Zojirushi BBCC-X20

[BakerAunt]

Although it was in the 20s this morning, my husband and I went to a garage sale. Given its location, we though there would be some good items, and one of the listed items was a Zojirushi bread maker. I've been on the lookout for one of those, since I like the bread maker for kneading smaller recipes, and while my current one (also from a garage sale) performs nicely, I know that it won't last forever. The King Arthur test kitchens really like the Zo, with its two kneading paddles.

The machine turned out to be the Zo BBCC-X20, a model that came out at least ten years ago. It appears to have been used, but not often. This family, given what was on sale, appears to go through phases then lose interest, and from talking with the lady, I gathered that happened with breadmaking. She didn't have the manual, but I knew that I could find it online. I decided to buy it for $40.

I've downloaded the PDF instruction manual. There is the usual direction to put the yeast in last, on top of the dry ingredients, which will not work with my active yeast. It may be time to consider switching to instant yeast (and most recipes do state instant these days, even as active is still available). However, I prefer to proof my yeast and still get excited, after all these years, in seeing it bubble to life. I expect to be ordering yeast by the end of the year, as I've done a good job of working through the 2 pounds I bought last year, so maybe it is time to switch.

I hope that I got a good deal. I look forward to trying it out. If anyone has a Zo, I would appreciate any suggestions or advice.

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[skeptic7]

Congratulations on a good find. I think you should just continue with the active yeast. You can add it to part of the liquid before adding it to the bread machine.

[S_Wirth]

In 2006, I bought this very model of Zo. It is still in the box never used. I do recall that folks had browning issues and pale crusts. They contacted KAF and Zo and they told them to place foil on the underside of the window. This was to deflect heat down onto the crusts and brown them better.

I think this was quite an issue as Zo later added a heating element in the lid to remedy this pale crusts issue.

Hope this helps you as you use your new bargain!

[BakerAunt]

Thank you S. Wirth. I have heard about the browning issue and know that newer machines have the top element. I don't know if I will ever bake bread in the machine--although a hot summer might well change my mind!--but I will tuck away that foil idea for if I ever do so.

Skeptic--With my current Welbilt bread machine, I proof the yeast in the water, add any additional wet ingredients (except oil), then add the dry ingredients and start. After 5 minutes, the machine has a 5- minute rest period, and I add any oil at the end of that. I've never had a problem--in spite of the instructions stating that the yeast goes on top of the dry ingredients.

With the Zo, my understanding is that it has a "pre-heat," and that might be too warm for the yeast. From what I read, however, I think it is possible to turn off that function. Your thinking is along the lines of mine: try it with proofed yeast on the bottom, then see what happens.

[S_Wirth]

The price was $ 119.99 from KAF but I had quite a bit of bonus bucks or somesuch name that reduced the amount I actually paid.

[BakerAunt]

I'm curious, S. Wirth. Why did you never give it a try?

[S_Wirth]

I never found a place that I was happy with to place the bread machine. I'd even thought of buying a cart to keep it on but never followed through with that. I bought it when my husband retired from teaching, thinking I'd start baking our breads more but that never happened. Our house is so cold in cold months that it is a challenge to get dough to rise. I have had to set rising dough very near our woodstove for much success and there is a lot of action going on in that area with stove loading and ash removal and wood packing in. Seems like my things are always in the way in that area.

[BakerAunt]

You make a good point about where to put a Zo. My other bread machine is small enough, and light enough, that I can put it on a shelf in one of the utility closets and pull it out as needed. The Zo is longer and a lot heavier. It probably needs a dedicated space on a counter or cart--and I've already filled all of it up.

You could allow your dough to rise in the machine. The second rise, in the pan, would be the issue. If you could put the loaf pan in a plastic box with lid near the stove, that would give it a warm, safer place to rise. I recall that Frick, from the KAF Baking Circle was a proponent of plastic containers for this purpose, and I actually use a plastic cake box for my loaves while they rise.

Note about kitchen remodels: Never assume that the person who does not use small appliances in the kitchen (my husband, for example), knows anything about location of electrical outlets. I did catch his attempt at one end of the kitchen, where we have a freestanding cabinet, to put the outlet down low. I pointed out that I needed to be able to plug in the countertop oven and my food processor. However, I didn't realize that he would still tell the contractor to put it 2 inches (corrected measurement) below where the cabinet top is. That is also why I do not have an electrical outlet at the other end of the kitchen, at the far end of the peninsula. It never occurred to me that someone (my husband) wouldn't realize that of course there should be an outlet there, especially, since before we extended the peninsula there was an outlet there that I used all the time. (Clearly, he didn't use it.) That omission limited where I can put the stand mixer. (My mixer controls are on the right as I face it--next to the wall and overhead cabinets. Because the cabinet at the far end of the peninsula is where the contractors would need to go to put in an outlet where I need it, the fix would be difficult and expensive. The best I could do there was to have a joint switch and outlet flipped at the peninsula's other end, and that extra inch helps, but it's still a pain.

My scientist husband can be attentive to many things, but he also missed that the light that had been outside next to the sliding glass door needed to be moved to the location of the new door. The contractor didn't see it either. I noticed after the siding was on, I turned on the light at the door, and wondered why there was no light. Well, there was light but four feet over!

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BakerAunt.

[Mike Nolan]

When we were designing our house, we used a 3D home design program that made it possible to model the house in great detail, including kitchen counters and cabinets. We could view rooms from nearly any angle and height. So we had a good idea how the kitchen would look long before the foundation was dug. We also had some ideas where we would need outlets including one dedicated to a microwave oven. There are outlets no more than 2 feet apart throughout the entire kitchen counter space.

About the only mistake we made in that area of the house is that there's no pocket door between the kitchen and the butler's pantry, so we can't close off the kitchen completely. We would have needed to make the wall at least 2 inches and possibly 4 inches thicker to accommodate both a pocket door as well as outlets and light switches on both sides of that wall.

[navlys]

I have had my Zo bread machine for several years. The manual does tell you how to skip the preheating cycle and how to set your own program. I never bake the bread in it. I use it to knead and raise the bread and it does that job well.

[BakerAunt]

With over two inches of snow so far, it was a good day to try out the Zo. I used it to knead and to do a first rise of a batch of Ellen’s Buns dough. I turned off the initial warming, so that I could dissolve the yeast in the water and honey before adding the rest of the wet ingredients and the dry ones. I was impressed with how quickly the dough came together, so I went ahead and added the oil. This machine is much quieter than my Wel Bilt, and it does not move around on the counter. It does bring the dough together more efficiently and kneads it well. It is a cold day, and the house is cooler than usual, so I let the dough rise in the machine. Oddly enough, toward the end of the rise, the paddles start moving again, a little at a time. That was when I turned the machine off. The dough rose well, but it had a “skin” on top where it had dried out a bit. Next time, I will let it rise in an oiled dough bucket, which I find the best way to prevent the dry skin, unless I put saran tightly over a regular bowl. It took me a long time to try out the dough buckets with their snap lids; they are now one of the most useful items when I bake bread, and it cuts down on the saran usage by replacing it with a re-useable item.

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BakerAunt.

[Mike Nolan]

We missed the bulk of the storm here, though we got a dusting of snow. Tonight it's supposed to get down to single-digits and the wind chill is already below zero.

[skeptic7]

Its 39 degrees here and going to get down to 22 degrees. Thats cold for the Washington DC area, but nothing compared to points north.
Mike, electrical standards have changed since my house was last rewired and my kitchen is rather outdated. I'd like to have dedicated circuits for refrigerator, and oven, and microwave and dishwasher which I was told is now standard. While I am dreaming, I'd like a cabinet that can hold cookie sheets and half sheet pans easily. I can get them in the cabinet by inserting them at an angle before lying them flat on the shelf.
Baker Aunt, I'm sorry that all the work is now done, and things are NOT in the right place. I remember admiring a counter at a kitchenette at work that simply had outlets every foot.

[BakerAunt]

It was 19F here this morning, and it is 20F now. We had over four inches of snow yesterday.

We do have the oven on its own circuit. We also had the refrigerator moved to its own circuit after the inspector insisted that the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen had to have outlets that were GFCI, even though they are far enough away to meet code. Our contractor realized the refrigerator was on that circuit, so we gave it its own.

I have good outlet position everywhere but at the end of the peninsula. We did make sure that the microwave had its own, and we thought carefully about where to put it.

Skeptic--For baking sheets, I selected a tall lower cabinet that is about 11 inches wide (10 inches entry). I took out the silly, silly half shelf the manufacturer had put in, and reused it in another cabinet. I stand my large baking sheets upright in it, with the ones I use the most at the right side.

Cabinet manufacturers like to give only half shelves on lower cabinets. The ide is that you can see everything at once and don't have to get down low. I, however, would use that low space for long items, so I would know what is in them. It took me a while to figure out the best configuration for the shelves that I had--and they were designed so that you can't just add a half shelf in front of another half shelf.

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BakerAunt.

[chocomouse]

When we built, I ordered custom-designed kitchen cabinets. My mother had a special lower cabinet for pans/trays, similar to yours, Baker Aunt; and I couldn't imagine living without one! She had thin vertical boards as dividers, but I omitted those. My only regret is the cabinet is only about 15 inches wide, and since I cannot pass up a cute new pan, I need it to be much wider.

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