Try Lora Brody on the subject

I just read Lora Brody's book on small kitchen appliances, which also has some great recipes. She recommends the Zojirushi, as did the others on her evaluation team. She lists lots of reasons why it was best, but also talks about the charecteristics of a good machine. However, the Breadman has most, if not all, of the same features, for the same price as a Zoji. Worth looking at - please post what you find out.