Pros: The smaller size is great. It makes a loaf good for a day or two.

Well made, very good manual, better in every way than three other brands I tried over the years.

The 1 lb loaf ingredients cost about $1, so this thing pays for itself pretty quickly. Then you're saving three figures a year vs supermarket bread.

Cons: A bit pricey up front. It seems to have gone up in price.

Other Thoughts: Fresh homemade bread from the mini-zo tastes so much better than store bought.

Pros: This is a great little bread maker. It is small, takes low countertop space and produces great bread. I used to have an old B&D bread machine, it was decent, but the results were quite random, from average to bad bread. Also, it produced too large loaves for me, and I was always putting spoiled bread in the garbage. With the mini breadmaker, the loaves are just the right size for me. Everything I tried in it came out great: the bread is nice and fluffy, the cake course works great and cake tastes really good and is a snap to make. I also tried jam course with fresh fruits, it was so good. This machine feels like a quality item that you will enjoy for a long time.

Cons: Unit is actually Made in China, even if Zojirushi is a renowned Japanese appliance company. Build is great and feels heavy, but it is not Made in Japan like my other Zoji appliances. The price point might turn off some potential buyers. Also, there is no way to disable the "add ingredient" beeping. When you use the timer to produce a loaf in the middle of the night, it might wake you up at 4hAM if you have a light sleep.

Other Thoughts: Great little machine from Zojirushi. Everything I tried so far turned out better than I expected. Just watch for the extra calories you might be getting from all this good food!!

Pros: 1. Extremely consistent bread production.
2. Brain-dead-simple operation. You'll be able to throw the ingredients together in your sleep after making just a couple of loaves.
3. Huge variety of bread options (inc. cakes)
4. Quick-bake knocks 33% off your baking time yet produces an identical loaf

Cons: 1. The dreaded breadmaker-15 (the fifteen pounds you gain after a week of breakmaker ownership)
2. This model has a function that continues to warm the bread after the automated timer has gone off. In the manual it advises you to immediately remove the bread or risk it falling. I can tell you from direct experience, it *will* fall if you leave it in there. But I don't understand why this bread-self-destruction feature would ever be useful to anybody.

Other Thoughts: I also own a Zojirushi rice maker, and have been extremely pleased with its reliability and quality. I was hoping their breadmaker would be of similar quality and was not disappointed. One note: unless you're using preservatives, the loaves you make won't stay fresh for very long. Normally this isn't a problem, but it might influence your decision to purchase this model or the next size up. This model is good for one or two people. A family would likely prefer the next larger size.

Pros: Extensive research pointed to Zojirushi. There are no Japan-made high-quality bread makers in today's market. The best that you can do is a lowest bidder factory product (from China, in this case) that's at least well-designed. Slight manufacturing flaws will become apparent to the discerning consumer. However, the possibilities are endless with this particular appliance. The included manual is exceptionally thoughtful and detailed. The French Bread is especially reproducible and delicious.

Cons: After yielding a hot bread, the manual recommends leaving the lid open to facilitate faster cooling. Doing so actually warps the lid slightly so that closing it no longer creates a good seal. Even so, when hot, the lid fits well. To maintain the good fit, a large can of beans may be placed on the lid while it cools in the closed position. (Don't put anything that can melt on the hot lid.)

Other Thoughts: The loaf size is adequate for a small family (1-3). Especially in the early months, you'll want to experiment a lot. The larger Zojirushi model would necessitate either less experimentation or more waste. One pound of loaf is quite sufficient. One final piece of advice: follow the directions precisely. If it says to use bread flour, do so. Once things work, then modify but one variable at a time. To increase reproducibility even further, get a digital scale and weigh your ingredients (rather than measure crudely them with cups and spoons).

Pros: This is a great machine if you a single or couple. Great to have a small bread every other day!!! Make every loaf of bread so good!

Cons: no..

Pros: Was torn between this and the bigger machine but these loaves are perfect size for a family of 2-3 to have yummy fresh bread with 2 meals... I love it and I'm so glad I didn't get the bigger one. I love the handle feature as I have weak hands. I also found newegg customer service refreshingly easy to communicate with.

Cons: None - thrilled with the machine.

Other Thoughts: This is my first bread maker and I don't see how you can go wrong if you just follow the instructions - especially spooning your flour into measuring cups and adding ingredients in the specified order.

Pros: Good size loaf for 2 people. Has timer so you can have the bread fresh and warm when you wake up in the morning. Comes with a decent cookbook for making different breads, cookies, jam and even pasta. Has a crust control function that works well. Small enough to fit in a kitchen cabinet and not break your back when you take move it in and out. Quality non-stick material.

Cons: None so far.

Other Thoughts: We have owned this bread maker for almost a year now and use it about twice a week. I am impressed with the overall quality of this machine and the bread it makes. My girlfriend used it for making cookie dough and has been pleased with it as well. The machine is expensive and maybe a cheaper one would do the job just fine, I don't know, but we bought this one because we have a Zojirushi rice maker that we love and overall, I am very happy with the purchase.

Pros: Makes a variety of breads, the best I've tried being a nice crusty French bread. Makes cake, dough, jams, etc. Small enough to finish off before the bread gets old. Quiet enough to run during the night without being heard elsewhere in the house.

Cons: Expensive. Fairly large, bigger than a toaster, electric mixer, or hot pot.

Other Thoughts: I'm impressed with the French bread, which is nicely crusty. Ordinary white bread is good, but I like the French better. I cooked a cake, adapted from a recipe I use, and it came out a little overbeaten but very nice.

Pros: Ideal loaf size. All customary features. High quality construction. The carry andle is integral to the design and makes this appliance easy to move. Zojurushi has a great name for quality appliances, especially bread-makers.

Cons: Price is high, but probably to be expected for an appliance of this quality and reputation.

Other Thoughts: This is a vertical style bread-maker, not horizontal. However, with the small loaf size, that is a distinct advantage-- the loaf is well proportioned and all the ingredients get mixed leaving no unmixed residue on the corners of the loaf.