Panasonic was founded in 1918 in Osaka, Japan, by Konosuke Matsushita. The company develops a wide range of electronic products and household appliances. In the kitchen category, Panasonic is known for automatic bread makers designed to prepare bread with minimal manual work. Bread machines mix, knead, and bake dough within a single appliance. Panasonic introduced early home bread makers in the 1980s and continues to develop models with multiple baking programs.