The following is the essence of what the reviewers say about picking a bread machine:

  • 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. Fully programmable machines, where you can customize the settings rather than simply choose from preprogrammed options for different loaves, can cost as much as $250. 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 fresh-baked bread. Many bread machines have 13-hour timers.
  • Choose a small machine if you want to bake bread in under an hour. Larger machines set to quick-bake cycles can turn out dense bread. Small machines can bake a small, soft loaf in 45 minutes or an hour.
  • Many machines need to be operated empty once or twice to burn off manufacturing oils. Some manufacturers fail to mention this in their operating manual. If it isn't noted in your manual, call the customer service department to find out if it's necessary.
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