bread this does not make any difference to you, but if you have children at home and want to add some variety in the food then the extra $15 is well worth it. Everything else is pretty much the same. Once again the rate is a discounted one and is available only here.
3. T Fal Emerilware 3 lb bread maker
Emerilware is not that big a name when it comes to kitchen appliances, but then their bread makers make a very good statement for themselves. They are the only one that offers a 3 lb bread maker and for those who have little children this makes a very good choice. Any qualms as to reliability is easily set aside when you think of the advantages inherent in getting a larger bread maker. At only $150 it is also not that expensive too. Of course it does not give you as many features as does the others and the controls are pretty simple, but then it makes a pretty large bread which counter-weighs a lot on the negatives.
Top End Bread Makers – Over $150
The top end bread makers are those that cost more than $150 and are in fact the most popular. If you take the list of bestsellers across price ranges you will find that two out of five in the top five are from this category. This is not very common in any appliance far less in kitchen appliances, but bread makers seem to be a little different. The top seller in this category is actually the second best selling generally and is also one of the most expensive too.
This is because most of us are prepared to pay more to get bread the way we want it. No one likes to eat a round slice of bread at home however tasty it is, and most times having an oddly shaped bread means that you will have more trouble slicing it. In fact even toasting a slice of bread will give you so much of a headache that you will very soon just go out and get one that gives you a conventional size. Read on to find out what the top selling models are.
This is one of the few bread makers that give you the option of making a normal bread. The shape of the bread is the same as if you purchase it outside which is probably the reason that this model is such a top seller. The controls are pretty simple although they give you everything that you will need. At $225 (after discount price here) it is also one of the most expensive on the market. It is however still the most popular by fat simply because of its ability to give you normally shaped bread.
Considering that Panasonic is the company that invented the first bread maker, it is a little surprising that it figures only one model in the top three in any category. They have also not been pushing forward with the development and still feature the same old style of bread makers. At $157 it is not too much more expensive than a mid range one but comes with the Panasonic reliability which means that the chances of it giving you any problems are next to none. Of course the trade off is that you do not get as many features as the others in this category, but then considering that it has overshot the budget cut off by just $7 it does not make any difference.
This model featuring in the best seller list is actually very surprising because it is only a one pound model. However just as any other Zijirushi product there is nothing that can be faulted with the machine as such, except that it does not give you the elongated bread size that the previous model does. This model gives you the same shape bread as any other bread maker. At $189 and this after all discounts it is also a little high in price. In actual numbers this model does not sell anything close to what the first one does, but the very fact that it is the third best seller in this price range says a lot for the Zijirushi name and the quality of their product.
Bread makers are not something that is commonly found in most homes. It is however a fixture in all homes that have families simply because it is only when kids arrive that nutrition and health start becoming important to most people. Yet because of the pressures of modern life it is easy to see how the better quality ones are actually the ones that are more preferred than the cheaper ones because it makes life that much easier.
