Home Bread Machines

Home bread machines that will have the kids saying "More carbs please!"

Low-carb crazes come and go, but bread endures forever. As more attention is focused on how and what Americans eat, the way we make bread has changed. Sweeteners, preservatives, and additives are out. Organic, natural, and nutritious breads are in. The increasing popularity of home bread machines has helped put natural nutrition in everyone's grasp. Our list of the best home bread machines will enable you to rediscover the staff of life.

How home bread machines work

Home bread machines are electronic appliances that essentially do all the bread making work for you. A typical bread making machine includes a bread pan with a center-mounted paddle, a small oven, and an external control panel.

Bread maker machines create bread from a mix of ingredients measured onto the bread pan, which is then inserted into the breadmaker. Bread mixes can be bought pre-measured, or created by hand from bread making machine recipes. A home bread machine will first turn the ingredients into dough using the paddle, and then bake the dough into a loaf.

Because bread made with home bread machines does not include the additives and preservatives used in most commercially made bread, it won't last as long. On the plus side, bread made from home bread machines is typically healthier and often tastes better too.

Home bread machine reviews

There are dozens of bread machine manufacturers on the market, and deciding which is the best bread machine for you will depend a great deal on what size and price range you're shopping in. However, these are some of the leading brand names to look for when shopping for the best bread machines.

Zojirushi

The Zojirushi Corporation is one of the leading manufacturers of home cooking appliances, and Zojirushi bread machines are often listed in bread machine reviews as the best available, though they are more expensive.

A particularly popular Zojirushi bread machine is the Zojirushi BBCC-X20. This model sells for around $200 and features two mixing/kneading paddles, a sourdough starter cycle, 3 custom-memory settings, and a 13-hour delay timer. It can even be used to make meatloaf.

Breadman

Breadman bread making machines are a popular and inexpensive alternative to Zojirushi breadmakers. The Breadman Ultimate TR-2200C sells for around $90 to $100. This Breadman model is a favorite in bread machine reviews, as it offers two helpful features: an extra ingredients dispenser for last minute additions, and a 24-hour delay timer.

Overall, this Breadman home bread machine is a terrific value.

WestBend

West Bend manufactures a few home bread machines that have been well reviewed. The West Bend Just For Dinner bread machine is considered an excellent choice for those who only make occasional use of their breadmaker. It's smaller than other models, and makes only 3/4-pound round loaves instead of the 2-pound horizontal loaves that the Zojirushi and Breadman breadmakers produce.

The West Bend Baker's Choice Plus home bread machine is also well regarded. It's a little noisy, but it has a large viewing window and the bread pan is very easy to insert and remove.

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