"The Best Rice Cooker"
"Read why this rice cooker is rated as one of the best"
Many people find it difficult to cook rice well. The main aim of
cooking rice is to get fluffy, separated rice grains, but
all too often I found that my endeavours wound up with the result
being a stodgy, tasteless mess. The market has now been flooded
with packets of ‘instant’ rice and even frozen rice. And while
these products may be easy to cook and labor saving, they are also
quite costly. Plus there are often additives in the contents of
the packets that I prefer not to feed my family.
Uncooked rice on the other hand is very inexpensive and it is a
healthy food that opens up a world of different dishes to your
family's dining experience. So if you are one of the many people
that have problems cooking nice rice, then treat yourself to
a
Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and
believe me you’ll wonder why you waited so long. And its not just
a rice cooker, so read on to find out why I like this product.
What's So Good
About the Zojirushi Rice Cooker?
This rice cooker is computerized to guarantee that you get perfect
results every time. It combines this micro computer with an
induction heating and warming system. So that means no more soggy
rice and once the rice is cooked I can keep it warm until I'm
ready to serve it.
What is induction heating?
This is created by placing a magnetic material into a magnetic
field. It sounds very high-tech and it is! There are coils
inside the bottom of the Zojirushi rice cooker which form the
magnetic field. The magnetic material is the inner cooking pan.
This pan has a non-stick aluminum inner coating but a stainless
steel casing. When the inner pan is placed inside the rice cooker
and the unit is switched on, it creates a magnetic field which
gives off instant, evenly distributed heat.
This technology allows the inner cooking pan to be the source of
heat. Because the heat is instantly controllable, the micro
computer can vary the heat from high to the tiniest adjustments.
This means that you get perfectly cooked rice…every time you
cook it!
What sort of rice will the Zojirushi Rice Cooker, cook?
There are so many
types of rice available nowadays, giving the home cook lots of
choices when cooking recipes from different cultures. Each
rice has its own particular features and I like to experiment to
see how the different textures work with a particular dish. And
the Zojirushi allows you to cook each type of rice to perfection.
-
Plain white rice (you can choose it to cook the rice regular,
softer or harder)
-
Quick cook rice
-
Brown rice
-
Sweet rice (pudding rice)
-
Mixed rice
-
Sushi
-
Porridge
and
What is Gaba Brown Rice?
This isn’t a new variety of rice. The ‘GABA’ refers to gamma-aminobutyric
acid. This is an amino acid which is found in brown rice. It is
one of the reasons why brown rice is such a healthy food. GABA is
thought to bring down blood pressure, help to improve kidney
function and it also relieves stress.
It has been discovered that by soaking brown rice at a certain
heat prior to cooking, the GABA is not only activated but
increased.
The Zojirushi rice cooker allows you to soak brown rice for two
hours at a constant temperature of 104°F before cooking commences
– so you get even healthier rice!
Rice is so difficult because you have to serve it straight away…
That is generally so, but not with the Zojirushi rice cooker! Once the rice has been
cooked, the 'Keep Warm' mode kicks in automatically. This means
that the rice is kept at the perfect temperature for serving,
without overcooking it. As I said before - Perfect rice, when you want it!
Does the Keep Warm function use a lot of energy?
No not at all – due to the inner cooking pan being ‘vacuum insulated’. This
means that the air between the stainless steel inner pan and the
aluminum base is removed. This creates a vacuum which lets the
heat go quickly to the rice and not be lost outside. This
insulation also keeps the rice warm with the minimum of energy.
The spherical shape of the thick, black inner cooking pan also
means that it heats up fast, which is also energy saving.
Perfect timing
The Zojirushi rice cooker is such a help if you are working and
want to have a meal ready for when you get home. You can
pre-set the cooker to finish the cooking just when you want it
ready. So set it before you go out in the morning and it’s
taken care of, all you need to do is plate up. So even mid
week entertaining becomes hassle free. The LCD control is clear and easy to read.
You can even choose which melody you would like the timer to play
when the rice is ready.
Rice is so sticky – isn’t clean up a nightmare?
No – because with the
Zojirushi Rice Cooker the
rice doesn't become sticky and the cooker has a clever inner lid, which
covers the inside of the outer lid. This inner lid is detachable
for easy clean up. Zojirushi recommend that you clean this
inner lid after each use of the cooker.
The cooker also has an easy-to-clean clear coated stainless steel
exterior.
What if I need to cook a lot of rice – aren’t these cookers small?
Not at all. The Zojirushi rice cooker is available in
5½ cup and
10-cup
sizes
so just choose the model that will best suit your requirements.
Cook the rice…not your hands!
The inner cooking pan has ‘stay-cool’ handles. This makes it
comfortable and safe to quickly and easily take the pan out of the
rice cooker.
How big is the Zojirushi Rice Cooker?
If you need to measure cupboard or worktop space, the cooker
measures 10 x 14 x 8 inches and weighs 11 pounds.
Do I need any special tools for it?
No you don't require any special tools as the Zojirushi rice
cooker comes with a spatula, a spatula holder and a cup for
measuring rice.
How much does it cost?
This cooker retails at $362 but you really shouldn't pay any more
than
$290.00.
What do people think of it?
Here are a few pro and con comments from Amazon reviewers.
Pros:
-
The cooker is almost foolproof and cooks rice perfectly – even
at high altitudes which Zojirushi warn may be a problem.
Apparently, it’s not an issue!
-
The multiple settings cover most kinds of rice and the GABA
function makes the best brown rice ever.
-
The Zojirushi rice cooker is very easy to operate. Just choose
the menu setting, measure out the rice in the cup provided,
rinse the rice and then add it to the bowl. Add water up to the
fill mark on the bowl. Hit the cook button and walk away.
-
The cooker has a lithium battery backup, which means that the
cooker will remember the last setting used…even if you unplug
it. If you tend to cook the same rice over and over, this
feature is a real bonus.
-
The cooker also remembers the last time setting, so if you
regularly eat at the same time, this is a great help too.
-
The Zojirushi rice cooker comes with a comprehensive
manual.
Cons:
-
The cup that comes with the cooker is 6.2 oz which is ¾ cup.
The water levels marked on the pan are based on this cup so
don’t lose the cup!
-
The cooker is expensive but if you buy a
Zojirushi Lunch Jar
system
you can take a variety of rice, fried rice and soups etc to work
for lunch which will save you money. The lunch jar keeps the
rice warm and moist, so you don't have to microwave it.
-
The timer works on the 24 hour system so 5.30 pm would be
17.30. This can take some getting used to if you’re not
familiar with it.
-
Making the choice
The majority of reviewers are delighted with their Zojirushi rice
cooker and compare it very favorably to other cookers they have
owned previously.
So, if you are interested in turning out perfect rice every single time
then the Zojirushi Rice Cooker may just be your salvation, why not
take a look at the comments from other satisfied Zojirushi rice
cooker owners
here
- Happy rice cooking!