The Greatest Zojirushi Rice Cookers for Each Dwelling Cook dinner

Desk of contents

• Why are Zojirushi rice cookers so good?
• Automatic rice cookers
• Micom rice cookers

When you’re searching for a stress-free technique to make fluffy, tender rice, you want a Zojirushi rice cooker. Although making a great batch of rice is feasible with none kitchen home equipment, having a machine—particularly one with the power to prepare dinner various kinds of rice—can streamline weeknight cooking and make life simpler. Utilizing a rice cooker takes all of the unpredictability out of the equation: There’s no must babysit a pot of rice on the stovetop and no threat of under- or overcooking your rice. With the best mannequin, excellent rice for pilafs and hearty grain bowls is only a rinse and press of a button away.

Skip straight to buying Zojirushi rice cookers:

• The very best induction rice cooker: Zojirushi Induction Heating System Rice Cooker, $332 on Amazon
• The very best micom rice cooker: Zojirushi 5-1/2-Cup Micom Rice Cooker, $195 on Amazon
• The very best computerized rice cooker: Zojirushi Automatic Rice Cooker and Warmer, $127 on Amazon
• A funds decide for small areas: Zojirushi NHS-06 3-Cup (Uncooked) Rice Cooker, $50 on Amazon

Why are Zojirushi rice cookers so good?

Whereas they aren’t the most cost effective available on the market, the Japanese model’s home equipment persistently produce flawlessly cooked rice. Zojirushi’s 19 rice cookers vary in value and functionality and are break up into two classes: standard electrical rice cookers and the extra technologically superior Micom rice cookers.

Zojirushi’s standard rice cookers hold issues easy—and cheaper—with a single swap, whereas the Micom machines are outfitted with a micro laptop and “fuzzy logic” expertise that helps every machine regulate cooking time and temperature as wanted. (When you unintentionally added an excessive amount of liquid to the pot, it’s in a position to sense that and regulate so your grains don’t find yourself mushy.) The LCD management panel on the Micom fashions have particular prepare dinner settings for various kinds of rice, corresponding to long-grain, white, brown, or sushi rice.

Unsure which mannequin to get? Learn on for the complete run-down of our favourite fashions—however for those who’d reasonably skip the main points and go along with the machine our meals editors use daily within the check kitchen, look no additional than the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom Rice Cooker. Not solely does it prepare dinner flawless rice persistently, however the price ticket is a little more budget-friendly in comparison with the model’s increased finish induction model, beloved by rice obsessives in all places. We predict the NS-TSC10 is the perfect Zojirushi rice cooker for most individuals.

Automated Rice Cookers

This computerized rice cooker could not have an elaborate management panel or the power to organize rice prematurely, however its single swap—which toggles between “prepare dinner” and “hold heat”—makes it the perfect rice cooker for individuals who desire a machine that’s simple and simple to make use of. As soon as your grains are cooked, the machine robotically shifts into “hold heat” mode.

The three heaters positioned on the underside, center, and prime of the inside pot be certain that the rice stays on the preferrred temperature, whereas the tight-sealing lid locks moisture in and prevents grains from changing into dry. The spatula holder hooked up to the facet of the machine means you gained’t need to journey far for a serving utensil while you lastly get round to having fun with your batch of rice.

Just like the model’s different computerized rice cooker, this machine solely has a single swap and transitions into “hold heat” mode as soon as your rice is finished. Although it doesn’t include a spatula holder, its equipment embody a spatula, a steamer basket, and handles that will let you simply transfer the rice cooker. The glass lid additionally permits you to test on the cooking means of your rice in its nonstick inside pot.

Micom Rice Cookers

This versatile Zojirushi Micom rice cooker tackles each candy and savory cooking. You possibly can program its menu settings to organize white or brown rice, porridge, or blended grains, and use the steam or bake setting to rustle up desserts like cheesecake. Set your self up for fulfillment with the delay timer and hold heat choices: Merely measure the grains and water within the morning, set the specified cooking begin time, and also you’ll come residence to a contemporary batch of rice after a protracted day of labor.

This modern rice cooker comes with a steamer basket, a non-stick spatula for scooping rice, and a measuring cup that corresponds to the traces on the within of the pot. Use the basket to prepare dinner veggies and rice concurrently for simple weeknight dinners, or steam puddings like flan or crème brûlée while you want a cocktail party dessert pronto.

In contrast to rice cookers which are heated from the underside with an electrical coil and thermal sensor, this mannequin depends on an induction system that creates warmth immediately within the inside pot by electromagnetism. The machine comes with settings for various kinds of rice, and its chrome steel exterior is simple to wipe down. It additionally has a delay timer that can assist you plan forward; all you need to do is place raw rice with the proper ratio of water within the pot, then program while you’d prefer it to start out cooking. Like the primary computerized rice cooker talked about above, this mannequin comes with three heaters too—one on the backside, one on the facet, and one within the inside lid—for evenly cooked and fluffy rice.

Much like “fuzzy logic,” Neuro Fuzzy expertise permits the rice cooker to sense what’s taking place throughout the inside pot and adjusts time and temperature as wanted. The machine’s intuition for making ready excellent rice—separate grains that handle to only cling to at least one one other—means you’ll not often find yourself with mushy, overcooked grains or a burnt mess on the backside of the pot. Like the opposite rice cookers, the removable inside lid makes for simple clean-up. The Neuro Fuzzy, nevertheless, is the one machine with heat-proof handles on the facet of the inside pot to forestall potential burns whilst you carry the bowl out of the rice cooker.

Not solely can the Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker put together white rice, porridge, and extra, it has a “hold heat” and “prolonged hold heat” setting, plus the power to reheat rice. However essentially the most interesting factor about this mannequin could also be its “rinse-free” and “fast cooking” choice. Lest you’re frightened about utilizing the proper water to rice ratio, the rice cooker comes with two measuring cups: one common one, and one for musenmai, a rinse-free rice selection fashionable in Japan. Use its non-stick rice spatula to scoop out sticky grains, and return it to its useful holder on the facet of the pot when performed.

Micom, induction heating, and strain cooking expertise come collectively in what could also be Zojirushi’s most superior rice cooker but. In keeping with the model’s website, the pressurized cooking and steaming “promotes gelatinization and produces sticky and plump rice.” Like different Micom fashions, this machine makes use of fuzzy logic to regulate cooking instances and temperatures as wanted so that every batch of rice is ideal.

The Stress Induction Heating Rice Cooker has 49 customization settings; for one, the “My Rice (49 Methods)” setting permits you to give the machine suggestions so it is aware of methods to make rice precisely the way in which you need it, whether or not that’s a bit of stickier or barely fluffier. Neat! The platinum-infused nonstick inside pot and removable inside lid are each straightforward to scrub—however for those who don’t really feel like hand-washing, the rice cooker has a self-cleaning perform too. At $701, that is Zojirushi’s costliest rice cooker. However in order for you a machine that may make rice the way in which you like it, then the value tag could also be price it.

Zojirushi’s Umami rice cooker claims to provide extra flavorful rice by soaking and cooking rice for longer. Like the opposite Micom fashions, this machine has computerized and prolonged settings to maintain your rice heat, in addition to the power to reheat rice. When you don’t have room for single-use home equipment, this mannequin additionally doubles as a sluggish cooker—think about using it for braised meat, soups, or stew. What appeals to me most is its particular setting for making congee. Most machines have a button for porridge, however this one has particular settings for each. A batch of comforting congee with the press of a button? Depend me in.

Rice Rice Child: