Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine

Before I purchased this bread maker, I read a lot of reviews online for different products. Thanks to the people who offered their opinions, I finally bought this machine.

From my experience of bread making so far, I am quite happy with this machine. It is quiet and good looking comparing with other models that my friends have. There is only one thing that I need to find out whether it is just this machine or normal for all: the top crust is ALWAYS much lighter than the sides. So, if I choose "light" for the crust, the top of the bread will come out with the impression "undercooked" even though the sides are perfect for my call. I just wish it could be a little bit darker. But still, I like this machine.

Years ago my nephew loaned me his Zojirushi bread machine, it made good bread, I loved it. Then I had to return the machine to him. I then bought a Welbilt bread machine. I never got a good loaf out it. I have now purchased the Zojirushi BBCC-X20. I have made about 5 or 6 loaves and not a bad loaf in the bunch. I will NEVER-EVER buy a different brand of bread machine again. It's simple to use and simple to clean and the bread tastes GREAT. If you're looking for a bread machine, I really recommend this one.

after trying a couple of other bread makers the Zojirushi BBCCX20 has proven to be the best. As for the "add beeps" it is not as bad as some people say. After testing the crust setting we found that if you use the light setting it comes out perfect. We have made several breads with fruit and it does a good job of mixing. So far we have not had any bad bread and we are making a loaf atleast 3 times a week. The bread does come out pretty easy with a couple of shakes of the pan. The only draw back we could come up with is that my wife likes to lift the lid and take a peek, It would have been nice if they added an interior light so you would not have to lift the lid. Otherwise I would HIGHLY reccommend this bread machine!

This is going to be long, but I hope it will help someone else who is having trouble with their Zoji.

I have been baking bread for years, and it's been a challenge to find a new bread machine. I literally wore out a GE breadmaker after almost 10 years of use, and was disappointed to learn they no longer make them. First try, I purchased a Breadman Ultimate, and took it back after using it twice - it was *very* poorly made, the pan would not stay locked in the clips and it banged around horribly during mixing. The bread turned out ok, but even hubby said it would not last and the racket it made was unreal. You needed ear plugs just to stay in the same room with it.

I really wanted a machine that baked a more traditional size loaf, and initially balked on the price of the Zoji. However, after the disaster with the Breadman, I decided there had to be a better option.

The Zojirushi is very solidly built - the pan is probably twice as thick as the Breadman Ultimate, and even thicker than my old GE model. The unit itself is large, so be prepared to sacrifice some counter space, but it's heavy enough that I can't see it taking a dive off the edge of the counter either. Another huge plus is that it is EXTREMELY quiet! I never thought a bread machine could ever work almost silently, but this one does. I had no trouble talking on the phone while it was running (you could never do that with the Breadman Ultimate!).

However (yes, you knew that was coming), I've had to do some tweaking to get it to make decent bread. I have read almost every single review on this breadmaker, and for those who give it glowing accolades right out of the box, all I can say is that you must have had a machine that was programmed better than mine. I think it's arrogant to assume that it is always the fault of the user with this breadmaker rather than the machine itself. I have owned a bread machine for almost 10 years, and even I almost returned this one initially and called it trash.

I watched the video that came with it, and also read the instructions. I used the Zoji recipe for their basic white bread first, and it turned out "ok" - but not great. Definitely not what I was expecting.

So I decided to use my tried and true Golden Egg Bread recipe that I've made literally hundreds of times over the years. The results were appalling! The bread did not rise as it should, was almost burned on the bottom, and the top looked like it had never seen heat - it was a sickly pale color (and this was on the medium crust setting for basic white bread). I could not believe this highly rated machine turned out a loaf this bad!

I thought I'd try it one more time just to see if it was a fluke, and got the exact same results. One thing different this time though was that I paid attention to how much the machine kneaded the dough, and how long the rise cycles were. I finally decided THAT is the problem with the machine - the timing is way off as it is originally programmed.

Thankfully, I kept my old GE user manual and it had the times for each cycle listed in the book. I used the HomeMade setting and programmed my own times/cycles into it, plus turned one of the rise times OFF completely (why there are three on the Zoji, I have no clue). As the original Basic White Bread cycle is set up, it does not knead the dough long enough, does not rise as it should, and bakes WAY too long.

Yesterday I used my own program for the first time and made a wonderful loaf of bread! It even browned on top. :o)

If you are having the same trouble with your machine, get out your instructions and manually program the following into the Memory (under HomeMade):

Turn PREHEAT OFF - this is a waste of time and electricity if your ingredients are at proper temperature.

Set the KNEAD cycle to 30 minutes (my old machine had 33, but 30 minutes is the max Zoji will allow).

Set the first RISE to 25 minutes.

Set the second RISE to 64 minutes.

Leave the third rise turned OFF.

Set the BAKING time to 40 minutes for light crust, 55 minutes for medium crust, and 65 minutes for dark crust.

I left the KEEP WARM turned off, but that's just my preference.

You may have to tweak these settings just a bit for your own recipes, but this worked beautifully for me - 100% better than what the Basic program runs.

I did remove the paddles at the beginning of the 2nd rise and gently shaped the loaf back into place. It wasn't lop-sided and was very smooth. I think the lack of proper kneading is a major culprit on the cracked tops of some loaves mentioned. I also take a plastic spatula and scrape the corners as it's mixing just to be sure it all gets incorporated. Sometimes water/flour adjustments have to be made too - you normally can't just throw it all in and walk off without checking the consistency. It shouldn't be dry and crumbly, but it also shouldn't be so sticky that it sticks to your fingers when you touch it. You develop a sense over time of what good dough feels like.

For dough only recipes, I plan on programming a 30 minute knead and 60 minute rise.

Overall, I'm pleased with the machine with the above changes, so I'm giving it 4 stars. I think it's sturdy, well-built, and above par for most bread machines I've seen on the market. However, I do think it needs the ability to customize the temperature, and a pause button would be helpful. It has the potential to be a great machine with some changes. I hope it holds up for many, many years after the high price tag on it.

I used to make bread the old fashioned way every Sunday morning, but being retired has shaken up my old routine. I bought this machine and found it simple to use; so far have made about 8 loaves of various breads, all good, if frankly, not as good as plain old up-to-the-elbows in flour made bread. But good enough to beat the almost $5 a loaf "rustic" breads in the local market. Easy to use and clean up. Takes some practice, but that's easy. The best part is when it's done, with butter and home-made jam.