Zojirushi BB-HAC10WZ Home Bakery Bread Baker

Comment: I'm surprised that no one has raised the issue of Teflon in these products. DuPont maker of Teflon had to deal with huge lawsuit related to it, and eventually agreed to pay the penalty. Search the google, it's easy to find. You'll find info like this for example:
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Teflon
The coating on non-stick pans used in millions of kitchens throughout the world has been linked to birth defects in humans. Chemical firms face claims that perfluorinated organic chemicals such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are a health threat. PFOA was first used in 1945 and is in Teflon and oil and water-resistant coatings.

DuPont, which makes Teflon, has to answer accusations in the United States that it had evidence about dangers posed by PFOA but deliberately and illegally kept it secret. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that DuPont concealed its own 1981 research showing that its pregnant workers were passing the chemical to their unborn children. In addition, in 1991, it failed to report evidence that the chemical had contaminated the water supply to 12,000 people.
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Teflon (a brand name of Dupont) is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that is supposed to be safe, but when heated to high temperatures are known to give off toxic gasses. One of these toxic gasses is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8) and is thought to be a likely carcinogen (causes cancer). Other gases given off allegedly will kill small birds and cause polymer fume fever in people (flu like symptoms). The temperature for these gasses to be emitted was reportedly very high and Teflon (PTFE) was deemed safe for cooking.
However, the safe temperature may not be that high. There is a lot of research in the works to measure just how low the temperature has to be for Teflon to start giving off toxic gasses at an unsafe level.

I don't consider any of these bread machines safe until they phase out Teflon. There are actually very viable alternatives. But I talked to Zojirushi representative and they are not even willing to consider alternatives.

Now, anyone reading this has background in manufacturing? :)

I have a great idea for much better bread machine. And it's not that difficult to make.

Comment: I don't do nearly what this little jewel is capable of due to a restricted diet that allows for only low carb products, I 'bake' a variety of cheesecakes, coconut flour and flax seed flour treats for myself and little else. In this regard, the Z allows me a very low mess and easy method to have my treats on hand at all times, the ability to program it only adds to its versatility and for a single person, this unit's size is perfect. I recently loaned it to a friend of mine who has a much freer dietary needs profile and wanted to experiment with it for a couple of weeks before committing to buying it. She loved it so much, she bought both this and the larger version to handle different chores, and is in turn creating a small army of followers who have come to marvel at her baking skills and output. The included manual is a good foundation to teach you the basics, and even a basic curiosity vented through the internet will introduce you to a landslide of creative uses for this thing. It is on par with my Kuerig coffee maker as far as my love for it goes, and that was something I'd never thought I'd say.

Comment: This machine is perfect for a small family. It works consistently and flawlessly. It fits in a small space on the counter nect to our range. The bread is wonderful--just follow the directions carefully. The recipes are easy. The bread makes a nice hostess gift when we go to dinner at friends' houses. One pound loaves are just right. (Get fleischman's yeast for bread machines.)

Comment: This is my fourth bread machine in the past 15-20 years. I started out using the original Zojirushi, which was a great machine (but eventually died after many years of loyal service). More recently, I had been using a full-size Zojirushi BBCCX20 and a Breadman Ultimate. I still use both the Breadman and the Zojirushi BBCCX20 for specific purposes (I bake a lot of bread), but the Zo Mini is the only machine that stays permanently on my counter now. It has become, by far and away, my favorite bread machine.

For starters, I should explain why I still use the Breadman and the full-size Zo:

o The Breadman (which seems to be sold under a variety of private labels these days) is the most flexible machine on the market in terms of the range of cycles and the ability to adjust the cycle timing. I especially like the Pause button for breads that refuse to proof as quickly as expected. The motor is weak, though, and the machine is very noisy.

o The full-size Zo has a great motor. It's the only option for making 2-pound loaves of whole-wheat bread. It also has the ability to program custom cycles (but no Pause button once a cycle is under way). On the downside, it has a very annoying beep to signal when it's time to add fruit/nuts -- the beep goes for a very long time and can't be silenced, which is a problem if you use the machine on a delay setting to bake bread overnight. Like the Breadman, it also takes up quite a bit of counter space.

Now, on to the Zojirushi Mini:

+ The Zo mini produces the perfect size loaf for every day. The larger machines are great for producing 1.5 to 2 pound loaves, which are the right size for a big gathering. But a loaf of that size is too big for everyday meals. The Zo Mini, on the other hand, produces a loaf that's perfect for everyday use -- we generally eat half the loaf as soon as it comes out of the machine, then finish off the loaf the next day before it goes stale.

+ The Zo mini takes up less than half the counter space of the full-size loaf machines. It's so small that I can leave it out all the time, which makes it really easy to bake a loaf of bread on a whim.

+ The Zo mini seems to live up to the Zojirushi reputation in terms of motor power. I've had no trouble with very stiff whole-wheat doughs.

+ The Zo mini is very quiet. The difference between the Zo and my Breadman in terms of noise is amazing. This is especially important if you like to use the machine on a delay setting overnight so that you can wake up to fresh bread.

On the downside:

- The Zo mini does not have the same options as the full-size Zo to create customized baking cycles, and it still doesn't have a Pause button (why hasn't Zojirushi figured this out by now?).

- The beeper that indicates when to add fruit/nuts still can't be turned off. On the positive side, though, the beeper only beeps about five times on the mini, which is a huge improvement over the 15-beep cycle on the full-size Zo (which always kept me from using the full-size Zo overnight).

In a nutshell: The Zojirushi Mini is the closest thing I've found to the perfect bread machine. It's compact and simple, with a powerful motor, and it produces the ideal size loaf (i.e., one that you can finish before it goes stale). Although I continue to use my bigger machines for holidays, the Zo Mini is now the only bread machine we use on a regular basis. It's a great addition to the kitchen if you enjoy fresh bread.

Comment: I researched the machines and decided on this model. I was not disappointed. I've been using it for months now mainly on the setting for Rapid Rise yeast which cuts down the baking time. I tried cookie dough & Jam once but that was not worth the trouble. The cake settings still come out looking like a loaf cake but that's to be expected. I make bread every couple days for two of us and we've been very happy never having a single bad loaf.