Zojirushi is one of those brands that sells on its name alone. Everyone pretty much agrees that it makes excellent kitchen products and one could do far worse than buying one of its high-spec appliances. However, its products aren't cheap and I sometimes wonder if buyers are paying top dollar more for the product's name rather than its functionality and reliability.



The BB-HAC10 is the cheapest Zojirushi bread machine and retails from upwards of $175. For this price you could buy several machines from other companies, so you have to ask yourself if this Zo bread maker is several times better in terms of functionality, reliability - not to mention if the bread and dough actually tastes any better. Let's take a look at the machine currently on offer and see how it rates.

This is described by Zojirushi as a Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker. It only makes a 1lb loaf so it's designed for the smaller family or to be used often. Its small size (8 x 11 x 12 inches) is great if counter space is at a premium. It looks very simple in design, the control panel is easy to read and use and it comes with a large 'loop' handle so you can carry it about 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 white and whole wheat cycles it also has French bread, cake and jam.

There's also a quick baking cycle that can prepare and bake bread in less than 2 hours.

A 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 nice recipes. The Zojirushi BBHAC10 also comes with a video, which is completely useless and not worth taking out of the box.

Many like this little bread machine and it has few negative reviews. Some complain about flour not being fully mixed in; this is a common complaint with horizontal bread 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 incorrect dough preparation; either too wet or too dry - by experimenting with the mix this problem can usually be fixed.

But this machine costs from around $170 and does it really offer value for money? Let's compare this to another high-end appliance; the Breadman Ultimate bread machine. The Breadman costs from around $120 - a lot less than the Zo. The Breadman also makes horizontal loaves of bread and has one mixing paddle but it is a far more versatile machine than the BB-HAC10; the Breadman Simplicity bread maker out does the BB-HAC10 in every department. The power failure backup is 60 minutes rather than the paltry 7 minutes of the Zo. The delay timer goes up to 24 hours rather than the basic 13 hours of the Zo. There's a patented 'x-tras' dispenser so you can put your extra ingredients in right at the start. It can make loaves of 1, 1.5 and 2lbs.

But the Breadman bread machine offers much, much more. There are a staggering 35 preprogrammed cycles with 300 sub-programs. And, if these aren't enough, you can program your own custom cycles. The quick bake cycle does bread in 59 minutes; twice as fast as the Zojirushi bread machine.

How does the bread made compare from both machines? This is quite a subjective matter, but in all honesty, there's no real difference providing you follow the recipes to the letter. Both the Breadman and Zojirushi make excellent home baked bread.

Is there anything that's better about the BB-HAC10 over the Ultimate? It's smaller and that's about it.

If you are going to spend this much cash you should seriously consider the Breadman over the Zo. If you're a loyal user of an old Zojirushi bread machine and you're looking to replace it, you will be happy with the BB-HAC10 and what it offers. So, for peace of mind, go ahead and buy it. But, if not, buy the Breadman Ultimate bread machine and save yourself quite a bit of money.