This Breville Bread Machine review is a summary of our experience with the Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker after baking dozens of bread maker recipes over several months. You can double-check the specific model referenced here.
Looking for a new bread machine? If you want warm, crispy-crust bread you should definitely consider the Breville Custom Loaf Bread Machine.
Of the 5 different bread machine models we tested during production of The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook, this machine was one of my very favorites.
If you'd like to read the reviews of the other models we tested, be sure to check out the Best Bread Machine for Beginners article here.
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Will It Fit In My Kitchen?
To best illustrate the size of the bread maker, I took these photos on my kitchen counter underneath a standard height kitchen cabinet.
The Breville bread machine is one of the largest of the bread makers we tested. It is a large, bulky, square metal appliance.
When the machine is closed, it will fit neatly underneath a standard-height kitchen cabinet on your counter.
To open the machine, you will likely have to pull it forward so the lid has enough clearance to swing fully open. The good news is that the machine depth is narrow so you'll have plenty of room on the counter to move it forward to open.
The size of the machine makes this appliance a definite commitment. You'll want to be fairly excited to make bread often.
What Can You Make With It?
The Breville produces some of the very best versions of my very favorite recipes.
- The crusts are always crispy.
- The crumb of the bread is light and fluffy.
- The baked loaf is a classic shape and size.
The machine has the capacity for both 1.5-pound and 2-pound loaves.
It produces excellent dough for pizza, dinner rolls, pretzels, and cinnamon buns.
When we make sourdough bread in our bread machines, we always choose the Breville because it has a fantastic "Crusty Loaf" feature that works perfectly on sourdough starter.
The Bread Pan & Paddles
The Breville comes with the nicest of all the bread pans of the machines we tested.
I love the inner coating material on the pan and the coating on the bread machine paddle.
They are the easiest to clean, very smooth, and the bread comes out easily from the pan after baking.
I always hand wash all our bread machine bread pans and paddles. None of them are scratch-proof and must be handled with care.
How Sturdy Is It?
The construction of the machine is very solid. The stainless steel body makes it easy to wipe clean and looks very sleek in the kitchen.
The sides do flex a bit when I move it around, so it could potentially dent with rough use or storage.
That said, ours had very heavy and active almost-daily use for 4 months and still looks practically new.
- The hinges are smooth and solid.
- The bread pan drops in easily and connects firmly into position.
- The buttons are easy to push and use and will hold up well to frequent use.
How Easy Is It To Use?
The Breville requires the least amount of babysitting. While other machines require a watchful eye during the early stages, almost every recipe comes together easily with the strong motor.
The program settings are very clear to navigate. It is extremely easy to choose the proper loaf size and crust darkness.
The selector button can be a little fussy. It turns like a dial to move the Selector Marker through the program options.
If your recipe has mix-ins like raisins, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts, the Breville is the only machine we tested that features an automatic dispenser that adds these ingredients into the dough at exactly the right moment.
I love being able to prep those ingredients and add them to the machine as I set up the program and then walk away. Other machines require I come back 20 minutes later to add them manually.
The Quality of the Bread It Makes
The Breville definitely produces my favorite breads. I absolutely love the texture, shape, and quality of every loaf it mixes and kneads.
It is the best at crusty textured crusts but also makes amazing dough for pizza and other recipes.
Storage Considerations
If you try to store the machine in your kitchen cabinets, it will eat up significant space.
If you don't want the large bread machine on your counter, you'll want to consider storing it on a basement or garage shelf.
The machine is not heavy or difficult to move, just bulky and will take up a good amount of space.
As I mentioned, the sides do flex so if it is stored someplace where other objects could be shoved against the sides, it will likely dent easily.
Noise Factors
The Breville is not one of the quieter machines we tested. The motor is solid and makes a whirring sound as it initially mixes the ingredients, but it isn't too loud.
The real noise happens during the kneading phase. The machine will loudly slap the dough against the bread pan, again and again and again.
In fact, the motion of the kneading is so vigorous and hearty, it can actually shake the machine and make it move across your kitchen counter.
Once the kneading phase is over, the machine is silent. So there will only be some noise to tolerate for the first 30 minutes or so.
Awesome Features
There are several things to love about this bread machine model:
- The Automatic Dispenser: For adding nuts and raisins at exactly the right moment.
- The Viewing Light: It perfectly illuminates the inside of the machine with an easy-press button. It is the only bread machine to boast these first two features.
- Easy-Swing Lid: I love how widely the lid swings open for easy access to the dough inside. It is great for shaped breads baked in the machine.
- Roomy Capacity: It is perfect for baking larger recipes or ones that have very high rises.
- Easy Cleaning: The bread pan and paddle are the easiest to clean of the models we tested.
- Traditional Bread Shape: The pan produces a classic shaped loaf.
Cons to Consider
No bread machine is perfect, each of the models we tested had features I would love to see improved. Here are some cons to consider for the Breville:
- Expensive: The Breville is one of the most pricy models we tested. It is definitely a commitment.
- Size: The large shape makes it hard for storage for smaller kitchens or infrequent use.
- Movement & Shifting: The machine beats the dough so vigorosly the machine can wiggle and move on the counter. It should not be left unattended until the kneading phase is finished.
- Dry Flour Pockets in the Corners: The large bread pan has definite benefits, but the machine can sometimes struggle to properly mix the ingredients in the first phase. Dry pockets of flour can gather in the corners and should be mixed in with a spatula as the machine kneads the dough.
Summary
Our family has a love-hate relationship with this bread machine. Some of us LOVE-LOVE it and some of us Hate-Hate it.
When asked which model we would get rid of (because who needs 5 bread machines??) the Breville is the first model mentioned by both sides.
I'm on Team Love. Some of the best loaves I produced for the photography for my cookbook were baked in the Breville.
My husband thinks the size and noise are big enough cons he would never recommend it to anyone.
Is the Breville right for you?
Yes, you should absolutely get a Breville if this describes you:
- You plan to make bread often enough to justify storing this on your kitchen counter -OR- You don't mind storing it in a closet or basement and dragging it out when you want to bake.
- You love crispy, crunchy crusts.
- You plan to bake sourdough in your machine.
- You want flexibility in the size of the recipe you can make.
- You love breads with mix-ins (raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.)
- You want to make shaped breads that bake right in the machine.
- Your budget can handle the expense.
- This is a special gift for yourself or a loved one that meets the description above.
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