Five machines from a $75 starter to the Zojirushi we run in our own kitchen, compared for whole-grain, heritage, and gluten-free loaves. Pick the one that matches how you actually bake.
A bread machine is the honest answer to weekday bread. A Dutch oven still bakes the better artisan crust, but the machine kneads, proofs, and bakes unattended, turns out consistent whole-grain sandwich loaves, and its dough cycle preps pizza and rolls while you do something else. We run one most weeks in our own kitchen.
We picked these five because they cover every realistic budget and use case for the flours we cover, from supermarket bread flour to einkorn, spelt, and gluten-free blends. No 30-deep "best of" list. Five machines, each best for a clearly defined buyer.
The right answer to "am I a bread machine person?" before spending real money. Nineteen presets including a genuine gluten-free cycle, three loaf sizes, and a 4.5-star average across more than eight thousand reviews. The pan and paddle are lighter-duty than the picks above it, which is exactly what the price buys.
A step up in build for under $100: stainless body, ceramic non-stick pan, 17 programs including whole-wheat and dough-only cycles. It is the budget machine that feels least like a budget machine, and the ceramic pan releases dense whole-grain loaves more cleanly than the usual coatings.
The crowd favorite: nearly seventeen thousand reviews and Amazon's own "Overall Pick" badge. Twelve straightforward menu options, three crust shades, and the brand's usual parts availability if a paddle ever goes missing. Less programmable than the Zojirushis, but for everyday sandwich bread it simply works, year after year.
This is the machine running in our own kitchen, and the reason this page exists. Dual kneading paddles work dense whole-grain and heritage doughs properly, the horizontal pan bakes a real rectangular sandwich loaf instead of a tower, and the custom "home made" course lets you tune knead and rise times for spelt and einkorn. Expensive, and worth it: it is the appliance we would replace the same day it died.
Everything the Supreme does, plus a heater in the lid for more even browning and a dedicated gluten-free course that handles GF batters the way they need: one mix, one rise, no punch-downs. If anyone in the house eats gluten-free, the extra cost over the Supreme buys the single best GF sandwich bread a machine can make.
If you want fresh bread on weekdays without babysitting dough, yes. A machine kneads, proofs, and bakes unattended, and it is dramatically more consistent than hand-kneading for sandwich loaves. A Dutch oven still bakes a better crust for artisan boules, but the machine wins on convenience, whole-grain sandwich bread, and dough-only cycles for pizza and rolls.
The Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme is the one we run in our own kitchen: its dual paddles and customizable courses handle dense whole-grain doughs, and heritage flours like spelt and einkorn do best on its custom or whole-wheat course with slightly less water. The Virtuoso Plus adds a heater lid and a dedicated gluten-free course.
Yes, on a machine with a dedicated gluten-free course. Gluten-free batters mix and rise differently, so the GF cycle skips the punch-downs and second rise that wheat programs use. The Virtuoso Plus and the budget Elite Gourmet both include one; pair it with a proper gluten-free flour blend and a binder like psyllium.
Yes, with two adjustments. Heritage wheats have weaker gluten than modern bread flour, so use about 10 to 15 percent less water and prefer a whole-wheat or custom course with gentler kneading and a shorter rise. Expect a denser, more flavorful loaf; a 50/50 blend with bread flour is the forgiving starting point. Our bread machine recipes guide has the master loaf and the exact heritage tweaks, and our einkorn bread and spelt bread guides cover how these flours behave.
They solve different problems. The Dutch oven makes the better artisan crust because it traps steam in a scorching cast-iron chamber, which our Dutch oven bread guide explains. The bread machine makes better weekday bread because it does everything unattended. Many bakers use the machine's dough cycle, then shape and bake in the Dutch oven for the best of both.
Absolutely, and it is the best argument for owning both a machine and a grain mill. Fresh-milled whole-grain flour absorbs more water than bagged flour, so add a tablespoon or two extra and check the dough ball a few minutes into the knead. The flavor difference in a simple machine loaf is dramatic.
A bread machine is only as interesting as the flour you pour in. Start with the heritage and gluten-free flours we cover, or mill your own with one of our five grain mill picks:
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