The short answer (checked 8 November 2026)
- Best overall is the Panasonic SD-YR2550, number 2 in Amazon UK's Breadmakers chart this week, with 31 programmes and a yeast and nut dispenser. Best value for a family loaf is the Morphy Richards Fastbake, number 1.
- A bread maker costs about 7p to 11p of electricity per loaf at the current price cap. That comes from Which?'s 2023 figures for a 1kg white loaf, re-priced at 26.32p per kWh.
- An electric oven uses about 1.6 kWh to bake a loaf, according to the Energy Saving Trust figure the Real Bread Campaign reports. That is about 42p, so a bread maker saves roughly 31p to 35p a loaf, or about £33 to £37 a year at two loaves a week.
- Audit finding: 16 of the 20 best-selling bread makers on Amazon UK state a wattage, and none states the energy used per loaf. Multiply the wattage by the programme time and three of our five picks look dearer to run than an electric oven, which the measurements say they are not.
A bread maker is a common Christmas present and a common Black Friday buy, and the question people ask after "which one" is "what does it cost to run". The listings answer with a wattage. That number is the most the heater can draw, not what the machine uses, because most of a three or four hour programme is kneading and rising at low power. We worked the cost per loaf from independent measurements, then checked each pick's rated power and programme times against its own manual.
How this page was made
Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 8 November 2026 · next check 1 January 2027 · how we picked
Prices in this table come from Amazon and are refreshed at least once a day, with the date of the last update under the table. The cost-per-use and running-cost figures on this page use prices Look Into read on 8 November 2026, so they can differ from today's price.
What a loaf costs in electricity
Which? said in 2023 that baking two white 1kg loaves a week would cost between £7.88 and £12.20 of electricity a year, at the price cap then of 28.62p per kWh. Working back from that:
- Two loaves a week is 104 loaves a year. £7.88 ÷ 28.62p ÷ 104 = 0.265 kWh per loaf. £12.20 ÷ 28.62p ÷ 104 = 0.410 kWh per loaf.
- At the Ofgem cap of 26.32p per kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026, GB average, Direct Debit, standing charge excluded, checked 8 November 2026), that is 7.0p to 10.8p per loaf.
- Which?'s older 2008 testing found an average of 0.36 kWh per white loaf on the standard programme, with an average cycle of 3 hours 18 minutes. That is 9.5p at today's cap, inside the same range.
- One loaf a week costs about £3.62 to £5.61 a year. Two a week, about £7.25 to £11.22.
Bread maker or oven
The Real Bread Campaign reports that the Energy Saving Trust told it in 2008 that baking a loaf in an electric oven uses about 1.6 kWh, and in a gas oven about 1.5 kWh. At 26.32p per kWh, the electric oven figure is 42.1p a loaf. Against the bread maker's 7.0p to 10.8p, that is 31p to 35p saved on every loaf, or about £32.58 to £36.55 a year at two loaves a week. The oven figure is old and ovens vary, so treat this as a guide. A gas oven is cheaper per kWh than an electric one (the gas cap is 7.97p per kWh), so the saving is far smaller in a home that bakes on gas.
Why the wattage on the box misleads
If you multiply each machine's rated power by its basic programme time, the way many running-cost calculators do, you get the figure in the right-hand column below. Every one of them is several times the measured 0.265 to 0.410 kWh, and three of the five come out dearer than the 42.1p electric oven loaf. The heater only runs for part of the bake, and the kneading motor draws far less. We show the nameplate figure so you can see the gap, not as a cost to plan around.
| Machine | Rated power (source) | Basic programme, largest loaf (manual) | Wattage x time, per loaf | Breadmakers chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic SD-YR2550 | 550W (listing); 505W to 550W (Panasonic) | 4h to 4h 5m | 2.25 kWh, 59.1p | 2 |
| Morphy Richards Fastbake | 600W (listing); not stated in manual | 3h 0m (2lb) | 1.80 kWh, 47.4p | 1 |
| Tower T11003 2lb | 550W (listing and manual) | 3h 0m (2lb) | 1.65 kWh, 43.4p | 4 |
| Panasonic SD-PN100 mini | Not stated (listing); 312W to 340W heating (manual) | 4h to 4h 10m | 1.42 kWh, 37.3p | 9 |
| Tefal Pain & Delices PF240E40 | 700W (listing); 610W to 720W (Tefal) | Not published; rapid 1h 38m (1kg) | 1.18 kWh, 31.0p (rapid) | 3 |
How we picked these
We read the top twenty of Amazon UK's Breadmakers Best Sellers chart on 8 November 2026 and opened all twenty listings, reading the title, bullet points, specification table and description. We picked five that cover the main loaf sizes and budgets, then checked each one's power and programme times against the manual Amazon hosts for it, or the maker's own page. Because the electricity cost per loaf is close between machines, the choice comes down to loaf size, programme time and features. We have not used any of these bread makers.
As an Amazon Associate, Look Into earns from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of 8 November 2026 8:23 pm and are subject to change.Compare live prices for every pick
Panasonic SD-YR2550 Fully Automatic Bread Maker
Price: check the live price on Amazon · about 7p to 11p a loaf in electricity · number 2 in Breadmakers, 8 November 2026
31 programmes on Panasonic's own page, including sourdough and gluten-free, with a 13-hour timer and dispensers that add the yeast and the nuts or raisins at the right moment. Panasonic lists the power as 505W to 550W. The basic loaf takes 4 hours to 4 hours 5 minutes according to the manual, and the basic rapid 1 hour 55 minutes to 2 hours.
The catch: the basic programme is the longest of our five, an hour longer than the Morphy Richards and Tower, so you will lean on the timer. The manual's largest recipe uses 600g of flour, which makes a smaller loaf than the 2lb machines.
Morphy Richards Fastbake Breadmaker
Price: check the live price on Amazon · about 7p to 11p a loaf in electricity · number 1 in Breadmakers, 8 November 2026
The best seller in the chart, with 12 programmes and two loaf sizes, 1.5lb and 2lb, which the manual gives as about 680g and 907g. The basic white loaf takes 2 hours 53 minutes small or 3 hours large, and the Fastbake programmes 58 minutes. The listing states 600W.
The catch: there is no ingredient dispenser, so nuts and fruit go in by hand at the beeper. The manual says keep warm circulates hot air for a further 60 minutes on most settings, so take the loaf out when it finishes if you want to save that last bit of electricity.
Tower T11003 2lb Digital Bread Maker
Price: check the live price on Amazon · about 7p to 11p a loaf in electricity · number 4 in Breadmakers, 8 November 2026
12 programmes, a 13-hour delay timer and two loaf sizes, 700g and 1000g. The manual gives 550W, matching the listing, and a basic programme of 2 hours 53 minutes for the 700g loaf or 3 hours for the 1000g. The quick programme takes 1 hour 40 minutes.
The catch: the quick programme only makes the 1000g loaf, so a smaller fast loaf is not an option. Keep warm runs for an hour before the machine switches itself off.
Tefal Pain & Delices PF240E40
Price: check the live price on Amazon · about 7p to 11p a loaf in electricity · number 3 in Breadmakers, 8 November 2026
20 programmes, including gluten-free and yoghurt with the included pot, a 15-hour timer and three loaf sizes: 500g, 750g and 1000g. Tefal's rapid white programme makes a 1000g loaf in 1 hour 38 minutes, and a 500g loaf in 1 hour 27 minutes.
The catch: the listing says 700W, while Tefal's own page lists both 700W and a range of 610W to 720W, and neither gives the basic programme time. If you want to know how long a standard loaf takes before you buy, the information is not published.
Panasonic SD-PN100 Automatic Mini Bread Maker
Price: check the live price on Amazon · likely below the 7p to 11p of a 1kg loaf, as it bakes smaller loaves · number 9 in Breadmakers, 8 November 2026
A compact machine for small loaves, which the listing describes as 400g or 200g, with four gluten-free programmes and a 13-hour timer. The manual gives a heating power of 312W to 340W and a mixing power of 40W to 45W, the lowest of our picks, and a basic programme of 4 hours to 4 hours 10 minutes. The bread recipes take 200g to 280g of flour.
The catch: it makes a small loaf, so a family will be baking every day. The Amazon listing gives no power figure at all; the 312W to 340W comes from the manual.
What the twenty listings actually say
- Sixteen of the twenty state a wattage, from 450W to 710W. Four state none, including the Panasonic SD-PN100.
- None of the twenty states the energy used per loaf, in kWh or any other unit.
- None of the twenty compares itself with baking in an oven, which is the strongest running-cost argument a bread maker has.
- Where the manual and the listing both give a power figure, they mostly agree. The Tefal is the exception that matters: the listing gives a single 700W, while Tefal's page gives 610W to 720W.
Getting the cheapest loaf out of any machine
Take the loaf out when the programme ends. Morphy Richards and Tower both keep warm for an hour, and that hour is heat you pay for. Use the basic programme rather than the extra-bake or dark-crust settings when you do not need them, since the heater does the expensive part. Electricity is the smallest part of a home-made loaf: flour and yeast cost more. For other kitchen appliances worked out the same way, see our soup makers guide, the stand mixers guide and the appliance running cost calculator.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to run a bread maker?
About 7p to 11p of electricity for a 1kg white loaf at the October to December 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh. That comes from Which?'s 2023 figures, which work out at 0.265 to 0.410 kWh per loaf.
Is a bread maker cheaper than using the oven?
For an electric oven, yes. The Energy Saving Trust figure reported by the Real Bread Campaign is about 1.6 kWh per loaf in an electric oven, or 42.1p at the current cap, against 7p to 11p in a bread maker. In a gas oven the gap is much smaller, because gas costs 7.97p per kWh.
Why can't I just use the wattage to work out the cost?
Because the wattage is the most the heater can draw, and it only runs for part of the programme. Wattage times programme time gives 1.18 to 2.25 kWh for our five picks, several times the measured 0.265 to 0.410 kWh.
How long does a bread maker take?
For a basic white loaf, about 3 hours in the Morphy Richards and Tower and about 4 hours in the two Panasonics, according to their manuals. Rapid programmes take 58 minutes (Morphy Richards Fastbake) to 2 hours (Panasonic basic rapid).
Sources
- Ofgem, Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, 1 October to 31 December 2026, checked 8 November 2026.
- Sustain, Real Bread Campaign, Bread machines, reporting Which? (2008 and 2023) and Energy Saving Trust (2008) figures, checked 8 November 2026.
- Panasonic UK, SD-YR2550 specifications, checked 8 November 2026.
- Tefal UK, Pain & Delices PF240E40, checked 8 November 2026.
- Manuals hosted on the Amazon UK listings: Panasonic SD-YR2550 and SD-PN100 operating instructions, Morphy Richards Fastbake instruction book, Tower T11003 instruction manual, read 8 November 2026.
- Amazon UK, Breadmakers Best Sellers, top twenty, and each of the twenty listings, read 8 November 2026.
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