A question for anyone who owns a Zojirushi rice cooker

[TicTac]

Just found a local spot that sells replacement parts.  $95 to replace the bowl...!

[TdeV]

For some time I have been fantasizing about a Zojirushi rice cooker. Truly, eGullet is awash in enablers! I'm wondering if folks who have a rice cooker AND a steam oven AND an Instant Pot (or two of three) would please answer some questions:

 

If your rice cooker were to break, would you buy a new one? I'm trying to gauge if a rice cooker adds distinct features over the steam oven and/or Instant Pot. Or whether I should just learn more about the Anova Precision Oven (APO) or the Instant Pot?

 

With your rice cooker do you cook straight rice, or rice with items in it? Beth Hensperger's book looks really interesting. Yet, on the APO recipe website, there are quite a few one-pot-ish rice casseroles.

 

For those with a large (10 cup/1.8 litre) rice cooker, can you cook a small amount of rice?

For a family of 2, would you get the smaller 5.5 cups / 1 litre or the 10 cups / 1.8 litre?

FatGuy said to get the biggest one you can here. Someone else in that thread also said the same.

 

If your rice cooker were to break, would you replace it with a Micom (Fuzzy), Induction, or Pressure? 

@rotuts asked here "are the Induction or Induction-Pressure models that much better than the plain Fuzzy ? or are the newer versions just faster giving the same result?"

 

All of the following are made in Japan. These are list prices from Zojirushi website

Pressure + Induction Heating + Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NW-JEC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $712

Pressure + Induction Heating + Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NP-NWC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $525

Induction Heating + Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NP-HCC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $350

Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-YAC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $250

Neuro Fuzzy® Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-ZCC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $231

Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-AAC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $190

 

Your thoughts?

[blue_dolphin]

3 minutes ago, TdeV said:

I'm wondering if folks who have a rice cooker AND a steam oven AND an Instant Pot (or two of three) would please answer some questions:

 

If your rice cooker were to break, would you buy a new one? I

 

I have all three of those appliances.  Since I got the Instant Pot, the (non-Zo) rice cooker has lived in the garage.  It's unlikely to break out there but if it does, I will not replace it.  I am very happy with IP rice while others here are not.  Key for me is being able to cook small amounts with the pot-in-pot method. In fact, pot-in-pot is the only way I cook rice in the IP.  And it does a very good job with brown rice and other grains.

[weinoo]

9 minutes ago, TdeV said:

Your thoughts?

If my Zo rice cooker were to break, I would buy a new Zo rice cooker.  And I would make sure it's one of the ones made in Japan.

 

I also owns an IP (lives in the cupboard and gets used infrequently) and a steam girl.

 

Neuro Fuzzy® Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-ZCC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $231 is the one here, for a family of 2. I see no need for the larger one.

[lindag]

1 hour ago, TdeV said:

For some time I have been fantasizing about a Zojirushi rice cooker. Truly, eGullet is awash in enablers! I'm wondering if folks who have a rice cooker AND a steam oven AND an Instant Pot (or two of three) would please answer some questions:

 

If your rice cooker were to break, would you buy a new one? I'm trying to gauge if a rice cooker adds distinct features over the steam oven and/or Instant Pot. Or whether I should just learn more about the Anova Precision Oven (APO) or the Instant Pot?

 

With your rice cooker do you cook straight rice, or rice with items in it? Beth Hensperger's book looks really interesting. Yet, on the APO recipe website, there are quite a few one-pot-ish rice casseroles.

 

For those with a large (10 cup/1.8 litre) rice cooker, can you cook a small amount of rice?

For a family of 2, would you get the smaller 5.5 cups / 1 litre or the 10 cups / 1.8 litre?

FatGuy said to get the biggest one you can here. Someone else in that thread also said the same.

 

If your rice cooker were to break, would you replace it with a Micom (Fuzzy), Induction, or Pressure? 

@rotuts asked here "are the Induction or Induction-Pressure models that much better than the plain Fuzzy ? or are the newer versions just faster giving the same result?"

 

All of the following are made in Japan. These are list prices from Zojirushi website

Pressure + Induction Heating + Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NW-JEC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $712

Pressure + Induction Heating + Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NP-NWC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $525

Induction Heating + Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NP-HCC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $350

Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-YAC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $250

Neuro Fuzzy® Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-ZCC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $231

Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-AAC10/18 - 5.5 cups/1 litre $190

 

Your thoughts?

Without question, if my Zoe stopped working tomorrow I would have a new one within 48 hours. It makes the best possible rice of any kind. At times I’ve used it up to three times a week, and every single time the race is perfect even after using it for about 15 years.

[lindag]

As far as size and type:  I have the 5-½ cup Induction model.

I don't think induction adds anything to the final product.  

If I were buying a model today, I'd get the 3 cup version (smaller footprint)

3 cups uncooked rice makes a LOT of rice unless you cook for a load of people.

Aside from that I don't think you can go wrong with any of  the versions.

[Katie Meadow]

I have the 5.5 cup Neuro Fuzzy. It by some chance it broke, which it shouldn't since I've only had it 3 yrs, I would get another one asap. I use it at least once a week if not more. I don't have an IP or a steam oven. I can make Basmati rice n a pot on the stove, and do so often, because I love the toasting smell and because I've been doing it so long I can do it in my sleep. But the Zoji has been a revelation for Japanese short or medium grain rice. Sometimes I double the amount that we typically use for the two of us with a stir-fry, and the leftover half goes in the fridge so it can be reinvented the next day as fried rice. The Zoji has been a lifesaver in my marriage: my husband no longer has to worry about timing when he makes rice. He can just start it early and let the warming function do its thing until a stir-fry magically appears. As in me making the stir-fry.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Disclaimer:  I've never owned an Instant Pot nor three.

 

However I know and love the Zojirushi NP-NVC18.  If it ever broke, which of course it won't, I'd get the NP-NWC10.  I'll probably get a NP-NWC10 sooner or later anyhow.

 

Whatever model, don't make my mistake, buy the smaller version.  The minimum amount of uncooked rice my NP-NVC18 can make is 1 go.  A go is 180.3906836964688 ml.  The smaller cookers can make half of that.

 

I'd also be sure to find a model with the "Umami" setting.  And now I am wanting rice.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Oh, dear.  I see the NW-JEC10 is now available in an official US version.  Last I looked all that was available was the Japanese version.  I want one.

 

[TdeV]

I'm confused, the smallest cooker on Zojirushi website is 5.5 cups / 1 litre. AFAIK these are 180 ml cups (vs 237ml for US cups); so 5.5 of them is 990 ml.

 

Am I missing something?

[TdeV]

Ah. The 3 cup Micom rice cooker and warmer NS-LGC05 is smaller. Also cheaper at $160. Doesn't look like it is made in Japan though.

 

[rotuts]

@TdeV 

 

there are  3 cup  I Japanese cups )

 

I just got and induction 3 cup :

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, TdeV said:

I'm confused, the smallest cooker on Zojirushi website is 5.5 cups / 1 litre. AFAIK these are 180 ml cups (vs 237ml for US cups); so 5.5 of them is 990 ml.

 

Am I missing something?

 

That is the maximum amount.  I am concerned with the minimum amount.

 

[TdeV]

7 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

That is the maximum amount.  I am concerned with the minimum amount.

 

I can't find anything on the website which tells the minimum amount of rice to cook. Where should I look?

 

P.S. I did like that model NW-JEC10/18 has a self clean function.

[weinoo]

I would rather talk about rice in weight vs. ml.

 

I find a "GO" Japanese rice cup, which does indeed hold 180 ml AND grams of water, to hold somewhere between 140 and 150 grams of rice, depending on the rice.

 

This makes it much easier for me to measure out how much water I need (in grams) after the rice is well rinsed and drained.  I also find the well rinsed and drained rice holds on to between 25 and 30 grams of water, and I adjust for that.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

12 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I would rather talk about rice in weight vs. ml.

 

I find a "GO" Japanese rice cup, which does indeed hold 180 ml AND grams of water, to hold somewhere between 140 and 150 grams of rice, depending on the rice.

 

This makes it much easier for me to measure out how much water I need (in grams) after the rice is well rinsed and drained.  I also find the well rinsed and drained rice holds on to between 25 and 30 grams of water, and I adjust for that.

 

I'm happy to talk about rice in weight.  However when it comes to cooking rice I simply fill the go container to the top, rinse the rice in my Japanese rice washer, add the washed rice to the Zojirushi bowl, then fill the bowl with water to the 1 go mark.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

39 minutes ago, TdeV said:

 

I can't find anything on the website which tells the minimum amount of rice to cook. Where should I look?

 

P.S. I did like that model NW-JEC10/18 has a self clean function.

 

The instruction manual...

https://www.zojirushi.com/support/manuals_ricecookers.html

 

For my Zojirushi the minimum amount of white rice is 1 go.  For the NP-NVC10 the minimum amount is 0.5 go.  I could not find the manual for the NW-JEC10, possibly because the NW-JEC10 is new to North America.

 

If one is cooking only rice, cleanup is minimal.  A cleaning function is hardly needed.  After cooking octopus or oatmeal a cleaning function might be more useful.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I'm happy to talk about rice in weight.  However when it comes to cooking rice I simply fill the go container to the top, rinse the rice in my Japanese rice washer, add the washed rice to the Zojirushi bowl, then fill the bowl with water to the 1 go mark.

 

 

Those marks are quite accurate - I often do that now as well, but when I was starting out with the rice cooker, I wanted to understand the different weights of rices, as well as how ml converts to weight in the rice world.

[palo]

Consumer Reports did a nice review of the Zojirushi NP- GBC05 that rotuts purchased. Well done sir!

 

https://www.consumerreports.org/rice-cookers/is-the-zojirushi-np-gbc05-rice-cooker-worth-the-high-price-a1074644411/

 

She rated it highly and the review is worthwhile as well for its discussion of the whole rice cooker/rice topic. It is made in Japan. My Zojirushi is the NP-HCC10XH. It has a few more menu settings which include Jasmine.

 

p

[rotuts]

of note :

 

if you chose an induction + Pressure rice cooker

 

consider this :  w pressure , you should avoid milk

 

as w the iPot , milk , and possibly milk based products

 

don't do well under pressure  ( ie those temps )

 

if you had a choice of just induction w an induction + pressure

 

fuzzy rice maker , that one thing 

 

but I dont see the use of pressure here, considering the difference in price.

 

I do groats w milk.

 

can't do that in the iPot .

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, rotuts said:

of note :

 

if you chose an induction + Pressure rice cooker

 

consider this :  w pressure , you should avoid milk

 

as w the iPot , milk , and possibly milk based products

 

don't do well under pressure  ( ie those temps )

 

if you had a choice of just induction w an induction + pressure

 

fuzzy rice maker , that one thing 

 

but I dont see the use of pressure here, considering the difference in price.

 

I do groats w milk.

 

can't do that in the iPot .

 

My NP-NVC18 cannot do oats because it is said oats would clog the pressure valve.  However if you look at the instruction manual (linked above) for the newer NP-NVC10/18, which is designed for oats, the oats setting does not apply pressure -- nor do the settings for sushi rice, sweet rice, porridge, or congee.  The other nine settings do apply pressure.  Brown rice uses higher pressure than white rice.

 

What is your source of groats?  I ask because Bob's Red Mill has stopped offering them.

 

[rotuts]

@JoNorvelleWalker

 

I used to get them by ' bulk '

 

have not cooked them in a while

 

so I cant say much about local availability

 

( shudder )  maybe WF still have a bulk isle ?

 

much reduced these days ?

[Raamo]

Bought our Zojirushi  shortly after returning from our 1st trip to Japan in 2013... so almost 9 years ago - pot is holding up great.  We have the smallest one I believe.  Induction model.

[wabi808]

Zojirushi all the way. On my second one in 30 years. I have the induction model. If this one broke, would buy another one without hesitation or looking for anything else. It just works. I live in Hawaii, my wife is Japanese...the rice cooker is used every day. It's just a no brainer.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Zojirushi put up a new blog post on the NW-JEC10/18...

 

https://www.zojirushi.com/blog/sneak-peek-pressure-induction-heating-rice-cooker-warmer-nw-jec10-18/