Fresh homemade bread: TOP 5 bread machines

Scarlett SC-400

Scarlett SC-400 can provide a family of two or three people with fresh bread weighing 500 or 750 g, working once a day. But, being the "kid" in terms of the maximum mass of baking and the most low-cost model from our TOP 5, it confidently competes with other participants in terms of the number of programs.

The control is push-button, the selected modes are displayed on the LCD screen. The bread maker allows you to choose one of 16 programs, including kneading yeast and yeast-free dough, cooking jam and even porridge. The colour of the crust is regulated in some recipes. Undoubtedly, the "Minus" button is useful, which reduces the timer values – if an error occurs, you will not have to set the time again by "scrolling" it from scratch.

The absence of a dispenser is not a hindrance to delicious pastries with all kinds of additives. Using the first six modes, additional ingredients are put manually after the beep, usually during the second batch. When setting the timer, for example at night, the additives can be finely chopped and put into flour immediately.

If electricity goes out for a short time (up to 10 minutes) during operation, the programme in Scarlett SC-400 does not go astray and continues from the stop point.

Some users on the web complain that they cannot bake good bread according to the attached recipes. But mastery does not come immediately: at first it is desirable to control the quality of the first batch (fortunately there is an observation window on the top cover) and promptly make adjustments, recording what was added and in what quantities. The quality of the main ingredients – flour and yeast – is the key component of success.

Scarlett SC-400 belongs to the category of bread makers with the "reverse" order of the ingredients (first liquid, then dry). A certain skill is required to exclude premature contact of yeast with water, and for the convenience of measuring, you can get an additional measuring cup for bulk products.

Multifunctional bread maker Scarlett SC-400 with a power consumption of 600 watts is suitable for those who want to join the world of home baking, but do not plan to turn the kitchen into a pastry shop.

VES SK-A4

Among the bread makers of VES electric, only the SK-A4 has a high and narrow body. The engineers calculated everything correctly – economically consuming electricity, with a power of 530 watts, the SK-A4 multi-bakery makes bread of three weight categories 450, 680 and 900 g. in a well-baked loaf elongated vertically.

The device has 15 programs, in addition to the actual bread, there is jam cooking and a yogurt cooking function rarely found in bread makers.

The control is push-button, the preset programme and the time remaining until its end are displayed on the LCD display. The bread maker is equipped with a protection mechanism against programme failure in case of power loss, the maximum programme memorization time is 7 minutes. The timer for delaying the start of work allows you to set a fifteen-hour delay, and after the end of baking, SK-A4 will keep the bread hot for another hour. This combination allows you to more accurately manage the readiness time, not limited to the traditional evening-morning cycle.

In addition to the standard configuration for bread makers with a measuring spoon and a glass, there is another useful thing in the configuration – a hook that is convenient to hook a hot bucket by the handle and then remove the hot kneading blade from the loaf. In order to avoid "sweating" and softening of the crust, it is recommended not to leave the bread in the baking dish, but immediately after the end of the cooking cycle, spread it on a lattice surface.

VES SK-A4 does not have a viewing window, novice bakers are recommended to visually evaluate the result of the first batch by simply lifting the lid. This bread maker with the "reverse" order of the ingredients, which requires special care when laying yeast.

Suitable for fans of healthy eating – she bakes several types of bread and makes yogurt, without burdening the family low-cost with a high price and monthly electricity bills.

Kenwood Excellence BM 260

Kenwood BM 260 complies with the EU regulation 2004/108/EC on electromagnetic compatibility and EC 1935/2004 on materials in contact with food. By choosing this model, you give preference to a manufacturer with a worldwide reputation and get a device with fewer functions than competitors for a similar amount. For example, the dispenser for automatic addition of ingredients, the viewing window and the LCD backlight are available in a more advanced (and expensive) model Kenwood BM 366 .

BM 260 is the most economical among the participants of today's TOP 5: with a power consumption of 455 watts, it produces an oblong kilogram loaf in one cycle.

Kenwood BM 260 has 11 programs, which means that it specializes in kneading dough and baking bread, porridge will have to be cooked in a slow cooker, and yogurt will be grown in a yogurt maker, which, you agree, is correct. As a bonus, the bread maker is ready to cook jam.

The fast programme (called "Eco") is designed for 85 minutes, which is longer than competitors offer, but the result is better – the bread has time to rise. The colour of the crust is set in almost all programs.

The control is push-button, the LCD display shows not only the time remaining until the end of cooking, but also the stage (kneading, lifting, baking). The only complaint is that the programs are marked with numbers, which must either be remembered, or a sticker with the names in the desired language must be pasted on the case. Heating of the case, wet wiping and children's interest in the sticker can shorten the period of its stay on the case.

Kenwood BM 260 offers a 15-hour delay timer and an hour heating of the finished bread. There is no provision for storing a preset programme in memory in case of loss of electricity and its resumption.

The BM 260 lid is removable, which greatly facilitates the care of the inner surface – in any model, flour particles can get on the heating element during the first kneading, on which they begin to burn during baking.

This bread maker can be recommended to conservative housewives who prefer time-tested recipes and approaches to doing business in the kitchen.

Gorenje BM1400E Price from 5 136 up to 9 651 ₴ →

This bread maker is radically different from other participants in our TOP 5: she has three containers in two bowls and four kneading blades, which allows you to bake either one large oblong loaf (up to 1.4 kg – the best result among today's competitors), or two small ones (550 g each). A great solution for a large family or lovers of bread with different nut-seed-fruit additives.

Another difference is the ability to set your own programme (by entering the time of kneading, lifting and baking) and even save it to non–volatile memory for later use. It's a pity that there is only one slot…

In addition to the custom one, the BM1400E has 11 pre-installed programs focused on bread and dough preparation.

Gorenje BM1400E looks like a product from the premium segment: the design is non-standard, fresh, stainless steel and high-quality plastic are used in the finish of the case.

Touch control. On the one hand, this is an undoubted plus, since the problem of dirt between the buttons and the case does not exist in principle. On the other hand, some users report control failures due to overheating at the end of the cooking cycle. There is a lock that protects against accidental disconnection or modification of the programme, for example, due to childish pranks. The inscriptions on the "buttons" and in the menu are in English, the documentation provides a translation.

If the power supply is lost for less than 10 minutes, the bread maker will continue to work without failures. The delayed start timer is 13-hour, there is a heating of the finished bread for an hour after the end of baking.

Top cover with two viewing windows, there is a backlight. The delivery package includes a hook for extracting the kneading blades, it is useful for lifting the handle of the bowls.

Gorenje BM1400E is an excellent choice for large families and lovers of culinary experiments.

Panasonic SD-2510 Price from 4 839 up to 10 200 ₴ →

The Japanese company Matsushita Electric Industrial, today known in the world thanks to the Panasonic brand, became the founder of a new type of kitchen equipment – bread makers – in 1987. And today Panasonic is one of the leading manufacturers of bread makers, a kind of benchmark for the quality of automated home baking.

The Panasonic SD-2510 model belongs to the low-cost (by the standards of the company) and offers only basic functions (the dispenser has Panasonic SD-2511 , " designer" metal case – y Panasonic SD-2512 ). At the same time, she handles with her main task perfectly and bakes excellent bread. And also kneads dough for pies or pizza and even cooks compote.

The appearance is unassuming, however, the body finishing materials correspond to the price category of the product, there are no complaints about the build quality.

The yield of finished bread is not a record – up to one kilogram, but sufficient to provide an average family for a couple of days.

Panasonic engineers use a push–button control system, but it is somewhat modified - the button body is covered with a thin layer of flexible plastic, so it is easy to clean the panel: it is enough to wipe it with a damp cloth, and mechanical contacts provide clarity of operation.

SD-2510 has 13 programs, including a programme for low-yeast bread, a timer for a delayed start for 13 hours, there is a function to keep the finished loaf hot for an hour after the end of cooking.

Panasonic bread makers traditionally use the "direct" order of loading ingredients, SD-2510 is no exception. The direct order came from "manual" cooking, in which it is customary to add liquid products to bulk products to obtain a dough without lumps and uniform density. In addition, it is more convenient to measure flour, then pour water into a measuring cup, and not vice versa, when flour sticks to a wet glass.

Panasonic SD-2510 can be recommended to fans of constancy. This bread maker will work for many years and will delight the owners and their guests with fresh, fragrant and healthy pastries.