Top Bread Maker Brands For 2020

Haddi Browne

In this article

We've asked Which? members about their bread makers to get a picture of which brands will last when you get them home. We've used this feedback, along with our years of testing experience, to bring you the definitive guide to which bread maker brands are worth buying.

We found a big difference between the most and least-loved brands, and heard from members who have been disappointed by uneven or poorly risen loaves and problematic paddles. Read on to find out which brands to go for – and the ones to avoid.

Just want to know which machines make the best loaves? See our bread maker reviews.

Bread maker brands rated

We've brought together our expert insight into big brands such as Panasonic, Morphy Richards and Kenwood, so you can see which bread makers you can rely on to bake a brilliant loaf. In the comparison table below you can see:

How each brand's bread makers score on average in our independent lab tests.
How reliable each brand is, based on how many owners reported problems with their bread makers.
Owners' views on their bread maker, and whether they'd recommend it to a friend.

Here's a preview of the best and worst scores:

Only logged-in Which? members can see which brand came out on top in the table below. If you’re not a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Preview: bread maker brands rated
Brand	Average score achieved in our bread maker tests	How reliable this brand's bread makers are	How owners rate this brand	Overview of our verdict
	80%	94%	88%	Our top pick: This brand's bread makers consistently bake excellent bread and are easy to use. They sit at the higher end of the spectrum price-wise, but your money will be well spent as nearly all of them are Best Buys. This brand is also significantly more reliable and loved by owners than others, although the pans can tend to lose their non-stick properties in the long run.
	71%	81%	72%	Bread makers from this brand tend to produce decent bread – but not the best, hence why it doesn't have any Best Buys at present. This brand isn't quite as reliable or well loved as others either.
	57%	80%	62%	It's been around for years, but if you buy one of this brand's bread makers it won't necessarily last as long as you might expect. It's the least reliable bread maker brand, according to our survey. Its bread makers are the most likely to experience faults linked to the paddle, including it coming loose, getting stuck in the bread or not working at all. Which? members are less satisfied with the brand and less likely to recommend it to others. In our most recent tests, its bread makers didn't fare well compared with the competition either, resulting in a low average test score.
	72%	85%	67%	This bread maker brand is considered good value for money, and it gets some decent – and some good – test scores. While it does OK for reliability, bread makers from this brand were more likely to stop working completely, as well as experiencing minor issues around how well the bread baked, so it's less loved by owners.

Table notes: Ranked by customer score (how owners rate this brand – based on how satisfied owners are and how likely they would be to recommend the brand to a friend). Reliability ratings and owner ratings are from a survey of 989 Which? members who own bread makers in April 2019. Average test scores correct as of July 2019.

Can't see the brand you're interested in? We couldn't report on some brands as we didn't get enough responses from owners, but you can find independent reviews of popular models in our bread maker reviews.

Choosing the best brand of bread maker

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The top brand dominates our Best Buy spots because the bread these models bake is consistently good. We know this because we scrutinise the baked bread from each machine we test, looking at the crumb structure, how evenly it's baked and how thick the crust is. We also check how easy the bread makers are to use and clean. So when one does brilliantly in all our tests, you'll know it will be great when you get it home.

This brand also got a customer score of 88%, meaning owners love it. The difference between the highest and lowest-rated brands in terms of customer score is more than 25%, which shows what a difference buying from a reliable and high-performing brand can make to your experience at home.

Reliable bread makers

The most reliable brand lasts the longest with the fewest reported faults, as the data below shows:

Bread makers can cost anything from £45 to £250. Paying more usually gets you extra features, so it's worth thinking about what you want from a bread maker. Do you want a basic starter model or one that can do more, such as dispense fruit and nuts into a recipe partway through. Our top brand has a range of models at different prices to choose from.

See our round-up of the best bread makers to narrow down the model that fits your budget and needs.

Most common bread maker problems

As part of our survey, we asked Which? members what problems they had experienced with their bread makers. The most common answers were:

46% – problems with the bread-mixing paddle.
18% – inconsistent performance.
11% – broken fruit and nut dispenser.

Choosing a high-scoring model from a reliable brand should help you to avoid some of these problems. When we test bread makers, we check if the paddle tends to stick, leaving a larger hole in the bread. We also check consistency of baking. We’re looking for bread that's risen and baked evenly, and has a light and springy texture inside. See our Best Buy bread makers.

You can usually buy spare mixing paddles, and if you're getting inconsistent results it's worth checking basic things like whether your yeast is still in date. A broken fruit and nut dispenser doesn't spell the end for your bread maker, although you may have to add extra ingredients manually instead.