Based on the bread maker reviews available, this should be the Top Bread Maker. My only guess is that the price makes some folks opt for the cheaper models. However, remember that you get what you pay for. Especially when it comes to kitchen appliances.

Edward of Cambridge, MA wrote:
“This is my third bread machine. My first was the original Zojirushi, and the second was a Breadman. I still use both the Breadman and the Zojirushi BBCCX20. According to most baking sites I’ve seen, the Zo and the Breadman are the leading contenders in this category today, so here’s my comparison:

- The Zo is more solidly built and has a stronger motor. It can handle stiffer doughs that literally stopped the motor on my Breadman.

- The Zo is much quieter than the Breadman. The pan in the Breadman clanks around in its clips and makes quite a racket during kneading.

- Unfortunately, the Zo has an annoying 15-second beep to signal the right time to add nuts or fruits. As far as I can tell, there is no way to turn off this feature. For me, this is a big deal, because I used to love to set up my bread machine to make bread during the night, giving me a wonderful hot loaf of bread for breakfast. With the 15-second beeper, which sounds a lot like an alarm clock, using the Zo BBCCX20 overnight simply isn’t an option. I wish there were a way to turn it off.

- The double paddles on the Zo do a better job of mixing ingredients without the need for scraping down the sides of the pan.

- The Breadman is a much more flexible machine. It’s “Pause” button let’s you add 15 minutes at any point in the cycle. Without the ability to pause, the Zo sometimes starts baking before the loaf is fully proofed. With bread, where the length of the rise depends on so many factors, having the flexibility to pause during a cycle is very valuable. You can program custom cycles on the Zo, but that’s only a solution if you know in advance that your loaf is going to take some extra proofing time.

- Crust control is better on the Breadman. Even set on “light” crust, the Zo tends to produce a dark crust with breads that have a lot of sugar.

- The Breadman has a small bin that automatically dispenses “add ins” (fruits, nuts, etc.) at the right point in the cycle. You just load it up at the beginning of the cycle and the “trap door” releases the goodies at the right time near the end of the kneading cycle.

In a nutshell: The Zo is a better built, more powerful, quieter bread machine. It’s solid, reliable, and great for doughs that would stop a lesser machine. The Breadman, on the other hand, provides much greater flexibility to make changes to the cycle once you’ve started and to get the crust you like. It also has an automatic fruit/nut dispenser and no long, annoying beep. If Zojirushi and Breadman would combine the Zo’s motor and mechanics with Breadman’s control panel and programming, they’d have the perfect bread machine. As it is, you have to choose based on what’s most important to you.”

Ross from Lacrosse, WI wrote:
“After much agonizing, we (I) chose the Zo’ breadmaker. We had the Breadman for five years until it gave out a month ago. Before that I hand made bread for ten years. I bought the Breadman as present for my wife (she called it a “football present”) after I just became tired of making bread. The cathartic effects of kneading bread are way overblown, in my opinion. We came to rely on the bread machine, baking at least once a week. After the Breadman died a slightly early death, we originally were going to replace it with another Breadman. But, after consideration of how much bread we make, and more important, the kind of bread we make, we decided to look at other machines.

See, we bake mostly whole wheat breads and such breads are hard on a machine. That is why the two paddle set up of the Zo’ was so attractive. While I know there is only one motor, I thought the two paddles could knead the tough dough better. So far (a week into it), the Zo’ is working great.

As noted above, we thought long and hard because of the negative comments in this section, as well as the cost, which is twice the Breadman. None of those negative comments have proven true. One cause for the bad loaves complained of may be inexperience with these machines. Even with ten years of baking, we had quite a few problems with the Breadman, mostly because of poor recipe choices and sloppiness in measuring. You see, hand bread bakers do much by feel, so amounts of liquid and flour are flexible. Not so with the bread machine. As far as recipes, go get one book: The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger. Her recipes are nearly foolproof.

My only concern about the Zo’ is the set up of the pan. The Breadman has a high narrow pan, while the Zo’ has lower pan, more like a traditional bread pan. While the Zo’ pan makes it easier to slice the bread (a problem with larger loaves of the Breadman) the loaves can be a bit lopsided. The dough can sit to one side of pan. This is especially true of whole wheat loaves that are more stiff and less likely to “flow” to an even level in the pan. The problem can be addressed somewhat by checking the dough after the first knead and spreading it by hand in the pan.

Addition: Two years later this machine still works great. We use it at least three times a week, mostly with whole wheat bread, so it has been adequately tested. The only irritation is getting the bread out. Helps to keep the paddles clean inside and out. I use a pipe cleaner to clean the inside of the paddle.

Second Addition (2-09): Over four years later, it still is working great. We still use it at least three times a week. I’ve recently starting using the custom settings, which are much easier to use than I thought. ”

All Reviews are courtesy of Amazon.com

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From the company site, here is some more information-

“The Home Bakery Supreme® Breadmaker bakes a large traditional shaped 2 lb. loaf of bread and Zojirushi’s exclusive Home Made Menu function allows adjustments to the knead, rise and bake time. Also prepare dough, cake, jam, sourdough starter and even meatloaf in this versatile machine. Use the 13-hour programmable timer to have freshly baked bread ready when waking up.

• Dual kneading blades to ensure thorough kneading for improved baking results
• Durable interior and exterior for extended use
• User friendly easy-to-read LCD control panel
  
• Light sourdough starter in 2 hours
• Delicious fresh fruit jam cycle
• Home made menu setting to bake meatloaf”

Some other specs provided by the company-

Model No.: BBCC-X20
Capacity: 2 lb. loaf of bread
Dimensions: (W x D x H)  17 x 10 x 12 inches
Electric Rating: 120 volts / 700 watts
Color: White

Not surprisingly, as a producer of one of the Top Bread Makers, the company was generous enough to answer some questions-

Q- Can the Home Bakery make gluten-free bread?

A- Yes, the Home Bakery Supreme® breadmaker (BBCC-X20) comes with a gluten-free bread recipe.

Q- Can I use my own recipes?

A- The recipes in the instruction manual have been specially written for the Home Bakery breadmaker. We recommend you use the recipes in the instruction manual whenever possible. However, if you would like to try other recipes, here are some important things to keep in mind:

• Please be sure that the total amount of ingredients does not exceed the capacity of the Home Bakery breadmaker. If so, the ingredients may overflow and cause damage to the machine, which will not be covered under warranty. A good rule of thumb is: 2 lb. loaf capacity (BBCC-X20, V20, Q20): No more than 5 cups (or 20 oz.) of flour with 2 cups of liquid
  1.5 lb. loaf capacity (BBCC-S15, Q15, M15, N15): No more than 4 cups (or 16 oz.) of flour with 1-1/2 cups of liquid
  1 lb. loaf capacity (BB-HAC10, BBCC-Q10): No more than 3 cups (or 12 oz.) of flour with 1 cup of liquid
• Please be sure to measure correctly and, if possible, use recipes written for bread machines.

Q- Can I use home ground or home milled flour?

A- After some testing it was determined that it is possible to use this type of flour. However, the flour has to be measured by weight and not by volume. This is because the texture of home ground flour may differ from store bought. Some home ground flour may be ground too fine or too coarse. Please calculate the weight required in recipes in the Home Bakery manual by following this formula for flour: 4 oz = 1 cup of flour.

Q- Can I use all-purpose flour?

A- Bread flour is recommended because of its higher gluten content. Gluten makes the bread dough more elastic which improves the rise and texture of the finished product. All-purpose flour is best suited for making pancakes, waffles and cookies.

Q- What if my bread bakes unevenly?

A- Make sure that the two kneading blades are attached all the way to the bottom, and that they face the same direction before you start adding ingredients. This will ensure that the ingredients will be kneaded thoroughly. Uneven loaves could also be the result of dough that is too dry. Watch the dough through the viewing window during kneading and if it seems dry, add water or milk one teaspoon at a time, waiting to give the dough time to absorb the moisture, until the right consistency is reached.

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