Top 6 Large Bread Machines

Making bread using an automatic bread maker can greatly reduce your grocery bill, more so if you have a large family under your roof. Unfortunately, most bread makers available on the market are designed for medium-sized to small families.

[See: Best Bread Baking Cookbooks]

Most of them can only support loaf sizes of only 2 pounds, which is approximately 900 grams. Manufacturers of bread machines have identified this gap, and have now come up with various models, which can make loaves weighing up 3 pounds and above.

If you are on the market looking for a bread maker for your big family, here are top 6 large bread makers.

1 – Panasonic SD-YD250 (2.5 pound)

This is a compact and conveniently small bread maker. However, it can still make breads of up to 2.5 pounds, despite its small size. It comes with a small yeast dispenser positioned at the top of the main lid.

Therefore, you don’t have to open the whole lid when you need to add extra ingredients. This ensures that no heat is lost, while the bread bakes consistently.

The external casing consists of a rectangular and white shell, made of sturdy plastic. It also comes with rubber feet, which prevents scuffing of your counter tops. Due to its compact size, it can fit in most kitchens.

Unlike other models, it only comes with few buttons. This makes operation much easier. It comes with a 13-hour delay, to make your planning much easier.

One unique feature of this bread maker, is the yeast dispenser located at the top. It also comes with an instructional manual, with more than 40 recipes for dough and bread.

Pros

• Easy to clean
• Solid construction
• With the dough option, it can mix and knead automatically
• Automatic yeast dispenser keeps the yeast dry until when needed

Cons

• Lack of a viewing window in the lid
• Bread programs are not customizable using personal preferences
• Rest periods can be frustratingly long

According to customer feedback, the Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic is preferred due to its compact size. It is large enough to bake large bread sizes and small enough not to take up too much space in the kitchen.

It has a simple programming while the yeast dispenser makes it unique. It is available from Amazon from $179.95.

2 – Breadman BK2000B (2.5 Pounds)

If you love the gourmet bread but you lack the desire or time to make it, then you don’t have to worry anymore. The Breadman BK2000B bread-making machine might just be what you have been looking for.

It comes with various exciting features, which includes the option of baking two distinct loaf sizes simultaneously.

As much as it might cost more than your usual bread makers, you will come to appreciate the features. It comes with a collapsible measuring cup, an adjustable measuring spoon, a large loaf pan for your large family, and a manual with more than 80 different recipes.

Also included in this bread maker is an automatic nut and fruit dispenser, which makes it convenient and simple, to adding flavor to your bread.

It also features a 15-hour time delay functionality, allowing you to add ingredients when it is convenient.

Pros

• Easy and quick to clean
• Comes with a dough and bake only cycle
• Automatic nut and fruit dispenser for your convenience
• Collapsible paddles that are easy to remove
• Can make a large loaf for your big family

Cons

• Impossible to make your own custom bread
• Lacks a preheat cycle
• Paddles might fail to collapse at times

Although it might have a few setbacks, consumers appreciate the user-friendliness of this bread maker. In fact, some have listed it as one of the bread machines available today. The automatic nut and fruit dispenser is also a nice touch.

3 – Panasonic SD-RD250 (2.5 lbs)

Sized to fit on your counter top or inside a cabinet, the Panasonic SD-RD250 comes with a moderate footprint, to minimize space consumption inside your kitchen. Despite its compact size, it is capable of producing a large loaf size of up to 2.5 pounds, if you have a large family.

This loaf size is slightly larger than the normal loaf size you would buy from a supermarket. The good thing is that you get to prepare the loaf with the ingredients of your choice.

Some of the features that you get when buy this bread maker include crust control, non-stick baking pan, measuring spoon and measuring pan included, 13-hour programmable delay timer and various bade modes.

Pros

• Raisin dispenser works perfectly when you want to make raisin bread
• Ability to prepare pizza dough using the pizza dough mode
• Quick to clean and easy to use

Cons

• Rest period is quite long
• Lacks a viewing window

The Panasonic SD-RD250 is a durable, attractive and easy to maintain bread maker. It is preferred over other models due to its sleek design and compact size. It also comes with an automatic nut and fruit dispenser.

Despite all these great features, it only costs $165.46 on Amazon.

4 – West Bend 41300 (2.5 Pounds)

This is a dual-blade bread maker, which gives you the freedom of making delicious and fresh bread at the comfort of your home. It is quite small, considering that it is an automatic bread maker.

The good news is that it can bake up to four loaf sizes, including a big-sized loaf for your large family. It comes with a wide range of programmable settings.

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It also makes a rectangular loaf, similar to what you get when you buy a loaf from a bakery or a supermarket. It has a functional and attractive design, consisting of black plastic on the outer shell, black front buttons and a stainless steel lid.

The large LCD display is conveniently positioned towards the front while the buttons are visible and easy to read. It also comes with two large viewing windows, allowing you to monitor the progress of your cooking.

Pros

• Bread rises consistently
• Produces rectangular loaves
• Dual-kneading paddles and strong motor
• Homemade programmable cycles
• Attractive and user-friendly design

Cons

• Inconsistent manual
• Lacks an automatic fruit dispenser

This bread maker is good value for money, when you consider the vast amount of features that it comes with. Customers love its ability to produce horizontal loaves, while the dual-blade design is a smart move.

For $98.84, you are able to purchase a bread-making machine for your large family.

5 – Black & Decker B6000C (3 lbs)

The Black & Decker B6000C is one of the best bread machines currently available. It is one of the few bread makers, with a capacity of producing a 3-pound loaf.

To put this into perspective, a 3-pound loaf can feed a family of 6 to 9 people. You might be asking yourself what makes this bread machine so outstanding.

Well, to start off, the fact that it can make a 3-pound loaf is a unique feature by itself. Apart from that, it comes with a large viewing window, 13-hour delay timer, non-stick baking pan, eight bread-making programs, audible signal that reminds you to add nuts and fruits, a crust control button, as well as extra programs for kneading dough, or cooking jam.

The menu options are conveniently positioned on the front and written in English. You can also make gluten-free bread with this machine.

The horizontal bread-baking pan comes with a non-stick coating on the inside. This makes bread removal and cleaning easy.

Pros

• Affordable bread machine
• Designed to maximize counter space
• Thorough and excellent mixing of dough
• Produces an audible signal to remind you to add raisins or nuts
• In-built viewing window allows you to monitor progress
• Can make a 3-pound loaf

Cons

• LCD display is not backlit
• Lacks a pre-heat function
• Add-in notification is not adjustable

If you are looking for an affordable bread machine, with the ability to produce large-sized loaves for big families, then you should consider this one. According to customer feedback, it works great while its additional capacity is a huge bonus.

6 – West Bend 41410 (2 & 1/2 lbs)

This mid-level bread maker comes with some of the best features found in high-end models, at a cheaper cost. However, it is solidly built, unlike cheaper models that tend to be flimsy and weak.

The best thing about this bread maker is that it is capable of making 3 loaf sizes, most importantly a 2.5 pound loaf, for a larger family. Such a loaf can comfortably feed a family of 4 to 6 people.

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Similar to other bread makers, it is designed with some standard features, which include 12-preprogrammed settings, of which one allows you to bake gluten-free bread.

When baking the 2.5-pound loaf, it will take around 3 hours. It is worth the wait. An extra large viewing window positioned at the top gives you exclusive monitoring of the progress.

Pros

• Gluten-free menu option if you prefer gluten-free bread
• The LCD display provides a marker during each stage of the procedure
• Comes with two kneading paddles plus a rectangular bread pan
• Can make up to 2.5 pounds of loaf
• It is light and compact

Cons

• Lack of handles for carrying around
• Lacks a programmable menu option
• Bread pan is not dishwasher safe

The West Bend 41410 provides an affordable alternative to the more expensive models. It serves the same purpose, and you don’t have to break the bank.

Customers love its quite operation, plus the fact that it produces a traditional rectangular loaf. For only $89.99, you have a bread machine to satisfy everyone in your family.

Conclusion

A normal-sized loaf can disappear very fast, especially if you have a large family. Therefore, if you want to bake homemade bread for several people, then you will require a bread maker that can produce large loaf sizes.

The above listed bread machines are among the best you can find on the market today. The most important thing when selecting them is to find one that meets the needs of your family as well as personal preferences.

Budget and durability are other considerations, considering this is a one-off investment.

Otherwise, happy bread-making!