The healthiest bread is beyond a shadow of a doubt the bread that’s made in your home. Having a bread maker in your kitchen is a must if you’re concerned about healthful foods for your family. In this article, we’ll be reviewing our favorite affordable bread makers, as well as concluding which is the best bread maker under $100!
The Benefits of Owning a Bread Maker
There are many benefits of owning a bread maker, including:
Nutritional Content
Freshly made bread is loaded with essential nutrients and grains that keep our bodies healthy and running well. Unlike store-bought bread, there are no additives or preservatives that may be harmful to you and your family’s health. Plus, you decide what goes in it and the quality of the ingredients! From ancient grains and local honey to organic dairy and free-range eggs, you know exactly what’s going in your family’s bodies and exactly how good it is for them!
It’s Fresher and Tastes Better
Sure, it’s easier to go to the store and grab that loaf of white bread off the shelf for a few bucks, but is it really worth it? Even when you can buy somewhat healthful, organic store brands, there’s just nothing like the aroma, smell, and texture of homemade bread. Homemade bread is often thicker, heartier, and tastier than store loaves. Organic store-bought bread is also expensive, meaning that by making bread at home, the average amount you spend on organic bread lowers!
You Don’t Have to Worry About Allergens
If you or someone in your family has food allergies, making your bread at home can ensure that those allergens aren’t present. Making homemade bread will also save you time searching for nut-free breads and reading paragraphs of ingredients at the store. And, even if you do find a bread in-store that doesn’t contain the allergen(s), there’s no way you could know if the loaf has been exposed to cross-contamination. When you’re at home, you know exactly where your bread has been.
Endless Recipes
If you have special dietary preferences, such as gluten-free, making your own bread vastly expands the kind of breads you’ll be eating. There are tons of bread recipes to browse on the internet — far more that are tailored to your dietary needs than what the stores can offer (at a reasonable price, anyway).
The Best Bread Maker Under $100
Now that we’ve taken a look at what makes homemade bread better, let’s hop into the affordable bread maker reviews!
1. Pohl Schmitt Stainless Steel Bread Machine
Highly rated and featuring 14 settings for perfect bread no matter the kind, the Pohl Schmitt Stainless Steel Bread Machine is a cooking force to be reckoned with. This bread maker features a digital display with a cook delay timer. On the digital display, you can choose what crust color, loaf size, and cycle, and when the bread is on its final few minutes, it will beep to alert you to add any last ingredients.
This machine is pleasantly quiet (aside from whenever nuts are added) and easy to clean, thanks to its dishwasher safe inner bread pan. It also features a window at the top of the machine so that you can peer inside and satisfy your curiosity as to how your bread is coming along. And though some cheaper bread makers have the unfortunate downside of not always cooking their loaves thoroughly, that isn’t a problem with the Pohl Schmitt, as it cooks completely inside and out.
What We Like:
- 14 settings to bake bread perfect every time
- Highly rated and raved about
- The digital display allows you to choose crust color, loaf size, and cycle
- Beeps to alert you to add any last ingredients to your bread
- Cooks very evenly
- Easy to use, even for first-timers
2. Secura Bread Maker Machine
A surprisingly versatile bread maker for the price, the Secura Bread Maker Machine features three crust color modes and allows you to make 3 different sized loaves. It features a programmable LCD digital display and a timer that can be set up to a 15-hour delay before it begins making bread (just in case you want fresh bread bright and early in the morning or ready to go for dinner!). The timer also has a “keep warm” feature that keeps your bread toasty (pun intended) for up to an hour before you eat.
The Secura Bread Maker also includes a an add-in ingredient reminder and will beep to alert you to add any final ingredients such as nuts or fruits. Keep an eye on the progress your bread is making through the handy dandy viewing glass. The inner bread pan is non-stick and dishwasher safe to make cleanup easy.
What We Like:
- 3 different loaf sizes
- 3 crust color modes
- Up to 15-hour delay start
- Holds bread warm for an hour before eating
- LCD digital display
- Add ingredient reminder
- Non-stick inner bread pan
- Dishwasher safe
- Lightweight (just a little over 2 pounds)
3. MasterChef Bread Maker
The MasterChef Bread Maker is one of the most versatile, affordable bread makers on the market! It features 19 individual settings to make the perfect breads, doughs, and even jams. Theses include Basic (white or mixed breads), Whole Wheat, Rapid, French, Multigrain, Sweet, Sandwich Bread, Jam, Gluten-Free, Dough, and Cake. It has an up to 13-hour delay function so that you can set the ingredients and forget them, leaving the machine to do the work for you! It also has a viewing window so that you can keep an eye on the bread’s progress, along with a warming function to keep the loaf warm before breakfast or dinner.
You can make either 1.5 or 2-pound loaves in this bread maker, with the option of dark crust, light crust, or medium crust color. A free recipe guide is included with your purchase to get you accustomed to making bread at home, as well.
What We Like:
- 19 individual settings for bread, dough, and jam
- 13-hour delay timer for perfect bread at any time of day
- Free recipe guide included with your purchase
- 3 crust color settings
- Makes 1.5 and 2-pound loaves
4. Rosewill Rapid Bake Bread Maker
The Rosewill Rapid Bake Bread Maker features a built-in nut and fruit dispenser and can bake 1.5 and 2-pound loaves. It has 12 digital bread-making programs including Basic, French, Whole Wheat, Gluten-Free, Sweet, Quick, Jam, Cake, Sandwich, Dough, and Rapid Bake (which bakes dough in under an hour!). If you’re going out for the day, but need a fresh loaf of bread for dinner, the 13-hour cook delay timer will be of use! There’s also a 1-hour Hold Warm function that holds your bread until you’re ready to eat.
The direct current motor allows this bread maker to function quietly in your home and the body features a viewing window and dishwasher safe components, including a nonstick bread pan and kneading blade. This is a fully automatic bread maker, meaning that it won’t alert you to add in any final ingredients at the end (like most on our list). Instead, you place all your ingredients in the bread maker at once and the machine does the rest!
What We Like:
- Fully automatic bread maker — no need for you to add in any final ingredients!
- Quiet operation
- Features 12 digital bread-making programs
- 13-hour cook delay timer
- 1 hour Hold Warm function
- Nonstick inner bread pan
- Dishwasher safe inner components
5. Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Bread Maker Machine
The final best bread maker under $100 on our list, the Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Bread Maker Machine is a sleek black color and features 19 baking functions so that you can experiment with different varieties of bread. It can bake 1 to 2-pound loaves and features three crust color options ranging from light to dark. The control buttons are very beginner-friendly, as it only has 4 buttons and a timer. It has a 15-hour delay timer and a 1 hour Hold Warm function and includes all of the tools you’ll need to make the perfect bread every time.
What We Like:
- Black goes good with anything
- Includes every tool you’ll need to make bread
- 19 baking functions for various bread types
- Bakes 1 to 2-pound bread loaves
- 3 crust color options
- 15-hour delay timer
- 1 hour Hold Warm function
- Beginner-friendly function
Bread Maker Accessories
Now that you’ve decided on which bread maker you’ll be adding to your collection of kitchen utensils, you may want to consider these handy bread maker accessories to make your life just a little bit easier…
1. Bread Box
You’ve made your bread, now where are you gonna put it?
This adorable, vintage-style bread box would be the perfect place to store that delectable loaf of homemade bread. It’s extra-large to accommodate two of any sized bread loaves and the lid is a bamboo cutting board (so you’ll be killing two birds with one stone!). It comes in three colors, black, cream, and red, and features an adorable bread and wheat graphic at the bottom of the box.
2. Bread Basket
Bread box not your thing? Try this bread basket on for size!
This breadbasket would make an adorable addition to any home kitchen. It’s dark wicker and comes with a cream-colored basket liner and cover so that you can store your bread or serve it in style. It will fit sliced or whole loaves and after a few uses, you can handwash both the liner and cover for a renewed, fresh breadbasket
3. Bread Knife
Everyone needs a good, old-fashioned bread knife!
This wavy-edged bread knife is long, sharp, and will do the trick no matter what kind of bread it faces. Its handle comes in 8 different colors to match your kitchen, including black, blue, brown, gray, green, yellow, red, and purple.
4. Bread Slicer Cutting Guide
Worried your bread slices won’t be even? With this bread slicer cutting guide, you’ll get the perfect slice every time!
This #1 Best Seller is made of responsibly-sourced, 100% organic, beautiful, light-colored bamboo wood, and is stationed atop a crumb catcher so that you don’t have to worry about bread pieces falling on your counter or floor. And once you’re done using it, simply fold flat and place into storage. This bread slicer even comes with a bread knife!
Final Thoughts
When it comes to the best bread maker under $100, we’d have to say our favorite is the Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Bread Maker Machine. The black exterior would look great in any kitchen, it features 19 bread-making functions, has an easy-to-use button system, and bakes bread like a charm. It’s also the second most affordable option on our list, meaning you won’t be burning a hole in your pocket.