Our Experts CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Our Picks CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What is the best bread maker overall? A bread machine is one kitchen appliance that you often don’t realize you need until you’ve seen one in action.
Bread is always tastiest when it's fresh and warm. But making a fresh-baked loaf of bread by hand can take a lot of time and labor -- unless you have a bread machine. The best bread machines will do it all -- churn, proof and bake -- producing a perfect, crusty loaf that you'll want to keep fresh and enjoy rather than letting it go stale .
A bread maker can save you money, too. A decent loaf of bread now costs anywhere from $4 to $8 at the grocery store , while the ingredients to make a single loaf of bread -- flour, yeast, salt, oil -- typically average under 25 cents. Plus, you can customize your load to fit your dietary needs or tastes.
Opt for gluten-free flour, add herbs like rosemary or experiment with unique flavor profiles to make each loaf your own. There are a ton of bread makers on the market, but not all of them are worth your money. That's why we've put the top models to the test to find out which ones are truly worth adding to your kitchen.
We've tested many of the top-selling models, from high-tech options wit.