Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus Bread Maker Review: Worth It? (October 2026)

On this page (11 sections)

1. The Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus at a glance
2. What do the Virtuoso Plus features mean for everyday baking?
3. Which Virtuoso Plus courses should you use?
4. Will the Virtuoso Plus fit your kitchen routine?
5. How should you set up the first loaf?
6. Which mistakes should you avoid with the timer and dough?
7. How does the Virtuoso Plus compare with the Supreme?
8. Is the Virtuoso Plus better than the Breville Custom Loaf BBM800XL?
9. How do you clean and care for the Virtuoso Plus?
10. Is the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus right for you?
11. Related bread machine guides

The Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus is a strong choice if you regularly bake larger sandwich loaves and want dedicated whole-wheat or gluten-free courses. It makes the most sense as a bread machine you leave ready on the counter and use often.

Choose by your bread habits first. For cake, jam and sourdough-starter programs, compare the Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme; for saved personal recipes and automatic mix-ins, consider the Breville below.

The Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus at a glance

The Virtuoso Plus puts bread-focused courses, dual heaters and double kneading blades in one machine. Its main tradeoffs are counter space, weight and cleaning the removable parts by hand.

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Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus: Best for whole-wheat households

8.7/10Our score

• 2 lb rectangular loaf
• Dual heaters
• Double kneading blades
• Rapid whole-wheat course

A bread-focused choice for households that regularly bake full-size loaves and want dedicated whole-wheat and gluten-free courses. Plan a counter spot where you can leave it ready to use.

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Pros

• Dual heaters in the bottom and lid
• Double kneading blades
• Rapid white and whole-wheat courses
• 13-hour timer

Cons

• Wide footprint needs counter space
• Requires hand washing

Zojirushi says the heaters in the bottom and lid promote even baking and browning, while the blades provide thorough kneading. These features make it worth considering for frequent bread baking, but recipe choice and accurate measuring still matter.

The large LCD and course key on the lid help you select a program without remembering each code. Light, medium and dark crust choices let you adjust the finish to your preference.

Who should choose the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus?

Choose it if your household regularly finishes a 2 lb rectangular loaf and you expect to repeat a few favorite recipes. The loaf shape is useful for sandwich bread, while the course choices support several flour and ingredient needs.

It also suits someone who wants a set routine: measure ingredients, choose the matching course and let the machine handle the bread cycle. Learning one reliable recipe first is more useful than trying every course immediately.

Skip it if you eat bread slowly and do not want to freeze portions. Also look elsewhere if saved custom recipes or automatic fruit and nut dispensing are central to how you bake.

What do the Virtuoso Plus features mean for everyday baking?

The heating and kneading design makes this machine worth considering for regular bread baking, while its controls help you repeat a recipe. Neither replaces matching the dough to the right course.

Kneading develops structure in wheat dough, and a bread machine needs an ingredient balance suited to its pan and cycle. Too much flour can leave a stiff dough that no blade design can rescue.

Crust shade is a useful adjustment once you have a reliable recipe. Compare the same recipe at different settings before changing sugar, flour and crust shade together, or you will not know which change caused the result.

The removable nonstick pan helps with loaf release and cleanup. Use tools that protect that surface, since scraping a stuck loaf with a knife can damage the coating.

Which Virtuoso Plus courses should you use?

Use the course named for your recipe, rather than choosing the shortest cycle by default. The options include multigrain, whole wheat, rapid whole wheat, gluten-free, salt-free, sugar-free and vegan.

Whole-wheat flour absorbs water differently from white flour, and bran affects dough structure. Start with a whole-wheat recipe written for a bread machine instead of replacing all the white flour in a basic loaf at once.

The rapid courses make white or whole-wheat bread in 2 hours and 25 minutes. Use a recipe intended for that shorter schedule, including its yeast type, ingredient temperatures and quantities.

A salt-free or sugar-free course does not make every standard recipe work after you remove those ingredients. Salt affects yeast activity and dough structure, while sugar can affect browning, moisture and rise.

For gluten-free baking, follow a recipe designed around its specific flour blend. Our guide to gluten-free bread in a bread machine explains why these doughs need a different approach.

A gluten-free program also does not prevent cross-contact from flour, utensils or previous bakes. If avoiding gluten is essential, keep ingredients and preparation tools separate and consider a dedicated machine.

If you mainly want cake, jam or a sourdough-starter program, the Supreme versus Virtuoso comparison will help you choose between their course options.

Will the Virtuoso Plus fit your kitchen routine?

Allow room for an 18 x 10.5 x 12.87 in machine, measured width by depth by height, plus space to open the lid. Its closed dimensions alone do not tell you whether it will work beneath your cabinets.

Measure the actual baking spot, not just the storage shelf. You need access to lift out the pan, load ingredients and use the controls without balancing parts on a narrow counter edge.

At 24 lb, it is better suited to a regular counter spot than frequent lifting from a low cabinet. Check that the surface is stable and follow the manual's clearance instructions around walls and other appliances.

The cord is 39 inches long, so plan its position near a suitable outlet without stretching the cord across a sink or walkway. The machine requires a 120-volt supply.

Think about loaf storage as well as appliance storage. If your household cannot finish a loaf promptly, cool it fully, slice it and freeze portions so the larger capacity does not create waste.

How should you set up the first loaf?

Start with one basic recipe from the included recipe book and follow the manual's first-use steps. A simple loaf gives you a useful baseline before you change flour blends or add extras.

Wash and dry the removable parts as directed, then fit both kneading blades and seat the pan securely. Check that no packaging remains inside before adding ingredients.

Measure carefully, especially flour. A kitchen scale can help when the recipe provides weights; if it gives cup measures, use the stated method rather than packing flour into the cup.

Follow the machine's instructions for ingredient order. Our bread machine order of ingredients guide explains the reasons behind keeping certain ingredients apart before a cycle starts.

For your first few loaves, use the same flour and yeast so you can spot the effect of one change. The guide to flour for bread machines can help you choose flour that matches the recipe.

Choose the correct course and crust shade before starting. Record the recipe, any changes and the result so a successful loaf is easy to repeat.

Which mistakes should you avoid with the timer and dough?

Avoid unapproved recipe changes and unsafe delayed starts. The timer is useful only when the ingredients and recipe are suitable for waiting in the pan.

The Virtuoso Plus and Supreme both offer a 13-hour timer. Use the manual's directions to work out when the cycle will finish, then allow cooling time if you need neatly sliced bread at a particular hour.

Do not leave milk, eggs or other ingredients that need refrigeration at room temperature for a long delay. Use a recipe specifically approved for delayed baking rather than adapting one on your own.

Keep yeast separated from liquid until mixing begins when the manual calls for it. Early contact can start fermentation before the intended cycle.

Do not halve a recipe simply because you want less bread, and do not fill the pan beyond its intended capacity. Dough size affects mixing and baking, so use recipes sized for the machine.

If a loaf turns out dense, review quantities, yeast freshness and course choice before adding more yeast. Change one thing at a time, and let bread cool on a rack before slicing to avoid compressing a warm crumb.

How does the Virtuoso Plus compare with the Supreme?

Choose the Supreme for broader kitchen uses and a smaller footprint. Choose the Virtuoso Plus when its bread-focused courses and heating design better match what you plan to bake.

The Supreme's cake, jam and dough settings suit someone who wants to use the machine for more than finished bread. Its sourdough-starter setting is another reason to consider it, but that setting should not be confused with a complete sourdough baking process.

Its adjustable crust shade and easy-to-read LCD cover useful everyday controls. The smaller body helps on a crowded counter, but its loaf capacity does not solve the problem of making more bread than you eat.

Skip the Supreme if you are choosing mainly for the Virtuoso Plus's specific course mix. A longer menu is useful only when it contains programs you will actually use.

Is the Virtuoso Plus better than the Breville Custom Loaf BBM800XL?

The Virtuoso Plus suits repeat bread recipes, while the Breville suits bakers who want saved settings and automatic mix-ins. Breville also offers a gluten-free program, so that feature alone does not settle the choice.

Breville provides 9 custom settings for personal recipes and loaf sizes from 1 to 2.5 lb. That range is useful if you want to change batch size, provided you use recipes written for the selected size.

Its automatic fruit and nut dispenser adds mix-ins during the cycle. Choose it if fruit bread or nut loaves are regular plans and you want that step handled automatically.

The collapsible kneading paddle folds before baking, and a separate fixed paddle is included for jam. Folding the paddle does not mean you should expect an untouched loaf base.

Breville also includes 60-minute power interruption protection. That is useful protection against a disrupted cycle, but the custom settings and dispenser are stronger reasons to choose it for your daily routine.

Skip it if you want to follow the same simple bread recipe each week and have little interest in saving personal settings. For more options, the complete bread machine buying guide and best bread makers roundup cover other machine choices.

How do you clean and care for the Virtuoso Plus?

Hand wash the pan and blades after each bake, following the manual's care directions. Cleaning away dough before it hardens around the blades makes the next bake easier to prepare.

Unplug the machine and let it cool before handling or cleaning parts. Keep the machine body out of water, and wipe accessible crumbs away without pushing them into openings.

Use a soft cloth or other approved gentle tool on the nonstick pan. Avoid metal utensils, abrasive pads and forcing a stuck blade; follow the manual's method for loosening dried dough.

Dry the removable parts before fitting them back into place. Before the next bake, check that the blades are seated and the outside of the pan is clean.

All 3 machines here require hand washing. If cleaning around paddles is a chore you will put off, consider that routine before choosing any of them.

Is the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus right for you?

Buy the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus if your weekly routine includes larger bread loaves and its course choices match the recipes you want to repeat. Secure a usable counter spot before deciding that its features justify the space.

Pick the Supreme if cake, jam, dough and sourdough-starter programs are more useful to you. Pick the Breville if varying loaf size, saving recipes and automatic fruit or nut additions will change how often you use the machine.

If your main concern is finishing the bread, compare bread machines for small loaves before buying a larger model. For a broader decision about capacity and controls, use our bread machine buying guide.

Related bread machine guides

Use these guides to narrow your model choice or plan your first recipe.

• Zojirushi Supreme vs Virtuoso
• Best bread makers
• Gluten-free bread in a bread machine
• Complete bread machine buying guide

Frequently asked questions

Is the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus worth it?

The Virtuoso Plus is worth considering if you bake often, finish larger loaves and want dedicated whole-wheat or gluten-free courses. Its heating and kneading design supports that bread-focused role.

Skip it if you mainly need small loaves, must store the machine after every use, or prioritize saved custom recipes.

What size loaf does the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus make?

The Virtuoso Plus makes a 2 lb rectangular loaf. Choose that capacity based on how much bread your household eats, rather than assuming a larger loaf is always better.

If you cannot finish it while fresh, plan to cool and freeze portions or compare machines built for smaller loaves.

Does the Virtuoso Plus have a gluten-free setting?

Yes, the Virtuoso Plus has a dedicated gluten-free course. Start with a bread-machine recipe written for gluten-free ingredients and the correct loaf size, since wheat-bread substitutions can change the dough too much.

The course controls the baking process; it does not remove gluten from ingredients or prevent cross-contact.

How do you clean the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus?

Hand wash the removable pan and kneading blades according to the manual after unplugging the machine and letting it cool. Use gentle tools that will not scratch the nonstick surface, and never immerse the machine body.

Dry removable parts before putting them back, and clear away crumbs before the next bake.