As I mentioned in previous blogs, three things excite me: I love to learn, I love to create, and I love to teach.  That’s my jam.

I enjoy delving beyond the superficial and exploring various topics in depth.  Some of my interests are mainstream, while others are not.

 As a child, I was fascinated by watching my mom knead yeasted bread dough on the kitchen table. However, kneading dough by hand is not my thing. 

One of the few items that I got from my divorce in the 1980s was a large food processor, as my ex was not a cook and didn’t want it.  I studied that gadget and prepared many foods using it, including kneading bread dough. When you are a dirt-poor resident physician living on generic food, the prospect of bakery-quality bread is compelling. 

My love of machines, along with my love of food, got me interested in bread makers, and I did a deep dive to understand them in the 1990s and early 2000s.  I explored many machines in my study, from expensive to bargain, most of which I gave away when my interest waned. 

For many years after that, I continued to bake bread, making many loaves at a time, first with a Kitchenaid, and then with a Bosch Universal mixer.  Now, my kids are out of the house, and I no longer need such productivity.

I’m not a professional chef, and I’m sure that many know a lot more about bread-making than I do.  However, I do know more than some, and I would like to offer that knowledge in this post. Remember, this is my opinion; you may have a different one.

About a year ago, I rediscovered my remaining bread makers on a basement shelf and was once again fascinated by these simple gadgets that could do something extraordinary: make delicious bread at the touch of a button.  I got hooked again.

I have used many different brands of bread machines. After baking hundreds of loaves in various machines, I’m here to state that all bread makers have the potential to produce an excellent loaf of bread if their instructions are followed precisely.  If you don’t believe me, just check out the many YouTube videos showing folks getting great results with every brand under the sun.

If I believe that all bread makers can make a great loaf of bread, why would I ever buy a premium machine, like a Zojirushi?  Let me use a car example.  Both a Yugo and a Lexus will get you to the same place in the same amount of time.  However, the Lexus will get you there in style, and it will likely be more reliable as well.

I thrifted a vintage Japanese-manufactured Regal bread maker for $14. Although not as well-built as my Zojirushi machines, it was still built like a tank. I recently tested an inexpensive and newer Briskind bread maker.  It makes a perfectly nice loaf of bread, but it is light as a feather and feels a bit cheap. How long will it last with regular use?  You can watch teardown videos for cheaper brands where the low-quality drive belt has shredded or some other part has failed. This usually means that it is time to send the bread maker to a landfill. 

I have Zojirushi machines from the early 2000s that still work perfectly. Additionally, Zojirushi sells replacement pans and paddles and also has a bread maker repair service. If you have the cash and know that you’re committed to bread machine bread making, it is reasonable to consider a Zojirushi machine.  

Currently, Zojirushi offers four models of bread makers. Two of them make 1-pound loaves, and the other two make 2-pound loaves.  I’ll only be discussing the 2-pound machines, as those are the ones with which I have experience. Specifically, I’ll be talking about the Zojirushi Supreme and the Zojirushi Virtuoso (Plus).

I did some research before this post to get some others’ answers on the benefits of one model over the other. YouTube comparison videos were primarily based on repeating the manufacturer’s listed feature sets; therefore, they were of no use to me, as they provided zero actual usage information.  Contributors on sites like Quora, Reddit, and Amazon Reviews commented when someone asked if they should buy the Supreme or the Virtuoso, stating, “Get the Virtuoso, there is no comparison,” and “Get the Virtuoso, you won’t regret it.” But why?  Clearly, those commenters had a Virtuoso and were happy with it.  But would they have been just as pleased with a Supreme? Commercial review sites often list the Virtuoso Plus as the number one bread machine, but they don’t examine the two models side by side.  I could find only one review that examined both; America’s Test Kitchen preferred the Zojirushi Supreme over the Virtuoso Plus due to its more straightforward user interface.  

Please do not use AI to explore the differences or capabilities of any of these machines.  I found multiple serious errors in the information provided by AI search engines during my research for this post.

I have owned and tested all four versions of these Zojirushi machines, so I feel that I can offer a fair opinion.  

I have used both the X20 (discontinued in 2010) and CEC20 (current model) versions of the Supreme machines, as well as the PAC20 (discontinued in 2018)  and PDC20 (current model) versions of the Virtuoso (Plus). All make an excellent loaf of bread.

Zojirushi bread makers have unique features.  However, some of these features have drifted down to less expensive bread machines. Innovations tend to do that. Beyond the classic features that all bread makers have, here are a few more unique ones that both the Supreme and the Virtuoso/Virtuoso Plus share:

-Preheat.  Zojirushi bread makers will heat up and warm ingredients before they start the kneading cycle.  A few other machines that feature this option include models from Panasonic, Breadman, and Brevelle.

-Custom courses (baking programs).  These machines have three custom courses, allowing the end-user to program all aspects of a baking program in lieu of using the factory-programmed courses. Most will never need this function, but if you are serious about bread-making or need to adapt a recipe to your bread machine, this option could be invaluable. Several models from other manufacturers can also do this, including some machines from Breadman, Panasonic, Brevelle, Vevor, and others. 

-Sourdough starter course.  You use the machine to quickly incubate a yeast-based sourdough starter, allowing you to make a sourdough-like bread the same day. I believe that some Cuisinart machines also have this feature.

-Twin kneading paddles.  All Zojirushi 2-pound machines feature bread pans with two kneading paddles, which produce a loaf more similar in shape to bakery bread.  This makes the machines slightly more mechanically complicated and sometimes leads to an uneven loaf top.  However, the loaf shape is a definite aesthetic plus over other bread makers. Several other brands have models that use a similar double paddle system, including Vevor, West Bend, and Saki. 

Zojirushi machines omit some of the cycles, like “sweet dough,” that you can find on many other machines.  However, their Basic white bread course, combined with their crust color control, does a good job with many types of bread. 

In addition to bread-making programs, Zojirushi 2-pound bread makers also have a Jam course and a Cake/Quick Bread course.  These programs are also available on many other bread makers.

Other brands may have programs for everything from stir-frying to making rice.  Most of us will not use all of these extras, as it is usually better to do these tasks more traditionally. 

What is the difference between the X20 Supreme (discontinued) and the CEC20 Supreme (current) models?

The X20 was the earlier version of the CEC20, and for the life of me, I can’t see a difference between the two.  They appear identical, offer the same options, and perform similarly in my tests.  I’m guessing (and this is a guess) that some internals have been changed.  

Should you buy a used X20  instead of a CEC20, as a used X20 will be cheaper?  You would have to decide if the cost savings are worth having an older machine.  In my limited sample, the X20 remains an excellent performer.

What is the difference between the Supreme models and the Virtuoso models? 

The Virtuoso bread makers add the following features:

Top Heater

Both the older Virtuoso and the newer Virtuoso Plus have a top heating element to more evenly brown the top of a loaf of bread.  All breadmakers must have the ability to brown the tops of their bread adequately, and they all incorporate passive or active systems to achieve this.

In the case of the less expensive Zojirushi Supreme, a passive convection system is utilized, where heat rises from the baking chamber and the outer wall space. It is then vented through the bread maker’s cover.  

The dedicated top heating element in the Virtuoso machines does a slightly better top-browning job, but the system used in the Supreme also works well. The top heating element is not a deal breaker, in my opinion. 

Gluten Free Course (program)

Kneading bread dough helps gluten form from glutenin and gliadin, yielding a delightful chewy yet tender slice of bread. However, gluten-free bread doesn’t have gluten, so the kneading cycle is really just a mixing cycle when making this type of loaf.  Additionally, long multiple rises are not helpful, so this course focuses on the final rise. You could program a Supreme machine to do the same thing, but it is more convenient to have a dedicated button for this purpose. Other bloggers on the internet report that using this cycle gives a better finished product than using the Basic course (white bread) when making gluten-free bread. 

Baking Pan With Handles

Both the Supreme and the Virtuoso have top-notch baking pans.  They are heavyweight and have an excellent system to mate with the bread maker.  However, the Virtuoso Machines took a step further by providing exceptionally high-quality handles on the bread pan. The non-handle pans on the Supreme work fine, but the handles on the Virtuoso are a nice addition.

Real Time Clock

Most breadmakers only provide the time to completion when you select a course (program).  For instance, a display may show 3:25 when you choose a white bread (Basic) course. If you start your machine at 10:00 AM, you need to mentally add three hours and twenty-five minutes to determine the finish time (1:25 PM).  Honestly, this is no big deal.  However, the Virtuoso Machines will give you the actual time of completion.  If you start the bread at 10:00 AM, and the bake is three and twenty-five minutes, the completion time will read “1:25 PM” on the display of Virtuoso machines.  

Pause On Cover Lifting

Kneading will pause when you lift the cover to “take a peek” on Virtuoso machines. On the Supreme, the kneading keeps on going.  

Shape Cycle

The homemade option allows you to create a custom course where you can program the timing of each step of the baking process.  Both the Supreme and the Virtuoso machines allow you to do this.  However, the Virtuoso adds the ability to add a step called Shape after kneading.  This will enable you to remove the dough and reshape it if you wish. I don’t believe that there is a way to replicate this Shape function on the Supreme models.

The Virtuoso Plus offers the following features in addition to the older Virtuoso machine.

Cleaner-looking button interface

The buttons on the Virtuoso Plus have a cleaner look compared to the slightly more cluttered look of the buttons on the Virtuoso. 

Multiple New Courses on the Virtuoso Plus

Many less expensive bread makers have long offered a dozen or more programs, catering to a wide range of options, ranging from sweet breads to pasta dough.  However, traditional courses like Basic, Whole Wheat, and Dough do everything that most of us need.  The one exception is the Gluten-Free course mentioned above, as gluten-free bread is a hybrid between a dough and a batter.   

Zojirushi didn’t just copy a bunch of programs from other companies; they tried to be different with “healthy options’ like Vegan Bread course, as well as specialty courses like Multigrain and European Loaf. However, another blogger tested these courses against the standard Basic course and generally found little difference in the breads made with the dedicated courses vs. the Basic one.  

It is possible that, under some conditions, a dedicated course may yield a better loaf, but that is unclear. Most of us just want regular bread.  Using the standard Basic bread course, I have made a variety of white breads, herb breads, cheese breads, and raisin breads.  Using the Whole Wheat course, I have created multiple types of whole wheat bread, 7-grain bread, oatmeal bread, and rye bread. I have made many different doughs using the dough cycle, too.  If you are a typical baker, you may not need all those additional courses, and it isn’t clear (except for the Gluten-Free course) that they are significantly better than using the standard courses on the Supreme model. In some ways, all of the extra courses feel more like gimmicks rather than essential additions.  But that is just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Ending thoughts

Zojirushi machines are pricey, and if you are just testing the bread machine waters, you may be better served by a less expensive brand, either new or thrifted.  However, if you are in for the long haul, then the additional quality of a Zojirushi machine may be for you. 

I have used all four models, and the one additional Virtuoso/Virtuoso Plus feature that may be useful for some is the Gluten-Free course.  If you don’t need that feature, you might consider the Supreme model, which is considerably less expensive and offers most of the abilities of the Virtuoso machines. 

In my opinion, I don’t believe that the bread coming out of a Virtuoso machine is significantly better than the bread coming out of a Supreme machine. Let me once again use a car analogy.  Let’s say you knew what model of car you wanted, but you had to decide what trim level you were going to buy. You could choose between the base model, which had all of the basics covered, or you could buy the platinum version, with many little refinements that made it just a bit nicer. Some would say, “I will save thousands as the basic car has everything that I need.”  Others will say, “I want all of those little extras, and I’m willing to spend the extra cash to get them.”  If you are in the first category, get the Supreme.  If you are in the latter category, go with the Virtuoso Plus. 

Should you consider the used market? I would say yes, but there are risks. Check sites like ebay, and Facebook Marketplace. If you keep searching over time you can find machines for significantly less than others of the same model on the same site. Just make sure that you read the description carefully and that the paddle and kneading blade are included, and in good shape.

All bread makers are devices that make our lives better by allowing us to bake delicious, homemade bread with the touch of a button. I accept their imperfections, like the paddle holes in the bottom of the bread.   If you want artisan loaves, then bake by hand. And, yes, I know that you can remove the dough from a machine and hand-form it.  I’m just trying to make a point that most of us use bread machines to provide home-made bread for our families, not to enter into contests. Additionally, most just want bread, and decent basic machines accomplish that function well.

Happy bread machine decision-making!

Mike