This Sage The Custom Loaf Bread Maker review is a deep dive into whether this very pricey kitchen appliance is worth it for your kitchen.
To do that, I put it through its paces for several months to see if it qualifies as one of the best bread makers. After growing more attached to it than you could've imagined, it's safe to say I think it's fairly unbeatable.
In a nutshell
Sage is best known for its pricey, sleek, stainless steel coffee machines – this bread maker fits that mould but is instead tailor-made for all sorts of bakes. It's a high-end pick, but it's also seriously kitted out for the job, meaning you certainly get what you pay for.
It has a range of loaf sizes to choose from, as well as crust darknesses. It also has a fruit and nut setting, which allows you to dispense those add-ons into your loaf. All of these things are easy to manage thanks to the large, easy to understand screen on this bread maker.
It's the ease of use that makes this product so covetable. If you wanted to do the lowest-effort loaf possible you could just pop your ingredients in and pick the right settings, walk away and return to your perfect loaf. It's really that easy.
It also has a collapsible paddle, a feature that will be welcome news to bakers who have used alternatives that make loaves with holes in the bottom.
It can't be overstated how enjoyable this machine is to use and how it'll change your at-home bread habits forever. Wave goodbye to supermarket bread and usher in a whole new age of at-home baking.
Getting started
So what comes with this bread maker? There isn't too much in the way of external parts, as the magic of this machine is mostly self-contained. There is a jam blade thrown in for that special jam mode, but other than that, there's nothing too tricky to store.
Saying that, this bread maker is big. It's a serious worktop hogger and though the stainless steel is lovely, it's hardly inconspicuous. So this is definitely an appliance worth measuring up before you invest.
Making bread
Onto the thing you really want to know about, making loaves of bread. To start, I tried a wholewheat loaf which takes 3 hours from the minute you set it off.
Let's rewind to exactly how you use this machine. To get started, pick a recipe. With this machine you have access to a digital recipe book full of ideas compatible with this bread maker (a big plus).
With your recipe selected, weigh out your ingredients correspondingly. If you're already a dab hand at bread, you can skip this bit. Then pop the pan out of the breadmaker, put your ingredients in, turn the breadmaker on and program it to your liking.
As below, there are plenty of settings to choose from. So much choice! This first loaf I tried was a whole wheat number with a dark crust.
One of the things I love most about this bread maker is the easy-to-follow LCD screen. The progress bar is fantastic for impatient moments when I go to check on how my loaf is doing.
Another feature tailor-mode for the impatient among us is the convenient viewing window and light to see how everything is getting on. I think it should be a pre-requisite on all bread makers from now on.
Three hours later, I return to my perfect loaf.
I popped the paddle out again and marvelled at my hands-free loaf, which is still very large despite only being the child of the second biggest setting.
There was no sticking within the pan either, and the loaf was seamless to manoeuvre out.
The crust was also nice and dark with a great crunch, which is exactly what I was looking for.
I wasn't brave enough to try the collapsible paddle on my first go (that came later), but even if you opt to shun it, the hole at the bottom of your well-turned out loaf is still nice and neat.
The loaf sliced like a dream too, which is what you want if you're making the switch from supermarket bread, as it makes life much easier.
Next, I moved onto a different challenge: rye bread. It was the same process as before, including adding seeds for a little extra pizzaz and once again, before too long, I had a perfectly turned out loaf.
I did select the size down this time however, to see how they compared. All things considered, it's great that you can yield such large loaves with this bread maker.
I challenge anyone who buys this machine not to fall in love with process of freshly baked loaves when you wake up. But be warned, your bread consumption will absolutely go through the roof.
Since my rye loaf, I've also experimented with using the excellent fruit and nut dispenser too.
Fitting with the overall vibe of this machine, it's easy to master. After you've chosen your setting, you tell the machine the time you'd like your loaf to be done and it gives you a set window to add your fruit or nuts in.
Though I've been testing this machine for a little while, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of its functions. Next up is making all of the sweet treats – I'm talking buns and jam (!).
As an owner of one of the best pizza ovens, I can't wait to try out the pizza dough setting too. I'll be reporting back here when I've gone the whole hog with the pizza and pasta modes!
How does it compare to similar products?
A similarly smart bread maker that we've tried with a more advantageous price point is the Panasonic SD-YR2540 (catchy name, right?) which comes in at around £200. It's got a yeast and nut dispenser too and is as hands-free as this one. It's nowhere near as pretty though and not too quick.
If you'd prefer to get more hands-on with kneading and proving, then a better option for you might not be a bread maker at all, but rather Le Creuset's Bread Oven, which is not only gorgeous but works like a dream.
Should you buy The Sage Custom Loaf Bread Maker?
If you're on the hunt for a bread maker and you have the budget to accommodate it, head straight to the checkout with this one. Not only is it so easy to use, but it gives results that are essentially impossible to fault every time.
It's big, sure, but the stainless steel does go some way to make up for that and for its sheer usefulness in your household it's worth it. You'll never need to turn back to a supermarket loaf again with this Sage bread maker in your possession, but you won't need to put in a lot of effort either.
