Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Review

Bigger is not always better as is proven by the small Zojirushi BB-HAC10 bread maker. The large size of many bread makers just wastes space in the kitchen of singles and couples. They do not need to bake a 2 or 2 ½ pound loaf of bread. They need a small loaf of bread which can be baked quickly without taking up the entire space on their kitchen counter. This does not mean you want to sacrifice features just because you want to have a smaller bread maker. The Zojirushi may be perfect blend of size and performance for people needing smaller loaves of bread. Let us take a walk through the features, specifications, pros and cons of this bread machine.

 

Going Vertical to Save Space

 

Which is more important to you, the taste of your bread, the appearance of your bread, or how much space the bread machine takes on the countertop? The Zojirushi 1 pound bread maker is a vertical bread maker. Instead of a traditional looking loaf of bread you have a loaf with looks like a mini loaf. The loaf makes slices which are approximately the same size as a traditional slice but there are much fewer of them. The loaf is about a 5” cube. Keep in mind you have heels at both ends so the actual number of regular ½” think slices will be about 8, plus the two heels. 10 slices of bread usually feeds a couple for one or two days and eliminates the potential of tossing bread in the trash.

The big advantage to this design is how it affects your counter space. The foot print of the bread maker is much smaller than most current bread machines. The footprint of the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Is not much larger than a toaster. If you are battling space issues in your apartment or home this bread maker can allow you to have fresh bread without wasting space.

 

Easy to Use Front Mounted Controls

 

Since this is small footprint vertical bread maker the controls had to be mounted on the front instead of on top like other Zojirushi models. After you try out your new bread maker you will be happy the controls are on the front. It makes seeing the LCD and button labels easier. You might expect you will be losing ability by going small. The truth is this little bread maker can do most of the jobs the bigger Zojirushi models can accomplish, just on a smaller scale.

Here are a few of the baking and cooking cycles available on this bread machine:

• Basic White – Firm, Medium, and Soft
• Whole Wheat – Uses the firm white bread setting.
• Cake
• Dough only.
• Cookie dough.
• Pasta dough.
• Rapid baking. (Used with fast rising yeast to reduce overall baking time.)
• Jam

What do you lose compared to the larger units? The biggest item missing is the sourdough starter function and the option for a dark crust. This vertical bread maker only offers selections for light and medium darkness on the crust. You lose the Zojirushi “Homemade” option, also. This function allowed you to create your own baking programs controlling almost every aspect of the baking cycle. It is a feature most people do not use extensively so it is unlikely you will miss it.

The BB-HAC10 includes a 13 hour delay start timer so you can pour in your ingredients before work and come home to a freshly baked loaf of bread.

 

Easy Carrying and Fast Cleaning

 

Zojirushi added convenient folds away carrying handle to their small bread maker. This makes it much easier to move the bread maker around your kitchen or to take it to the office to bake a small load of bread for friends during the day.

The baking pan is made with a non-stick surface to make sure clean-up is fast and easy. Make sure you read your instruction manual carefully before your first use and cleaning. You will notice Zojirushi makes it very clear the pan should never be immersed in water or put in a dishwashing machine. The reason is this can cause rust to develop around the kneading blade spindle causing it to move inconsistently or fail. The easiest method for post-baking cleanup is to put a little water in the bottom of the pan to soak while you wipe the oven with a soft damp cloth. You can then go ahead and wash the interior of the baking pan and kneading blades.

 

Energy Savings from Smaller Size

 

An added advantage to staying small can be found on your energy bill. The large Zojirushi models have a 700 watt heating element while this 1 pound bread machine only consumes 450 watts. If you plan to make several 1 pound loaves of bread per week it could lead to substantial savings on your electric bill.

You can bake one pound loaves in most larger bread machines but you still use the same amount of power as baking a larger loaf. Switching to the BB-HAC10 reduces your energy consumption by almost 35%.

 

The Best Reason to Go Small is Fun

 

More than one reviewer of their new Zojirushi pointed out the fact their smaller bread maker lets them explore bread recipes on a more frequent basis. They do not feel like they are wasting bread from large loaves. Zojirushi includes dozens of recipes in their instruction manual to get you started. Imagine coming home to a few of these smells in your home:

• Light Rye Bread
• Cheese N’ Onion Bread
• Walnut Bread
• Raisin Bread
• Banana Bread
• French Bread

Of if you are going to be around the house you can use the dough only option and prepare some of these great treats quickly and easily:

• Cinnamon Rolls
• Oatmeal Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Dinner Rolls

Just because you are single or a couple does not mean you do not wish to experiment with all the options a great bread machine can provide. This one pound machine is the perfect match between flexible use and cooking “just enough” for two.

Another bonus from Zojirushi for young bakers is their manual. It covers all of the important facts about baking with discussions about the effects of using the right amounts of ingredients, the necessity for freshness in yeast, humidity and using dry ingredients in place of fresh for timed baking. Their manual helps you avoid most of the pitfalls which convince new users they cannot bake. You will be baking perfect loaves of bread on your first attempt.

 

Dimensions, Weight, and other Physical Traits

 

We already mentioned the bread maker is small but now you will see just how small. Here are the physical facts for the Zojirushi BB-HAC10:

• Height – 12”
• Width – 8”
• Depth – 11”
• Weight – 14.7 pounds

Compare this to the size of a Waring 4 slice toaster which is 10” tall, 13” wide, and 14” deep. You can be eating freshly baked bread from a machine which takes up less space than a small 4 slice toaster. Now that is amazing.

This Zojirushi model is available in only one color which is white. White melds into any kitchen décor easily or with the small size of the bread maker you can hide inside your cupboards.

 

Additional Features, Options, and Accessories

 

The Zojirushi comes bundled with their standard one year warranty which is rarely used. We will discuss that shortly in the consumer rating section. There are no added options for you to buy for your bread maker unless you want an extra baking pan. Buying an extra baking pan is rarely needed since you need to allow the bread maker to cool completely before starting your next loaf anyways.

Zojirushi bundles a measuring cup, measuring spoon, and their instruction manual/recipe book in the box with each unit. The item you will have the most fun with is the manual and all of the recipes bundled inside.

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Pro and Cons

 

Sometimes the features which are pros for one person are cons for another and this becomes very evident with this one pound bread maker. Let’s dive into the common pros and cons and then discuss them briefly.

 

Pros

 

• Small footprint.
• Uses less power.
• Flexible baking options for firmness and darkness.
• Multiple uses including baking, dough preparation, and cooking jam.
• Easy to clean.
• 1 year warranty.
• Includes measuring cup and spoon.

 

Cons

 

• Vertical baking instead of horizontal.
• No option for dark crust.
• Heel area of loaf is excessively large.
• Send in warranty.

 

In our pros and cons you will notice the conflict of small footprint and vertical baking plus excessive heel crust. These are the offsets which are required to make a bread maker which is compact, effective, and satisfies the needs of most apartment and small home dwellers.

The lack of an option for darker crust is based on the fact if you continue baking the small loaf long enough to make the outer crust dark you will dry out the interior of the bread. This is not true on a large loaf of bread but is a factor in small loaves. The excessive heel crust is just a fact of life with a small loaf. Where the heels only constitute a small fraction of a 2 pound loaf of bread they are almost 20% of the area of a 1 pound loaf. Luckily many people enjoy the heel more than any other piece of bread.

The send in warranty is common with small appliances from most major brands so is not just an issue with Zojirushi. You will be expected to pay shipping both ways but do not let this worry you for a moment.

 

Consumer Ratings

 

Here is the area which may be the most exciting about the BB-HAC10 bread maker. This bread maker receives a very small percentage of negative reviews and an overwhelming number of outstanding reviews. Read that again. It is not just good reviews, but it is outstanding product reviews. Owners of the bread maker are excited about their purchase making comments about the convenient size, the quality of the bread, the lack of problems, and the easy clean up. Time after time they mention being happy they spent slightly more to buy a Zojirushi and about the outstanding quality and features of this diminutive bread maker. These overwhelmingly positive reviews are one reason a ship in warranty should not concern you. It is very infrequent to find a review which speaks about any problems during the one year warranty time.

Almost every negative review is due to buyers who either had improper expectations or who happened to get a unit damaged in shipping. One thing we are attempting to make sure you understand in this review is the real size of this bread maker and the loaf it produces. This bread maker is designed to satisfy people who want small loaves of bread, not traditional sized loaves.

 

Conclusion and Recommendation

 

This little bread maker is an outstanding machine with features usually only found in larger full-sized bread makers. Before we give it a conclusive recommendation we need qualify a few things. This bread maker is not designed for a family. If you have more than two people in your household you will probably be frustrated with the small-sized loaves. On the opposite side of that statement is where the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 stands out. For households of one or two people, this is an outstanding bread maker.

You will be able to create an amazing variety of breads with this tiny machine without wasting space in your kitchen. The ease of use makes it ideal for people buying their first machine. Our final recommendation, if you live alone or as a couple check this bread maker out before looking at any others, you may have found your perfect bread machine.

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