If you can afford the Zo, buy it. I started out with a Regal machine many
years ago. After having worn off the non stick coating on four paddles and
two pans over a period of 8 years, I decided to give it to a friend who
wasn't sure if she wanted to commit herself to bread making. The machine
was still going strong when I gave it away but I got lucky and found a new
Breadman Ultimate machine at a garage sale for $10 and decided to upgrade
my bread making. It was unused and still in the box with all the packaging
and inserts. The fellow selling it had given it to his mother who passed
away soon after.
About six months later, just as I was getting use to the Breadman, the
electronics failed. I called the manufacturer who told me that they would
not honor the guarantee since I had no proof of the purchase date. I
through the Breadman out and bought a Zo from Amazon.com.
It has been just about a year now since I got the Zo; the paddles and the
pan still look new. I only bake about two loaves a week and haven't gotten
into programming the Zo for customized bread making yet since the standard
settings suite all my needs. They provide flexibility as to the loaf size
and the darkness of the crust.
While I still miss the Regal some times for its familiarity and simplicity
of use, I am very happy with the Zo and recommend it.
Ronald L. Ploude