Breadmaker reviews: FAQs
Rapid-bake settings can bake a white loaf in an hour
Do I need to pay more than £100 for a breadmaker?
The breadmakers that really outshine the rest in our tests generally cost more than £100.
But we do have Best Buy breadmakers starting from around £75.
The most reliable brands, and those which bake the best bread, will cost more than £100, so if you’re serious about baking bread then a decent, reliable breadmaker is a good investment.
Keep an eye out for promotions and online deals for breadmakers, because it’s possible to find the best breadmakers on sale, or with money off that could bring the recommended retail price down.
If you’re new to breadmaking, and want to try it out before shelling out a lot of dough for a top-of-the-range breadmaker, it’s possible to buy a breadmaker for much less, but the results won’t be as good as a Best Buy breadmaker.
How long does it take to bake a loaf in a breadmaker?
It takes between three and four hours to bake a large white loaf on a breadmaker's standard program. Wholemeal bread takes longer, with most machines baking a loaf in around four hours.
The quickest rapid-bake program will give you a loaf in less than an hour, but the results aren't always good. In our experience, the longer the 'rapid' bake setting, the better.
What are the energy costs for running a breadmaker?
Making bread in a breadmaker doesn't cost a lot, as these appliances don't use much energy.
Using the standard program to make a white loaf costs, on average, five pence and uses around 0.339 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. To put this into perspective, boiling one litre of water in an average kettle uses 0.114 kWh.
During our breadmaker tests, we've found that there's a maximum difference of around three or four pence per use between the best and worst machines on test.
Use this summary of breadmaker energy costs and consumption to find out more about how much your breadmaking is costing you:
White bread – standard program
Average cost: 5p
Average energy consumption: 0.339 kWh per loaf
Average cycle time: 3 hours 16 minutes
Wholemeal bread – standard program
Average cost: 5p
Average energy consumption: 0.341 kWh per loaf
Average cycle time: 3 hours 52 minutes
Seeded loaf – standard program
Average cost: 4p
Average energy consumption: 0.324 kWh per loaf
Average cycle time: around 3 hours
Delay timer - using the delay timer at the maximum setting, including standard program baking cycle
Average cost: 6p
Average energy consumption: 0.436 kWh per loaf
Cycle time: around 13 hours (including standard baking cycle)
All figures quoted are average prices, rounded up, based on average energy consumption and worked out using our standard unit of electricity cost (14.5p per kWh).
How long do breadmaker loaves last?
Homemade bread doesn't contain added preservatives, so it’s unlikely to last as long as some shop-bought loaves. Most loaves will last around three days, but can quickly dry out.
Wrapping the bread in foil or keeping it in a sealed plastic bag will help to retain moisture.
How big are breadmaker loaves?
Most machines can produce an 800g loaf, which is about the same weight as a loaf bought from a shop. Breadmaker loaves have a different texture and appearance from shop-bought bread, and can seem smaller; they're also not quite as long, and are more square in shape than what you may be use to.
What's the best toaster to use?
If you’re a fan of making your own bread, but find it doesn’t fit in your toaster, a long slot toaster is the best option.
A single long slot can usually accommodate a breadmaker slice, turned sideways, for toasting, otherwise you’ll have to resort to cutting a slice in half before toasting.
To find a great Best Buy toaster, head to our toaster reviews.
Can you make bread to suit a particular diet?
Yes, recipes are widely available for low-salt or gluten-free bread. Speciality flours, such as spelt or rye, are available online or in health shops, and some breadmakers have special settings for this use.
If you have an allergy to soya, making your own bread means you can be sure of exactly what's gone into the bread you're eating.
The inside of a gluten-free loaf is denser than a normal loaf
What about gluten-free bread?
Many breadmakers have a gluten-free program and recipes, which will bake a loaf of bread using gluten-free flour, such as potato, rice or tapioca.
Gluten-free bread doesn't have the same taste or texture as a standard loaf of bread, because of the flour used. Gluten strands give bread its structure, so recipes using gluten-free flours lack this, and recipes have to compensate using alternatives.
It's possible to make an acceptable gluten-free loaf of bread in a breadmaker, but the results may surprise you - the loaves are much smaller, more brick-like in appearance and have a dense, dry texture.
In our gluten-free breadmaking session the loaves we baked had thicker crusts, a crumpet-like texture and didn't rise as much as usual.
Use our interactive tool to compare breadmakers and find a breadmaker with a gluten-free setting.
Is breadmaker bread best?
Baking your own bread is a more satisfying experience than buying your bread from the local supermarket. And there’s nothing like the smell of fresh bread in the morning. But baking your own bread does require patience, as a good loaf will take at least three hours to make. If you can't wait that long, shop-bought bread might be your best option.
The big benefit of home baking is that you can choose exactly what goes into your bread. This is ideal if you want to limit your intake of salt or sugar, for example, or if you suffer from coeliac disease and need to avoid gluten in your diet.
Bread mix or baking from scratch - what's better?
Using a breadmaker is quick and easy, whether you're using raw ingredients or ready-prepared bread mixes from the supermarket. For convenience, using a bread mix has a slight edge – you only need to add water and sometimes butter, as everything else is supplied in the pack.
However, if you prefer to control what goes into your bread, it's better to bake a loaf from scratch. It takes only a few minutes to get the raw ingredients ready, and you can choose precisely what goes into your bread. In terms of cost there's not a great difference between the two methods, but using raw ingredients is typically cheaper.
Fruit and nut bread made in a breadmaker
Breadmaker recipes
Most breadmakers come with an array of recipes, ranging from basic white or brown loaves to ones with nuts or seeds in. If you want to be a bit more adventurous, you can add extra ingredients such as raisins, dried fruit or sun-dried tomatoes.
Other recipe ideas
There are countless websites with recipes for normal bread or something a little bit more advanced. These include:
- Kenwood breadmaker recipes - for white bread, brioche, French and rapid white bread
- Panasonic cooking corner - recipes in the bakery for sourdough, multigrain and malt loaf
Baking by hand
If you'd like to try making your own bread by hand, some of these websites could be useful, too.
Can I wash the bread pan in my dishwasher?
Not usually. Dishwashers will damage the non-stick surface of the bread pan, and this will lead to your loaves sticking to it. Wash the pan with a warm soapy cloth and use only plastic utensils, as metal ones can scratch the surface.
If you're unsure, always read the instructions first.
Where can I buy spare parts for my breadmaker?
Most manufacturers will have a section on their websites where you can find out how to order spare parts for your breadmaker, or you can call the customer helpline – the number is usually found in the instruction manual that comes with your machine.
Main breadmaker manufacturers
- Panasonic – go to www.panasonic.co.uk and click on the eShop option.
- Morphy Richards – go to www.morphyrichards.co.uk and click on the 'Spare parts' section of the homepage or contact the UK Customer Care parts and accessories helpline number on +44 (0)844 873 0710.
- Kenwood has a spare parts website which can be found at www.kenwoodservice.co.uk.
Can you use fresh yeast in a breadmaker?
Fresh yeast can be used in a breadmaker, but you'll need to adjust the recipes to take this into account. Most sources say fresh yeast can be hard to come by and dried yeast or easy-blend dried yeast is better to use, as it gives more predictable results.
When using dried yeast, the dry ingredients generally go into the bread pan first to keep the dried yeast away from the liquids. This avoids the yeast being activated before the dough is mixed.
If the yeast is activated too early, the bread will rise and then fall, resulting in a poor loaf. You can’t use fresh yeast with the delayed timer for the same reason.
