The Wall Street Journal test kitchen recently reviewed bread machines. This is of great interest to me for two reasons. The first reason is that I had no idea that the Wall Street Journal has a test kitchen. The second reason is that I was very interested in what they had to say about my beloved Zojirushi.
They had some nice things to say about the machine. However they oddly left out the fact that it makes horizontal loaves of bread. On the negative side they said:
The instruction manual was hard to follow, and mastering the options took a little more know-how than other machines. And why so pricey?
Interesting. Am I alone in thinking that the machine is very simple to operate? Let me know if I’m wrong about that and I can do some tutorials.
Also, I find the machine to be a little work horse. I make 99% of our bread with my Zo. I don’t know that other machines could stand up to the constant use while consistently turning out great bread. Dependability really holds value to me. I think my Zojirushi is totally worth the price.
17 comments
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Judi
March 21, 2011 at 7:00 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Just bought the same machine and have only made one loaf, but so far love and and I do not consider it complicated at all!
Zelda
July 7, 2011 at 10:53 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I bought a Zo, used it once or twice a week for a bit over a year. It was noisy, vibrated, and never worked correctly. It finally failed completely, probably due to a faulty bread pan or motor or belts, and I got absolutely no help or support from the company. A new bread pan is $100 retail. There aren’t many places that do repairs. After months of intense discussions, it was returned to the company I bought it from but I paid the shipping both ways ($80). As far as I’m concerned, this is an overpriced and over-hyped piece of junk backed by an astonishing level of customer no-service. I cannot recommend it or the company that manufacturers it.
Marsha
July 19, 2011 at 4:23 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Zelda, I’m so sorry you had such a bad experience. I think the lesson that we can learn this is that if a machine doesn’t work, take it back ASAP. That will save a lot of heartache.
Obviously my experiences with the machine have been much different. My machine works flawlessly. I did have to buy a new bread pan recently, but I bought one on Amazon for about $60. I think the machines do a great job.
Would anyone else like to chime in on this?
JoAnn
November 14, 2011 at 1:24 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I, too, would be lost without my Zojirushi…if only I could get my son to buy his own for his family, my bread-life would be perfect! We are pretty basic people who prefer pretty basic bread…so I don’t take advantage of the bells and whistles, (although I did make the most outstanding strawberry jam we’ve ever tasted in it) but I don’t know anywhere else that can even come close to the quality of the loaf after loaf I bake.
Marsha
November 14, 2011 at 1:29 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I so agree. I was without a bread machine for a few weeks this summer. (I needed a new pan for the machine.) I didn’t like the bread from the grocery store. The hamburger buns were the worst. I won’t ever buy them again.
Kathryn
January 24, 2012 at 9:40 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I have had my Zojirushi bread machine for so long that they didn’t even offer the horizontal pans! I have been using mine since 1994. I love it. Recently my husband and I talked about getting a new one. Because we realize we probably can’t get a new pan for our 18 year old machine any more. Yesterday I used the dough cycle to make a wonderful rye bread. I also make pizza dough with it, and even english muffins. Zojirushi is great, and I would NEVER get anything else! We thoroughly researched our investment back in 1994, and were very happy.
Nowu Cit
February 22, 2012 at 10:12 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I love my new Zojirushi. I got the 1 lb one (HAC, I think) because I didn’t want bigger loaves of bread and also because of the machine’s weight and handle. I can easily move it to the counter and then put away in a cabinet. The manual was excellent in machine usage, cleaning, photographs, descriptions, recipes, and it came with a cd, too.
Once I put the ingredients in and start it, it is quiet, doesn’t get too hot and the bread is great. Only thing is that I wish I could use more recipes or more bread machine mixes but difficult to find a lot of recipes for the smaller machine. The screen for this comment is acting up so will close for now. The machine also is very quiet, doesn’t jiggle, and ger and is very quiet.
Pat
October 5, 2012 at 12:48 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I also have the small Zojirushi bread machine – 4 years old now and working perfectly. I recommend Donna Rathmell German’s books -The Bread Machine Cookbook which comes in several volumes. She gives proportions for 3 different loaf sizes, and I use the small loaf size with good results. I love her garlic parmesan bread, and have a loaf baking as I write.
Nowu Cit
February 22, 2012 at 10:13 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
My comment is messed up because of the comment line acting up. The machine doesn’t get real hot and a breeze to use.
Marsha
February 22, 2012 at 10:20 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Nowu – Sorry that the site was acting up. Your comments came through just fine though. Tanks for sharing your experience with everyone.
Singforsupper
March 3, 2012 at 6:29 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
You ask why a article reviewing products would possibly be biased? Uhmmm… they are selling some products and not others. I too have a Zojirushi and it costs more for the same reasons an apple computer product costs more. Design, construction quality, durability, functionality.
W. Miller
March 4, 2012 at 9:07 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I do enjoy the comments of your readers. I’m an old guy (71) living alone with no baking experience unless you count frozen pot pies. Bread making intrigued me so I purchased a Cuisinart 200 and WOW, what fun. I see that most of your friends have a “Zo” but Cuisinart products have been “good to me” so I’m loyal. My machine turns out a perfect product time after time by carefully measuring out the ingredients. It has 16 settings including cake, jam and others I have yet to use. Running at the moment is a coconut pineapple “concoction” that is somewhere between a cake and a bread. I deviated from the ingredient list a bit so we shall see what the “surprise” will be. Enough from me. Simply put, a bread machine is so much fun that everyone should have one and the bread is soooooooo good.
W. Miller, Sarasota, FL
Marsha
March 4, 2012 at 9:13 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’m so glad you’re enjoying your bread machine. I agree that everyone should have one.
Dave
March 25, 2012 at 5:24 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I am considering purchasing this bread maker.
One thing that I find curious, after downloading the pdf manual and reading the basics on it, is there seems to be no mention of what temperature the water should be when added to the baking pan. Is this taken care of by the preheating cycle? Or did I just miss that instruction?
The Oster that I currently have mentions that the water temp should be in a specified range.
Marsha
March 26, 2012 at 5:48 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Dave, I think that the preheat cycle takes care of the water temperature. I usually just put in warm water out of the tap.
David Dunlap
January 17, 2013 at 12:00 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Zo is thre only way to go. I have 15 machines at 3 different locations. I buy my flour from a bakery in 50 lb. bags. In Florida I go thru 500 lbs. in 6 months. I think I know what I speak. The fruit bread recipes can be adapted to any fruit you would like to use.(fresh , dried) Pans are expensive. If the blades stick get a small brush to remove the particles inside the holes.
Marsha
January 17, 2013 at 12:21 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks for the tip on how to clean the holes in the blades. I always thought there must have been a better way to do that.