YOU need a lot more dough to buy bread these days.
Latest figures show the cost of a loaf is 38 per cent higher than 12 months ago.
Lynsey Hope tries seven makers and marks them out of ten for the bread, value and an overall score
Bread manufacturers blame Russia’s war with Ukraine for the soaring price of wheat
Manufacturers blame Russia’s war with Ukraine for the soaring price of wheat.
Some are trying to beat the rise by using breadmakers.
Most cost only around 6p an hour to run and ingredients are less than 40p – with a standard loaf at over £1.
Paul Murphy, of Currys, said: “Many have turned to breadmakers to save money.”
But which makes the tastiest loaf?
Mum of three Lynsey Hope, 41, from West Malling, Kent, tries seven and marks them out of ten for the bread, value and an overall score.
Morphy Richards Fastbake £49.99
BREAD: 8 VALUE: 9 OVERALL: 8
THE Fastbake function lets you bake a loaf in 58 minutes.
It has a delay timer so you can bake overnight and 12 settings allowing you to make not just bread but cakes, jams and marmalade too.
I liked that all the controls were on the front of the machine, which made it easy to use.
It’s very compact, too, so doesn’t take up much room in the kitchen.
The bread it made had a lovely open texture and was soft and pillowy inside with a nicely browned crust.
Aldi Ambiano £49.99, aldi.co.uk
BREAD: 10 VALUE: 10 OVERALL: 10
YOU can make anything from rye to fruit loaves in this great budget model from Aldi.
Its display panel offers three loaf sizes, and a measuring cup and spoon, bread pan, kneading paddle and hook are all included.
You can set a 15-hour timer to bake over-night and there is a 60-minute “keep warm” function too.
My white loaf had great texture and was fluffy in the middle.
The machine has 189 five-star reviews on aldi.co.uk, so others like it as much as me.
Tower Fast Bake 2lb Digital £61.99, amazon.co.uk
BREAD: 7 VALUE: 5 OVERALL: 6
MAKE a 700g or 1,000g loaf in this and there are three crust colour settings – light, medium and dark.
If you want to wake up to fresh bread, this model also has a 13-hour delay timer.
I found it quite straight-forward to use and the display will tell you how long is left of your bake.
The finished loaf was well-risen and the crust had a lovely golden colour.
If you’re only just getting into breadmaking, this is a great option for a beginner.
Lakeland Touchscreen £149.99, lakeland.co.uk
BREAD: 9 VALUE: 5 OVERALL: 7
A SIMPLE and versatile machine that is a great choice whether you are a novice or seasoned breadmaker.
You can choose loaf size and crust colour and this model makes the biggest loaves of all the machines we tried, so a great choice for big families.
It made a lovely, fluffy white loaf with a thin, crunchy crust.
The sides get very hot while in use though, so position it away from little hands.
It’s very big as well, so you’ll need a big kitchen to store it, but overall I was very impressed.
Russell Hobbs Fast Bake 18036, £59.99, currys.co.uk
BREAD: 9 VALUE: 9 OVERALL: 9
THIS will give you the quickest loaf time out of the machines here – 55 minutes.
The touchscreen panel is basic but easy to use.
I chose the medium crust colour and my loaf came out a bit pale but tasted good and was fluffy.
It offers special programs including sweet bread and gluten-free and it makes jam and cakes.
It is compact and simple in design and has a 13-hour timer for overnight baking.
Great for trying breadmaking without spending much.
Amazon Basics £58.36, amazon.co.uk
BREAD: 8 VALUE: 6 OVERALL: 7
I’VE used this several times now and the first few loaves came out perfectly.
For the price, this is great value. It’s easy to use and affordable.
It has 15 functions for everything from French, gluten-free and sweet bread to cake, jams and yoghurt.
I tried this on a few of the settings and some were better than others, though none of them was a disaster.
The paddle mixer worked well.
Ideal for a smaller loaf and it’s compact if you are struggling for storage.
Panasonic SD-B2510 Automatic £99.99, panasonic.com
BREAD: 10 VALUE: 10 OVERALL: 10
PANASONIC is well known for its breadmakers and this is a great price.
It’s fancier than others from the brand and has 21 settings, including gluten-free bakes, brioche bread and jam.
You can select from three different-sized loaves and choose which colour you would like your bread to be.
I loved the fresh flavour and fluffy texture of the white and wholemeal loaves I made using this.
All bread from this machine tasted fantastic.
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