Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Review

The Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus is the newest version of the expensive but excellent Zojirushi double paddle bread makers. I consider whether this 2-lb traditional rectangular loaf bread machine is a big plus or not. I also review the older BB-PAC20 model in the second half of this post.

Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso vs. Virtuoso Plus

These Zojirushi bread machines are almost exactly the same when it comes to appearance and features. The BB-PDC20 is a newer version of the BB-PAC20.

The biggest differences are the larger LCD and expanded course list of the Zojirushi BB-PDC20: it has 15 options compared to the 10 courses of the BB-PAC20. Another small difference is the control panel buttons that has white text on a black background.

It seems like the BB-PAC20 is not listed with the other bread makers on the Zojirushi website. I guess it must have been discontinued or something. Anyway, I added my previous review of the BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso to the bottom of this post.

The Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus is obviously going to cost a little more than the older Zojirushi dual blade bread machines, even though those models might still be available. You may check current pricing for the Zojirushi BB-PDC20 on Amazon (paid link).

Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus

Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker lid open
The BB-PDC20 has small heating element and large viewing window in its lid.

Zojirushi BB-PDC20: Specifications

The Zojirushi BB-PDC20 is a 120-volt, AC, 60Hz appliance with a 3.3-foot (1 meter) power cord. Its internal motor, which spins the paddles, consumes about 100 watts. It also has two heating elements: a main heater for the pan (600W) and a small heater in the lid (40W). The lid heater is only for helping to achieve an even browning of the top bread crust. At 40 watts it is too small to do anything else.

The older BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme had a problem with an unevenly browned crust. A small lid heater was added in the subsequent Zojirushi Home Bakery bread machines to solve this problem.

The Zojirushi BB-PDC20 is a wide bread machine because it has a horizontal baking pan with two kneading paddles for making a 2-lb rectangular bread loaf. The bread maker is 18 inches wide, 10.5 inches deep and almost 13 inches high. It weighs approximately 24 pounds (10.5 kilograms).

There is a large viewing window in its lid. All the courses and their numbers are printed on the lid to provide a quick reference when selecting courses.

Zojirushi BB-PDC20: Control Panel

There are only a few things to say about the control panel. The LCD is not backlit which might make it difficult to read. It displays the course number and the time in hours and minutes. Other information displayed at various times might be the memory slots 1-3, crust color selection and the current cycle.

The CRUST CONTROL button offers the usual options: light, medium or dark. The CYCLE button is used for selecting the different cycles when programming a HOMEMADE course. The TIMER and TIME SETTING buttons are used for setting the current clock time, the 13-hour delay timer and the cycle times of the HOMEMADE courses.

The CANCEL button will cancel an operation, but only if it is pressed for more than one second. This one-second hold prevents cancellation by accident. The START button is for starting a course or starting the delay timer.

Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker control panel
LCD is larger, but has no back lighting.

Zojirushi BB-PDC20: Courses

The Zojirushi BB-PDC20 has more courses available than the previous BB-PAC20 model. It offers extra courses for special diets. Whether you find these special courses useful or not will depend on your own dietary preferences. Nevertheless, here is a list of the 14 courses and the programmable Homemade course:

  1. White
  2. Whole Wheat
  3. European
  4. Multigrain
  5. Gluten Free
  6. Salt Free
  7. Sugar Free
  8. Vegan
  9. Rapid White
  10. Rapid Whole Wheat
  11. Dough
  12. Sourdough Starter
  13. Cake
  14. Jam
  15. Homemade (3 memory slots for saving your own customized courses).

Zojirushi BB-PDC20: Accessories

A few small accessories are included with the bread maker. The liquid measuring cup is used for liquids, but is not suitable for measuring flour. The nested measuring cups are made for measuring dry ingredients. The measuring spoon is also used for dry ingredients. A recipe book provides recipes in English or French.

Zojirushi BB-PDC20: The Verdict

There are three Zojirushi dual blade bread makers with rectangular loaf pans: the BB-CEC20, BB-PAC20 and the BB-PDC20.

The Zojirushi BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme has 10 menu courses, but it has neither a gluten-free program nor a lid heater. The BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso and BB-PDC20 Virtuoso Plus both offer a gluten-free course and lid heater.

These Zojirushi dual paddle bread machines have similar features, so why pay more for the newest model when the older ones are still available?

The main reason for buying the Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus and not the other models would be the five extra course settings: European, Multigrain, Salt Free, Sugar Free and Vegan. In brief, the Zojirushi BB-PDC20 is the best version of the Zojirushi dual kneading paddle bread machines. Click here to check price on Amazon (paid link).

Zojirushi BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso

Zojirushi BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso
Zojirushi BB-PAC20

The Zojirushi BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso can make a 2-pound bread loaf in its rectangular nonstick bread pan. It has a heating element in its baking chamber and a smaller heating element in its lid to make sure that the bread loaf is evenly baked and browned.

The Zojirushi BB-PAC20 is newer than the BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme. The BB-PAC20 has been updated with a separate gluten free course, timer up and down buttons, a cancel button and a lid heater. Its biggest drawback is its high price, but you get a bread maker that is at the top of the pile.

Zojirushi BB-PAC20: Features

  • 30-second audible signal for adding fruit, raisins or nuts.
  • Baking pan produces a traditional rectangular 2-pound bread loaf.
  • Bread maker switches to a keep warm cycle after baking is completed.
  • Cancel button: press once to cancel a setting, press and hold to cancel current process.
  • Crust control button for selecting light, medium or dark crust.
  • Cycle button cycles between the cycles of the homemade course during editing.
  • Gluten free course for baking gluten free bread using active dry yeast.
  • Homemade button for selecting and editing the 3 memory courses.
  • Included accessories: measuring cup, spoon, bread maker manual with recipes.
  • LCD shows clock, settings and time left until finish.
  • Lid has a large viewing window.
  • Lid heater for browning the top crust and reducing uneven baking.
  • Made for use with a 120-volt, 60Hz, AC electrical current.
  • Rest cycle can be turned off if ingredients do not need to be warmed up.
  • Select course button for choosing bread or dough program.
  • Start button for starting a course or the delay timer countdown.
  • Time setting button for changing clock, timer and homemade cycle times.
  • Timer button for setting the 13-hour delay timer.
  • Dual kneading blades for rigorous kneading of the dough.

Select Your Course

Press the select course button to choose between the following preprogrammed courses for making bread, jam, cake or dough:

  1. Regular Basic
  2. Quick Basic
  3. Regular Wheat
  4. Quick Wheat
  5. Gluten Free
  6. Regular Dough
  7. Quick Dough
  8. Jam
  9. Cake
  10. Sourdough Starter

The regular courses are for bread or dough recipes using active dry yeast. The quick courses are for making bread or dough recipes quickly by using rapid rise yeast.

Zojirushi BB-PAC20 2-Pound Loaf Bread Maker Among Many Loaves
It can make many types of dough and bread loaves.

Gluten-Free Course

The BB-PAC20 has a gluten-free course. It also has a powerful motor, dual paddles and a heavy construction: as a result it can handle gluten-free dough. The instruction manual has ten gluten-free bread recipes that use active dry yeast.

The gluten-free course has the following steps:

  • Rest (33 minutes)
  • Knead (17 minutes)
  • Add signal beeps at 45-minute mark.
  • Rise 1 (5 minutes)
  • Rise 2 (punch down and rise for 5 minutes)
  • Rise 3 (punch down and rise for 25 minutes)
  • Bake (60 minutes)
  • Completion signal beeps at 2 hours and 25 minutes.
  • Keep warm (60 minutes)

Keep Warm

The Zojirushi BB-PAC20 goes into a keep warm step for one hour after the baking step has finished. It is better to press the cancel button and remove the bread loaf. The crust of the bread loaf might become harder and darker if it stays inside for the whole keep warm step. Remember to use oven mitts when removing the baking pan because it will be very hot.

Can it only make 2-lb loaves?

Two pounds is the maximum bread loaf size it can make. It can also make 1.5-pound loaves. For example, the manual has the following 1.5-pound recipes:

  • Basic white bread (1.5-lbs)
  • Raisin bread (1.5-lbs)
  • 100% whole wheat bread (1.5-lbs)
  • 100% whole wheat apple bread (1.5-lbs)
  • Crusty French bread (1.5-lbs)

How To Add Fruit And Nuts

The Zojirushi BB-PAC20 does not have an automatic dispenser, which is unfortunate. What it does have is an audible signal alert for adding raisins and nuts. It beeps about 5 minutes before the end of the kneading step for a duration of 30 seconds. The display shows the word “ADD”. Open the lid and add the fruit, nuts or raisins to the dough. Avoid adding large or hard ingredients. Chop the fruit and nuts into small pieces, so it does not obstruct the kneading blades.

Most owners do not miss the automatic dispenser, except for those owners who like to bake raisin or nut bread overnight with the delay timer. If you are used to baking raisin bread with the delay timer for breakfast, then you might consider buying a bread machine that has an automatic fruit and nut dispenser. You may read our review of bread machines with an automatic dispenser and make your choice from among them.

Zojirushi BB-PAC20 vs. BB-CEC20

The basic design is similar, but the BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso has been updated with a lid heater, cancel button, gluten-free course, time up and time down buttons. Owners say that the small heating element in the lid makes crust control much better. The completed bread loaf looks evenly browned, top and bottom.

These small improvements come at a price: the BB-PAC20 is more expensive. Nonetheless, the Zojirushi BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso beats the BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme by a few steps and might be worth the extra money you need to pay.

Zojirushi BB-PAC20: Advantages And Disadvantages

  • It has a gluten free bread making program.
  • Baking pan has two handles for easier handling.
  • Horizontal baking pan makes a traditional shape 2-lb bread loaf.
  • Heating element in the lid for even browning of the top crust.
  • The two kneading blades do a good job with mixing and kneading.
  • The rest cycle warms up ingredients, but it can be turned off if not wanted.
  • Homemade course with programmable rest, knead, shape, rise, bake and warm steps.
  • It has big dimensions, and it needs a lot of counter space.
  • Two paddle holes in the bottom of the finished bread loaf.
  • Dough might sometimes rise unevenly causing the top crust to be slightly higher on one side.
  • No automatic ingredient dispenser, only an audible signal for adding fruit and nuts.

Zojirushi BB-PAC20: The Verdict

The instruction manual is good and it elaborates on topics such as parts, control panel buttons, how to measure ingredients, baking tips, setting the clock, using the timer, how to turn the rest cycle off, troubleshooting, cleaning and storage as well a few questions and answers. It contains a number of recipes for each of the different courses.

The BB-PAC20 can handle 100% whole wheat bread without walking off the counter due to its strong motor, two kneading blades and its weight of 22 pounds. When it comes to quality and reliability, you do get what you pay for. This is a bread machine that might last for years of frequent baking. It is a medium to long term investment instead of a short term solution.

However, it is not completely perfect. Due to the pan shape and the interaction of the two kneading paddles, the dough might rise slightly higher on one side. This might cause the loaf to bake slightly lopsided. It does not affect the taste in any way, so it is only a small problem.

To sum up, the Zojirushi BB-PAC20 is one of the best dual paddle automatic bread makers that money can buy. The problem with the uneven browning of the crust (in the BB-CEC20 bread machine) has been solved by adding a small heating element under the lid. It is a well constructed appliance, which is what you would expect from such a costly bread machine. And yet, it seems like it is no longer available. I wonder what happened to it?

Conclusion

To conclude, it seems like the Zojirushi BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso is unavailable at the moment. I do not know why it was removed from circulation.

At the same time, the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 (I reviewed it here) is still available, and is less expensive than the other two models. Yet, it only has 10 menu programs, and does not have an extra heater in its lid.

In light of that, you might buy the newer model, which is the Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus. It has 15 menu courses, as well as double heaters in the bottom and the lid. You can buy it on Amazon (paid link).