I've had a Zoji since Christmas and have made many loaves of bread following
the instructions in the booklet that came with it (for basic white bread,
that is). I've never had a problem with the bread sticking or the bottom
of the loaf tearing. Usually, I take the bread out as soon as its comleted
baking (I don't wait for the cool-down cycle to complete). The blade
remains in the pan and is difficult to remove, however, I've discovered that
if I put little water in the pan--enough to cover the blade-- and let it sit
for a couple of hours-- the blade easily pulls off for cleaning.