What Bread Machine Should You Buy?
Whether you’re 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’m excited to guide you through the top Zo models. Let’s explore their features and discover the perfect bread machine for your kitchen. Ready? Let’s dive in!
Last Updated on June 15, 2024 – Originally posted July 14, 2019
Table of Contents
Why Zojirushi?
The short version of the story is that Zojirushi bread machines are well built and make great bread. I tested most of the bread recipes on this blog with Zojirushi bread machines.
Here’s the longer version of why I recommend the Zojirushi breadmaker . . .
I make all the bread, hamburger buns, dinner rolls, pepperoni rolls and hot dog buns for our household. Rarely, I’ll run out of time and I’ll need to pick up a bread product from the grocery store. That happens about twice a year. Other than that, I make everything with the help of my Zo.
That means that I use my bread machine two to three times every week. In my experience, Zojirushi bread machines will last four to six years under those conditions.
I do need to buy new paddles every few years. Paddles and other parts are available on Amazon or from Zojirushi.
Sour milk bread is my favorite bread machine recipe. I make it ALL the time!
Let’s talk about the quality of the bread. You can look through this website to see the sort of bread this machine is turning out. The bread recipe that I make most frequently is sour milk bread. It turns out great every time.
Sometimes people tell me that they use their machines to make the dough, but they bake the bread in the oven. This is often because people want their bread to be traditionally shaped. Two-pound Zojirushi machines have a horizontal loaf pan, so your bread comes out of the machine looking like a “regular” loaf of bread.
The two-pound loaves will yield about 12 slices of bread per loaf. I slice and freeze any bread that we don’t eat within about 24 hours.
What Bread Machines Do I Own?
I own three bread machines.
I have the BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso. I bought it in 2013 and it’s still going strong. I love it and It’s the longest lasting bread machine I’ve ever owned.
Sadly, this machine is no longer offered.
I also own a Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus (BB-PDC20). I bought it in August of 2021. You can learn more about that machine below.
Last, but not least, my mother gave me her Welbilt dual loaf bread machine. I’m not sure when this machine was made, but the manual is copyrighted in 2000.
Here’s the Welbilt machine that my Mom gave me.
Pick the Zo That’s Right for You
Zojirushi currently offers two models of two-pound bread machines. Those are the the BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme and the BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus.
Both are good machines. Let’s get into the positives and negatives of each one.
BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme
I think the BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme is a good choice for most people.
Pros of the Home Bakery Supreme:
- Less expensive
- Has a quick dough setting
Cons of the Home Bakery Supreme:
- No gluten-free setting
BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus
The BB-PDC20 Virtuoso Plus machine is really popular. However, I have several questions about this machine. I’ve tested it and you can see the results below.
Note that if you order this from Amazon they may give the product number as “BB-PDC20BA.” The “BA” stands for is the color code for the model. In this case it signifies that the color is black.
Here are the pros and cons of the Virtuoso Plus:
Pros of the Virtuoso Plus:
- Gluten-free setting
Cons of the Virtuoso Plus:
- More expensive
- No quick dough setting
Keep reading to learn more about the Virtuoso Plus.
Virtuoso Plus – The Yeast Issue
One concern I had with the Virtuoso Plus is that the recipes in its manual don’t use active dry yeast. Most of the recipes call for rapid rise yeast.
I’ve used Zojirushi machines for years and this is an enormous change. In the past, the recommended yeast was active dry yeast.
Would my recipes work as-is in the Virtuoso Plus or would the yeast amount have to be updated?
To test this, I made one loaf of sour milk bread in Virtuoso Plus and one in the Virtuoso. I used active dry yeast on both.
The loaves were the same size. The only difference was that the loaf from the Virtuoso Plus was darker and the crust was slightly thicker.
If you own the Virtuoso Plus, you’ll want to experiment with the crust settings. Tried and true recipes that used the medium setting in the past, may now need the light crust setting.
The loaf from the Virtuoso Plus is on the left. On the right is a loaf from my regular machine, the Virtuoso.
Again, 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.
Special Bread Machine Courses in Virtuoso Plus
Do you really need sugar-free, salt-free, multigrain bread settings and all the rest? I’ve tested some of them and you can see the results below.
In most cases that I’ve tested, the special settings are not needed.
The setting issue matters because the Virtuoso Plus is more expensive than the Home Bakery Supreme. I don’t want people to pay more for these special settings, when they could just use these recipes in the Home Bakery Supreme.
Also, there’s only so much room for special settings on the control panel. So Zojirushi removed the quick dough selection to make room for the settings that I don’t think are needed. I use the quick dough setting once or twice a month. For me, it’s not a good trade-off.
Unboxing the Virtuoso Plus
Salt Free Setting – Virtuoso Plus
I tested the usefulness of the salt free course.
I made two loves of bread. 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.
The 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.
As you can see, the loaf of bread made with my older machine (the loaf of the left) looks fine. It is a little smaller, but I think the loaf is better formed.
My conclusion is that a salt free course is not needed to make salt-free bread in the bread machine.
Full disclosure, I made one adjustment to the recipe because of the yeast issue.
I made the loaf in the Virtuoso Plus using 1 teaspoon of rapid-rise/instant yeast. Again, that’s the loaf on the right.
My older machine usually calls for active dry yeast. So I converted the 1 teaspoon of instant yeast that original recipe called for to 1.25 teaspoons of active dry yeast. That’s what I used for the loaf on the left.
Vegan Setting – Virtuoso Plus
I first made vegan-friendly bread using a traditional bread setting years ago. Check out my recipe for dairy-free eggnog bread for more details on that.
To make sure that it’s possible to make vegan, dairy-free bread without a special vegan setting I made milk bread in my older machine. I’ll be adding that recipe soon.
The bread looks and tastes great.
It is a little poofy. So the next time I make it I’ll add a little less yeast. However, this is another case where a special setting isn’t needed.
European Setting – Virtuoso Plus
I also tested the European bread setting on the Virtuoso Plus. I made an herb bread using basil. I was going to share the recipe, but I really don’t like the bread. It’s a recipe from the Zo manual and it has way too much basil.
The loaf on the left was made with the basic/white setting and medium crust on my old machine. The loaf on the right was made with the European setting on the Plus.
As you can see, the Plus made a better formed loaf with better color. My older machine produced a loaf that was a little smaller, pale and the top has an uneven crust.
The loaves tasted identical.
I would imagine that using the dark crust setting and slightly tweaking the recipe the same quality loaf could be made without the European setting. But sometimes a person just wants to make bread and not tweak recipes. So I could go either way on this one.
Full disclosure, I did make one change to the recipes used with the different machines. I adjusted the type of yeast used for each machine just as I did when I tested the salt-free bread setting.
My older machine usually calls for active dry yeast. So I that’s what I used there. I used instant yeast in the Plus as that’s the yeast type mentioned in the instruction booklet. I used the formula on my yeast page to calculate equivalent amounts.
Gluten-Free Setting – Virtuoso Plus
I haven’t tested the gluten-free setting on the Virtuoso Plus. However, I did test this setting on my older machine, the Virtuoso.
The 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.
The loaves of bread tasted about the same, but the loaf made with the Zo’s gluten-free setting had a much better texture.
So if you make gluten-free bread, it makes sense to get the Virtuoso Plus.
Learn more about my gluten-free bread test, including where I got the gluten-free bread mix.
Want Something Smaller?
If you want a smaller machine, you might try Zojirushi’s one-pound machine, the BB-HAC10.
It even has a cookie/pasta dough setting. Intriguing!
Beyond Zojirushi
I’ve always used Zojirushi machines and been happy with them. However, if you can’t find a Zo that meets your needs, Amazon sells many different types of bread machines.
Also, many readers have found great machines at garage sales or thrift stores.
What’s important is to start on your bread-making journey. Good, wholesome and very tasty bread is waiting for you. You can make what you want, when you want and your kitchen will smell amazing! So go ahead, embrace the flour-dusted adventure – you’ll be amazed at the results!
Thank you so very much for this! I have been going back and forth between the two machines for a while now.
I’m so glad I could help!
I had a Tfal bread machine. I just bought the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus. I have a recipe that my husband loves for honey whole wheat bread for a 1.5 lb. loaf. My Tfal bread machine had settings for 1, 1.5 and 2 lb. loaves. I need to know what setting to use to make a 1.5 lb. loaf on my new Virtuoso Plus. I can’t see anywhere in the manual or recipe book that explains how to do that. Can you help me??
Great question! Sadly, the Virtuoso does not have an adjustment for loaf size. But not to worry. You have two options.
The first option is to make the 1.5 pound recipe in the two pound machine. The recipe should still work, but you may have a hippo-shaped loaf. I think they’re cute and they taste fine.
The second option is to change your recipe so it works for a 2 pound machine. I have a page on how to change bread recipes to fit differently sized machines.
Great information on this site. I’m deciding on which model to buy
I have been learning my Zo… even figured out the “homemade” cycle to make a decent sourdough loaf. The one thing it doesn’t seem to do well is mixing in add ins (raisins, nuts, etc.). Any suggestions?
I’ve had the same issue. I put the add ins into the bread pan right at the beginning instead of at the add beep. Here’s more about my problems with the add beep for the bread machine.
FWIW, I’m a new Virtuoso Plus (BB-PDC20) owner, and I reached out to Zojirushi to ask whether older Virtuoso (BB-PAD20) recipes could be used in the newer machine.
They said “yes”, that similar Courses of the two machines have nearly the same cycles. (I’ve confirmed this for at least the Basic White and Dough Courses.)
I suspect the two machines are virtually identical, and that anything you’re used to doing in the Virtuoso can be replicated in the Plus.
At a minimum, since the Virtuoso Courses’ cycle times are published in the Virtuoso recipe book, they can be recreated in the Plus Homemade Course.
I’ve had my Zojirushi model BBCC-S15 for 29 years and it is still going strong! I replaced the pan and paddle about 8 years ago. I’ve made hundreds of loaves of breads in it and I love it. I wouldn’t trust another brand.
I have a Zojirushi BB-CEC20WB I purchased in 2011. I used it heavily for a few years, put it away, and rediscovered it in 2019. I use it once or twice a week. Zojirushi bread is better than the grocery store bread but not better than scratch or bakery bread, but it is A LOT easyer / cheaper!
I would unquestionable buy this model again.
What you should know:
• When it kneads, it can walk and fall off the counter. I put two cast iron Dutch ovens in front of it.
• Zojirushi customer support will not sell you a part (except a new baking pan and/or paddles). If a part breaks (like a plastic hinge if it walks off the counter), you must send it back to Zojirushi and pay them to repair it, which approaches the price of replacement. I use mine with a broken hinge.
• Per the Zojirushi manual, it bakes at 254 – 294 degrees Fahrenheit during the Home Made cycle and the custom bake time cannot be extended beyond 70 minutes. As noted on this web site, you cannot make a full sized banana bread but you can make a superb ½ sized one
I can’t afford the Zo. I’m living on social security. Can you recommend a more affordable machine for me?
Great question! I’ve added a link to an Amazon review of different bread machines to the bottom of the article. That should give you some more options.
You can buy it from QVC on easy pay. If you click through MrRebates to get to QVC’s website you will get a % of the price back as well. If you still can not afford this machine get the Cuisinart.
No. Don’t get the Cuisinart. They are known for over baking the crust.
Look in the thrift shops and also on Facebook Marketplace. Try yard sales also.
Many people have found theirs at thrift stores and on eBay.
Hi, I have had my Zo for almost 30 years! Still works great, it was $300.00 when I got it.
Was looking at recipes and found your site. Thanks! ?
I love my Zo too. It’s still going strong and I use it ALL the time!
Hello Marsha –
I recently decided to upgrade to a Zo from my old Breadman Ultimate.
The only model I could find at a normal price is the BB-PDC20 Virtuoso Plus that you don’t recommend. I’ve been using SAF Instant red label yeast that I picked up on Amazon for about $7 for a pound before becoming scarce due to the virus, in both my old breadman and new Zo.
So far in the Zo I’ve made dough for pretzels, four loaves of the delicious sour milk bread, and two loaves of the Hawaiian bread. Everything has turned out perfectly.
So while the manual does call for Rapid Rise, it hasn’t been a problem when using the SAF-instant red label yeast.
Thanks for the great recipes and resource for bread machines bakers!
– Mark
Thanks so much for this valuable feedback! Based on your information and from what I’m hearing on Facebook, I’ve changed my recommendation about this machine.
First, let me thank you for this wonderful site. My wife and I have been researching making our own bread and this has been a wonderful source of information. But I have a couple of questions. The Virtuoso Plus machine seems to have a quick dough setting, course 11. Our research seems to show that it is possible to interchange Active dry yeast with active quick rise yeast if you adjust the quantities and rise time. Could not one of the three hand made courses be modified for active yeast?
Unfortunately, with the Covid19 problem, everything you recommend on your site is sold out, but the Virtuoso plus was still available?
Thank you again for this wonderful site.
Jan, Richmond, TX
Hi Jan, I suspect you’re right about the course 11 being a quick dough setting. Because the machine requires active quick rise yeast, they’re all quick settings. 🙁 I didn’t realize this when I first wrote about the machine. I have no idea why Zojirushi did that. It’s such a departure from every other machine that they’ve made. Also, quick rise yeast is harder to find and more expensive.
That being said, I think you’ve got a great idea about using the home made course to overcome that issue. The only thing I’m not sure about is the temperature of the bread machine. However, even if the Plus cooks at a higher temperature maybe you could use the light crust setting.
You could easily get the times for each cycle by looking at manuals for other machines. Those give the times for each cycle.
If you try this let me know how it works.
I have an old Toastmaster Bread and Butter Maker for over 20 years. I tend to make bread once or twice a month. It is my go to machine for most of my bread baking. It has consistently baked up beautiful loaves. Most of the recipes that came with it turn out kinda hard and through trial and error, I have learned how to make softer and moister breads by adding a bit less flour or a bit more water.
I have (3) of the Zojirushi BBCC V20. Not as up to date as yours, but buying used from a thrift store was my only option.
I’ve found the best of the best as far as I can see. Though at some point I might just find the BB-PAC20 in a thrift store.
Oh, I have 3 because if I need replacement parts, it was the cheapest way to go.
Congratulations on finding a good, used Zo. I always look at the thrift shops as I’d like to get a second machine. I haven’t found one yet though.
I was looking at the Zo mini because 1 pound loaves work for my needs and I like the small footprint. But the thing that put me off spending THAT much money for any Zo? I downloaded the manual and they provide NO information about the time and cycle breakdown for any of the bread settings.
Like Dennis I value knowing when my Oster is going to punch down so I can remove the paddle before the final rise. The Oster beeps like his Cuisinart did, and the Oster user manual gives the time line breakdown for each bread type setting. I can just glance at the manual, find that the punch down is going to happen in 55 minutes from start, set a timer on my cel phone, and come back at just the right time to remove the paddle. The Zo machines – no info like that provided for $200.00 to 300.00 machines…? Sorry – pass for me.
The lesson learned is it’s a good idea to download the user manual for a machine you are considering and see if the machine has the features you want and need before buying. That, and a decent run of recipes and tips to fix problems etc.
Great idea! I’ve got a link to some online manuals here.
The older manuals had the times in them, but they decided it was proprietary information so took them out. If you look on their site you can download an older manual and the times shouldn’t really change. You can also time out the cycles, but I agree that its stupid they don’t have them in there.
I had the Cuisinart convection for 12 years. The pan locking mechanism broke so, after MUCH debate, I bought the Virtuoso Plus. Oddly, the day the Zo arrived, I fixed the Cuisinart, then stupidly gave it to Goodwill before trying the Zo. Bad move.
The Zo makes beautiful bread, I love the wide loaf (the only reason I bought it). That’s it for likes.
It doesn’t have a “finished last punch down” beep. My Cuisinart beeped when done with paddle, so the dough could be reshaped and the paddle removed before baking. The Zo doesn’t, the bread often has lopsided crowns and the paddles rip the bottom of the bread when it’s removed (not ti mention how hard the paddles are to remove after dough baked inside the hubs).
I doubt understand the “rest” cycle. All my ingredients are already at room temp when I start! Besides, 30 min of rest won’t allow cold buttermilk to warm sufficiently, anyway. Waste of time.
Biggest “dislike” is lack of recipes! My +$300 machine came with a handful of recipes; white, wheat, herb, sourdough recipes are BASIC. My Cuisinart came with a binder of at least 50 recipes! I should not have to buy a separate recipe book (there is ONE book for Zo, not for this machine, all for 1.5lb loaves, no conversions). Looking for online recipes is not the same as sitting with a recipe BOOK.
Speaking of ‘no conversions’, the few recipes the Zo does have are all for 2lb loaves. My Cuisinart had conversions for 1lb, 1.5lb, and 2lb bread.
I’m keeping the machine but only because of the wide loaf, nothing else about it is special, in fact, it’s totally lacking.
You can over ride the rest cycle. Press the up and down time buttons at the same time and hold for 3 seconds. Repeat to reset the rest cycle. I recommend everyone watch the instructional video on YouTube from Zojirushi.
I, too, have a Zojirushi BB-PAC20. I agree that it’s a sturdy machine and expect it to last longer than any other machine I’ve owned. However, it’s also the most expensive machine I have owned and I have am significantly disappointed by the machine.
First, I make almost exclusively vegan, whole-grain breads. I made thousands of loaves
of whole wheat bread in a cheap Breadman, by simply omitting the milk powder and the butter. Time after time I always get a well-risen loaf with a good crumb. Not so with the BB-PAC20. For the price, I expected better.
Next, the machine doesn’t indicate which Rise cycle is currently active. For the high cost, that should have been included.
Last, the machine isn’t programmable, to either create completely new recipes or to adjust the parameters of existing recipes. Again, for a machine which costs about three times as much as a Breadman, I expected more.
The machine is programmable. Check out the Home Made button. I used it to make meatloaf. Okay, I don’t advise that anyone use the machine for that purpose, but the machine totally is programmable. 🙂 I plan to use it to make pasta in the future. I trust that it’s going to work better for pasta.
It does show which rise it is on. Shine a little flash light on the display. Make sure you have your glasses on. And it is programmable for three different home made custom cycles. Read the owner’s manual again.
My Little Sister gave us a Panasonic Bread machine after She found replacement parts on eBay. After a while I wanted a new Bread Maker. Little Sister said “I have the Zo”! Uh, what’s that? The best there is was Her response. Well, I ordered mine and yes, it’s the best there is in my humble opinion. I make Bread for 3 of my neighbors and Son and Daughter in Law and send Homemade Bread to two other Daughters. The “Zo” is so easy to use, makes perfect loaves, and I hope it lasts forever, but if I need to replace it, there is no question, it will be another “Zo!
I feel the same way about mine. Love my Zo!
Which model did you get? I’m ready to order but haven’t made up my mind which model of Zo.
If you plan on making gluten-free bread, I’d get the Virtuoso Plus. Otherwise, I’d get whichever one is less expensive. Most of the time that’s the Home Bakery Supreme. Either one will be good though.
Our children bought the Zo you have for Christmas three years ago…it’s a great machine. We no longer eat nearly as much bread as we used to so, hopefully, it will last a long time. And while we don’t eat a lot of bread anymore, I bake bread for my cousin in exchange for eggs from his chickens and ducks….a win/win situation!
I like your exchange plan. 🙂