Best Bread Makers UK (2026)
A bread maker's real test is the loaf it bakes on every setting. This guide is based on Expert Reviews' tested roundup, where the team made several loaves in each machine and tested every setting, from basic white and wholewheat to seeded and gluten-free, plus extras such as crust types, proofing, kneading and jam-making. Expert Reviews' guide dates from July 2023, so prices are as reviewed and may have changed.
We have not hands-on tested these products. Our picks are based on published independent tests and reviews, listed at the bottom of this page. How we pick.
Our top pick
Russell Hobbs 23620 Compact Breadmaker
Best budget compact
Expert Reviews called this dinky machine perfect for small households and kitchens, able to handle classic white, gluten-free or a wholemeal baguette across 12 settings, three loaf sizes and three crust settings. A quick bake option makes a classic loaf in 55 minutes and a 13-hour delay timer lets you wake to fresh bread, though it has no fruit and nut dispenser.
- Compact, suits small kitchens
- 12 settings, three loaf sizes and three crust settings
- 55-minute quick bake and 13-hour delay timer
Quick comparison
| Product | Best for | Key spec | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Hobbs 23620 Compact Breadmaker | Best budget compact | 12 programmes, three loaf sizes, three crust settings, 55-minute quick bake, 13-hour delay timer | Check price |
| Lakeland Touchscreen Bread Maker | Easiest to use | 12 programmes, 1kg/1.25kg/1.5kg loaves with two kneading blades, LED touchscreen, 60-minute keep warm, also makes cakes, jam and yoghurt | Check price |
| Sage The Custom Loaf | Best premium | 68 programmes, custom recipes, large screen and twist knob, fruit and nut dispenser, collapsing paddle, about 3 hours for a standard white loaf | Check price |
| Morphy Richards Fastbake Cooltouch Breadmaker | Best under £100 | 29 programmes, standard white loaf in about 2 hours 53 minutes, viewing window (unlit) | Check price |
| Salter EK4189 Digital Bread Maker | Best for seasoned users | 15 settings including wholewheat, gluten-free, sweet bread and French loaves, dough setting, about 3 hours for a white loaf | Check price |
| Panasonic Fully Automatic Breadmaker | Best for gluten-free | 32 programmes including four gluten-free, automatic yeast and nut/raisin dispensers, 13-hour delay timer, 0.6kg maximum loaf | Check price |
Our picks in detail
Best budget compact
Russell Hobbs 23620 Compact Breadmaker
Expert Reviews called this dinky machine perfect for small households and kitchens, able to handle classic white, gluten-free or a wholemeal baguette across 12 settings, three loaf sizes and three crust settings. A quick bake option makes a classic loaf in 55 minutes and a 13-hour delay timer lets you wake to fresh bread, though it has no fruit and nut dispenser.
- Programmes
- 12
- Fruit and nut dispenser
- No
- Size
- 29 x 32.2 x 30cm
- Price guide
- £100 (as reviewed 2023)
Pros
- Compact, suits small kitchens
- 12 settings, three loaf sizes and three crust settings
- 55-minute quick bake and 13-hour delay timer
- Affordable for a first bread maker
Cons
- No fruit and nut dispenser
Easiest to use
Lakeland Touchscreen Bread Maker
Expert Reviews found this multi-purpose machine easy to follow at a glance thanks to a large, easy-to-use LED touchscreen, with presets for different loaves plus cakes, jam and yoghurt. Two kneading blades let you choose a 1kg, 1.25kg or 1.5kg loaf, and it keeps the finished loaf warm for 60 minutes, though it has no fruit and nut dispenser.
- Programmes
- 12
- Loaf sizes
- 1kg, 1.25kg, 1.5kg
- Fruit and nut dispenser
- No
- Price guide
- £150 (as reviewed 2023)
Pros
- Large, easy-to-use touchscreen
- Choice of three loaf sizes
- Keeps loaf warm for 60 minutes
- Also makes cakes, jam and yoghurt
Cons
- No fruit and nut dispenser
Best premium
Sage The Custom Loaf
Expert Reviews found this celebrity-chef-endorsed machine lets you tweak recipes or create whole new ones, with a collapsing paddle so there's no hole in the bottom of the loaf. The reviewer's loaves from the recipes came out well, though they were lower, like bakery loaves, than the tall sandwich loaves many are used to, and the results weren't radically different to other models.
- Programmes
- 68
- Fruit and nut dispenser
- Yes
- Standard medium white loaf
- 3hrs 5mins
- Price guide
- £249 (as reviewed 2023)
Pros
- Almost endless tinkering with custom programmes
- Collapsing paddle avoids a hole in the loaf
- Automatic fruit and nut dispenser
Cons
- Loaves come out lower, like bakery loaves, rather than tall sandwich loaves
- Results not radically different to other models despite the price
Best under £100
Morphy Richards Fastbake Cooltouch Breadmaker
Expert Reviews found it more than makes up for its lack of looks by turning out an excellent white loaf quickly, making it exceptional value if that's mostly what you bake. The reviewer struggled a little to get wholemeal loaves as good, the controls are fiddly and wobbly, reflecting the cheaper build, and the baking chamber isn't lit, so you'd need a torch to check through the window.
- Programmes
- 29
- Fruit and nut dispenser
- No
- Standard medium white loaf
- 2hrs 53mins
- Price guide
- £75 (as reviewed 2023)
Pros
- Excellent white loaf, baked quickly
- Exceptional value for money
- Viewing window
Cons
- Struggled a little with wholemeal loaves
- Controls are a little fiddly and wobbly
- Baking chamber isn't illuminated
Best for seasoned users
Salter EK4189 Digital Bread Maker
Expert Reviews found the fastbake, basic and wholewheat settings all produced a soft loaf with a crusty exterior, while the dough setting kneaded and proved dough to soft, pillowy perfection. Unusually it comes with no recipes or printed instructions, which must be downloaded from Salter's website, and the instructions aren't the clearest, so beginners should steer clear.
- Programmes
- 15
- Fruit and nut dispenser
- No
- Standard medium white loaf
- 3hrs
- Price guide
- £70 (as reviewed 2023)
Pros
- Plenty of customisation with 15 settings
- Soft loaves with a crusty exterior on tested settings
- Dough setting kneads and proves well
Cons
- No recipes or instructions in the box, must be downloaded
- Unclear instructions, not ideal for a first bread maker
Best for gluten-free
Panasonic Fully Automatic Breadmaker
Expert Reviews found a feature-rich machine with 32 automatic programmes, including four for gluten-free loaves, that adds extra ingredients and yeast at the right time via automatic dispensers. It also handles cakes, pizza dough and jam through manual settings, but the loaf is on the small side at a maximum 0.6kg, a little smaller than a standard shop loaf.
- Programmes
- 32
- Fruit and nut dispenser
- Yes, plus yeast dispenser
- Maximum loaf
- 0.6kg
- Price guide
- £210 (as reviewed 2023)
Pros
- 32 automatic programmes including four gluten-free
- Automatic yeast and nut/raisin dispensers
- 13-hour delay timer
- Also makes cakes, pizza dough and jam
Cons
- Loaf size isn't huge, maximum 0.6kg
Buying guide
Is a bread maker cheaper than buying bread?
Expert Reviews says you can expect to pay just over half the cost of a similarly sized shop-bought loaf, or more if you experiment with nuts, seeds or gluten-free flour, and you control the ingredients for a preservative-free loaf. It takes time to recoup the machine's price, and homemade bread goes stale faster than shop-bought.
What size bread maker do I need?
If you finish a whole loaf in a few days, consider a 2lb tin. Households of one or two are better with a smaller 1 or 1.5lb pan, since homemade bread has no preservatives and needs eating sooner. Also check the machine's own footprint, and note the Panasonic here makes only a 0.6kg loaf.
Do I need an automatic fruit and nut dispenser?
Only if you bake fruit or seeded loaves more than occasionally. Machines without one, like the Russell Hobbs and Lakeland here, beep when it's time to add ingredients, so you need to be there. The Sage and Panasonic here dispense them automatically at the right point in the cycle.
What flour and ingredients do I need?
Usually strong bread flour, salt, sugar, oil or butter, water and bread-machine yeast. Supermarket own-brand strong flour is fine for white loaves, but some machines need expensive 'very strong' flour for a decent wholemeal loaf, so check reviews. Cool the loaf on a wire rack before slicing.
Sources
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