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With top scores across the board for ease of use, quiteness, bread quality and value for money, 5 Star Chef is a great choice for keen breadmakers.
A breadmaker is a kitchen appliance that makes bread. That much is obvious, but what some people don’t realise is that these handy machines fully automate the baking process.
After you pour your ingredients into the tin, the breadmaker uses a paddle to combine the ingredients and knead the dough. The breadmaker then lets the dough proof and rise before baking your loaf of bread.
In short, these appliances take much of the hassle out of making different varieties of bread.
Learn more in our guide to the best breadmakers in Australia.
One of the key ways to distinguish between the many models available is to consider the loaf capacity they make. The four main loaf sizes are:
To put this in perspective, a 500g loaf will usually make eight slices. Some breadmakers only offer one loaf size – for example, a 500g machine – but most offer multiple loaf sizes. The key is to consider how many people you're cooking for and how much bread you plan to eat, and then choosing a machine that suits your needs.
To ensure that you choose the best breadmaker for your needs, you'll need to think about the type of baking you'll be doing and how much money you want to spend. Consider the following features:
Are all the options on the machine's control panel presented in an easy-to-understand format? The Internet is home to plenty of user complaints about needlessly confusing and complicated breadmaker instruction manuals, so check out some customer reviews to see if this could be an issue.
The range of pre-programmed settings varies between models and may include settings for specific types of bread, dough and crust. Generally speaking, the more programmable options a machine has, the more expensive it will be. Many models also allow you to create custom settings so you can save your own personal preferences and recipes.
The standard baking process takes between three and five hours on most models. You may also want to check whether the machine has a rapid baking cycle for when you need your bread made as quickly as possible. This may make it possible to prepare a loaf in under an hour, but it won't taste as good as a loaf treated to the full baking process.
The kneading paddles mix the ingredients together and then knead the dough. breadmakers generally have one or two paddles; single-paddle machines are usually cheaper and you may find that a machine with two paddles offers more consistent mixing. Some breadmakers allow you to remove the kneading paddle before baking, while other paddles remain in the machine and leave a small hole in the bottom of your loaf.
More advanced breadmakers feature automatic dispensers that can add ingredients like yeast, fruit and nuts at a pre-programmed time during the cooking cycle. If this feature isn't available, you'll need to add extra ingredients to the dough by hand – some machines will stop and beep when it's the right time to do this.
Most models feature a timer that allows you to delay the start of the cooking process by up to 15 hours so you can ensure your bread is ready at the perfect time, such as when you first wake up in the morning.
| Total Score | Overall rating | Value for Money | Bread quality & consistency | Ease of use | Quietness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Star Chef | 8.43 | 4.55 | 4.73 | 4.59 | 4.64 | 4.59 |
| Panasonic | 8.13 | 4.46 | 4.32 | 4.34 | 4.42 | 4.26 |
| Breville | 7.93 | 4.33 | 4.24 | 4.29 | 4.41 | 4.16 |
| Sunbeam | 7.9 | 4.24 | 4.42 | 4.34 | 4.34 | 4.28 |
| Other | 7.76 | 4.29 | 4.43 | 4.14 | 4.29 | 4.43 |
| Kogan | 7.58 | 4.06 | 4.28 | 4.09 | 4.13 | 4.09 |
We found the 9 best breadmakers in Australia for a variety of uses, based on actual customer reviews.
