Mini Bread Maker Maxi Ease, Versatility & Good Bread

The Zojirushi Mini Home Bakery generates a whole parade of one-pound white, whole-grain, and French breads and tasty loaf cakes, just right for a household of one or two. If that is your situation the Zo Mini is well worth buying. With a "footprint" of 8.5 by 11 inches, the "Zo Mini" machine (model number BB-HAC10) fits even on my crowded countertop where I use it to make 2 or 3 breads a week. Try it if you love bread-machine baking but full-sized, 2-lb. machines leave you up to your neck in croutons.

Although I have heard, mainly from King Arthur Flour Co., that Zojirushis are great, this is my first one, and I was really pleased with the sensible and readable digital controls and almost silent operation. The baking pan snaps into and out of the machine with a twist that takes a few tries to master. Baking features include a basic bread cycle with crust controls, a delay timer with a 13-hour maximum, a "quick" (two-hour) bread cycle, and French bread, cake, jam, and several dough cycles including pasta and brioche. The 35-page instruction/recipe book somewhat oddly calls the cycles "courses." After making about 20 of the Zo recipes and several of my bread-machine cookbook favorites, I find that the Zo cannot fail unless you are imprecise about measuring the ingredients. If you can handle measuring out "7/8 cup of water," or do the math to halve any recipe for a 2-pound loaf, you may end up like me baking 3 breads a week. Almost all the bread recipes contain a tablespoon of sugar (the "sugar-free" variations ask for "fructose" )and with experience I have indeed gotten away with using a little less. Good news for sandwich makers: Slicing produces slices almost exactly the size of Wonder Bread.

The outside of the machine stays cool while baking, but the baking pan can stay seriously hot for 15 minutes, so don't grab it without potholders! Zo Mini's one discernible fault is that the mixing paddle and bottom of the baking pan are sensitive to scrubbing and poking, so if hard-baked gluten-goop ends up in there you will have to fill the pan with water and be patient while it soaks.

Re the price: You will usually see this machine priced at $199, but I purchased it on eBay where I saved $60. Came with instruction booklet and VHS video.