Last 2018, Zojirushi celebrated its 100th anniversary and with it, they launched their newest bread machine to the market, the Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA. The BB-PDC20 “Virtuoso Plus” is a better version of its previous model, the Zojirushi BB-PAC20. Just to give you context, the BB-PAC20 is one of the high-quality bread machines that you can find in the market. So if the BB-PDC20 is a better version of that, then it’s definitely a must-buy.
In a nutshell, the BB-PDC20BA looks almost the same as the BB-PAC20, but it looks slightly more sophisticated. For one thing, the control panel is totally black so it looks sleeker and more modernized. It also has a list of its settings at the top, so it makes the bread machine very user-friendly. These two are the most obvious differences, but there’s a lot more to the BB-PDC20. Read on to find out.
Also, here you can check out the Zojirushi BB-SSC10 Review and the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 Review.
Product Review: Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA
If there is one thing the Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA is known for, it’s their pre-programmed settings that include other healthy versions of bread. It has settings for gluten-free bread, sugar-free bread, salt-free bread, and vegan bread.
You might be wondering why this is an important feature. For one thing, normal bread machines do not support these settings and if you place different healthier alternatives to the recipe, the bread won’t come out as high-quality as the usual white bread. In fact, it looks bad and it doesn’t feel soft as it should be. The BB-PDC20 does not make that difference. Its ability to produce high-quality dietary loaves of bread make it a great choice for health-conscious individuals or people with special diets.
Some of the alternative ingredients it supports are olive oil, almond milk, almond butter, and many more. If you’ love European bread, then you will love that it can create that herby natural taste European bread has.
To add to that, another notable feature of the Zojirushi BB-PDC20 is the list of settings on the machine. Since the machine has 15 pre-programmed settings, it’s very difficult to consult the manual back and forth. Zojirushi has just made a very user-friendly machine with a simple enhancement.
The only thing that is missing from this bread machine is the dispensers for yeast and fruit and nuts. You might have come across bread machines that have one or two automatic dispensers, but unfortunately, the BB-PDC20 does not have any. This means that you have to stand by and wait for the machine’s go signal to place the nuts or yeast if you want to have them in your bread.
Review Summary
The Zojirushi brand does it again. The BB-PDC20 bread maker is definitely a machine to be proud of.
| TOTAL SCORE: | 4.5 / 5 |
|---|---|
| Performance | 4.8 / 5 |
| Quality of Bread | 4.7 / 5 |
| Features | 4.3 / 5 |
| Price | 4.2 / 5 |
Pros and Cons of the KBS Bread Maker
Pros
- Makes up to 2 pounds of bread loaf
- It has a 13-delay timer together with 15 pre-programmed settings
- 3 homemade settings that can be customized
- Two heaters – one at the top and one at the bottom
- Large viewing window
- Has two kneading blades
- Can accommodate bread ingredients for people with dietary needs
- Comes with removable non-stick pan, measuring spoons, measuring cups, and recipe book
Cons
- Only has 15 pre-programmed settings which is fewer than most models
- Does not have a separate fruit/nut or yeast dispenser
Bread Maker Features Overview
2-pound Loaf Capacity
The BB-PDC20 can easily bake up to 2 pounds of bread. Because it has two of everything (kneading blades and heaters), you don’t have to worry about your bread coming out uneven. This is highly recommended for medium to large-sized families.
2-hour Baking Time and 13-hour Delay Timer
That’s the baking time of a two-pound loaf. While this is relatively long compared to other bread machines, it does make up for the 13-hour delay timer. This means you can prep it in the evening and wake up to fresh and high-quality bread.
Large Viewing Window
The BB-PDC20 comes with a large viewing window right at the top. If you’re the type of person who loves checking on the bread while it is cooking, then you’ll love how you can always peep in to know how your bread is doing.
Easy to use Control Panel
Zojirushi does know how to incorporate great user experience in the appliances they produce. One of the things that make this bread machine awesome is its easy-to-use control panel. Whether you are a newbie or a regular baker, you’ll find this machine’s control panel to be very user-friendly.
15 Pre-programmed Settings
The BB-PDC20 machine has 15 pre-programmed settings including the healthy bread settings. While this is fewer compared to other models, you’re really paying for the healthy bread settings in this machine. The only downside is that you can’t make pastries and pasta.
Double Heaters
The BB-PDC20 has two heaters – one at the top and one at the bottom. This ensures that the bread is baked and heated evenly. The heaters also make sure that each section of the bread is soft enough. Because you can put at most 2 pounds of bread here, one heater might not be enough to cover the whole loaf, hence the two heaters.
Two Kneading Blades
There are also two kneading blades found at the bottom. While others have just one kneading blade, the two kneading blades here greatly help in evening out the ingredients. Even when you have to put the ingredients yourself, the blades are still able to mix the whole dough evenly.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Zojirushi BB-PDC20 is a very user-friendly bread machine. Even if you don’t have any experience baking bread, it’s so easy to use plus the instruction manual is very clear. It’s also a good choice if you are health-conscious and you prefer to use healthy alternative ingredients to your bread recipe. While other bread machines do not create high-quality healthy bread, the BB-PDC20 does.
The only two things that are lacking in this bread machine are the other pre-programmed settings and the fruit/nut dispenser. Since most bread machines usually have 20-30 pre-programmed settings, other users might think that this bread maker is not as versatile as the other models. Nonetheless, the Virtuoso Plus allows you to have 3 customizable settings that can be stored in its memory.
