Gluten Free Bread Machine Reviews
(5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5)
Loading...Lots of folks ask me for my gluten free bread machine reviews: which do I prefer for baking gluten free bread? In the many, many years I’ve been baking gluten free bread, I have tried just about all the bread machines out there — those with gluten free bread settings and those without. Here I review a Zojirushi, Hamilton Beach and T-fal gluten free bread machine and compare their features for you.
Below are the reviews of my two favorite lower cost gluten free bread machines as compared to the Zojirushi® Home Baker Virtuoso, which has traditionally been the most highly regarded gluten free bread machine by most bakers (including myself).
Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread baked in a Zojirushi Bread Machine. (Click on photo for recipe)
I have traveled all over the country teaching gluten free bread baking classes and have most often used my trusty Zojirushi. While it has a pre-programmed gluten free setting, I program my own gluten free setting to avoid some of the issues which can arise with the pre-programmed one (including a punch-down setting which I never recommend for gluten free bread).
For more information on how to easily program a bread machine like the Zojirushi for baking gluten free bread (one of the attributes I like most about it), review my comprehensive article on baking gluten free bread in a bread maker.
The other feature of the Zojirushi which is so nice is the pan itself: it has a long pan with two mixing paddles for better mixing and for a finished loaf that looks like a real loaf of sandwich bread. The crust is very soft, for those of you who prefer that to a crunchy crust.
Zojirushi also makes a compact bread machine with gluten free setting that is great for baking gluten free Panettone, in case you’re looking for one that bakes a smaller, 1 pound loaf.
Click on the photo to watch the quick video about the bread machine being used for gluten free panettone.
Note: I had previously recommended a Cuisinart® machine among those I liked to use, but after after repeated problems with my Cuisinart bread maker not fully baking the loaves, I no longer recommend that machine. I have learned a work around (preheat your oven to 350°F and place the bread pan from the Cuisinart bread machine into the oven to bake approximately 10 more minutes at the end of the bread baking cycle), but this is not ideal. One reason we use a bread machine is so that we don’t need to turn on the oven, or perhaps because there is no oven available. Since this bread machine does not have a separate bake setting, access to an oven is required. I have heard from many other Cuisinart bread machine owners that they have had the same issues and have also learned to use the oven to finish baking the loaf. If you currently have a Cuisinart bread maker, I highly recommend purchasing a bread thermometer so you can determine if the gluten free bread is fully cooked on the inside before removing the bread to cool.
But first, let’s look at whether you NEED a bread machine to bake great gluten free bread.
Do I need a Gluten Free Bread Machine?
First off, let me say that you do NOT need a bread machine to make awesome gluten free bread. But if you want to use a bread maker, please read my article full of tips on what and how to use one.
If you’re looking for more gluten free bread baking tips, applicable to both oven and bread maker baking, also check out my Top 18 GF Breadbaking tips.
Whether you decide to bake gluten free bread in an oven or a bread machine, there are so many reasons to try baking your own gluten free bread at home:
- it’s not hard to make delicious gluten free bread when you use the right ingredients;
- the results are far better than any frozen gluten free loaf you would buy at the grocery store;
- the slices are sized to make real sandwiches (without holes!); and
- it is far more cost effective in the long run to bake delicious gluten free bread at home (how much money have you already wasted buying gluten free bread your family wouldn’t eat? I rest my case).
Gluten Free Bread Machine Reviews
All my bread machine testing has been done using my award-winning gfJules™ Sandwich Bread Mix so that the results of each bake-out are dependent only on the machine as the variable.
T-fal Gluten Free Bread Machine
If you are in the market for a new bread machine with a gluten free setting, I am happy to add this T-fal® Actibread Machine to my favorite kitchen appliances for you to consider.
2 lb gfJules Whole Grain Bread Mix baked in T-fal GF bread machine makes a full size sandwich bread. Crown is nearly 5 inches high (putting frozen GF loaves to shame).
Pros:
- Compact Size
- Bakes a beautiful, tall loaf with nice crown
- Gluten Free Settings pre-programmed (including sweet bread & cake settings)
- Bake only setting available to add time or program your own
- Different loaf size & crust settings available
- Start to finish, 2 lb loaf with nice crust done in just over 2 hours
- Machine fully cooked my gluten-free loaf to 205º F in the bake time as programmed
- less expensive than Zojirushi®
- bread has a very crunchy crust
The T-fal machine baked this 2lb gfJules Sandwich Bread Mix completely, without having to add time. Gorgeous crust and crumb, no rubbery bottom.
Cons:
- Lid attachment seems loose and may compromise oven seal with extended use
- Compact bread pan size bakes a tall loaf, but means slightly fewer slices (approximately 16, depending on how thick they are sliced)
- Only one paddle to mix – need to use a rubber spatula to help mix the batter fully
- Pan is 7 inches long; Zojirushi® pan is 9 inches long
- More expensive than Cuisinart®
- dough paddle stays inside the baked loaf and can be awkward to remove, as well as leaving a large hole in the bottom of the middle of the loaf
- bread has a very crunchy crust – if you prefer a soft crust, I highly recommend the Zojirushi machine instead
The compact size of the bread pan means the loaf is crowned and tall, but produces fewer slices.
All in all, I am quite pleased with the results of this T-fal gluten free bread machine. It has produced beautiful results comparable to those of machines that cost far more, so I would highly recommend it if you are interested in baking homemade bread with a bread machine.
Hamilton Beach Artisan Dough & Bread Maker
I recently tested an even more affordable bread machine option: the Hamilton Beach Artisan Dough & Bread Maker.*
gfJules Bread Mix baked in Hamilton Beach bread machine on gluten free setting, served on Gluten Free cutting board from WordsWithBoards.com
Like the T-fal gluten free bread machine, the pan is more compact than the Zojirushi, and has only one paddle for mixing. The bake time for the gluten free setting is a bit longer than the T-fal, but it’s still possible to have a fresh, hot loaf of homemade gluten free bread in under 3 hours, which is a pretty great option.
Check out the size of these slices with a standard veggie burger — now that’s a good size slice of bread! Unlike most store-bought gluten free loaves, these bread machine loaves produce sandwich bread with generously sized slices to make real sandwiches.
One thing to note about this gluten free bread machine: I tested the loaf with a bread thermometer at the end of the pre-programmed gluten free cycle and it needed more bake time to reach 205F internally. The good news is that the Hamilton Beach has a simple bake setting which makes it easy to add bake time (unlike the Cuisinart).
I ended up adding 10 minutes more to the bake and the loaf tested done. After all the opening and closing of the lid though, some sinking did occur in the top of the crust.
Loaf made with gfJules Gluten Free Sandwich Bread and naturally gluten free beer for the liquid.
It still tasted fabulous and was completely cooked, so I would count that as only a minor ding against this machine; next time I will know to add 10 minutes and won’t have to open the lid early at all.
The crust was much softer and more akin to the Zojirushi crust than the hearty T-fal crust, so take that into consideration when deciding which machine suits your family’s tastes.
I also liked that this machine comes with a paddle hook to help remove the paddle from the baked loaf if it stays inside the bread (which mine did not do).
As with any bread machine, the room temperature liquids go on the bottom of the pan, then the dry mix ingredients, then the yeast in a well in the middle.
When the bake cycles are complete, simply remove the pan from the machine (with a pot holder) and allow the loaf to cool for a few minutes in the pan before gently sliding the loaf out of the pan to finish cooling on a wire rack.
Pros:
- Compact Size & lightweight machine
- Bakes a beautiful, tall loaf
- One Gluten Free Setting pre-programmed
- Bake only setting available to add time or program your own
- Sweet Bread, Dough, Jam, Rise and Bake settings also available (which would work for gluten free)
- Start to finish, 2 lb loaf with nice crust done in under 3 hours
- less expensive than Zojirushi® or T-Fal®
- bread has a soft crust
- dough paddle tends to remain in the pan, rather than in the baked loaf
- comes with a paddle hook to help remove the dough paddle from the loaf if it does stay inside when the loaf is removed
Cons:
- Compact bread pan size bakes a tall loaf, but means slightly fewer slices (approximately 16, depending on how thick they are sliced)
- Only one paddle to mix – need to use a rubber spatula to help mix the batter fully
- Machine did not fully cook my gluten-free loaf to 205º F in the bake time as programmed
- Pan is 7 1/4 inches long; Zojirushi® pan is 9 inches long
- bread has a soft crust – if you prefer a crunchy crust, I recommend the T-Fal® bread machine instead
Do you have a bread machine and use it to bake gluten free bread? Is yours a gluten free bread machine or a standard bread machine you have to program for gluten free loaves? Please leave a comment below with the bread maker you use and your review of it so others will learn which machines are worth trying. Thanks for contributing your experiences!
*Thanks to Zojirushi®, T-fal® and Hamilton Beach® for supplying me with a gluten free bread machine to test and review. My opinions on bread machines are entirely my own, and a favorable review was not required. (I have since purchased two of these machines as gifts, just so you know.) I only work with companies and products that I love and recommend. Some links in this post may be referral links. If you do decide to purchase a product at a retailer after following my link, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog. Read my disclosure policy here.
(5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5)Loading...
It seems to me from what I have read about all bread machine that have a Gluten free Setting STILL have two rises and punch downs which is not suppose to be with GF bread. The Zojirushi does also for such a very expensive machine that seems to get so many good reviews when you either have to program your own times in or use a quick bread setting for Gluten free bread. So what is it that makes spending money on a bread machine that does not do what is should do with each setting? The Zojirushi I thought would have done btter with this but it did not.
Hi Carol, I agree that it’s quite odd about the Zojirushi programs. Luckily, it’s easy to create a “homemade” program with the machine. That being said, the T-fal is programmed for gluten free with only one rise and no punch down setting, and it works quite well. That’s why I reviewed the less expensive machine so folks would know they have two great options for a bread machine to make gluten free bread. I hope that helps!
~jules
any comments, reviews on qvc’s cooks essential bread maker for $59.97?
thanks!
Hmmm. I haven’t tried that one yet. Does it have a GF setting? That’s always a good place to start!
~jules
Hi, has anyone used any of these machines with Jules’ yeast free bread recipe?
I would looooove to know this! I need a machine that can make a vegan gf quick bread, as I can’t do gluten, yeast, oats, or eggs. This makes my life really hard and am currently spending about $10 a loaf on a frozen bread I can buy in bulk and have shipped to me once a month. Ya, that gets expensive. Please if anyone can say how this machine does on gf quick bread I would appreciate it!
Hi Jessica – I haven’t tried these machines with quick breads because those are so easy to just mix (even by hand) and bake in the oven. I have lots of easy recipes on my site for these recipes using NO gluten, yeast, oats or eggs. Search anytime!
I’m sure the machines work fine for quick breads with the right recipe and ingredients.
I hope that helps!
~jules
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I have a zojirushi and use it on the Quick setting for the gluten free breads with perfect results. Have made the beer bread & the artisan bread.
Just got a T-Fal for our newly Gluten Free house. Amazing.
First I tried the Zojirushi two-pound recipe. It came out great!
Then I tried the GFJules bread mix. Wasn’t sure which liquid to use so I picked ginger ale. It just sounded so weird and we had already tried milk with to Zojirushi recipe. Used good old Schwepps Ginger Ale and it was unbelievably excellent!! Way better than the other recipe which was great to begin with.
Just made my second loaf with Omission IPA gluten free beer as the liquid (along with eggs, olive oil, and honey). What a smell when it was baking!
Thank you Jules. Your mix is sooo easy and sooo good.
PS how do you get the loaves so smooth on top in your photos? I’ve tried to smooth the top of the dough, but it is so tacky I end up making it worse. My loaves taste delicious, but have “lumpy” tops.
Also – what are you topping your loaves with in the photos?
Enjoyed your site. What is the price n model # of the t fall bd machine.?
Here’s the link to the T-Fal I recommend. Today on Amazon it looks like the price is $89.99 but I’ve seen it fluctuate higher than that.
~jules
I got it brand new for $49.99
Hi Jules, I just found your site today while researching gf bread making. I’m not a fan of the bread in stores. Can this machine make gf pizza dough as well?
Hi Marney, so glad you found my site! My GF bread mix has been voted #1 gluten-free bread mix by consumers in the Gluten Free Awards – it knocks the socks off of any store bought GF loaf. I make it in this machine all the time. There is a dough setting on this machine or you could make my GF pizza dough mix or recipe in a bowl with a wooden spoon or using a mixer. It’s not very thick, so it’s easy to mix, but certainly you could use a machine to do the mixing for you. Happy baking!
~jules
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Just found your page, so happy. Along with the gluten sensitivity, i am also off eggs and dairy, so far the different egg replacers have not made the best loaf. Using an old basic bread machine on the express bake. I must get a new machine soon. Thanks for your advice.
Welcome, Linda! So glad you found me!!! As for egg replacers, I prefer flaxseed meal + water for breads but you can read about other egg replacer options in my article here. Let me know what you think!
~jules
I am having a great time experimenting with different gf beers and ales, gf Jules bread mix and my T-Fal actibread machine. I used Omission Pale Ale for my first two loaves (one with eggs and one with flaxseed/water). It made a nice white bread loaf with a rich yeasty aroma. I used New City Ginger Beer for loaf that had a sweeter taste. My favorite so far has been the Steadfast oatmeal Cream Stout which made a more golden colored bread with a taste that brought to mind a honey wheat bread. All have been superior to any commercial breads I have purchased. The machine and the mix cannot be easier to use and for anyone still unsure, Jules’ bread machine video shows just how easy this can be. I am definitely recommending this combination to everyone!
thank u good to know, as i have now made 3loaves of bread and they only rise 3″max….still great taste, but maybe the T-fal bread machine will make up the extra 2″
Hi Jewel, not sure why you’d be having difficulty with the bread rising, but using a bread machine certainly does remove some of the variables! Check my Top 18 tips for baking GF bread and see if any of those help, as well: http://gfjulesnew.wpengine.com/18-tips-for-gluten-free-bread-baking/. Fresh ingredients, following the recipe exactly — no ingredient substitutions — and room temperature for all ingredients help to ensure the recipe will work as pictured.
~jules
Thanks so much for all your great info. I was trying to decide between the Zojirushi and the T Fal. I finally went with the T Fal based on your great review. I have a small kitchen and don’t need a lot of bread at one time. Can’t wait to get it. I am not a celiac, but am gluten sensitive. Eliminating gluten has made a hiuge difference for me. Love your web site.
I’m so happy you’re making the most of my site and resources. Let me know how you like the T-fal – it’s a really great machine at a great price and it doesn’t take up too much space. You’ll love it with my easy bread mix, too!
~jules
Got my T Fal yesterday. Made my first loaf of bread using a gluten free mix of Pamela’s. The directions said to use the basic white bread setting which this machine does not have, and not to use the gluten free setting. I thought I would use the french setting, but the length of time seemed too long. I ended up using the gluten free setting. It came out fine, better than any store bought gluten free bread I’ve had. Thanks for your help Jules. Love the breadmaker and cost a lot less than the zojirushi.
Fantastic to hear, Benita! Happy bread baking!!!
~jules
Can this machine be filled at night, programmed to turn on in the early morning, and have fresh bread ready for breakfast? I love my Zojirushi, but it won’t do that on the GF setting. Can it be done on this machine or another one? Thanks
Hi Ann, there is a delayed start setting but it’s not applicable on the gluten-free settings. The only thing I can tell you that I’ve done with both the Zojirushi and the T-Fal is to put all my ingredients in before I go to bed, then get up and start the machine so that the bread is ready for breakfast. I’ve actually done this in my hotel room, setting my alarm and stumbling over in the dark to just press “Start!” LOL. Pretty funny, but it works! Anyway, what I wanted you to know is that the bread doesn’t rise with a nice crown on it when you do this — it is a flatter, more even loaf — but the neat part is that the bread tastes like sourdough! Very cool happenstance as a result! That may not be what you’re looking for in a machine, but I thought I’d let you know, since we’re both the kind who want early morning bread!
~jules
Have you tried this bread machine with the sweet bread or cake settings?
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried those settings yet. Now you’re making me curious, though. I guess I’ll have to do that one day soon!
~jules
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which Tfal bread machine is best 111 or 311
Hi Carin, the only one I’ve tested is the 311, which worked very well. I hope that helps!
~jules
Missy, I ordered the TFal from Amazon right before leaving for Prague. I just got back and can’t wait to try it. Bought because of your recommendation. Bread maker , here I come!
Oh, I’m so excited to hear what you think, Yvonne! Be sure to let me know how your bread turns out!!!!
~jules
I love it! It’s amazing how well the bread comes out. On my first trial I wanted to have a positive outcome, so I used Glutino’s Bread Mix. Turned out great. I hadn’t made bread in over 15 years (due to the celiac diagnosis). My husband even noted the wonderful aroma of the bread baking. It came out gorgeous and taste good. I have since done it from scratch using your idea of subbing soda water for the water and Those were scrumptious . Better than the mix. I have to confess I didn’t use your mix. I got Pamela’s artisan gluten free flour mix.
So, Jules, you are THE best ! Thank you for your review. Otherwise , I would still be yearning homemade bread. Having grown up in Puerto Rico, where our “daily” bread was a fresh hot loaf of “pan de agua” , similar to the French baguette., I have missed a good loaf
Thanks!,
Would love to find a great G F bread and such other I.e.. hamburger and hot dog rolls, biscuits.
You’ve come to the right place, Ted! Here’s a great new recipe I just published for hamburger/hot dog buns and there are lots of other bread recipes on my site (just search the recipes tab!). Have you tried my gfJules Whole Grain Sandwich Bread Mix yet? It makes great GF bread easy!
I purchased one about a month ago after being upset about another holey loaf from the store. I have baked 3 different kinds of bread and I love them all and so did my daughter when she came to visit. I love that I can slice the pieces very thin for sandwiches instead of feeling like the bread is way to thick Will be ordering your mix when I use up stuff I already have here can’t wait to try it if is as good as the cookie mix is.
Wonderful to hear, Mary! I know you’ll love my bread mix, especially since you already have a great machine! Can’t wait to hear what you think of my bread mix when you try!
~jules
I have the Zojirushi Home Bakery and love it. But I am the only one gluten free in my house and the only one who will eat gluten free bread. About a year ago I decided a bread machine that made smaller loaves would suit my needs better and for only $70.00, I bought the predecessor to your T-Fal Actibread Machine. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008A39D5C?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00. I have to say I was surprisingly impressed with it after the fabulous Zojirushi! I can only imagine the new and improved T-Fal would be even better!
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with these machines, Glenda!
~jules