How important is an automatic fruit and nut dispenser?

It's a convenience feature, not a baking essential. Reviewers on r/BreadMachines and verified-purchase commenters at abt.com call the dispenser on Zojirushi's Maestro and Virtuoso Plus 'heavy duty' and praise the clean swirl it produces with raisins. Without one, you simply add mix-ins manually at the beep — workable but easy to miss.