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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Bread Maker in California? (2026)
A bread maker draws 400 to 800 watts during baking but only a few watts while kneading and rising. A full 3 hour loaf uses about 0.4 to 0.6 kWh, about a third of an oven bake.
A typical bread maker (600 W) costs $0.21 per hour, or about $3.15 per month at 0.5 hours a day in California. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (400 W) | $0.14 | $0.070 | $2.10 | $25.55 |
| Typical (600 W) | $0.21 | $0.10 | $3.15 | $38.32 |
| High (800 W) | $0.28 | $0.14 | $4.20 | $51.10 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.5 h/day ≈ 110 kWh per year.
In California, with electricity at $0.35 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical bread maker costs $0.21 per hour and about $38.32 per year at 0.5 hours a day. That is about 94% more than the US national average of $1.62 per month, because electricity in California costs $0.35 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 4.8 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a bread maker
- Use the rapid cycle when you can. It shortens the rise but bakes the same.
- Bake larger loaves. Energy per loaf barely changes with size.
- Unplug it between uses if the display stays lit.
In standby it draws about 1 W, which adds roughly 9 kWh ($3.07) per year if it is never unplugged.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to make a loaf in a bread maker?
About 0.5 kWh of electricity, a few cents in most regions.
Is a bread maker cheaper than the oven?
Yes. The oven heats a much larger space for the same loaf.
Does a bread maker use electricity during rising?
Very little, just enough to hold a warm temperature.
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India