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The small bakery for your home

The smell of freshly baked bread fills the apartment. When you wake up, you’re already looking forward to a hearty Sunday breakfast with warm bread and jam. But no one in your family had to get up early to go to the bakery: you put flour, water, herbs, spices, yeast and other ingredients into your bread maker in the evening. It was set to prepare and bake the bread in the morning. In this buying guide, you’ll find out what to look out for when buying a bread maker and how the models differ from one another.

Prepare fresh bread quickly and easily

With a bread maker, you can easily prepare bread in your kitchen. You add all the ingredients and select a program. Then you don’t have to worry about anything else. The device kneads the dough, lets it rest and bakes it so that the crust is firm and the inside is soft. This takes about three hours. In contrast to making bread in the oven, this type of small kitchen appliance uses less energy. The bread tastes fresher than from the bakery and different every time – depending on which ingredients you use. You also know exactly what is in it – this is helpful if someone has a food intolerance. You can also use the devices to bake Bundt cakes.

What you should pay attention to when buying a bread machine

Bread makers make loaves of different sizes and each have different programs and special functions. The following overview will help you get your bearings.

height and weight

A bread maker needs space in your kitchen. You should measure where you can put it beforehand. The height, width and depth of the machines vary between 27 and 40 cm. Some devices are wider than they are tall, while others are the other way around. Make sure that the device does not just fit under a kitchen wall cupboard or on a shelf, for example – also take into account that you need space above the location to be able to open the lid. The models weigh between 4 and 9 kg.

Processing quantity and bread shape

Bread makers make loaves of bread in different sizes: loaves between 500 and 1,400 g are possible. The possible amount of dough that can be processed also varies accordingly. For example, it is between 750 and 1,000 g. Special models allow you more variety: you can bake either two small loaves or one large loaf. Or you can use a small and a large mold to make different sizes as needed. With some machines, you can bake several loaves at the same time. Most machines make loaves in a loaf shape , but there are also some for oval loaves.

Material and coating

Simple bread makers are made of plastic, while high-end models are made of stainless steel and glass. There are also differences in the non-stick coating of the molds, which can be made of Teflon or ceramic. The advantage of ceramic: the material is scratch-resistant. To match many kitchens, bread makers are usually available in gray, white or black.

Performance

The machines work with different power levels, which for most devices is between 550 and 850 W. The higher the wattage, the faster the device bakes the bread, but the more electricity it consumes.

Dough hook

Every bread maker has a dough hook. It sits roughly in the middle of the pan and mixes all the ingredients evenly. Hooks that you can fold away before baking are practical: This prevents your bread from getting a hole where the hook was.

Program selection

All models allow you to bake different types of bread using different programs. For example, sourdoughs have a different baking behavior than wheat or spelt flour doughs. There are also programs for white, wholemeal or gluten-free bread. The machines adapt to the respective requirements and measure the kneading, resting and baking times. Some models offer eight such programs, others 30. A personalizable option is practical, where you decide for yourself how you want your bread to turn out. Some machines allow you to save this setting. You can also set the desired degree of browning, with between three and five levels to choose from.

Tip: Most machines can bake Bundt cakes as well as bread. Some also knead pizza and pasta dough, make jam or make yoghurt.

Ingredient distributor

Often ingredients are added to a dough later, for example nuts, raisins or olives. With some models, you don’t need to wait for the right moment to stir them in. The machines have a distributor into which you pour the ingredients. The machine mixes them in automatically at the right or programmed time – and distributes them so that they don’t all get stuck in one place in the dough.

Viewing window and controls

Is your bread almost ready? You can check this using the viewing window that some machines have. Interior lighting is a good idea so that you can see as much as possible. The machines are operated using buttons or touch keys. The program and progress are shown on an LCD display. On some models, this is also illuminated.

Timer and special functions

Many bread makers have a timer that allows you to set up to 15 hours in advance when you want your bread to be baked. Do you want to keep it warm for a while afterwards? Some models have a keep-warm function for up to 60 minutes. This is helpful if you can’t take the loaf out straight away. Sometimes you may not have the time or inclination to wait three hours for the baked goods. Then use the quick-bake function that is built into some machines: This means you can have fresh bread in your hands after 60 to 120 minutes.

The right bread maker for your household

The choice of baking appliance depends on how big you want your loaves of bread to be and what else you want to make in it. Depending on your requirements, different models may be suitable for you.

Baker in a small household

You like eating fresh bread and would like to bake it yourself from time to time. But because you live alone or with a partner, you don’t want it to be too big so that it doesn’t dry out. Then you get a simple bread maker for loaves up to 750 g . You can get these devices for between €70 and €120.

Baker in a multi-person household

There are three or four people living in your apartment or house, but not all of them are always there. Sometimes you eat your bread alone, sometimes everyone wants some. In that case, a bread maker for bread sizes between 750 and 1,400 g is the right choice. It is convenient if you have the choice between different sizes and dough amounts. These devices cost between €80 and €300.

Ambitious hobby baker

You don’t just want to bake fresh bread, but also make your own pizza and pasta dough, prepare cakes or make jam? Do you also like to invent your own recipes? Then get a bread maker with special programs for different types of flour and settings for different degrees of browning. The price of these models is between €200 and €300.

How to make your bread in the vending machine

The devices take care of the kneading and baking process independently, but with the following tips your bread will turn out even better:

• Add liquid ingredients first, then solid ingredients – and finally the yeast or sourdough extract.
• Refine your bread with spices such as caraway and anise or dried oregano. You can also use ready-made bread spice mixes.
• Doughs made with wholemeal flour become lighter when you mix them with light flour, so-called refined flour.
• After the baking process is finished, you should remove the bread from the tin as quickly as possible to preserve the crust.
• Only cut the loaf with a bread knife once it has cooled down . The warm bread is still soft and will otherwise crumble when cut.

How to clean the baking appliance

After baking, you should clean your machine so that nothing sticks to the mold and dough hook. Here’s how to do it:

• Unplug the power cord and allow the mold and dough hook to cool down a little.
• Remove the dough hooks and the baking pan from the appliance and clean them with a soft cloth, warm water and a little dishwashing liquid. You usually cannot clean them in the dishwasher.
• Also wipe the inside lid and the outside with a damp cloth, but do not use abrasive sponges. Remove all traces of detergent with clean water.
• For stubborn dirt, soak the mold and dough hook in warm water.

Conclusion: Self-contained kitchen helper for fresh bread

With a bread maker, you can bake fresh bread in your kitchen without much effort. The devices offer different programs for different types of bread. Depending on what you want to do with it, you can buy one of the following machines.

• You live alone or with a partner: Then you should get a machine for loaves of up to 750g. 
• You want to bake bread for your family: A machine for bread sizes between 750 and 1,400 g is suitable for you.
• You also want to make pizza and pasta dough: Then you get a machine with numerous special programs and setting options.