Bread Machine vs. Mixer: Which Should I Buy?

Bread machines were popular in the 1990s, but there's no denying they've made a comeback in recent years. That said, if you already own a stand mixer, you may think there's no reason to buy one. There are a number of differences between bread machines and stand mixers—beyond the obvious fact that stand mixers can’t physically bake anything inside them—but is one better than the other?

Main Takeaways

As you can see, these two appliances have some major differences. Should you own both or choose one over the other? This ultimately depends on personal preference: Are you looking for convenience? Versatility? Keep reading for a full rundown of what you can accomplish with each and what these machines function best for—your next best loaf awaits you.

The Differences

The biggest difference between a bread machine and a mixer is that a bread machine has a heating element. Because of that, it’s more akin to a countertop pressure cooker or toaster oven than it is to a mixer. However, unlike those appliances, a bread machine also has a mixer that sits within the bread pan. That means that you can use it to knead dough before baking it, all in one place.

A stand mixer can perform many functions, depending on the attachment you use: Paddles are for kneading, whereas whisks are for whipping. Because mixers have various attachment options, they can be used for many different whisking tasks and even making non-bread items, including pasta. A bread machine only has a paddle, so you can’t use it for other applications like whipping egg whites to stiff peaks for meringue.

The Tasks

Baking Bread

Winner: Bread machine 

If you’re looking to bake bread, but you’ve found the endless instructions and tips online overwhelming to digest, you’re the prime candidate for a bread machine. The process couldn’t be simpler: Choose a program from the machine’s settings, follow the instructions to add ingredients, and let the whole thing happen on its own. You don’t need to worry about proofing times, kneading too much or too little, choosing the right loaf pan (or coating it with flour or oiling it, either), or when exactly it’s done. The bread maker does it all for you.

Baking a Cake

Winner: Mixer

Though you can’t bake a cake in a mixer, you can use it to make the batter, and you’ll be better served using it because cakes that involve beaten butter or whipped egg whites just won’t be the same in a bread maker. To bake a cake with a mixer, you’ll also need an oven, but it’s a fair bet that if you’re in a kitchen with a stand mixer, there’s an oven there too. It won’t be as easy a process in a mixer, and we tip our hats to bread makers for even being able to bake cakes, but it’s a much more customizable one. You’ll have better control over every step of the batter, and we think that’s more likely to yield a delicate, soft crumb to a cake.

Cooking Jam

Winner: Bread machine

There just isn’t anything about making jam that you would have the need to involve a mixer for. It has no heating element, so it can’t cook jam, and nothing about the jam-making process requires kneading or whipping. Provided you cut your fruit into bite-size pieces or use a variety that breaks down as it cooks, such as raspberries, you won’t even need to take an immersion blender to it once finished. Simply add the ingredients to the bread machine, select the jam setting, and walk away.

Making Yogurt

Winner: Bread machine

Similar to making jam, a mixer is basically useless when it comes to creating yogurt. People buy yogurt makers, a single-purpose appliance, because it’s too touchy a food product to easily make on the stove. Involving probiotic cultures, yogurt must be kept at very specific temperatures throughout its culturing or it won’t coagulate properly. If heated too high, the good bacteria will be killed, as well. You can take all the stress out of making yogurt and toss that yogurt maker, thanks to the bread machine. Similar to how it makes jam or bread, you just add the ingredients, set the program, and let it do its thing.

Whipping Egg Whites

Winner: Mixer

Inasmuch as a mixer can’t make jam, a bread machine can’t whip egg whites. Stiff peaks are vital to dishes like meringue, and you can wear out your hand whipping whites with a portable mixer. A bread machine only has paddles, so you could use it to emulsify egg whites and yolks, but that’s about as close as you could get, which isn’t very close at all. In a stand mixer, you add the whites and a pinch of cream of tartar, then gradually turn up the whisking speed. In about five minutes, you’ll have egg whites that are firm, opaque, and ready for anything from placing in a piping bag to scooping onto a pie.