While they’re not a necessity, there are a number of features that some bread makers come with that only serve to enhance the baking experience. Automatic ingredient dispenser Gumtree.com Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of CarMoney Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 674094. Gumtree.com Limited is a credit broker, not a lender. Introductions are limited to motor finance, CarMoney Limited will pay us a fixed commission per paid out deal. This setting will ferment and incubate at the right temperatures needed for making yoghurt. Pasta and pizza dough

Coming with a large recipe book filled to the brim with guidance, this bread maker is ideal for bakers keen on experimenting. The modify button allows you to fully customise any of the programmes and the weights can be displayed in pounds or kilos. This beast of a bread maker boasts 32 programs for making a range of breads, cakes, doughs and jams. It’s got the same high-tech dual sensors and smartly designed kneading blade as the previous Panasonic featured, meaning you can enjoy a professional loaf every time, but the manual settings encourage creativity. A delay timer means that ingredients can be added to the mixing bowl hours in advance so you have freshly baked bread the moment you need it. Great if you’d like bread with your dinner, or want to wake up to a fresh loaf. Viewing window Where all bread makers will have the standard white and wholemeal settings, as you’ll see with our top-scorers, many of them come with much more. To make the most of your machine look out for bread makers that not only make bread but other items too. Speciality bread The Andrew James breadmaker has many of the features that you’d expect from a mid-range bread machine, and some that you wouldn’t! There’s no doubting that it’s an extremely versatile device, with programmes for cakes, pizza dough and jam along with the standard bread cycles.

The wholemeal bread, in particular, held together well and didn’t crumble. But sadly, this was another under-performer when it came to gluten-free bread, with its own recipe loaf failing to rise, while our recipe produced a slightly undercooked bake.

There are 12 optional programs so you won't be limited to the products that you can create. These include everything from the standard bread varieties through to jams, pizza dough and cakes but if you do want to explore your creative side, the 'home made' setting enables you to develop a tailored made program just for you. This Cookworks bread maker is great value, making it ideal for those on a budget. It has 12 functions and keeps bread warm once baked. This is a small basket where yeast or other add-ins, such as nuts, sultanas, chocolate and others, sit. Instead of stopping the kneading process and manually adding the ingredients, an automatic ingredient dispenser will do it for you at the right time. Delay timer It seems that this machine has thought of everything, there is even a little light so that you can look through the viewing window and see the bread cooking even when it is dark. First you have to ask why in god's name would you be standing in the kitchen in the dark, and secondly how much time have you got on your hands if you can stand and watch bread cook, but apart from that, it's there if you want it.These clever kitchen appliances take the guesswork out of baking, and do so much more besides; these days, many can whip up a range of loaves from wholemeal to brioche, and some can make jam, pizza dough and even yoghurt. Which is the best bread maker to buy? Second only to the smell of fresh bread is warm bread. A keep-warm setting will keep your freshly baked bread warm for up to an hour after the programme has finished. Bread maker settings and features to look out for Whether you love the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through your home, or you’ve been inspired to cook your own loaves after watching the Great British Bake Off, a bread maker will do the hard work for you. Included with the device are a single measuring cup and spoon, bread pain and a mixing blade. An instruction manual, containing several recipes, is also included.