IGX

Pint sized bread maker with a footprint that you can cover with an 11 by 8 sheet of paper. Stands fourteen inches tall. I have a bigger lunch box.

Zojirushi has the well deserved reputation as the "Cadillac" of kitchen appliances. This little model will make bread pretty much on its own. You load the makings, push the buttons and take a hike. You can ask it to wait up to ten hours before starting the process.

Clean up is pretty easy too, requires about three or four minutes to clean the non-stick pan with a soft sponge. Dry and put away. There are some cautions on the baking pan, it's delicate but so far it is cleaning up just fine.

The loaves look a bit odd, about half the size of a conventional loaf of bread. The mixing paddle will leave a dent in the base. Aside that the darned things are fresh, hot and free of anything you don't want to put in them.

The bread quality is surreal, almost perfect. I don't know how they do it but they impress me. These guys really did their homework.

The machine itself is quite quiet, you might hear relay clicks. Of course the mixing machinery when it runs is noticeable but still quite quiet, less than a blender or mixer. The surface is barely "hot" to the touch while baking, but I still keep it away from flammable stuff while it's working.

I have challenged this model with "Gluten Free" and Dairy free breads. The product resembles corn bread and has a perfect crust. No data yet on conventional breads but Celiacs out there should consider this as a good candidate for purchase.

The manual does have one gluten free recipe that was tested by Zojirushi. I've modified it with the substitution with grain milks and Arrowheadmills GF flour. The results were excellent.

I hope to use cheaper commercial rice flours and cheapen up the product without compromising quality. We'll see.

The machine will make jams and dough. As far as I know it won't make meatloaf though I've heard that the bigger version will. No loss as I won't use ground meat.

Comes with a manual, measuring gear and a guide on VHS. Zojirushi has an extensive support network which I hope to never use.

Can't recommend this thing highly enough for small families, singles and people who want small amounts of "specialty" breads.

Gene

French Bread...

7/8 cup of water. Dissolve in this half teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of salt. Pour the dissolved solution into the pan. Small amount of undissolved stuff you can rinse out.

2 1/4 cup of flour The manual says "bread flour" but I just use generic. Pour it into the pan after you add the water.

Put a small "dent" in the flour pile, maybe the size of half of a golfball. Add 1 teaspoon of powdered yeast into the dent.

Load the pan, shut the lid, set the machine for "French Bread" and then go away for five hours.

Bread is perfect - heavy crust, tender inside, light flavor. Won't keep worth a damn but you can run this thing every day (or more) if you want. The smell as the machine enters the "bake" phase is wonderful.

Gene