The 4 Best Bread Makers on Amazon in 2026

By TwelveTabs · Updated September 28, 2026

Illustration: a plain bread machine on a kitchen counter beside a fresh loaf, drawn as a soft 3D render. Not a real product.

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The top picks

The most programs, including gluten-free and your own recipes: KITCHENARM 29-in-1 Smart Bread Machine
Raisin, nut and seed breads with no beep to wait for: KBS Pro 17-in-1 Bread Maker with Nut Dispenser
A compact machine from a big kitchen brand, with a long warranty: Cuisinart Bread Maker Machine, 12 Programs
A simple first bread machine: Elite Gourmet 2 Lb Programmable Bread Maker

Our top pick is the KITCHENARM 29-in-1 Smart Bread Machine. It won three of the TwelveTabs searches we ran for this guide: “best bread maker”, “best bread maker for gluten free bread” and “best small bread maker”. It has 29 preset programs, a gluten-free setting and a custom cycle for your own recipes, and it bakes three loaf sizes up to 2 lb. It suits anyone who wants one machine that can do almost any bread.

If you love raisin, nut or seed breads, the KBS Pro 17-in-1 won our nut dispenser search and adds the mix-ins for you. The Cuisinart Bread Maker is a compact machine from a big kitchen brand with a longer warranty, and it was a runner-up in all four searches. And the Elite Gourmet 2 Lb is a simple first bread machine with 19 presets.

The method

How this pick was made

KITCHENARM 29-in-1 Smart Bread Machine is the top pick. This is the work behind that choice.

82Amazon search results read, across 4 searches
13finalist pages read in full
117shopper reviews read
1expert source cross-checked: King Arthur Baking

Run on September 25, 2026. AI read the listings and what shoppers say, then wrote this guide. Full method and limits

Our picks in detail

The WinnerBest overall

KITCHENARM 29-in-1 Smart Bread Machine

Best for: The most programs, including gluten-free and your own recipes

$99.99
4.6 (7,906 reviews)
1K+ bought last month

★ Amazon's Choice

Pros 29 programs plus a custom cycle
Cons No automatic nut dispenser

Prices and ratings as of September 25, 2026.

Run this search live View on Amazon

Pros and cons

Why it made the list

It won three of our searches: “best bread maker” from 18 listings, “best bread maker for gluten free bread” from 20, and “best small bread maker” from 28.
It has 29 preset programs and a custom homemade cycle, with a dedicated gluten-free setting and whole wheat and dough options.
It bakes 1, 1.5 and 2 lb loaves in three crust colors, and it comes in stainless steel with a recipe book.

Drawbacks

It has no automatic nut dispenser, which is why it lost our nut dispenser search.
Twenty-nine programs is a lot to learn if you only bake a basic loaf.

Skip it if you mostly bake fruit and nut breads and want the machine to add them for you.

Top AlternativeBest for fruit and nut breads

KBS Pro 17-in-1 Bread Maker with Nut Dispenser

Best for: Raisin, nut and seed breads with no beep to wait for

$135.99
4.4 (11,618 reviews)
900+ bought last month

Prime

Pros Adds nuts and fruit on its own
Cons 17 programs, fewer than the KITCHENARM

Prices and ratings as of September 25, 2026.

Run this search live View on Amazon

Pros and cons

Why it made the list

It won our search for “best bread maker with nut dispenser”, from 16 listings.
Its automatic dispenser adds nuts, fruit and seeds at the right time, so you do not wait for a beep.
It has 17 programs, a ceramic nonstick pan, a 710W motor, a glass touch panel, a 15-hour timer and keep-warm.

Drawbacks

It has 17 programs, fewer than the KITCHENARM.
It bakes loaves up to 2.2 lb, more bread than a small household may need.

Skip it if you never add mix-ins, or you want the most programs.

Top AlternativeBest compact, with a long warranty

Cuisinart Bread Maker Machine, 12 Programs

Best for: A compact machine from a big kitchen brand, with a long warranty

$129.95
4.4 (17,160 reviews)
3K+ bought last month

★ Amazon's Choice

Pros Compact stainless steel
Cons Fewest programs of our picks

Prices and ratings as of September 25, 2026.

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Pros and cons

Why it made the list

It was a runner-up in all four of our searches.
It is a compact stainless steel machine with 12 programs, including a gluten-free option, and loaf size controls.
It has a longer limited warranty than our top pick.

Drawbacks

It has the fewest programs of our picks.
It has no automatic dispenser: you add nuts by hand when it beeps.

Skip it if you want a custom cycle for your own recipes.

Top AlternativeBest simple machine

Elite Gourmet 2 Lb Programmable Bread Maker

Best for: A simple first bread machine

$74.99
4.5 (8,716 reviews)
1K+ bought last month

Pros 19 presets, including gluten-free
Cons Fewer presets than the KITCHENARM

Prices and ratings as of September 25, 2026.

Run this search live View on Amazon

Pros and cons

Why it made the list

It was a runner-up in three of our searches.
It has 19 presets, including a dedicated gluten-free one.
It bakes three loaf sizes, up to 2 lb.

Drawbacks

It has fewer presets than the KITCHENARM, which is why it lost those searches.
Its listing does not mention an automatic nut dispenser.

Skip it if you want a custom cycle or an automatic dispenser.

Expert picks

Wirecutter's top pick

Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker, BB-PDC20BA

Wirecutter's top pick, shown next to ours so you can compare. Our picks may differ from the experts'.

$454.00
4.6 (4,942 reviews)
700+ bought last month

View on Amazon

Compare the picks

Prices and ratings as of September 25, 2026. They change often, so check today's price on Amazon.

Our picks and Wirecutter's top pick, side by side
	Product					Outcome
1	KITCHENARM 29-in-1 Smart Bread MachinePrograms: 29 plus custom · Nut dispenser: No	Price $99.99	1K+ bought last month	Rating 4.6	7,906 reviews	Winner. Best for: The most programs, including gluten-free and your own recipes
2	KBS Pro 17-in-1 Bread Maker with Nut DispenserPrograms: 17 · Nut dispenser: Yes	Price $135.99	900+ bought last month	Rating 4.4	11,618 reviews	Best for: Raisin, nut and seed breads with no beep to wait for
3	Cuisinart Bread Maker Machine, 12 ProgramsPrograms: 12 · Nut dispenser: No, adds at the beep	Price $129.95	3K+ bought last month	Rating 4.4	17,160 reviews	Best for: A compact machine from a big kitchen brand, with a long warranty
4	Elite Gourmet 2 Lb Programmable Bread MakerPrograms: 19 · Nut dispenser: Not listed	Price $74.99	1K+ bought last month	Rating 4.5	8,716 reviews	Best for: A simple first bread machine
	Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker, BB-PDC20BA	Price $454.00	700+ bought last month	Rating 4.6	4,942 reviews	Wirecutter's top pick

How to choose a bread maker

Start with the breads you want to make and how much counter you have. Then look at these five things.

Programs. More programs mean more kinds of bread, such as whole wheat, dough for rolls or gluten-free, and a custom cycle lets you follow your own recipes. Our top pick has 29.
Gluten-free. If anyone in your home eats gluten-free, look for a dedicated gluten-free setting. Three of our picks list one.
Loaf size. Most machines here bake up to 2 lb, and several let you choose smaller 1 lb or 1.5 lb loaves for a small household.
A nut and fruit dispenser. Without one, the machine beeps partway through kneading and you add the raisins or nuts by hand. With one, it adds them on its own at the right time.
The paddles. King Arthur Baking points out that the kneading paddles can leave holes in the bottom of the loaf. Its tip is to take the paddles out just before the final rise, which means timing your machine’s cycle once with a kitchen timer.

King Arthur also suggests checking the dough about 10 minutes into kneading. It should be neither runny nor dry and stiff.

What we left out, and why

Our four searches returned 82 listings. TwelveTabs shortlisted 40 of them, read the listing pages of 13 finalists, and named a winner and runners-up in each search. The first three searches returned the same three machines, which is why we ran a fourth. We kept four and left out one: an unbranded 17-program bread maker, a runner-up in our nut dispenser search, which overlapped with the KBS and the Elite Gourmet.

Wirecutter’s top pick, the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus, is in the comparison table so you can see it next to ours. It was on the shortlists of our first two searches but did not reach the final round. Amazon also lists a newer version of it, the BB-PPC20BA, under a near-identical name, so check the model number.

Would you rather bake bread in the oven? Our baking cookware guide compares six pans and sheets, including a loaf pan.

How we researched

On September 25, 2026 we ran four live TwelveTabs searches of Amazon: “best bread maker”, “best bread maker for gluten free bread”, “best small bread maker” and “best bread maker with nut dispenser”. Together they returned 82 listings. TwelveTabs shortlisted 10 from each search, read the listing pages of 13 finalists and named a winner and runners-up in each. We kept four that each suit a different baker, and left out a near-duplicate. AI wrote this guide from that research.

Listings change: we read them on September 25, 2026, and a model, seller or stock may differ today.

Prices, ratings and review counts come from Amazon and were read on September 25, 2026.

Sources

King Arthur Baking: how to make the most successful loaves in your bread machine, read September 25, 2026
Wirecutter's top pick

Frequently asked questions

Is a bread maker worth it?

It is if you want fresh bread with little effort. King Arthur Baking is honest that what you save in time and effort you can lose in shape, and that the paddles can leave holes, but a few simple tricks help, like taking the paddles out before the final rise. Baking by hand instead? See our kitchen scale guide for weighing ingredients.

Can you make gluten-free bread in a bread maker?

Yes, with a machine that has a gluten-free setting. The KITCHENARM, Cuisinart and Elite Gourmet all list one.

How do you stop holes in the bottom of bread machine bread?

King Arthur Baking suggests taking the paddles out of the pan just before the final rise. Time your machine’s cycle once from Start to the final rise so you know when to open the lid.

What does a nut dispenser do on a bread maker?

It holds your nuts, dried fruit or seeds and adds them to the dough at the right point in kneading. Without one, the machine beeps and you add them by hand.

How did TwelveTabs choose these bread makers?

TwelveTabs ranked the Amazon listings for “best bread maker”, “best bread maker for gluten free bread”, “best small bread maker” and “best bread maker with nut dispenser”, read the pages of 13 finalists and named a winner in each search. From those 82 listings, we kept the four that each suit a different need, as of September 25, 2026. We checked the advice against King Arthur Baking. TwelveTabs, our AI shopping agent, compared the Amazon listings, and AI wrote this guide from that research. To see what it picks today, run the search yourself with the button on this page.