Updated 27 Jul 2010

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Introduction

Our test of 9 breadmakers found 1 stood out from the rest.

The best thing about making your own bread – apart from the delicious aromas wafting from your kitchen – is that you can use the ingredients you want. So you can make low-salt or gluten-free loaves to suit your diet.

Find out which model was our star performer; plus features to look for, bread-making tips and a recipe for a soya, linseed and wholemeal loaf.

Models we tested

This report contains test results and recommendations for the following models of breadmaker:

About our test

Multigrain loaves are what our online members make most often in their breadmakers. So for this test we baked two multigrain loaves: one from the recipe supplied with the breadmaker; and one from a premix.

The loaves were assessed for:

• evenness of crust-colour and shape
• uniformity of mixing
• grain distribution
• crust and crumb texture
• air bubbles (which should be small and evenly distributed).

We also assessed how easy it was to remove the loaf from the pan, how easy the pans were to remove and replace, how intuitive the controls and labels were, and how easy the machines were to clean.

When we last tested breadmakers in July 2009 we baked white and wholemeal loaves. As we baked a different type of loaf this time, the results of the two tests aren’t strictly comparable. So we’ve retested those models still available from our 2009 test.

See the Test results to compare the performance of all the tested models.

Checklist

If you're thinking of buying a breadmaker, here's what to consider:

Pan shape
A rectangular pan gives a more traditional-shaped loaf whereas a square pan gives a tall square loaf.

Loaf size
Most breadmakers offer a choice of two or three loaf sizes. Some make fairly small loaves ranging from 450g to about 900g; others make larger loaves of about 750g to 1.25kg. Recipe books usually offer several sets of measurements. (Supermarket loaves are around 700g.)

Recipe booklet
Check whether recipes are written for New Zealand and not Australia. Some of our measures – such as tablespoons – are different from what’s used in Oz; and ingredients can differ too. So make sure there’s a supplementary booklet with Kiwi ingredients and measurements.

Programmable settings
Some models let you programme cycle times and baking temperatures.

Timer display
This shows how many minutes are left before the bread is done. As well, most machines will beep five minutes before the bread is cooked.

Progress indicator
Some models have a display showing what stage the machine is at - this gives you an idea of when ingredients need to be added or when to glaze the top of the loaf.

Power-failure protection
This can be useful if you accidentally switch off the power for a short period. The breadmaker then “remembers” what stage it was at and re-starts from there. But if the power goes off for more than a few minutes during the baking stage, it’s best to throw out the half-baked loaf and start again.

Care and cleaning

Clean your bread pan by half-filling it with warm soapy water and wiping it clean with a soft cloth.

Bread pans should never be immersed in water or washed in a dishwasher – this can rust the underside of the pan or cause the shaft to seize up.

Will you save money?

If you buy ingredients in bulk we calculate you can make a 750g loaf of white bread for under $2 (including electricity costs). This is about half the price of a comparable loaf from the supermarket.

If you make three basic white loaves a week, a $200 breadmaker will pay for itself in less than a year.
 

Making better bread

Achieving consistently good bread can involve trial and error. That’s because of the many variables in breadmaking. The freshness and quality of your raw ingredients – along with the ambient humidity and air temperature – can make a difference.

Follow our tips for better bread:

• Measure ingredients accurately (use scales if you have them).
• Always use high-grade flour with a protein content of at least 11.5g of protein per 100g of flour. (You can find this information on the nutrition information panel.)
• If you’re not using yeast with improvers (like Edmonds Surebake) add 50mg of unflavoured vitamin C or a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.
• You may have to adjust the quantities of flour and water on a seasonal basis. Check the dough after the first five minutes of kneading: it should have a smooth “satin” look and be slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky, add extra flour (one tablespoon at a time). If the dough’s looking stiff or “tight”, add extra water (one tablespoon at a time).

Baking gluten-free loaves

All breadmakers in our test except the Tefal Home Bread OW3001 have a “gluten-free” setting.

But with some experimentation, you can bake satisfactory gluten-free loaves in almost any breadmaker. Gluten-free recipes often rely on eggs to help with rising and to improve texture, so they don’t require as much kneading or rising time.

On breadmakers without a gluten-free setting, try using the “fast” (sometimes labelled “rapid” or “super fast”) setting. Or you can use the “dough only” setting, leave the dough to rise, and then bake using the “bake only” setting.

These methods will work in the Tefal using its “super fast” setting or its “dough” plus “cooking only” settings. But they may not be possible in the Sunbeam, which doesn’t have a “fast” or a “bake only” setting.

Wholemeal bread recipe

Soya, linseed and wholemeal bread recipe

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From More Daley Bread by George Dale (GP Publications, 1998).

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons Edmonds Surebake Yeast
1 cup high-grade flour
1 ½ cups wholemeal flour
½ cup soya flour
2 tablespoons gluten flour
1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons milk powder
1 ½ tablespoons lecithin
4 tablespoons linseeds
1 ½  cups water

• Place the ingredients in the bread pan in the order recommended in your bread maker manual.
•  Fit bread pan in machine, select the wholemeal baking option and 750g loaf size and press start.
• Check the dough during the first kneading phase, if it looks too dry add more water one tablespoon at a time.
• Remove bread at the end of baking and place on a rack to cool.

More information

• Benedict's Daley Bread Mix - www.benedictscafe.co.nz phone 04 589 9852