Please recommend a bread maker

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I'm a bit obsessed with fancy bread but it's quite expensive and I like the idea of making my own.

I'd like a bread maker that is good for seeded loaves and also has a jam making function (assuming you can just chuck all the ingredients in, otherwise I'll probably not use that in reality).

If I can choose the shape of my seeded loaves all the better.

Any recommendations?

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Panasonic are hands down the best brand of bread makers. We have a fairly basic model, but the bread is fabulous and it has jam and cake settings too.
My parents’ one is still going strong after 16 years!

Another vote for Panasonic. I found one of their top of the range ones thrown out on the street. I picked it up thinking it was a chipper! Still goes strong years later 😅

Before you go and buy a bread maker though, I'd recommend trying to do a few recipes "the old fashioned way".
Bread making is a lot easier than you think. Soda bread is an absolute doddle. As is foccacia, rolls and a standard loaf. Give it a go, you will be surprised.

I'm pretty sure a basic one will be fine for me. Can you do a sort of boule/sourdough shape loaf or does it have to be rectangular?

Another vote for Panasonic.

I've only ever bothered with rectangular bread (so lovely to use the timer and come downstairs to freshly baked bread in the morning!) but my understanding is you can use it to knead and rise the dough and then take the dough out and do whatever you want with it before baking.

If you want different shapes you can make the dough in the breadmaker then take it out, shape it and bake in the oven. The breadmaker has just has 1 size of tin

You can only make bread the shape of the rectangular breadmaker pan entirely in a breadmaker. If you want rolls or different-shaped loaves you make the dough in the machine, then shape it by hand and bake it in the oven.

Another vote for Panasonic btw. I doubt anyone will recommend anything else tbh - they are well known to be the best.

Panasonic also - expensive but I went through a few and this one was the only one that produced decent bread.

I’ve had a Panasonic for over 20 years and still use it most weeks (mainly for bread to eat with soup for lunch, so more often in the winter!). I just cook it in the machine in the rectangular pan, I’ve never bothered taking it out. My dd2 makes fabulous focaccia by hand though, and it looks pretty straightforward.

Panasonic as everyone else says. I think my extensive review is on here somewhere (not that I got a gift card for it)

Honestly? If you like fancy bread then you get much better results if you make it yourself. It’s really not difficult once you get into the swing of it.

Another Panasonic fan. We got one 15 years ago and it's still going strong.

We got a Panasonic after a thread like this and its bog standard. There’s nothing special about it. It’s hard to slice and goes stale after a day. Just make your own.

ONKY the Panasonic

I’ve never used one. I make bread the traditional way. Extremely easy to do.

Some good recipes here with minimal ingredients

https://bakingwithgranny.co.uk/recipe/soda-bread/

My Panasonic breadmaker bread doesn't go stale after a day!

I use a mix of wholemeal and strong white and a big slug of olive oil instead of the butter.

@Screamingabdabz it goes stale quickly if you don't put enough oil or fat in it. It should be fine for sandwiches for a few days an fine for toast for up to a week.