In your search for the best bread maker, you may have run across the Zojirushi Bread Maker Virtuoso or its more advanced counterpart, the Virtuoso Plus, and wondered which is best or if either machine is worth the buy. In this article, we’ll be putting all of your questions to rest with our Zojirushi Bread Maker Virtuoso vs Virtuoso Plus review and comparison!
To start off, we’ll be taking a look at the original Virtuoso and then diving into a review of the Virtuoso Plus. Let’s get started!
The Zojirushi Bread Maker Virtuoso
With thousands of positive reviews, the Zojirushi Bread Maker Virtuoso is one bread maker that won’t disappoint. Aside from the high price (here we cover bread makers for under $100), it’s a pretty great bread maker that has a few good features and a modern, sleek appearance.
A potential downside to this bread maker is that it only has one loaf size setting (2 pounds), while many other bread makers on the market offer at least 4 loaf sizes. However, it does feature a few bread type settings, like gluten-free, Basic, Wheat, and Regular. It features 10 pre-programmed settings to set the crust color (3 crust color options), to select the course, go through the cycle, set the timer, and start and stop the machine. The Home Made button allows you to adjust all of the necessary settings to personalize your homemade bread and make your favorite homemade recipes. View all of the settings and timer on the digital display.
The Virtuoso features double kneading blades to knead the dough thoroughly and remove any air bubbles or lumps, and this bread maker comes with a measuring cup and a measuring spoon so that you have the accessories you need for baking the perfect bread. The large, open lid has a viewing window so that you can keep an eye on the baking process, and the lid features a heater for even baking.
The inner baking pan of the Virtuoso has convenient handles for easy removal of the baked bread and cleaning of the inner pan after cooking. This is also a pretty quick bread maker and can bake bread in as little as 2 hours. You can set the delay timer up to 13 hours, as well.
What We Like:
- Digital display
- 10 pre-programmed settings
- 3 crust color options
- Large viewing window
- Easy-to-clean inner pan
- Double kneading blades
- Delay timer
- Unique Home Made function
The Virtuoso PLUS
A tad more expensive than the Zojirushi Virtuoso, the Virtuoso PLUS is more modern, sleek, and versatile than the regular Virtuoso. For starters, it has 15 bread course settings, including healthy grain bread choices, cake, jam, sourdough, and the unique Home Made setting that allows you to customize the machine for your own recipes.
Like the Virtuoso, the Virtuoso PLUS features two kneading paddles for thorough kneading to minimize the number of air bubbles and evenly distribute ingredients. Differing from the original Virtuoso, the PLUS has dual heaters on both the bottom and lid of the bread machine for even baking and browning. On the top side of the lid, there is a wide viewing window so that you can easily view your bread baking.
A large digital display shows the time and settings and the operation panel consists of a Crust Control button, a Timer button, Course, Cycle, and Time Setting buttons, and a Cancel and Start button to begin or halt the bread-making process. It has a 12-hour clock and a 13-hour delay timer so that you can bake bread whenever is convenient and without hassle. The Virtuoso PLUS, like the Virtuoso, only makes 2-pound loaves, which is somewhat of a downside to the machine, as most other bread makers have size options.
What We Like:
- 15 bread course settings, including healthy bread options, specialty diet choices, and homemade recipe settings
- Two kneading paddles
- Two dual heaters on the underside of the lid and the bottom of the bread machine
- Large LCD display
- 3 crust color settings
- Viewing window
- 12-hour clock with 13-hour delay timer
- Modern stainless steel design
Zojirushi Bread Maker Virtuoso vs Virtuoso Plus Similarities
The price of both Zojirushi Bread Makers is similar — that is, crazy expensive. These are definitely not ideal for those that are trying to stay within a tighter budget, or for those who aren’t quite sure if they’ll even use a bread maker all that often.
They’re also similar in that they both make family-sized, 2-pound loaves, bake quickly at 2 hours, and have multiple settings to bake different types of bread (though the Virtuoso PLUS has 5 additional features than the original). Both Virtuoso bread makers have a modern stainless steel build and digital features, a viewing window, and double kneading blades for perfect bread loaves.
They both bake evenly and have 3 different crust colors to choose from, along with a 13-hour delay timer. Overall, they’re quite similar and don’t have too many striking differences.
With that said, let’s take a look at the differences that they do have…
Zojirushi Bread Maker Virtuoso vs Virtuoso Plus Differences
The most notable difference between the Virtuoso and the Virtuoso Plus is that the Plus has a few more features than the regular bread maker. It has 15 bread course settings, including healthy grain bread choices, cake, jam, sourdough, and the unique Home Made setting that allows you to customize the machine for your own recipes, while the regular Virtuoso only has 10. That isn’t too much of a drastic difference in settings, but it does mean that the Virtuoso PLUS is slightly more versatile and better for families with special diets, or for those that like to play around more with their bread making.
Another slight difference is the Virtuoso PLUS has an additional heater on the underside of the lid; one more than the regular Virtuoso bread maker, making it cook overall more evenly and thoroughly.
The Verdict
After comparing the Zojirushi Bread Maker Virtuoso vs Virtuoso Plus, we’ve concluded that the Virtuoso Plus is the best option out of the two Zojirushi Bread Maker options. Though it’s a bit more expensive, it has more features and is best for those looking for a versatile bread maker. It’s also great for those on specialty diets, as it has 15 bread type settings, including healthy grain loaves and gluten-free.