\nWhether you\u2019re an experienced baker or just starting out, selecting the right bread machine is crucial. As someone who relies on Zojirushi bread machines to create everything from fresh loaves of bread to dinner rolls, I\u2019m excited to guide you through the top Zo models. Let\u2019s explore their features and discover the perfect bread machine for your kitchen. Ready? Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n
Last Updated on June 15, 2024\u00a0 \u2013 Originally posted July 14, 2019<\/p>\n
You should know that some links on this page are affiliate links. That means that if you click through and take action, I\u2019ll receive compensation. You can read more about that here.<\/p>\n
Why Zojirushi?\u00a0
\nThe short version of the story is that Zojirushi bread machines are well built and make great bread.\u00a0 I tested most of the bread recipes on this blog\u00a0with Zojirushi bread machines.
\nHere\u2019s the longer version of why I recommend the Zojirushi breadmaker . . .\u00a0
\nI make all the bread, hamburger buns, dinner rolls, pepperoni rolls and hot dog buns for our household.\u00a0 Rarely, I\u2019ll run out of time and I\u2019ll need to pick up a bread product from the grocery store.\u00a0 That happens about twice a year.\u00a0 Other than that, I make everything with the help of my Zo.
\nThat means that I use my bread machine two to three times every week.\u00a0 In my experience, Zojirushi bread machines will last four to six years under those conditions.\u00a0\u00a0
\nI do need to buy new paddles every few years.\u00a0 Paddles and other parts are available on Amazon or from Zojirushi.
\nSour milk bread is my favorite bread machine recipe. I make it ALL the time!
\nLet\u2019s talk about the quality of the bread.\u00a0 You can look through this website to see the sort of bread this machine is turning out.\u00a0 The bread recipe that I make most frequently is sour milk bread.\u00a0 It turns out great every time.
\nSometimes people tell me that they use their machines to make the dough, but they bake the bread in the oven.\u00a0 This is often because people want their bread to be traditionally shaped.\u00a0 Two-pound Zojirushi machines have a horizontal loaf pan, so your bread comes out of the machine looking like a \u201cregular\u201d loaf of bread.
\nThe two-pound loaves will yield about 12 slices of bread per loaf.\u00a0 I slice and freeze any bread that we don\u2019t eat within about 24 hours.
\nWhat Bread Machines Do I Own?
\nI own three bread machines.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have the BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso.\u00a0 I bought it in 2013 and it\u2019s still going strong.\u00a0 I love it and It\u2019s the longest lasting bread machine I\u2019ve ever owned.
\nSadly, this machine is no longer offered.\u00a0
\nI also own a Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus (BB-PDC20).\u00a0 I bought it in August of 2021.\u00a0 You can learn more about that machine below.
\nLast, but not least, my mother gave me her Welbilt dual loaf bread machine.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure when this machine was made, but the manual is copyrighted in 2000.\u00a0\u00a0
\nHere\u2019s the Welbilt machine that my Mom gave me.
\nPick the Zo That\u2019s Right for You
\nZojirushi currently offers two models of two-pound bread machines.\u00a0 Those are the the BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme and the BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus.\u00a0\u00a0
\nBoth are good machines.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get into the positives and negatives of each one.\u00a0
\nBB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme<\/p>\n
I think the BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme is a good choice for most people.
\nPros of the Home Bakery Supreme:<\/p>\n
Less expensive
\nHas a quick dough setting<\/p>\n
Cons of the Home Bakery Supreme:<\/p>\n
BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus<\/p>\n
The BB-PDC20 Virtuoso Plus machine is really popular. However, I have several questions about this machine.\u00a0 I\u2019ve tested it and you can see the results below.
\nNote that if you order this from Amazon they may give the product number as \u201cBB-PDC20BA.\u201d The \u201cBA\u201d stands for is the color code for the model.\u00a0 In this case it signifies that the color is black.\u00a0 \u00a0
\nHere are the pros and cons of the Virtuoso Plus:
\nPros of the Virtuoso Plus:<\/p>\n
Cons of the Virtuoso Plus:<\/p>\n
More expensive
\nNo quick dough setting<\/p>\n
\u00a0Keep reading to learn more about the Virtuoso Plus.\u00a0\u00a0
\nVirtuoso Plus \u2013 The Yeast Issue
\nOne concern I had with the Virtuoso Plus is that the recipes in its manual don\u2019t use active dry yeast.\u00a0 Most of the recipes call for rapid rise yeast.\u00a0
\nI\u2019ve used Zojirushi machines for years and this is an enormous change.\u00a0 In the past, the recommended yeast was active dry yeast.
\nKeep in mind that rapid rise yeast, bread machine yeast and instant yeast are all the same thing.\u00a0 For more information on this, see my article on yeast in the bread machine.\u00a0
\nWould my recipes work as-is in the Virtuoso Plus or would the yeast amount have to be updated?
\nTo test this, I made one loaf of sour milk bread in Virtuoso Plus and one in the Virtuoso.\u00a0 I used active dry yeast on both.\u00a0
\nThe loaves were the same size.\u00a0 The only difference was that the loaf from the Virtuoso Plus was darker and the crust was slightly thicker.
\nIf you own the Virtuoso Plus, you\u2019ll want to experiment with the crust settings.\u00a0 Tried and true recipes that used the medium setting in the past, may now need the light crust setting.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe loaf from the Virtuoso Plus is on the left. On the right is a loaf from my regular machine, the Virtuoso.
\nAgain, the loaf from the Virtuoso Plus is on the left. On the right is a loaf from the Virtuoso. While the crumb virtually identical, the crust on the Virtuoso Plus is darker and a little thicker.
\nSpecial Bread Machine Courses in Virtuoso Plus
\nDo you really need sugar-free, salt-free, multigrain bread settings and all the rest?\u00a0 I\u2019ve tested some of them and you can see the results below.\u00a0
\nIn most cases that I\u2019ve tested, the special settings are not needed.
\nThe setting issue matters because the Virtuoso Plus is more expensive than the Home Bakery Supreme. I don\u2019t want people to pay more for these special settings, when they could just use these recipes in the Home Bakery Supreme.
\nAlso, there\u2019s only so much room for special settings on the control panel.\u00a0 So Zojirushi removed the quick dough selection to make room for the settings that I don\u2019t think are needed.\u00a0 I use the quick dough setting once or twice a month.\u00a0 For me, it\u2019s not a good trade-off.\u00a0 \u00a0
\nUnboxing the Virtuoso Plus
\nSalt Free Setting \u2013 Virtuoso Plus
\nI tested the usefulness of the salt free course.\u00a0
\nI made two loves of bread.\u00a0 One loaf was made in my older machine using the basic setting and the other was made in the Virtuoso Plus using the salt-free bread setting.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe loaf of the left was made with my older Zo, using the basic setting. The loaf of the right was made using the salt free course on the Virtuoso Plus.
\nAs you can see, the loaf of bread made with my older machine (the loaf of the left) looks fine.\u00a0 It is a little smaller, but I think the loaf is better formed.
\nMy conclusion is that a salt free course is not needed to make salt-free bread in the bread machine.
\nFull disclosure, I made one adjustment to the recipe because of the yeast issue.
\nI made the loaf in the Virtuoso Plus using 1 teaspoon of rapid-rise\/instant yeast.\u00a0 Again, that\u2019s the loaf on the right.\u00a0
\nMy older machine usually calls for active dry yeast.\u00a0 So I converted the 1 teaspoon of instant yeast that original recipe called for to 1.25 teaspoons of active dry yeast.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I used for the loaf on the left.<\/p>\n
Vegan Setting \u2013 Virtuoso Plus
\nI first made vegan-friendly bread using a traditional bread setting years ago.\u00a0 Check out my recipe for dairy-free eggnog bread for more details on that.
\nTo make sure that it\u2019s possible to make vegan, dairy-free bread without a special vegan setting I made milk bread in my older machine.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be adding that recipe soon.
\nThe bread looks and tastes great.\u00a0
\nIt is a little poofy.\u00a0 So the next time I make it I\u2019ll add a little less yeast.\u00a0 However, this is another case where a special setting isn\u2019t needed.<\/p>\n
European Setting \u2013 Virtuoso Plus
\nI also tested the European bread setting on the Virtuoso Plus.\u00a0 I made an herb bread using basil.\u00a0 I was going to share the recipe, but I really don\u2019t like the bread.\u00a0 It\u2019s a recipe from the Zo manual and it has way too much basil.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The loaf on the left was made with the basic\/white setting and medium crust on my old machine.\u00a0 The loaf on the right was made with the European setting on the Plus.
\nAs you can see, the Plus made a better formed loaf with better color.\u00a0 My older machine produced a loaf that was a little smaller, pale and the top has an uneven crust.\u00a0
\nThe loaves tasted identical.
\nI would imagine that using the dark crust setting and slightly tweaking the recipe the same quality loaf could be made without the European setting.\u00a0 But sometimes a person just wants to make bread and not tweak recipes.\u00a0 So I could go either way on this one.\u00a0 \u00a0
\nFull disclosure, I did make one change to the recipes used with the different machines.\u00a0 I adjusted the type of yeast used for each machine just as I did when I tested the salt-free bread setting.\u00a0\u00a0
\nMy older machine usually calls for active dry yeast.\u00a0 So I that\u2019s what I used there.\u00a0 I used instant yeast in the Plus as that\u2019s the yeast type mentioned in the instruction booklet.\u00a0 I used the formula on my yeast page to calculate equivalent amounts.
\nGluten-Free Setting \u2013 Virtuoso Plus<\/p>\n
I haven\u2019t tested the gluten-free setting on the Virtuoso Plus.\u00a0 However, I did test this setting on my older machine, the Virtuoso.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe loaf on the left was made with the gluten-free setting of the Zojirushi. The loaf on the right was made with the instructions from the King Arthur Flour website that recommended using the home made cycle.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe loaves of bread tasted about the same, but the loaf made with the Zo\u2019s gluten-free setting had a much better texture.\u00a0
\nSo if you make gluten-free bread, it makes sense to get the Virtuoso Plus.
\nLearn more about my gluten-free bread test, including where I got the gluten-free bread mix.
\nWant Something Smaller?<\/p>\n
If you want a smaller machine, you might try Zojirushi\u2019s one-pound machine, the BB-HAC10.
\nIt even has a cookie\/pasta dough setting.\u00a0 Intriguing!\u00a0
\nBeyond Zojirushi
\nI\u2019ve always used Zojirushi machines and been happy with them.\u00a0 However, if you can\u2019t find a Zo that meets your needs, Amazon sells many different types of bread machines.\u00a0\u00a0
\nAlso, many readers have found great machines at garage sales or thrift stores.\u00a0\u00a0
\nWhat\u2019s important is to start on your bread-making journey.\u00a0 Good, wholesome and very tasty bread is waiting for you.\u00a0 You can make what you want, when you want and your kitchen will smell amazing!\u00a0 So go ahead, embrace the flour-dusted adventure \u2013 you\u2019ll be amazed at the results!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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