I'm one of the many Zojirushi fans around here, and have been using mine for many years now. It's a workhorse in my kitchen because I make all our breads.

The Zo does such a great job (better than by hand or in a stand mixer), it is used in the King Arthur Test Kitchen to make dough.

I mill my own flour and the Zo is one of the only machines capable of working a dough that is 100% whole wheat flour, as well as home-milled flour. Many models can't take the stress of all whole wheat flour, and most advise NOT using freshly-milled flour. So check out those features if you are going to use whole wheat flour.

In a side-by-side test using a stand mixer and a Zojirushi Bread Machine, King Arthur made the same 100% whole wheat bread recipe in the machines. The breads were panned and baked in the oven, not the bread machine. The dough made in the Zo rose at least 1-inch taller than the dough made in the stand mixer. Mixers tend to aerate the dough and this test showed the difference.

I never bake in my bread machine, but I DO load it with enough ingredients to yield 2+ pounds of dough, which is enough dough to make two loaves, or one loaf and one of these choices with the remaining dough: 8-inch pan of dinner rolls, 6 jumbo pecan or cinnamon rolls, 6 hamburger buns, or 6 hot dog buns - from one recipe of dough.

It's actually cheaper and faster to bake 2 loaves in my Sharp Convection/Microwave oven. The Zo uses .35 kwh to bake a 2-pound loaf (.02 cents at our rate), so baking in the Zo is still a cost-effective option compared to using your oven. I just have more options by making the dough in the Zo and baking it outside the bread machine.

Good luck with your choice.

-Grainlady

if I could afford it, I'd have a Zojirushi.

However, since I got my Cuisinart on sale for a ridiculously low price, I love it. They only thing I do not like is the shape of the loaves ... there's where the ZO has it over just about all others.

If I were buying another Cuisinart, I'd spring for the convection model ... however, at that point, I'd probably go ahead and get a Zo.

kay

I also have a Zojirushi and can't say enough good about it. It's one of the few expensive appliances I have that I'd replace immediately if it quit.

I bake all my own bread, and I also use it for buns, cinnamon rolls, etc., but I never bake in it because I don't like the crust. I use it to mix dough and then bake in the oven, usually along with something else. A pot roast still leaves room for a loaf, or dinner rolls and muffins or meatloaf, etc. Never bake an orphan, someone once said!

Recently, however, I bought my granddaughter a bread machine at Goodwill for $8. She loves it and made Bernard Clayton's Frisian Bread yesterday, and baked it in the bread machine. She's 7 and not allowed to use the oven by herself. (grin) It came out fine and she ate the first slice herself, and is taking a sandwich to school today on bread that she made herself.

It worked OK, the loaf is a bit weirdly shaped because of the "bucket", and there is no timer, I think it's a Breadmaster or something like that.

Dad had an old one, I think it was a Rival, worked OK but went kaput in pretty short order.

Annie

Well I have a DAK Auto Bakery...my girlfriend bought it at a flea market about 15 years ago. It kind of looks like R2D2 and makes a sort of cylindrical loaf. It is the original bread machine. She paid $5.00 for it. She said she wasn't using it anymore and gave it to me. I looked up the instructions online and have been making bread and it works just perfect! If possible I highly recommend getting one at a thrift store or flea market and give it a try to see if you like it before investing a lot into one. This is an appliance that a lot of people think they will use a lot and then don't so give it a try first.
Joann

I have an Oster that just keeps trucking along. I'm guessing that it is at least 13 or 14 years old. Check out craigslist, thrift stores, and garage sales too. I see them all the time and some are still new in the box and have never been used. Cheap too. : ) Guess they are/were popular gifts and some just never get used.

David

I see hardly used bread machines at garage sales all the time. Going prices are $2-$10. I have a cheapy--regal or rival, I forget. Have never used a Zo so I may be missing out on something. Don't know. I've been mostly happy with my cheapy (a little bummed because the WW cycle doesn't work) and, as I venture more & more into no-knead/ lo knead artisan type breads w/ long ferments, I have less & less use for the bread machine. However, I did use it twice this past weekend--for cinnamon roll dough and as soon as that was out of the bucket, I loaded it up to make pasta dough for lasagna ndls.

I would definitely suggest picking up a second hand machine on the cheap to see how a bread machine fits into your cooking routine before plunking down a lot of $ for the more exotic makers. (BTW, I have seen one Zo at a garage sale & mighta' bought it if I hadn't already bought a lot of stuff that day...so you could luck into one of the pricier machines for cheap.)

I just happened to be looking around at the Hospice thrift store and it surprised me at how many bread machines they had for sale. They seemed to be all the same price. If you're trying to save money I think I would shop around the thrift stores and see if they might just have a Zo or one that doesn't look too old. Mine is several years old and still looks new, I have an Oster but like so many I bake my bread in the oven as I like a more traditional shape than the squarish loaf my machine makes.

I have two and my favourite is my Cuisinart convection bread maker. Mostly I use it just for dough but when I do bake the bread in it I am very pleased with the results.

Just want to point out that a break maker can do more than just bread.

I even have used mine to make rice.

I am very pleased with my Panasonic.

dcarch

My kids bought me a Breadman Ultimate (or is it Ultimate Breadman??) several years ago, and it works great! I like that a loaf of bread actually looks like a LOAF of bread! :D Plus it has many programming options for deferred timing, different size loaves, whether you want your bread baked to a darker color or like it lighter, different flours, add-ins, etc.

Lori

Thanks for all your suggestions. I checked craigslist for the DC area which is where I live and ebay and sent some emails but no response yet. I saw the Zojirushi BBC-V20 on craiglist. Does anyone have experience with this?

I also have a DAK - it has to be at least 20+ years old. Paid full price~alot~had to order from DAK (which was odd 20 years ago). I used it for many years. It does bake a strange bullet shaped loaf. Even though I don't use it anymore, I can't part with it. Maybe I'll start baking bread again. I recommend it if you find it cheap.

I have a (well-used) V20 and the newer X20 and you'll get years of service from both. Even though there are a few more features on the X20, I wouldn't recommend one over the other. I can make anything I need to in either bread machine.

The link below may give you some insight.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Bread Machine Digest

Big fan of the Zo! You just can't go wrong with this machine. I have had other models, and most were just junk that I tossed eventually. I use the Zo to bake bread or just dough. It is well worth the money, believe me. Nothing else compares.

I have the Mini Zo. The loaf size and easy portability of the machine works well for us.

I've never liked the crust on bread baked in bread machines before I tried the French Bread setting on my Zo. The cycle takes longer than a regular loaf, but the only extra effort required is for me to remember to put the ingredients in and turn it on earlier. It makes company-worthy bread IMO.