Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Home Bakery 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Home Bakery 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker
Customer Review: Perfect for two!
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband and I love good quality, whole grain breads, and this creates the perfect sized loaves for us.
I had never owned a breadmaker before, so I did a lot of research before buying this one. It was more than I wanted to spend originally, but it's been worth every penny. I've baked six loaves since buying it, and every one has come out perfectly. It takes about five minutes to combine the ingredients in the little pan, pop the pan in the breadmaker, and in 3:40, out comes a perfect little loaf of bread. We've tried different recipes and each has come out with no problems.
I had originally decided to buy a breadmaker because I was shopping at a local grocery (not the one I usually shop at) and needed to pick up some bread. To my astonishment, every single in-store bakery bread contained partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, something we try to avoid. I ended up driving to my other grocery to buy bread, and discovered they'd raised the prices again, to about $4 a pound for in-store made bread. Although economically it will take a long time to recoup the cost of the breadmaker, the control of the ingredients is something I can enjoy right from the beginning. As long as I have yeast, good quality flour, and water, I can always have bread.
Whoever recommended buying BREAD MAGIC and MORE BREAD MAGIC with this breadmaker was spot on -- BUY THEM. We made the buttermilk cracked wheat bread, the rye bread, and a couple different whole wheat grain breads and everything came out beautifully.
It's quiet, compact, and works flawlessly. It's a great choice for those who don't need giant loaves of bread. I plan to make holiday breads to give away at Christmas, to my two sets of parents (child of divorce), my single sister, and my grandmother. This is something I will use every week, if not a couple times a week. I will probably never buy store bakery bread again.
Customer Review: Easy to clean, easy to operate, very sturdy love the design.
Summary: 4 Stars
My first bread machine. And I love it. I have been baking bread A LOT more than anticipated because it is just so easy. And the aroma of fresh bread really cannot be beat. It is very easy to operate and to clean. I don't have any problems with the bread sticking to the pan yet. Just fill the pan w/ hot water for couple hours, rinse, and wipe clean and dry.
There is a little hook in the back that keeps the cables neatly wrapped. It can be released and then lock back into place.
There is also a good sturdy handle that really helps in moving it from counter top to storage space. No butter fingers! And the pan is sturdy and fairly nonstick...Usually the bread I've made slides right out and whatever is stuck comes right off while it is still warm and dry. If it is tough then, I soak it for an our or two. but usually it is fine.
The manual is important. Be sure to read it all! Follow the instructions for the order of ingredients to go. That made a difference for how my bread turns out. When using butter, be sure to cut it into small pieces for easier mixing. And I find that making a small well to put the sugar and yeast improves my chances for a good looking bread.
There is a rest cycle which adjusts the interior to an ideal temperature for kneading. I point this out because I was confused at first, thinking it's not working properly.
Also, there is a matrix on the last page of the manual that helps you troubleshoot why the bread comes out the way it does.
Sometimes I wish that it was a little more flexible in controlling time for certain cycles. OR that there were buttons to activate different cycles. IE...resting, kneading, 1st rise, 2nd rise baking. But all in all, it is really great, simple to operate and makes wonderful bread. Less cleaning and less work than if you do it by hand.
Customer Review: Great Size
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a little biased toward anything Zojirushi. I basically bought this machine because of its size and the manufacturer. My family doesn't eat a lot of bread, so this machine keeps us from wasting food. We do run out of bread sometimes, and wish we had more, but it's a good feeling, and an excuse to make another loaf. This machine size is good for a one or two-person family that likes toast in the morning. Three people could easily gobble up one loaf easily. If you're in any doubt between the smaller and the larger size, then get the larger one. If you're not big bread consumers, or have really limited counter space, get this one. This machine fits inside my cupboard, which is an added surprise.
I found the included recipe booklet very helpful, but I needed to make some adjustments. I also add a little more yeast than the recommended amount for the basic white bread because the first couple of loaves came out a little flat. This is especially true if you're using some whole wheat in the recipe. For a fake brioche type loaf, I add a little more butter, and sugar (and yeast), and it tastes pretty darn good. I do find that anything beyond the light crust setting is too dark and dry. I think the dryness factor might have to do with the machine's overall size. I managed to solve this problem by adding more oils or ground nuts. Expect more crust than usual. Again, it's the size factor.
The timer setting is very useful, and we love having the occasional fresh bread for breakfast in the mornings. I am looking into more wholesome bread recipes. I haven't tried using other flours except white, and wheat or any of the plain dough prep settings. I still make a lot of my bread by hand, but this machine is handy for the busy person/small family, and easy for teenagers to use.
Customer Review: Great for Small Families and Compact Design
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this machine for about three months. I've never owned a bread machine previously and have always made bread or rolls by hand. I did a lot of research to find out what might be the best machine for me to purchase. Although this machine is kind of pricey, it was a good choice for my family of three. I mostly make bread on the weekends and I like that it's just enough so that it doesn't go to waste and get stale and that we can have another fresh loaf in about 2 hours time, if we use the rapid bake cycle.
I must admit that the first two recipes that I tried from the book that came with the machine did not come out well. One was a whole wheat recipe where the bread did not seem to rise properly--somewhat of a semi-brick result! I tried a white bread recipe that came out a little better but I still wasn't thrilled with the results. I then tried recipes from a bread machine cookbook, "Bread Machine Magic" that came out perfect! I later think that the recipes that came with the machine should probably have called for more yeast, but I'm not yet willing to retry and adjust any of those recipes. For now I'm sticking with the recipes from "Bread Machine Magic" for which I have had all excellent results.
It would be helpful if the display was lit, for an easier read of time left, etc. and also it would be good to be able to pause the machine to be able to extend the rising time or perhaps to have a whole wheat cycle. I think it might give a little more versatility with the bread making.
However, all in all I think this is a very good machine. It's compact size is great for the limited space on my kitchen counter. I would really rate this 4.5 stars, but I don't see a way to give something a half star.
Customer Review: Excellent!
Summary: 5 Stars
My new "Mini Zo" just arrived today, January 5, 2007, which was amazing since I had just ordered it in the afternoon of January 2! I have enjoyed my two-pound loaf Zojirushi since I purchased it from Amazon in 2002 and will still use it for larger loaves, but this will be the perfect size for just the two of us and for special breads that we may want for one or two meals. The loaf I made today was for "soft" white bread. This interested me since there is a setting for "regular" and "firm" bread as well, but I thought I would see what the "soft" would be like--this takes three hours rather than the longer time for the other syles (we wanted it for dinner). The loaf could not have been more perfect! The texture was wonderful and the taste excellent! The bread came out of the bread pan perfectly. There is also a "Quick" setting which requires two hours or less, depending on the light or dark crust selected. This machine fits very nicely on the counter taking up only a little more space than a blender. The carrying handle on the machine makes it very convenient for moving it to a storage area if you do not have much counter space. I look forward to many wonderful loaves of bread from this machine.
I have a wonderful book of bread recipes that I got several years ago entitled The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook by Tom Lacalmita, 1993. It has about 200 pages of recipes with measurements for both one pound or two pound loaves. This will add to the choices that come with the machine. This book may still be available at Abe Books or other used book sellers. Bread Machine Baking by Lora Brody and Millie Apter, 1993 also has many recipes for small (one pound/2cups flour) loaves. Happy bread making with the Mini Zojirushi!