Bread Makers

Breadmarkers allow virtually anyone to bake bread with just minutes of effort and few skills beyond the ability to measure ingredients and push buttons. What's more, they produce bread that is better than respectable in quality. And they allow you to control what goes into your bread, which might appeal to people with food allergies or gluten intolerance.

There are fewer brands today than there were 10 years ago, when this product was introduced. Salton, owner of the Breadman and, Toastmaster, Welbilt brands, dominates the market. Salton also makes Kenmore (Sears), Williams-Sonoma, and Wal-Mart's magic Chef breadmakers. They are everywhere from specialty kitchen shops to Wal-Mart.