Zojirushi BBCC-X20 Bread Machine

I can remember looking at the Zojirushi bread machine ten or more years ago, back when bread machines were a fairly new thing. It certainly was enticing, but at that time there was no way I could justify the cost. I instead went and bought a different brand dough machine - a machine that mixed and kneaded the dough, with intervals for rising... at which point the dough was removed from the mixing bowl and let to raise a final time before placing into the oven of the stove. This little dough machine was a lot less costly because it did not also bake the bread, and I found it delightful. It always made dough which turned out to be good dinner bread - but getting good sandwich bread was a bit more challenging. Nevertheless, it performed well and did the hardest part of the bread making for me for a number of years.

Recent years in our household have seen a number of changes, including my entry into the workworld and a sad end to my SAHM days. With a lot less time on my hands, I found that breadmaking went from a daily event to a weekly event..and then to a monthly event..and finally to a once-in-a-blue-moon event. Although the little dough machine did the hardest, longest part of the work, and worked well, I found myself avoiding it, simply because of the lack of the little time it took to remove the dough, work it a little, set it to rise, then bake, and clean up the floury mess from my work area afterwards.

It didn't take too long to become tired of the high cost of store bought whole grain bread loaves, and I found myself missing the flavor of bread made from freshly ground wheat. The other half began threatening to take what whole grains I had remaining, unused for months, and toss to the chickens..

One day not lot ago, I happened across a Zojirushi bread machine at an online store, with a price tag that was much lower than that of a decade ago... a price tag that when I figure the cost of storebought bread, justified my purchasing it, as it would pay for itself within 2 months of daily use. Stands to reason that as the novelty of such things begins to wear off, and with so much competition, that prices will get lower, but I was surprised to see it well over $100 below its original price.
I did some checking and researching on bread machines at that point, and found there were a vast number available, and almost all others cost considerably less than the Zoji.

After comparing features and reading reviews, I hesitated...but then went ahead and ordered the Zojirushi when the price came down even further, making it only a few dollars more than any of the others.

I'm so glad I decided on the Zoji. I followed the little manual for my first loaf's recipe (whole wheat), and it came out quite well for a first attempt. No problem with it coming out of the pan. No stuck-in mixing padddles. It was baked evenly throughout, though the crust seemed a little thick on the sides. We found it to be about perfect for sandwich slices.

On the next loaf, I did my own thing, with my own recipe tailored a little. This loaf came out even nicer, and again we had great sandwich bread. No problems with getting it out of the pan and no problems with stuck-in paddles. Pan cleaned up like a breeze.

So far, I am very pleased with the Zoji. I am experimenting a little to see if I can get good dinner bread from it, rather than sandwich bread only - I think perhaps shortening the kneading cycle may do the trick.

The manual that came with the machine states something to the effect that one should not use home-ground whole wheat flour in this machine. I wasn't aware of this when I bought the machine - it had been recommended to me by other moms who..well, that is the only kind of flour they have - home ground - and ...well, that is the only kind of flour I have - home ground. Perhaps it works well for my friends and myself (the ones with only home-ground flour) because of the grain mills we use..The one I use makes the flour just as powder fine as storebought. (I am not recommending that anyone use home ground flour in this machine, as the manual clearly states not to - I am doing so at my own risk.) I can also grind my flour very coarsely - I've used it both ways in my older dough-only machine - and perhaps after giving the Zoji people a call first to discuss it, I may try a coarser grind flour in the Zoji to see. Then again, if they advise me not to..then I'll save the coarser grind for those occasions when I have time to make it myself.

I'm very pleased with the fact that the Zoji is very quiet (my dough machine wasn't) and that the Zoji doesn't "walk" across the counter (my dough machine did). It's so easy to deal with - just put in the ingredients, and set it for the right kind of bread, and then push the start button..fresh, baked bread in the works and no more fooling with it until it's done baking! Even my older children are able to do this - which means someone else in the house can get the bread making done some days when Mom is working on something else. Big plus, big help.

Not sure what to do with the old dough machine - the Zoji can do "just dough" if I want it to, so there's really no need to keep the old dough machine around. The Zoji can also do cakes, pizza dough, and jam. I've always though jam was especially easy to make the old fashioned way, but it's an option I have if I want it.

I've found a couple of cookbooks with some great recipes that work in the Zoji - if you buy this Zojirushi bread machine, and have the opportunity to also buy a cookbook or two, be sure to pick up the ones in a series "Bread Machine Magic"...very useful, very helpful especially if you've not dealt with bread making very much.

It's good to have fresh bread in the kitchen again - and especially so these evenings when I don't have energy to fool with anything more than just dropping in the ingredients.