Zojirushi Virtuoso Customizable Bread Machine
Last updated: March 22, 2023
Whether you're interested in making gluten-free, banana nut or sourdough, this bread machine can handle it with ease. You'll get even cooking, thanks to a heater in the lid that ensures your loaves are browned all over. As an extra, the timer gives you a specific time that the bread will be done rather than merely offering a countdown clock.
We looked at the top Bread Machines and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Bread Machine you should buy.
Product Details
Key Takeaway: Can make all types of bread, including gluten-free recipes. A heater in the lid means even cooking across each loaf.
In our analysis of 40 expert reviews, the Zojirushi Virtuoso Customizable Bread Machine
placed 9th when we looked at the top 12 products in the category. For the full ranking,
see below.
From The Manufacturer
Get performance like you’ve never seen from a breadmaker. A revolutionary heating element built into our Home Bakery Virtuoso Breadmaker changes the way you can bake bread at home. With perfectly browned crust every time, anyone can be a master baker. From novice to expert, now any home baker can take advantage of our most technologically advanced breadmaker, loaded with menu settings and options for the ultimate in versatility. For a basic bread recipe, simply add in measured ingredients, close the lid, make a selection from the user-friendly LCD control panel, and the Home Bakery Supreme takes care of the rest–baking up a rectangular-shaped 2-pound loaf of bread to perfection. Choose from three crust shades–light, medium, or dark–and from 10 pre-programmed settings that consist of Basic, Basic Wheat, Basic Dough, Quick, Quick Wheat, Quick Dough, Jam, Cake, Sour Dough Starter, and Home Made. Best of all, the machine’s timer can be set to delay the end of the baking cycle by up to 13 hours, which makes it possible to wake up to the smell of freshly baked, homemade bread in the morning or to come home to a warm loaf at the end of a long day at the office. The bread maker provides two blades for thorough dough kneading and a higher rise, a large viewing window, an “on” indicator light, a start/reset button, and a removable nonstick bread pan for easy cleaning. A double-ended teaspoon/tablespoon measuring spoon, an 8-ounce measuring cup, and a user manual with a variety of recipes come included.
Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
The settings on the Zojirushi are easy to use, and the digital display lights up, making it easy to read. And, rather than telling you how long the bread has left to bake, like all the other machines we tested, it tells you what time the loaf will be done. That sounds minor, but it’s nice not to have to do the mental math.
Off the charts performance. High customer satisfaction rate. Extremely versatile - can make pizza dough, cake, etc.
One of our favorite features, though, is that the lid has an additional heater for even baking across the top to match the bottom. There’s nothing worse than a doughy product that isn’t all the way baked or cooked.
One of the best things about the Zojirushi BB-PAC20 Virtuoso was its ability to make delicious gluten-free bread. It’s hard to bake gluten-free bread to taste as good as regular bread, but the Virtuoso made it effortless. It made gluten-free bread that tastes even better than what you get at the store.
Zojirushi added a top-browning element in the lid to create uniform browning over the top of the loaf. It works equally well for 1 pound, 1-1/2 pound and 2 pound settings.
The BB-PAC20 is the only Zojirushi bread maker that has a gluten free course. It has a powerful motor, dual paddles and a heavy construction. It can handle gluten free dough.
Two kneading blades do the hard work for you. Remember, just put in the ingredients, set your mode and the machine does the rest. Kneading blades mix the ingredients and work the dough.
What reviewers didn't like
Zojirushi is the sturdiest of all the machines we tried, but also the biggest, which is a downside for anyone short on space.
On the more expensive side.
Another disadvantage of this machine is that through the first bread making cycle or heat application, you’ll find an odor, only because the product is new and must be worn in with the heat in the machine.
However, we still don’t see an automatic fruit and nut dispenser with this machine, whereas the upgraded version for the “mini” model now has an automatic fruit and nut dispenser. If they included a dispenser it would have been the perfect bread machine. For now you’ll have to add the ingredients yourself at the “beep”.
Stability has a downside as well. The Virtuoso is a heavy machine weighing in at 27 pounds. It’s light enough to lift and move but you’ll need two hands to do it. Most owners find a dedicated spot and keep the unit in that location. Its power cord is only 3 feet long so any location will need to have an electrical outlet in close proximity.
Dough might sometimes rise unevenly causing the top crust to be slightly higher on one side.
It's quite expensive.
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