01st Jan 2009
Zojirushi Rice Cookers
Japan, an entire nation of very picky rice eaters runs almost exclusively on Zojirushi rice cookers. This has to say something about its quality. In fact, having tried various brands, Zojirushi are now the only rice cookers that I would ever buy. The quality of the finished rice product is always perfect, I’m not saying that other rice cooker brands don’t make a quality rice cooker, I’ve just found that comparatively, Zojirushi produces a higher quality rice.
A large portion of Zojirushi rice cookers are higher end, made for those who love eating a variety of rice and who care about the end product when cooking. However they do make a number of more simple, cheaper rice cookers as well.
Zojirushi rice cookers of different prices come with different features, the main features to look for are below:
The Ability to Warm
Just about every Zojirushi rice cooker that’s out there comes with a warming ability. However, some of the cheaper models only can keep rice warm after it’s finished cooking whereas the higher-end models come with the ability to re-warm rice or other items. But no matter what rice cooker you use make sure to take care when using the warming function with only 1 or 2 cups of rice as it could dry it out.
The Steamer Feature
A feature that’s becoming much more popular in Zojirushi rice cookers is the steamer. This is essentially a plate that usually sits on the rim of the cooking pot that allows steam to pass through. The steamer is great for cooking fish, vegetables and rice that has better texture when steamed over when boiled such as Thai sticky rice and Jasmine rice.
Micom Technology such as Fuzzy Logic and Neuro Fuzzy
Fuzzy technology is very common in Zojirushi rice cookers, in fact, just about all mid to upper-range models come with it. If you are particular about the way your rice comes out then you shouldn’t get any rice cooker without this technology. Neuro Fuzzy is a newer version of Fuzzy Logic but both work very well. Rice cookers with this feature are able to constantly update the temperature and cooking time, thus allowing it to always produce a perfect pot of rice. It also helps reduce the impact of poor measuring or other possible human errors.
The Power of Induction Heating
This feature is typically only available on the higher-end Zojirushi rice cookers. Contrary to most standard rice cookers those with induction heating don’t have a heater coil near the bottom of the cooking pot. Instead, it uses a technology that allows a very uniform heating and thus a uniform cooking, preventing rice on the edges of the pot from getting cooked more than that in the center.
Again, Zojirushi rice cookers are the best in my book, finding the right one for you can sometimes seem a bit complicated. I hope that the features described in this article help you in finding the perfect rice cooker for you.
Other articles you might like;
Leave a Reply