7 Best Donut Makers of 2026, Tested for Home Kitchens

The KEINVE’s appeal is texture at a budget price. The seven wells bake in four to six minutes, the nonstick plates release cleanly, and the mini donuts come out light and fluffy rather than dense. For a machine this simple, that texture is the difference between a novelty and something you bring out on a weekend.

At 2.4 pounds and under nine inches deep, it’s one of the easiest machines here to park on a small counter or stash in a cupboard. We like that the controls and cleanup stay out of the way: the surface wipes clean, the lid closes simply, and the batch size is right for a snack rather than a production line. It doesn’t feel like a toy, even though the price puts it in impulse-buy territory.

The seven-donut batch is right for a couple or a small family, not a crowd. If you already have a cake mix or a favorite batter, the KEINVE is a lot of machine for the money. We recommend it to anyone who wants a low-cost way into mini donuts and doesn’t need extras. The simple build is the point.

A recipe booklet is a small inclusion that changes how quickly a new donut maker gets used. The Chef Buddy comes with one, plus 2-inch wells and simple red and green indicator lights, so the first batch doesn’t depend on guesswork. Seven wells, 1000 watts, and a nonstick surface put it in the same practical territory as the Dash.

We like it for first-time bakers because it removes two common hurdles: what to make and when the plates are ready. The cool-touch handle is a sensible touch, and the compact 11-by-8-inch footprint fits a normal counter. Donuts come out even and release without a fight. It isn’t the most flexible machine here, since the Babycakes does cake pops and cupcakes, but it’s the straightforward one we hand to someone who just wants a dependable donut maker.

The upside is that it heats quickly and the recipe booklet gives you a starting point instead of a blank page. For a household that wants a classic mini donut maker with a little guidance included, the Chef Buddy is an easy recommendation. It doesn’t try to be the most versatile machine here; it just does the donut job without fuss.

At 16 ounces, the DSP is the machine we move around the kitchen without a second thought. It slides into a cupboard, sits on a crowded counter without dominating it, and still bakes seven mini donuts. The cool-touch handle and red-and-green indicator lights make the start-and-wait rhythm easy to follow.

That light build doesn’t feel flimsy in use. The nonstick plates release donuts cleanly and wipe down after they cool, and the layout is best for a quick breakfast or an after-school snack rather than a party. The simple controls make it easy to bring out, use, and put away, which matters more than another feature on a machine this small.

The DSP is the pick when storage matters more than batch size. The JOVELL makes more sense for a crowd; the DSP makes more sense for a small kitchen that wants donuts occasionally. That’s a narrow but useful brief, and it fills it well.

Sixteen wells is the number that defines the JOVELL. Where most machines here bake seven or eight mini donuts, this one turns out a full tray at once, and the 1.97-inch holes keep each donut in one-or-two-bite territory. For a birthday table or a batch to freeze, that capacity changes the rhythm: you’re filling one large plate instead of running three cycles.

The 1400-watt element and double-sided plates are built for that volume, and the package includes a brush and mini oven gloves. The nonstick surface released cleanly in our batches, and the wells are close enough together that a full tray feels manageable rather than fussy. A full tray also means more donuts to glaze before the next round goes on.

We recommend the JOVELL to the cook who wants donuts for a crowd. It isn’t the machine for a casual single batch; the Dash and DSP are easier to bring out day to day. But when volume is the job, the 16-hole layout is the reason to choose it.

The AshGlen’s ceramic-coated plates are the reason to look at it. Most mini donut makers here use a dark nonstick surface; this one uses a ceramic coating, and the eight 2-inch wells give it one more slot than the seven-donut machines. The 8.7-inch square footprint and 2.7-pound body keep it in the same small-appliance class as the Dash.

We’re drawn to the idea of a ceramic surface for easy release and cleanup, and the compact shape is easy to live with. The 750-watt element is at the lower end of this group, so it doesn’t compete on power; the case for the AshGlen is the coating and the extra well, not brute force. It also includes a brush for the plates, which is a sensible pairing for ceramic.

If you want the safest default, choose the Dash. If the coating is what sells you, this is the compact way to get it. The eight wells are still small, and the batch is still a snack rather than a party spread, but the design gives you a reason to consider it beyond the usual black box.

The Babycakes earns its place by refusing to be only a donut maker. Three interchangeable nonstick plates let it bake seven mini donuts, seven cupcakes, or 12 cake pops, and the plates are removable and dishwasher-safe. That versatility is the whole pitch; the donut plate alone would put it in a crowded field.

As a donut maker, it bakes seven small rings in about five minutes, with even results and a nonstick surface that releases cleanly. The 4-pound body and 10.35-by-8.35-inch footprint make it heavier and a little bulkier than the simplest machines, but the removable plates are a genuine cleanup advantage. The cake-pop and cupcake plates are not afterthoughts either; they give the appliance a second life for parties.

The donuts are still mini, closer to a vanilla wafer than a bakery doughnut, so this is not the pick for someone who wants a big, yeasty donut. And if donuts are the only thing you’ll make, the other plates won’t earn their keep. That is the boundary of the recommendation.

For a family that wants one appliance for cake pops, cupcakes, and donuts, though, the Babycakes is the most flexible machine here. We recommend it to the household that already knows it will use the other plates, not to the shopper who just wants the simplest donut maker. The removable plates make the extra bulk easier to justify.