Home & Kitchen
The Best Bread Machines: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)
We compared four current bread machines on loaf quality, bake evenness, versatility, ease of use, and long-term durability.
The verdict in 30 seconds
What mattered most
- Loaf shape & size
- Crust & bake evenness
- Program versatility
- Ease of use
- Build & durability
- Gluten-free performance
A good bread machine turns flour, water, and yeast into a fresh loaf with almost no effort, but the four models here are aimed at very different bakers. We weighed independent testing against long-run owner reports to sort them. Two are easy recommendations, one is a specialist worth buying only if you value control over convenience, and one is fine but outclassed by the rest of this field.
The closest a machine gets to an oven-baked, bakery-shaped loaf.
Best for: Weekly or daily bakers who want the best loaf quality and shape and will keep the machine for years.
- Dual top-and-bottom heaters plus a lid heater brown the crust evenly on all sides
- Twin paddles and a horizontal pan produce a full, rectangular 2 lb loaf that fits a toaster
- Deep course list including whole wheat, gluten free, vegan, salt free, and sourdough starter
- Owners routinely report a decade or more of reliable service
- The most expensive machine in this field by a wide margin
- Large, heavy footprint that dominates a countertop
- Gluten-free results are good rather than exceptional
Bakery-grade everyday white and wheat loaves at a mid-range price.
Best for: Value-minded bakers who make standard wheat and white loaves and want great results without a premium price.
- Independent testing rated its plain white and whole-wheat loaves among the best of any machine tried
- Non-stick ceramic pan bakes evenly and wipes clean easily
- Automatic fruit-and-nut dispenser and 17 programs cover most everyday baking
- Strong value for the loaf quality it delivers
- Weak at gluten-free and yeast-free recipes
- Tall, nearly square vertical loaf with a paddle hole in the base
- Menu navigation takes a little learning at first
The most programmable machine here, if you actually want to tinker.
Best for: Experienced bakers who want granular control over rise and bake times rather than one-touch simplicity.
- Nine fully custom programs let you set each stage of the cycle yourself
- Adjustable loaf sizes and an automatic fruit-and-nut dispenser add flexibility
- Collapsible kneading paddle minimizes the hole left in the finished loaf
- Premium price that only pays off if you use the custom programming
- Independent testing found its default white bread merely average
- Some owners feel the stainless housing is less solid than it looks
A tidy, affordable starter machine that the rest of this field outbakes.
Best for: Cautious first-time buyers on a tight budget who bake only occasionally.
- Compact footprint that suits small kitchens
- Simple, beginner-friendly controls with a clear display and ingredient beeps
- Solid build for its budget tier
- Vertical, near-square loaf whose slices struggle to fit a standard toaster
- Loaf quality and evenness trail the better machines here
- Twelve programs is a shorter menu than its rivals
| Criteria | Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus (BB-PDC20) Top pick | KBS Pro 17-in-1 Bread Maker (MBF-010) | Breville the Custom Loaf (BBM800XL) | Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker (CBK-110NAS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Buy it | Buy it | It depends | Skip it |
| Best for | Weekly or daily bakers who want the best loaf quality and shape and will keep the machine for years. | Value-minded bakers who make standard wheat and white loaves and want great results without a premium price. | Experienced bakers who want granular control over rise and bake times rather than one-touch simplicity. | Cautious first-time buyers on a tight budget who bake only occasionally. |
| Price tier | $$$$ · flagship | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium | $ · budget |
| Loaf shape & size | Horizontal 2 lb, toaster-friendly | Vertical, near-square up to 2 lb | Adjustable up to ~2.5 lb, tall | Vertical, near-square up to 2 lb |
| Crust & bake evenness | Excellent (dual + lid heaters) | Very good (ceramic pan) | Good | Fair |
| Program versatility | 15 courses, 3 memory settings | 17 programs + dispenser | 13 auto + 9 custom | 12 programs |
| Ease of use | Straightforward | Slight learning curve | Complex if fully used | Very easy |
| Build & durability | Excellent, long-lived | Good | Good, some housing doubts | Good for the price |
| Gluten-free performance | Good | Weak | Fair | Fair |
| Footprint | Large | Medium-large | Large | Compact |
| Price tier | $$$$ · flagship | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium | $ · budget |
Which one is right for you?
- Weekly or daily bakers who want the best loaf quality and shape and will keep the machine for years. Buy it Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus (BB-PDC20)
- Value-minded bakers who make standard wheat and white loaves and want great results without a premium price. Buy it KBS Pro 17-in-1 Bread Maker (MBF-010)
- Experienced bakers who want granular control over rise and bake times rather than one-touch simplicity. It depends Breville the Custom Loaf (BBM800XL)
- Cautious first-time buyers on a tight budget who bake only occasionally. Skip it Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker (CBK-110NAS)
How we judged the field
We do not run our own bakery lab. Instead we synthesize independent testing, expert teardown-style reviews, and aggregated owner reports, then weigh the points where those sources agree. For bread machines the criteria that mattered most were loaf quality and crust evenness, the shape and usable size of the finished loaf, program versatility, ease of daily use, and long-term durability, since a machine that dies in two years is no bargain at any price. We also looked at how honestly each model performs on harder tasks such as gluten-free baking, where marketing claims and real results often diverge.
Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus (BB-PDC20) — buy
This is the machine reviewers and long-time owners point to when they want the closest thing to an oven-baked loaf. Independent testing credits its dual top-and-bottom heating elements and separate lid heater with browning the crust evenly on every side, while the twin paddles and horizontal pan fill out a proper rectangular 2 lb loaf that slices cleanly and fits a toaster. The course list is deep, covering whole wheat, multigrain, gluten free, vegan, salt free, and a sourdough starter cycle, plus memory settings for repeat bakes. Owners frequently report a decade or more of trouble-free use. The catch is cost and size: it is the priciest machine here and it commands a lot of counter space. For anyone baking weekly, the loaf quality and longevity make it worth it.
KBS Pro 17-in-1 Bread Maker (MBF-010) — buy
The KBS is the value story of this group. Independent testing rated its plain white and whole-wheat loaves among the best of any machine tried, and owners consistently describe results that rival store-bought bread. A non-stick ceramic pan bakes evenly and cleans up easily, and the automatic fruit-and-nut dispenser plus 17 programs cover the recipes most households actually make. It is not flawless: it is weak at gluten-free and yeast-free baking, the vertical loaf is tall and nearly square with a paddle hole in the base, and the menu takes a little learning. But for everyday wheat and white loaves at a mid-range price, it punches far above its tier.
Breville the Custom Loaf (BBM800XL) — it depends
The Custom Loaf is the most programmable machine here, and that is both its appeal and its limitation. Alongside its automatic settings it offers nine fully custom programs that let you dial in each stage of the cycle, an automatic fruit-and-nut dispenser, adjustable loaf sizes, and a collapsible paddle that leaves a smaller hole in the loaf. The problem is value: it sits in the premium tier, yet independent testing found its default white bread merely average, and some owners feel the stainless housing is less solid than its looks suggest. It rewards bakers who will genuinely use the custom programming; for one-touch convenience the money is better spent elsewhere.
Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker (CBK-110NAS) — skip
There is nothing wrong with the compact Cuisinart, which is exactly why it is easy to overlook and, in this company, easy to skip. It has a small footprint, beginner-friendly controls with ingredient beeps, and solid build for a budget machine. But its vertical, near-square loaf produces slices that fight a standard toaster, its 12-program menu is the shortest here, and its bake evenness and overall loaf quality trail the better machines. For a modest step up in price the KBS delivers clearly superior loaves, so the Cuisinart only makes sense when a tiny footprint and the lowest price outweigh everything else.
Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus vs KBS Pro 17-in-1: which should you buy?
These two are the strongest machines here, and the choice comes down to budget versus the last increment of quality and longevity. The Zojirushi bakes a better-shaped, more evenly browned horizontal loaf, offers a lid heater the KBS lacks, and carries a reputation for lasting ten years or more. The KBS gets remarkably close on everyday white and wheat loaves at roughly a mid-range price, with a ceramic pan that is easy to clean. If you bake often, value a toaster-friendly loaf, and want a machine that will outlast several cheaper ones, the Zojirushi earns its flagship price. If you want excellent daily bread without paying premium money, the KBS is the smarter buy and the right pick for most people.
What to look for
- Loaf shape: horizontal pans give toaster-friendly slices, while vertical pans produce tall, near-square loaves that can be awkward.
- Heating design: dual or lid heaters brown the crust more evenly than a single bottom element.
- Program depth: match the course list to what you actually bake, whether that is whole wheat, gluten free, or dough only.
- Ease of use: one-touch presets suit most people; custom programming only pays off if you will use it.
- Durability: owner reports of multi-year reliability matter more than spec sheets.
- Pan coating and cleanup: ceramic and quality non-stick pans wipe clean and hold up over time.
Our final take
For most home bakers the KBS Pro 17-in-1 is the sensible pick, delivering near-flagship white and wheat loaves at a mid-range price. If loaf quality, even browning, a toaster-friendly shape, and a machine that lasts for years matter more than cost, the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus is the best in this field and worth its flagship price. Choose the Breville only if you truly want to program each stage of the bake, and reach for the compact Cuisinart only when footprint and the lowest price outweigh everything else.
Questions, answered
Which bread machine makes the best loaf?
In independent testing the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus produced the most consistent, evenly browned loaf thanks to its dual heaters, lid heater, and twin-paddle horizontal pan. The KBS was close behind on standard white and wheat loaves, so if budget matters it is the more sensible choice for very similar everyday results.
Why is the Zojirushi so much more expensive than the others?
It sits in the flagship tier because of its dual-plus-lid heating system, horizontal twin-paddle pan, and build quality. Owners report it running reliably for ten years or more, so spread across weekly baking the higher price tends to work out over time rather than up front.
Do these machines make gluten-free bread?
All four include a gluten-free or comparable setting, but results vary. The Zojirushi handles gluten-free acceptably and the others are weaker, with the KBS in particular struggling with gluten-free and yeast-free recipes. If gluten-free is your main goal, temper your expectations and plan to adjust recipes.
Will the loaf fit in a normal toaster?
The Zojirushi bakes a horizontal, rectangular loaf whose slices fit a standard toaster. The KBS and Cuisinart bake tall, nearly square vertical loaves that can be awkward to fit, and the Breville sits in between depending on the loaf size you select.
Why is the Cuisinart the one to skip?
It is a perfectly usable, affordable, beginner-friendly machine, but in this group its near-square vertical loaf, shorter program list, and merely fair bake evenness leave it behind. For a little more money the KBS delivers clearly better loaves, and the compact Cuisinart only makes sense if space and price are the deciding factors.
