Bread Maker Battle: Cuisinart vs. Zojirushi vs. Hamilton Beach vs. Breville?
- A bread maker can save you a lot of money—not only because the ingredients cost far less than store-bought stuff, but because programs like the quick bake setting let you make a loaf of bread in under 60 minutes. They're also great for your health -- if you're familiar with the ingredient list on processed bread. We're big fans of homemade bread and know exactly what to look for - which features to skip and which are definitely worth the investment. We considered many factors, from size and aesthetic appeal to functional range and ease of use. We focused primarily on the bread-making capabilities of each machine, but also considered its ability to produce other items such as pasta, pizza dough, and cakes. result? Several excellent bread machines are really worth your dough.Bread Maker Battle: Cuisinart vs. Zojirushi vs. Hamilton Beach vs. Breville?
Best Bread Machines for Home Bakers
This handy appliance for making easy homemade bread has staged a serious comeback. Here are the best bread machines for home bakers.
#1. Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker
Price: $299.99 | Buy now from Amazon
Want a perfect loaf every time, you can't beat Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus.
Whether you choose a classic white or a hearty whole wheat, it delivers a rounded top, a crisp but not hard crust, and a soft crumb.
The Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus bread maker doesn't offer a variety of sizes, but with its dual kneading blades, it does make 2-pound loaves. There are 15 preset options, including European bread, or even cake or jam.
The Virtuoso Plus is the best bread machine for advanced bakers because it has a setting for making sourdough starter and another setting that allows you to program it in your own recipes.
Plus, you can choose from 3 shell colors. The machine will beep to remind you when it's the perfect time to add cranberries or walnuts.
The bright LCD display is easy to program and, unlike the displays on other bread machines, tells you when the bread will be done, not how much time is left. This means you don't have to do the math in your head and see exactly when your couscous is ready to be buttered.
We made a classic white bread. The texture is excellent and our bread rises well and has a bakery style crust.
It tops the list due to the quality of the bread we make in our Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus bread maker. It's an excellent machine that will last for years and is an absolute go-to for bread lovers.
#2. Cuisinart CBK-200 Convection Bread Maker
Price: $107.99 | Buy now from Amazon
The Cuisinart CBK-200 Convection Bread Maker is a large but powerful bread maker.
It has 16 settings. All the basic programs you'd expect are included, such as white, whole-wheat and gluten-free as well as quick settings. However, there are also several specialty options such as French/Italian, low-carb, pizza dough, artisan dough, and sweetbread.
It also offers 3 bread size options, 1 lb, 1.5 lb or 2 lb, and 3 crust color options, giving you extensive customization.
This bread maker features a unique convection design, which Cuisinart claims will circulate air for superior crust color and texture. It does not disappoint and produces bread with good leaven, shape and thick crust.
If you choose, it even reminds you when to "mix" fruit and nuts, or when you can take the dough out and shape yourself.
It's on the noisy side, but it's the sweet spot for those who want to bake a variety of breads.
#3. Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker
Price: $300.99 | Buy now from Amazon
This bread maker is the best. It comes with an extra-thick handbook stuffed with amazing unique recipes, from crusty olives and roasted garlic bread to honey whole-wheat cinnamon raisins.
It even comes with a recipe for rich sourdough bread! The bright LCD display is easy to read and even novice bakers can make fresh bread quickly.
The Breville can make up to 2 1/2 pounds of bread, but it has a more compact surface area than some of the other smaller-capacity models we've tested.
The sleek chrome body is beautiful and can be placed permanently on your counter. This machine passed every test we gave it and produced loaf after loaf of artisan loaf that rivaled any handmade loaf.
#4. Hamilton Beach 2 lb Digital Bread Maker
Price: $49.99 | Buy now from Amazon
A high-end bread maker can cost hundreds of dollars, and if you're only baking bread once on a blue moon, you probably don't want to empty your wallet. Luckily, there's the popular Hamilton Beach Digital Bread Maker, which you can call your own for less than $80.
It has 12 programmed settings, including a window where you can watch the bread bake. Plus, you don't have to worry about taking the loaf out of the machine right away, as it will stay warm for an hour.
This automatic bread maker device allows you to bake 1.5 or 2 lbs of bread and it has settings for white, baguette, quick, whole wheat and sweet bread, gluten free settings and extras like jams and cakes.
If you are in a hurry, you can also use the express program, which can be done in about an hour. The large digital display includes a delay timer, and you can choose from three housing settings to suit your preference.
This bread maker has a non-stick, dishwasher-safe internal pan for easy cleaning, and if you want to add nuts or fruit to your creations, the baking process will sound an audible reminder when to do so.
The Hamilton Beach Digital Bread Maker delivers impressive results, especially considering its affordable price. Many people have noticed that it is easy to use and works well on all types of bread.
The only downside is that the toaster is a bit loud.
Bread Maker: Cuisinart vs. Zojirushi vs. Hamilton Beach vs. Breville
Zojirushi | Cuisinart | Breville | Hamilton Beach | |
Editor's review | Best overall | Best for Unique Shapes | Best for quick and easy | Best budget |
Advantage | Double kneading blade Excellent shell texture custom bread mode 15 included settings Good add-on distribution | Settings for any type of bread Made amazing dessert bread Easy-to-use display | Consistent noodles Quick Compartments store equipment | Traditional build gives authentic experience Wooden handle for easy gripping Additional attachments available |
Disadvantage | No nut dispenser Only one loaf size | Bulky design Some breads are hard to remove | Can be challenging for beginners | Dough can get stuck if not used properly |
Details | Loaf Size: 2 pounds Size: 10.5 x 18 x 12.8 inches Settings: 15 | Loaf Sizes: 1, 1, 1 ½, 2 pounds Size: 10.25 x 13.25 x 11.25 inches Settings: 12 | Made of alloy steel and plastic; 12 x 15.94 x 13.38 inches; 14.7 pounds | Made of alloy steel and plastic; 12 x 15.94 x 13.38 inches; 14.7 pounds |
Ranking | No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 |
Final thoughts
We tested 10 bread machines, ranging in price from $70 to $350, and baked dozens of loaves of white, wheat, and gluten-free bread. We evaluated these breads for taste, texture, and shape, as well as rise and crumb uniformity, and crust crispness and color. We've come up with two clear winners: The Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Bread Maker delivers the airiest, tastiest, and prettiest white, wheat, and gluten-free bread to date. Unlike all the other models, it makes a familiar horizontal shape of bread. Zojirushi is also customizable, giving experienced bakers the ability to program their own settings. The Cuisinart CBK-110 Compact Automatic Bread Maker won't let a novice baker on a budget or someone with limited counter space go wrong. The result is an airy and tall loaf with a smooth dome on top and even a crumb and crust. Its compact footprint makes it suitable for small kitchens and is the smallest and lightest bread maker we've tested.
As such, one of the best bread maker brands, Zojirushi, (affectionately referred to as "Zo" by many fans of the brand) produces quality bread machines in a variety of styles, such as tall and baguettes, including a plethora of options and add-ons Features make bread making more fun. Some of its models feature an innovative design with heat sources built into the top and bottom of the bread maker for more even toasting. Zojirushi bread makers tend to be at the higher end of the price range. The second option is the Cuisinart, which has two bread machines, including a compact bread machine that helps save storage space and a convection-heated bread machine that can make loaves up to 2 pounds. Both have tons of pre-programmed settings to work with, longer warranties than other brands, and their prices are in the mid-range.
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