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There’s nothing better in the world than fresh bread, but buying from a supermarket is hit and miss at best. Plus, half the time you go shopping, the exact loaf you’re looking for is nowhere to be found. If you’re tired of the struggle, want healthier, customized bread, and don’t mind a few minutes of manual labour, a bread maker is your ticket to delicious homemade bread any time you have a carb craving. To view a selection of the best bread makers in Canada, keep reading!

Why trust us?

We took our time analyzing 14 bread makers and conducting significant research into bread makers to find the top picks available on the market. Our research team dedicated more than 24 hours to evaluating bread makers and putting together a helpful, accurate buying guide so that you can choose from an elite list of the best bread makers in Canada.

Best bread makers in Canada

Best overall: ZOJI BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus breadmaker

The ZOJI Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus bread maker is a top performer in the industry with delicious, consistent results every time. This bread maker has an impressive 15 cook cycles for white bread, whole wheat bread, European, multigrain, gluten-free, salt-free, sugar-free, vegan, rapid white, rapid whole wheat, dough, sourdough, cake, jam, and homemade. The homemade setting offers 3 memory presets for you to program custom recipes. This is a horizontal bread maker, so you’ll have that classic rectangular loaf shape with a rounded, browned top. The lid also has a viewing window so you can entertain the kids while the machine mixes, kneads, and bakes for you.

This bread maker only makes 2-lb loaves, which is a bit surprising considering most other bread makers have a little more variety than that, but you do have multiple crust options to choose from depending on how brown you like your bread. There are two kneading blades and dual heaters on the top and bottom of the bread maker, which are responsible for the excellent quality loaves produced by this high-end bread machine. The digital display is incredibly easy to operate and includes a 13-hour delay timer for fresh, warm bread, greeting you when you get home from work or wake up in the morning. Overall, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bread maker that produces a better loaf than this ZOJI Virtuoso Plus bread maker.

What sets the ZOJI BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus breadmaker apart?

One of the most notable features of the ZOJI Virtuoso Plus bread maker is the homemade baking options. There are very few automatic bread makers that can be programmed with a homemade recipe, let alone three of them. Experienced bread makers will get a lot of enjoyment out of this personalization since they can perfect their own recipes and still avoid the manual work. We’re also pleased that this bread maker has two kneading paddles since the majority of bread makers rely on one paddle only. The overall loaf quality achieved with the dual heaters in the top and bottom is also quite unique since most bread makers have just one heat source and rely on air circulation for even browning, which isn’t as reliable or effective.

What could be improved on?

There are only a couple of features lacking on the ZOJI Virtuoso Plus. We would like to see some more loaf size options since this bread maker is so automatic that it only makes 2-lb loaves, and some users may prefer smaller loaf sizes, particularly if they live alone or as part of a couple and won’t get through the larger loaf sizes quickly enough for them to stay fresh and soft. Some extra functions, such as bake only or knead only, would also be a great improvement on newer models since many users find these settings helpful, particularly when recipes call for double kneading.

Performance of the ZOJI BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus breadmaker

Cycle variety

The ZOJI bread maker offers plenty of variety in bread types as well as cakes and jams with 15 cycle options for maximum versatility. You can even set up to 3 custom recipes using the homemade memory function. This is one of the most versatile bread makers around. 

Timer functionality

The delay timer can be set up to 13 hours in advance, giving users plenty of freedom when planning their fresh loaves for any meal of the day. You can also set rapid cooking cycles, but this bread maker doesn’t have other timer features, such as a mix-ins reminder.

Loaf size options

The ZOJI bread maker is a great choice for families since it can make large 2-lb loaves, but it doesn’t have smaller size options, so you’ll have to do without the extra variety that some other bread makers offer with 2-3 size options.

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Best for beginners: Hamilton Beach 29882C HomeBaker breadmaker

The Hamilton Beach HomeBaker bread maker is an affordable, intuitive machine that includes all of the automatic features for beginners who know nothing about baking bread. There are 12 cook cycles for all of the most popular programs: basic, French, gluten-free, quick, sweet, dough, jam, cake, whole grain, and bake as well as 1.5 and 2-lb express cycles if you’re in a hurry or just impatient for yummy bread. In addition to the two loaf sizes of 1.5lbs and 2 lbs., you also have a choice of 3 crust colours ranging from light to dark to further customize your bread.

For your convenience, an adjustable delay timer is included so you can prepare ahead of time and set the loaf to finish baking at a specific time, making your dinner or breakfast prep that much less labour-intensive. All parts are dishwasher safe for simplified clean-up, and the bread basket is non-stick to ensure you always remove a perfectly shaped loaf. This bread maker does only have one kneading paddle, but its 600-watt motor can power through the thicker doughs with no problem single-paddle style. The large display sits front and center for easy viewing, and it includes a 1-hour keep warm function to keep your bread at a perfect serving temperature without continuing the cooking process. Though a more affordable option, this bread maker offers nearly all the same performance features of a higher-end bread maker, making it a great pick for novices or casual home bakers alike.

What sets the Hamilton Beach 29882C HomeBaker breadmaker apart?

The Hamilton Beach bread maker offers two express cycles for each loaf size, and it’s faster than the industry average for the 2-lb size. This bread maker also offers outstanding versatility considering its price point, and the overall ease of use beats out a lot of the competition. The viewing window is also larger than many other models so that you can more easily view and monitor the progress of your loaf. The amount of choice you have with the 12 cooking functions makes this one of the most versatile bread makers on the market, especially since the bake only function can be used for more than just bread.

What could be improved on?

Since there is only one kneading paddle, it gets stuck further up in the loaf than smaller dual kneading paddles would, requiring it to be dug out of the loaf. Since many users don’t enjoy this aspect of using their bread maker, collapsible or removable kneading paddles before baking would be a greatly-received improvement on a future model. We would also recommend a slightly different shape since placing the viewing window at the back of the machine makes it trickier to view unless you go up on your tiptoes since the bread maker is tall.

Performance of the Hamilton Beach 29882C HomeBaker breadmaker

Cycle variety 

There is a great cycle variety with the Hamilton Beach bread maker. It makes all the common bread types you could need and includes multiple additional cooking functions like express baking different sizes loaves and baking only.

Timer functionality

Users will appreciate the advanced timer functionality of the Hamilton Beach HomeBaker. The adjustable delay timer is incredibly useful for prepping your bread in advance, and the keep warm timer of up to one hour is a helpful feature for days when you’re running behind.

Loaf size options

Including two loaf sizes is usually expected with bread makers above the price point of the Hamilton beach bread maker, so users should feel lucky that they can save money and enjoy greater variety. 1.5lb and 2lb loaves are the most popular options as well, which is a thoughtful design choice. 

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Best variety: Cuisinart CBK-110C Automatic bread maker

The Cuisinart CBK-110C automatic bread maker is one of the best options out there if you’re looking for maximum versatility when making homemade bread. With three crust options and three loaf sizes, your bread can be customized to your exact preferences with just a couple of button presses. The bread pan and paddle are non-stick and dishwasher safe for super convenient cleanup and are BPA-free for your health and safety. This vertical bread maker saves space on your counter and has a large viewing window for monitoring the progress of your loaf, which is particularly helpful if you aren’t sure about the crust colour you want with various bread types.

There are 12 programmed cycle options, including white, whole wheat, French, sweet, gluten-free, ultra-fast, artisan dough, normal dough, jam, cake, packaged mix, and bake only. The packaged mix and artisan dough options are rarer, so users looking for added versatility will find these unique program settings to their liking. The mixing process is achieved with only one kneading paddle, but its 550-watt power will thoroughly mix even the densest dough types at the 2-pound loaf size. The digital display is very easy to navigate, and the overall design of the bread maker is intuitive for ease of use, even if it’s your first time baking bread at home.

What sets the Cuisinart CBK-110C Automatic bread maker apart?

Though many bread makers have multiple loaf sizes, finding one that offers three instead of two is more of a challenge, and we are happy to see three loaf size options on a bread maker of this calibre since users will get so much more use out of their machine. The preset program for a packaged mix is also quite unique since most other bread makers require you to add fresh ingredients yourself, so this is extra convenient. The digital style of the bread maker is more user-friendly than dials and awkward displays, especially since the buttons are clearly labelled and each program setting can be adjusted individually. This is also one of the most compact bread makers since it takes up minimal space on your kitchen counter with a vertical design and straight rectangular design – this makes it easier to store than rounded alternatives.

What could be improved on?

We have no recommendations for improvement with the Cuisinart automatic bread maker beyond a few suggestions for greater convenience. Dual paddles that are removable or collapsible prior to baking would be beneficial, as well as a mix-ins reminder for adding nuts, seeds, cheese, or dried fruit to your bread. These features would help users more easily achieve the perfect loaf. In terms of performance or variety, there is nothing lacking with this Cuisinart bread maker.

Performance of the Cuisinart CBK-110C Automatic bread maker

Cycle variety

With 12 presets to choose from, the Cuisinart automatic bread maker competes with the top industry models. One cycle variety that isn’t very common is the packaged mix setting, so we definitely recommend this bread maker if you want a top-tier variety compared to industry leaders.

Timer functionality

This Cuisinart bread maker doesn’t have as many of the more advanced timer features that other high-end bread makers do, but it does have the most important ones: a 13-hour delay timer and automatic warming after cooking. Since these are the most commonly used timer features, users won’t feel a lack of functionality even if switching from a higher-end model.

Loaf size options

This Cuisinart bread maker offers 3 loaf sizes, which is the maximum number of size options found on automatic bread makers. The largest size is a 2lb loaf, which is enough for larger families for multiple days at least, and the variety ensures you never run out of bread or have to throw away a stale loaf ever again.

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How to choose the best bread maker in Canada

Price 

Bread maker prices vary more than your mood before and after you eat. Luckily, that means there are affordable options for everyone regardless of budget and high-performance options with all the features you could ask for if you’re willing and able to splurge a little. Since a lot of bread makers have the same basic concept and features, the largest difference in price will come from loaf sizes, cycle options, and the brand you choose. Of course, your bread machine will pay for itself in the long run, so it’s ok to stretch that budget just a little if you want a higher-quality loaf with better programmable settings.

Cycle variety 

Bread makers are designed to be very versatile, so you’ll usually have at least 8 bread-making cycles to choose from. Some models have 12 or 15 different programmable settings, though you’ll usually pay more for greater variety. The most common cook cycles that are available on bread makers are white bread, multi-grain bread, sourdough bread, French bread, gluten-free bread, dough, and whole wheat. Some higher-end bread makers can even make cake and jam if you want extra functionality in a single kitchen appliance. Since each bread type requires a different kneading time, rising time, baking time, and temperature settings, the more cycle options you have, the more you’ll be able to do without resorting to the manual method. Most bread makers also include setting options for express bake, knead only, or bake without mixing and kneading, such as for muffins or yogurt.

Timer functionality

As with most other automatic cooking appliances, the timer function of your bread maker is incredibly important. Though the mixing, kneading, and baking times will most likely be determined by the cycle option you set, there are a few other timer features to look for. The most commonly used timer feature is the delay start. A delay start function allows you to set the desired time to have your bread made. This could mean it’s ready when you wake up in the morning when you get home from work or for lunch midday. A delay start is an incredibly helpful tool since we all lead busy lives and often don’t have the time to prepare the ingredients and wait up to four hours to enjoy our bread. Delaying the start time of the cook cycle ensures you won’t have to bend over backwards, rearranging your schedule to make a loaf of bread. The other most popular timer features are a countdown display showing how long your bread has left to bake and an ingredient reminder, so you are alerted to the perfect time to add your mix-ins before the end of the bake cycle.

Loaf size options

One of the most important performance indicators of a bread maker in Canada is what loaf sizes it can handle. Though the maximum loaf size does vary from machine to machine, nearly all bread makers offer 1lb and 2lb options since these are the most popular sizes. Many bread makers also include half-pound options to give users a middle ground, and the maximum loaf size is usually 2.5 lbs. As this is a family-sized loaf, most households can’t go through more than that before the loaf begins going stale. Of course, some breads are denser than others (think about the weight difference between the average white bread vs. Sourdough bread), and additions like nuts or dried fruit will also affect the size of your loaf; your initial water and flour concoction should reflect the add-ons.

Crust options 

While baking bread in an oven is imprecise at best, a bread maker allows you to control the colour and crunch of your crust while ensuring a perfect interior texture. Though colour control isn’t a necessary feature, you’re incredibly likely to find at least two crust options even on the most budget-friendly bread makers. The most common number is three: light, medium, and dark. If you’re the untrusting type and would prefer to monitor the crust colour for yourself, especially for finicky recipes like sweet breads and doughs, choose a bread maker with a viewing window so you can make sure that medium doesn’t mean too dark for your preferences. 

Accessories included

Everyone loves to accessorize, and a bread maker should come with a few important accessories as well. The most important of these is one or two kneading paddles inside the bread machine, and the number of paddles included will be determined by the quality of the machine you choose. Kneading paddles either stay in place during baking (and leave your bread with a couple of puncture holes) or are collapsible/removable for a pristine loaf.  Many bread makers also come with liquid measuring cups, measuring spoons, and nested measuring cups to make your prep process streamlined and accurate.