To be fair, the Zojirushi bread machines are good, and customer reviews give them an excellent overall rating. But these machines don’t come cheap and I’m not sure the cost is always justified. Personally, I wouldn’t buy the BB-HAC10 – it’s too expensive and you can buy other better machines for much less.
Zojirushi is one of those brands that sells under its name alone. Everyone pretty much agrees that they make great kitchen products and one could do a lot worse than buy one of their high-spec appliances. However, their products don’t come cheap, and sometimes I wonder if buyers are paying more for the name of the product than for its functionality and reliability.
The BB-HAC10 is the cheapest Zojirushi bread machine and it retails from over $175. For this price, you could buy several machines from other companies, so you have to wonder if this Zo bread maker is several times better in terms of functionality, reliability, not to mention if the bread and dough actually taste better. Let’s take a look at the machine currently on offer and see how it ranks.
Zojirushi describes it as a Home Bakery Mini Bread Maker. It only makes a 1-pound loaf, so it’s designed for the smaller family or for frequent use. Its small size (8 x 11 x 12 inches) is great if counter space is at a premium. It has a very simple design, the control panel is easy to read and use and it comes with a large ‘loop’ handle so you can carry it with one hand. Here are some of the features on offer:
Three bread textures to choose from: Regular, Firm or Soft.
It has cycles for dough – cookies and pasta.
Apart from the white and integral cycles, it also has French bread, sponge cake and jam.
There is also a quick bake cycle that can prepare and bake bread in less than 2 hours.
13 hour delay timer.
A 7 minute power failure backup.
You get a manual and recipe book, which is easy to follow and has some very good recipes. The Zojirushi BBHAC10 also comes with a video, which is completely useless and not worth taking out of the box.
This little bread machine is liked by many and has few negative reviews. Some complain that the flour doesn’t mix all the way through; This is a common complaint with horizontal loaf pans that come with a single mixing paddle. Sometimes this can be a valid complaint, but with the Zo breadmaker it probably has more to do with improper dough preparation; either too wet or too dry – by experimenting with the mix, this problem can usually be fixed.
But this machine is around $170 and is it really value for money? Let’s compare this to another high-end appliance; the Breadman Ultimate bread machine. The Breadman costs around $120, much less than the Zo. The Breadman also makes horizontal loaves and has a mixing paddle, but it’s a much more versatile machine than the BB-HAC10; The Breadman Simplicity Bread Maker outperforms the BB-HAC10 in every department. Power failure backup is 60 minutes instead of the Zo’s measly 7 minutes. The delay timer goes up to 24 hours instead of the Zo’s base 13 hours. There is a patented ‘x-tras’ dispenser so you can add your extra ingredients right from the start. It can do loads of 1, 1.5 and 2 pounds.
But the Breadman bread machine offers much, much more. There are a staggering 35 preprogrammed cycles with 300 subprograms. And if that’s not enough, you can program your own custom cycles. Quick Bake cycle makes bread in 59 minutes; twice as fast as the Zojirushi breadmaker.
How does the bread made with both machines compare? This is a pretty subjective matter, but in all honesty, there is no real difference as long as you follow the recipes to the letter. Both Breadman and Zojirushi make excellent home baked bread.
Is there anything better in the BB-HAC10 than in the Ultimate? It’s smaller and that’s it.
If you’re going to spend that much money, you should seriously consider the Breadman over the Zo. If you are a loyal user of an old Zojirushi bread machine and are looking to replace it, you will be pleased with the BB-HAC10 and what it offers. So for your peace of mind, go ahead and buy it. But if not, buy the Breadman Ultimate bread machine and save yourself some serious money.