Best Bread Machine

HOW TO CHOOSE = The Best Bread machines can do more than just bake white or wheat loaves. Some can prepare pizza, pasta and bagel dough, as well as make jam, meatloaf and even butter. Since bread machines vary in functionality, the ideal model for one person is not the best machine for everyone.

A bread enthusiast will likely want a more advanced machine with custom baking cycles (which will add to the overall cost), while the average baker may be perfectly content with a budget, no-frills breadmaker that gets the job done.

Most of the best bread machines selling for more than $100 include a 13-hour delay timer that allows you to mix the ingredients in advance and bake at a later time. Other perks include power-failure protection and quick-bake cycles.

Consumers should consider the following when comparing bread machines:

Consider how many people you want to serve. A 1-pound loaf yields about eight slices; a 2.5-pound loaf yields about 20 slices.

Choose horizontal baking or vertical baking. If you want a loaf that looks like store-bought, choose a machine that bakes horizontally. Otherwise, vertical loaves taste just as good.

Decide which features you will use. You can get a machine that bakes up fresh, high-quality bread for less than $100, but you'll have to give up some features.

A delay timer lets you wake up to or come home to fresh-baked bread. Many bread machines have 13-hour timers.

Choose a small machine if you want to bake bread in under an hour. Small machines can bake a small, soft loaf in 45 minutes to an hour. When it comes to larger machines, some users find that breads cooked on quick bake cycles are denser or yeastier than those prepared on normal cycles.

THE REVIEWS = Best bread machine overall: Panasonic SD-YD250 This breadmaker doesn't have custom settings, a cycle for making jam or a viewing window, but reviewers say these are features you might not miss, especially if you want a breadmaker that is easy to use and just makes good-tasting bread.

The Panasonic bread machine makes horizontal loaves, but with just a single paddle; some experts say that dual-paddle machines are better at mixing, but we didn't see any consistent complaints that the Panasonic breadmaker doesn't mix well.

This bread machine gets great scores for its 1.5- to 2.5-pound loaves. It also has a dough-only cycle, which is helpful for making pizza and bagel dough. Sells for about $150.

Other Top Performers Include:

Full-featured bread machine: Zojirushi BB-CEC20. Sells for around $240.

Best Bread Machine when on a budget: West Bend Hi-Rise Breadmaker doesn't have a bunch of custom settings and other frills, but with 11 pre-programmed settings plus four loaf-size options (with three crust-color options), experts and users are impressed. You'll find it for About $90

Best Price found at Amazon.com

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