4th TIME'S A CHARM!
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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).
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.
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:
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.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread baked in a Zojirushi Bread Machine. (Click on photo for recipe)
Widely recognized as the gold standard for bread machines — especially in the gluten free category — the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso is a bread maker that does it all. It comes with a pre-set gluten free setting, but I prefer to program my own homemade cycle with this machine, as the pre-set GF setting calls for a punchdown and second rise, which is never a good idea with gluten free breads. Luckily, the homemade settings are easy to program and we can get our gluten free bread just right that way!
There are really no cons about this machine other than its price tag — typically in the mid-$300 range. But, if you’re going to be baking a lot of bread or really love the idea of a machine doing it for you, this is a worthwhile investment.
Zojirushi Gluten Free Bread maker
The idea here is that you put all the liquids into the pan, dry ingredients on top, then the yeast. Push a button (homemade please!) and the machine does all the work, producing a lovely gluten free loaf in a little over 2 hours.
One of the best features of the Zojirushi is its long pan with double mixing paddles. The machine mixes the dough better than most other machines due to the double paddle design. The long loaf also makes the bread shaped and sized to a more typical sandwich bread.
The Zojirushi produces a reliably well-mixed, well-cooked loaf every time, with the right gluten free bread recipe or mix, of course.
One note: unlike some other bread machines, it does not make a very crusty gluten free loaf. The crust is more like a store-bought, soft crust bread which is great! … unless you’re looking for a crusty loaf of bread.
Gluten Free Panettone in the Zojirushi Maestro Machine
Zojirusihi also makes a Home Bakery Maestro upright bread machine that makes a vertical-shaped loaf. I used this machine for my gluten free Panettone Recipe and it worked quite well!
The machine is about the same price as the Home Bakery Virtuoso, though, and for my money, I would stick with the larger, two-paddle, horizontal loaf machine instead.
Upright loaf made in the Zojirushi Maestro 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).
The T-fal machine baked this 2lb gfJules Sandwich Bread Mix completely, without having to add time. Gorgeous crust and crumb, no rubbery bottom.
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.
NOTE: as of 2021, T-fal has notified me that it is no longer manufacturing ANY bread makers. If you happen to get your hands on one of the T-fal gluten free bread machines left on the market — lucky you! Otherwise, check out one of these other recommended gluten free bread makers.
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.
Note that the model number machine I reviewed — which I liked — is 29885.
There are other Hamilton Beach bread machine models, and at least one (model #29882) has a gluten free setting which includes two rise times with a first kneading of 10 minutes followed by a second kneading cycle of 20 minutes after resting/rising for 25 minutes. That would spell disaster — or in this case a very flat gluten free loaf. I can’t understand the thinking behind that program, but do not buy that machine! {Many thanks to the reader who shared her manual with me on this machine, but very sorry to hear of her bad experiences because of those settings!}
Back to the successful bread machine results: 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 this 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.
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.
I just have an old bread machine, but after reading about this recipe I tried it with the super rapid settings and it came out great. It has been the best bread I have had in ages. Thank you.
That’s so wonderful, Laura!!! Your bread does look fantastic! What brand of machine is it (always curious!)? Here’s to great homemade gluten free bread!!!!
~jules
I have a Black and Decker BK1015W bread machine that I use to make gluten free bread for a couple of my friends that are celiac. It has a gluten free option. They rave about the bread and say it is so much better than store bought bread. I do find that I need to use a spatula to mix in the dry ingredients after the first mix, but that is about it. I use a gluten free all purpose flour from our local grocery store that works well. When I purchased this machine it was around $80.
That is great to hear, Dianne! I’m going to have to look for this machine, as the T-fal is not being made any longer.
~jules
Hi, happy to see your recipes this morning.I will make a lovely loaf today. I call homemade bread one of my home refresher foods as the whole house smells wonderful for hours, like with cookies, stew and soups. I have had my trusty “Zo “ for many years and have used the programmable feature for gluten free loaves. I like this machine best as I can make regular loaves of bread for friends to send with soups or stews and still be able to custom bake for ourselves.
I’m glad you love your “trusty Zo” as well — it’s funny because I hear so many of us call that machine by that name! It truly is an “old reliable!” And also glad to hear you’ll be baking homemade gluten free bread today. I made a loaf in my bread maker last night (if you can even call it “making bread” when the machine does all the work!) and the house smelled amazing. Such happy aromas!!!
~jules
Hi!
I have a super picky 12 year old with gluten sensitivity and neurological issues. We have to get him onto gluten free bread so I want the best advice you have for this! We have tried in the past and he is very adverse to the store bread. It just does not taste like regular bread. Thoughts?
Hi Faye, I hear you! I think homemade is absolutely the way to go, as it definitely tastes amazing and SO much better than the store-bought options. Also, at some point if you can get him into the process and engaged in any way into the making or choosing the flavoring of the bread you’re making, it might make him more likely to be partial to it. The smell of it baking is always helpful, too! 🙂
I would definitely recommend staying away from ancient gluten free grains because they have distinctive flavors that are quite unlike traditional wheat flour loaves; if you were to look at storebought wheat flour loaves, they unfortunately nearly all also contain sugar in some form, so you’ll probably also want to add some sweetener to the bread, at least in the beginning to get him used to it. Take a look at this recipe for standard gluten free sandwich bread using my gfJules Bread Mix — it’s the easiest way to go, and if you use gingerale as the liquid added, it’ll add the sweetness you’ll want to start with.
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So the Hamilton beach you recommend has a true gf cycle? I bought one for my daughter a year ago and it’s gf cycle ended up having 2 rises so I took it back, would love to be able to get her an inexpensive one with true gf cycle
Hi Kim – the one I reviewed here does have a gluten free cycle and it works well. I was happy with the results and the price point is right!
~jules
Sadly the Tfal isn’t available anywhere. Except used and asa GF person I cant take that chance. do you have any current recommendations?
Hi Cindy — wow! It is hard to find right now! I did just find this one you might be able to jump on right now (it’s new). Otherwise, the Hamilton Beach model I reviewed is a really solid choice in the same price range. Of course, the Zojirushi is always a great choice, it’s just pricier. I hope that helps!
~jules
Everything is very open with a precise explanation of the challenges.
It was definitely informative. Your website is very helpful.
Thank you for sharing!
Covered all the details quite nicely, Best Bread Machine for Gluten-Free Bread helps a lot and most importantly saves energy & time.
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I am totally confused. We just bought the Hamilton Beach and we are just about to return it, because the one and only gluten-free setting has 3 kneading and rising phases. All the books I read say that gluten-free baking only requires ONE kneading and rising phase. So, why are you recommending this machine? Is there something I am missing. Also, I was keen on the T-Fal, but I see the same critique on their products – the pre-set settings do NOT work, therefore one has to fuss and customize. I cannot afford $370 – surely there is a g-f bread maker with a setting that actually is correct and works for less than $200? I would appreciate any help you can give. I am starting to despair.
Hi Maggie, don’t despair! You definitely don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a bread machine to bake great gluten free bread! The Hamilton Beach Bread Machine I reviewed is the Artisan Breadmaker. It has 3 cycles in the gluten free setting: kneading/resting and baking. The T-fal is similar. Here’s a link to the Actibread program manual showing that the gluten free cycle is mixing, rising and baking. I use the gluten free setting with both these machines and it worked well (as pictured). I have only recently reviewed the Hamilton Beach so I haven’t heard from readers who have purchased that one yet, but I hear all the time from people who’ve purchased the T-fal on my recommendation and absolutely love it with my gfJules Bread Mix. No programming needed! I hope that helps!
~jules