So, you're looking forward to baking fresh, wholesome bread and enjoy the aroma of a freshly baked loaf but you're not sure what would be the best bread machine to buy? The secret in choosing the best is to choose the one that best suits your requirements. A really cheap bread maker is the best if it has exactly the features and functions that you're looking for.

If you want a cheap bread machine you're in luck. Many of today's cheap machines share the same bake cycles of their expensive rivals and they come with many of their other functions too. Take both the Sunbeam 5891 and the Toastmaster TBR15; both retail for around $40 and are exceptional value for money. Of the two, the Toastmaster is smaller measuring 13"h x 13"w x 11.75"d but the Sunbeam can bake bigger loaves; 1.5 and 2lbs - the Toastmaster bakes a maximum loaf of 1.5lbs. Both come with great bake cycles offering, basic, whole wheat, French, sweet and more. They also have an express bake cycle, so you can enjoy fresh bread in around an hour.

There are some things you won't get. You don't have the ability to program your own bake cycles and there's no delay bake timer. But if you're looking for cheap bread maker you'll probably not want these features anyway.

Many want to bake fresh bread but lack the time to do so. This is where a bread machine really comes into its own. The Oster 5838 ExpressBake bread maker, as its name suggests, makes bread fast; you can have a freshly baked loaf in less than one hour from start to finish. It's a little more expensive than the two mentioned above, but it's an altogether better machine and you only need to pay an extra $25 for it.

The biggest complaint against bread machines was that they didn't make loaves that looked traditional. The loaves were round or square in shape; but not any more. Both the Cuisinart CBK-200 and the Zojirushi BBCC-X20 make loaves that look just like the ones grandma used to make. Not only do both make great shaped loaves they also come with a wealth of features. The Cuisinart comes with 16 programs including a low-carb and gluten free program. The Zojirushi is considered to be one of the best bread machines money can buy. It comes with many bread cycles and you can program your own so you can bake bread exactly as you want.

The above machines should be able to satisfy most home bakers' needs. My personal favorite is the Breadman Ultimate. I love this appliance. It has 35 main bake programs with an amazing 300 sub programs and as if that wasn't enough you can program your own. It does everything that the Zojirushi does and more, but it costs less.

Whichever model you choose, remember; the best bread machine isn't the most expensive or the one with the most features and functions, it's the one that matches your requirements and budget.