recommendations for cheapest, best bang-for-your-buck breadmaker?

Liz, in what application will you be using a bread machine?

I mean to say, are you going to be making breads at home, small batches, for charity, what types of breads, I could go on…

Maybe if we had a bit more info/background we could help you better.

Check thrift stores. I see breadmakers there all the time. Often multiples. I think bread machines were a much "hotter" appliance a decade ago and people just clear them out to make space in their kitchens once the novelty wears off. You'd probably have to find a manual on the manufacturer's website but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I've bought several at thrift stores and gave them away.  The machines I buy are either used once or twice or new.  I never pay over 10 bucks, generally less. 

Never understood the concept of a bread maker.....

I would humbly suggest blowing some big coin and a *GOOD* stand mixer and keep it till you pass away.  What you can do in a bread miachine, you can do with a stand mixer, but what you can do with a stand mixer, is a lot more than--lot lot more than a dedicated bread machine.

Unless your oven is out (and saving for a new one) and need this one pony show appliance for the baking aspect, consider what foodpump suggested.

A good KA is much more versatile and will (most likely) last you forever.

The dough hook that is included with a new machine is not there just for show.

Plus KA has a lifetime guarantee with full machine replacement (and they foot the bill for return shipping!)

I use my bread machine primarily for mixing and kneading dough.  For my purposes, a KA would not replace the machine.  I can pour 6 or so ingredients in the machine, pretty much at random, and leave it to do its job overnight.  A quick forming of the loaf in the morning, a half hour in the oven,  and I have fresh baked bread.  Total prep time PM and AM is less than 5 minutes.  KA will not do that.

The bread machine and a corkscrew are about the only single purpose kitchen tools I use.

The thrift store bread machines I buy are either new or lightly used, and all work well.  A lot of machines are given as gifts, used once, or not at all, then relegated to the back of the cabinet.

I have 6 breadmakers.  All but one cost $10 or less.

I double the bread recipes, make them all run thru the last rise

Take out the dough - put it into 2 bread pans and bake all 12 loaves at the same time in my regular ole oven

Cool - slice on slicer - vac. bag (not tightly) - freeze - and use

I also grind my own flour most of the time...sometimes, mix white with whole wheat.

Saves a ton on electricity, my own energy, and I'm never out of bread and save the cost of good bread a a bakery ..

I'm a newbie to bread making and I looked around for a long time reading reviews and doing research trying to find out which bread maker was the best buy and the best quality.  I found that most people really liked the zojirushi but I've kind of been leaning towards the west bend model, I found this website with reviews http://www.squidoo.com/best-rated-bread-maker-machine-reviews and that's what got me considering the west bend because of the reviews and I really like the look of it better.  Anyways, I'm a newbie so I was hoping for some reviews about the west bend from some bread making pros!

Personally, I have never used the Zo but I bake a LOT of bread and use several machines. For myself, I usually bake bread in round loaves risen in brotforms and then baked in the oven. so, for me, features are completely unimportant. the point is, if you want the machine to do all the work, then a Zo is probably your best bet. I belong to several online bread groups, including some machine baking bread groups, they all like the Zo. but, I use a breadman, a West Bend and something else. I cannot remember what my daughter uses. All but one of those machines I acquired via Freecycle.  it is an online group on yahoogroups that allows you to clean out your clutter and post it so that someone can use it instead of sending it to the trash. no money is allowed to change hands. my daughter has 'freecycled' quite a few pieces for her newly established kitchen (young college student) as folks in her area upgrade and have no young folks in their families. the idea is, you pay it forward when you upgrade.

anyway, when I use my machine, I put it together, set the machine to the dough cycle, then take it out, do my own hand kneading and shaping, then bake off in the oven. I find I have a LOT more control over additions, size, shape and crust style.

hmmm.....

Your Hands are probably the cheapest machine and free too..

honestly there are some pretty good recipes out there that don't require much kneading. 

Hi, I had a bread machine but really the bread was so-so.  I sold the machine online - so check online for a bread machine.

In my opinion all the bread machines are more or less the same. Mine could even cook jam - yes jam