Are Panasonic bread makers any good?

If you're thinking of buying a Panasonic bread maker, this guide will tell you all you need to know about how they compare with other brands in our tough lab tests, if they'll last and whether Panasonic owners rate their bread makers highly or not.  

Panasonic is a popular brand of bread maker, and its models sit near the top of the market in terms of price. The cheapest Panasonic bread maker is around £100, but for a top-of-the-range one you could pay over £200.

They're often packed with innovative features and make a wide range of bread doughs and other products, including jam, scones and pizza dough. But fancy extras aside, do they excel at the basics of making good loaves?

Our verdict on Panasonic bread makers

Our table reveals how well Panasonic bread makers have scored in our tough bread maker tests and the definitive Which? verdict on whether Panasonic bread makers are worth spending your money on.  

Discover how reliable Panasonic bread makers are based on answers from a survey of nearly 1,000 bread maker owners. We can also tell you how satisfied Panasonic owners are with their bread maker and whether they would recommend it to a friend.  

Only logged-in Which? members can unlock our full verdict on Panasonic bread makers in the table below. If you’re not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

See all our Panasonic bread maker reviews to compare scores and find the best for your budget.

How to choose the best Panasonic bread maker

Panasonic has seven bread makers in its range. Five of these have a system that automatically dispenses ingredients – handy if you want to make bread with fruit, nuts or seeds. Most also make cake, jam and pasta. If that's something you're interested in, look out for the models with this functionality. 

Panasonic bread makers are some of the priciest models around, but the more basic models can be found for £100, or cheaper when on offer. If you aren't fussed about specialist settings for rustic breads and other extras, opt for a cheaper model and shop around for the best deal. 

We have found differences between models though, with one model falling behind in our testing compared to others. Check our Panasonic bread maker reviews to compare scores.

If you like a rustic rounded loaf, it's worth looking at the Panasonic Croustina, which has an innovative oval tin for bakery-style loaves.

One thing to watch out for with Panasonic bread makers

Baking times on Panasonic bread makers are some of the longest we have tested, but if you're setting it to bake overnight (making use of the timer delay so that you wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread), then this probably won't bother you too much. We've found that longer bake times are worth the wait, as rapid bakes tend to lead to less stellar results, so it's worth being patient on this front.

Get more tips on choosing the right bread maker for you in our full bread maker buying guide.

Best Panasonic bread makers

We reveal the two top-scoring Panasonic bread makers below. You'll need to log in or sign up to Which? to see which models we recommend.

Not found the right model for you? Head to our bread maker reviews to compare all the latest models and find the best option for your budget.

Updated: November 2020