Zojirushi Rice Cooker

If you have ever cooked rice over the stove, you know all too well it isn’t easy to find that “sweet spot” of perfect consistency between undercooking and overcooking. And there is nothing worse than biting into rice that is mushy, or worse, hard on the teeth.

Zojirushi’s rice cookers and steamers are top-notch time-savers that cook rice and other food items perfect every time. In addition to rice, you can steam vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, carrots and potatoes, or cook lentils, oatmeal and quinoa, giving Zojirushi’s rice cookers a versatility and efficiency that is unmatched.

Whether you just need a small, 3-cup rice cooker or a maximum capacity, 10-cup cooker, Zojirushi manufactures several varieties of rice cookers in response to the various needs of its customers – just like you.

Here we discuss three of Zojirushi’s top models: the Micom 3-Cup Rice Cooker & Warmer, the 10-Cup Neuro Fuzzy and the Induction Rice.

It’s important to note that all of Zojirushi’s rice cookers come with a nonstick inner cooking pan for easy cleaning, a specific rice measuring cup and a nonstick rice spatula.

Micom 3-Cup Rice Cooker & Warmer and 10-Cup Neuro Fuzzy

The key component in Zojirushi’s Micom rice cookers (including the 10-cup Neuro Fuzzy model) is the micro-computerized technology whereby a micro computer chip controls the temperature and cooking time, aka “fuzzy logic” technology. By tapping this technology, the rice cooker relies on a thermal sensor to cook the rice based on whichever setting you choose on its sleek LCD screen. It’s almost like the cooker can think for itself.

Rice selections include white, sushi, brown, porridge and quick-cooking. And, if your rice finishes cooking before you’re ready to serve it, the rice cooker automatically goes into a built-in “keep warm” cycle that reheats the rice to its perfect serving temperature.

The lightweight, 3-cup rice cooker is popular for users who don’t need to make large batches, such as singles, couples or small families. It is also less expensive than some of the larger models. The 10-cup Neuro is a bit pricier but excellent for those necessitating larger quantities.

How it works:
(according to the Zojirushi Web site)

The computer chip is the brains of the unit and instead of simply switching on and off reacting to temperature, the rice cooker makes small adjustments in temperature and cooking time according to what the thermal sensor senses. So you can program your rice to be hard or soft, dry or watery, as in the case of making rice porridge. You can also program for cooking white, brown or sweet (glutinous) rice.

Induction Rice Cooker

Zojirushi’s Induction Rice Cooker is the workhorse of the company’s line of rice cookers. It uses cutting-edge induction heating technology to heat the entire cooking pan rather than just the bottom of the cooker, thus allowing for cooking at very high temperatures.

And, like the Micom or “fuzzy logic” cookers, the induction cookers utilize a computer chip to gauge and adjust the cooking times and temperatures according to the selected setting. Everything is automatic with the induction rice cooker as well, such as soaking and steaming times.

How it works:br> (According to the Web site)

The heating method known as Induction Heating (IH) occurs when a magnetic material is placed in a magnetic field. In the case of the rice cooker, coils within the bottom of the cooker create the magnetic field. When the special two-ply inner cooking pan (nonstick coated aluminum with stainless steel outer lining) is placed into the rice cooker and the unit is turned on, a magnetic field is generated to create instant heat. Through this technology, the whole inner cooking pan itself becomes the heat source utilizing both high heat and finely tuned heat adjustments to control the cooking process. The results? Higher and quicker heat response that's more evenly distributed for perfectly cooked rice every time.