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Today I will be reviewing the Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker.

Back in the pandemic, I got into the bread making craze (had to do something). I landed on enjoying making bread in a bread machine that I found in a thrift store for $20. I’ve enjoyed making bread on and off since then. In 2023 I bought the Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA for $238.48 used “like new” on Amazon. This was a great deal that at the time I had seen pop up from time to time. It currently retails for $419.95.

I wanted this machine for a few reasons.

  1. Makes standard sized loafs where other machines make a horizontally shaped loaf. 
  2. Has a delay timer. Will allow you to add ingredients at some time then set a finish time in the future (wake up to freshly baked bread)
  3. Can make a custom program to make real sourdough bread. While I had aspirations of doing this, I’ve never gotten around to it
  4. I was told with care, this could be a BuyItForLife item, depending on how the nonstick pan coating hold up. But that can be replaced.

Some things I don’t care for

  1. This thing is huge. At 18” wide and 13” tall it takes up a lot of room. Luckily I have a spot that will fit it in my cabinets but it’s something to consider.
  2. It makes HUGE loafs of bread. This used to be a pro for us, but right now they feel big. Standard machines are 1.5 lb loafs. This makes 2lb loafs. You can make them slightly smaller 1.75, MAYBE 1.5 but not smaller. If your household can eat this fast enough before staleness, not a problem.



I am really considering buying the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 1lb mini loaf machine (above). I like the idea of small mini loafs that can be made fresh for dinner with friends and eaten in one sitting (maybe two). I think would feel special. My very patient partner would have some feelings about storing TWO big kitchen appliances in our cabinets. Fair. But that is an option. Other than the lack of custom settings (which I haven’t used) all the same pros exist for this machine.

In sum, it has made every bread I’ve made in it beautifully. Does it make bread better than my $20 thrift store machine? No. Are some of the features nice? Yes. Is it worth $420 dollars, probably not. $250 used? I think so.

Thanks for reading! Purchases made through my links help me share honest product reviews to guide thoughtful buying decisions. Bye!

 P.S.

Lately I've been experimenting with making High Fiber, High Protein Pumpkin bread in this machine and it's been working great!

 

Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA Review

Sunday, October 19, 2025


Today I will be reviewing the Powerblock Elite 90 dumbbells.

TL;DR, they are an awesome BuyItForLife product, but they are expensive. 

I bought these dumbbells in 2021. I found them used on OfferUp for around $600 (great deal). Today they retail new for $869. They’re so simple there’s not a lot to say about these things, but let try.

·       First off, if you don’t need 90 pounds you can buy the 50 or 70 pound sets. You can upgrade the weight later with their kits if you need more weight.

·       These will not feel like normal dumbbell. Their kind of a hulking mass you stick your hand in. I actually have learned to love this aspect of these.

·       They’ve held up perfectly. I believe they will be a BuyItForLife item. My kids might inherit them. I heard before I bought them that might be the case, and I am not disappointed.

Pros:

  • Dead simple
  • Very quick weight change
  • Space saving
  • HEAVY!

Cons:

Expensive?

I absolutely agree, $900 is a lot of money to spend on a pair of dumbbells. BUT, with these dumbbells and an adjustable bench you have yourself a COMPLETE home gym. This is what I did. I prefer dumbbells to bar barbells and with 90 lbs to work with I don’t ever see myself needing to upgrade. $900 for a complete home gym is a great value and takes up beautifully little amount of space.

If you’d like another awesome review of these, here is the one I used to help make my decision. I stop by this site before ever making any health/fitness purchase.

PowerBlock Adjustable Dumbbells Review 2025 | Garage Gym Reviews


Thanks for reading! Purchases made through my links help me share honest product reviews to guide thoughtful buying decisions. Bye!


 

 


Powerblock Elite USA 90 Review

Monday, October 13, 2025

My partner and I were gifted a big case of our favorite sparkling water, Spindrift. My partner was telling me that she drank more water when she had a lot of sparking water to drink. But was having a felling of scarcity/guilt drinking 3 cans a day. I thought, how about we make our own and have an endless supply!

 

So, after researching the different models I bought a SodaStream E-DUO. I landed on this one because I liked

  1. the electric pump feature (others you have to hold down)

  2. Glass bottles. I'm concerned (paranoid?) about microplastics

  3. Bigger bottles than other models. 24 oz vs 34 oz

  4. Easily sourced aftermarket altercation accessories. More on that

 

On that last point, I intend to modify this device with a large, cheap co2 canister once the one that came with are empty. I will update this review once I have started testing that setup. You can read about that more here

Hack Your SodaStream for Cheaper, Better Tasting Bubbles | Lifehacker

 

Onto the review.

 

I bought the device on 9/17/25, so have been using it for about a month now. It has been a fun addition to our household. We each drink a 1L bottle (34 oz) a day. My partner sometimes drinks two. An equivalent of about 6 cans of sparling water! She wouldn't do that with cans, we're both too frugal, so this has been great.

 

I'm glad I bought the electric version because sparkling water at the push of a button is a treat. There are three button at the top to choose you bubbliness. I like three (most bubbles), she likes 2 (medium bubbles)

 

Overall I am very happy with this purchase. I know I am late to this "fad" of making sparling water at home, but that's okay with me.

 

Thanks for reading! Purchases made through my links help me share honest product reviews to guide thoughtful buying decisions. Bye!

 

SodaStream E-DUO Review

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Hello!

I'm Spencer, newbie blogger. I research my purchases obsessively. I thought 'd share my long-term review of those things to help others make informed decisions. Thanks for stopping by!