I make rice quite often and have an old Zojirushi rice cooker with a raw aluminum bowl that I bought years ago when I was in college. It has held up very well, but I decided it was time to upgrade. The Zojirushi rice cooker line is in some ways simple, but in some ways terribly complex. After much research, I think I can boil it down to a few simple choices so you know which one to choose. Having said that, this buyers guide is for buyers who want a good rice cooker, not a $29 rice cooker.
Why Zojirushi?
Well, Zojirushi and Tiger are pretty much tied for the most used rice cooker in Japan with Tiger selling slightly better. However, Tiger has not really put in much of an effort to sell their rice cookers in the United States so it’s hard to find them and even harder to price compare. The Cuckoo is a popular rice cooker in Korea that some people say is the ultimate best, but they are even harder to find in the United States. I’m assuming that you, like me, want things to be relatively easy just in case something goes wrong.
Having said that, there’s an Asian grocery store right near me where I can see all these rice cookers except the Cuckoo and where I’ve gone a few times to do research on this topic. If you have a similar store near you, you can probably find Tiger and a good assortment of Sanyo rice cookers. However, you will pay a premium if you do this. I personally wanted to order online so I could get a decent price.
I mention this basically to ease your concerns. After investigating all of these, choosing from among the Zojirushi rice cookers should not be a concern at all. There is nothing these other rice cookers offer that is of any importance aside from personal preference.
Cooking More Than Rice?
Some Sanyo rice cookers come with an egg holder tray so you can steam vegetables or cook eggs. Some other rice cookers have a stew and soup option like a crock pot. There’s even a Zojirushi cooker I don’t discuss here that allows you to bake cakes in it. But these things are just marketing tricks and after investigating I can tell you, you’d never use them. They wouldn’t work very well at those tasks if you did. I thought maybe I could get a rice cooker that would miraculously cook everything, and now I realize, that appliance doesn’t exist. Rice cookers are great, and they do some amazing things with rice, and you can even reliably add vegetables or cook steel cut oats, but that’s about the extent of it.
The Zojirushi rice cookers don’t even come with a vegetable steaming tray. Don’t sweat it. I assume you have pots and pans that steam vegetables just fine. But they don’t cook rice just fine at all, and that’s why you want a rice cooker.
Rice Cooker Size
Rice cookers come in 3-cup, 5.5-cup, and 10-cup versions. These don’t refer 8oz cups, they refer to the rice cooker cups that come with the unit. Rice cooker cups are all basically the same size (about 6oz) but that cup is important, so don’t lose it. A single model of rice cooker may come in one or all of these sizes and size has nothing to do with the features. It’s just the size.
What you’ll see in the model numbers of all brands are the numbers 5, 10, and 18. These numbers refer to 0.5, 1.0, and 1.8 liters, and correlate with the 3, 5.5, and 10 cup models.
Having said all this, the 5.5-cup (1.0 liter) sized rice cookers are great. They can make a small batch just for you, or a large batch for your family or guests. I know that the United States KitchenAid Costco culture might have you thinking you “need” the 10-cup model, but you will probably never have a need for that much rice at once and it’s reported that the larger cookers are not as effective at making small “normal sized” batches that you will be making on a day to day basis if you really get into it. I make two cup batches most of the time. Also, the 5.5-cup cookers are the perfect compact size and fit easily on the counter or the in the cupboard. Having said that, you probably know if you have 10-cup rice cooker needs. If you’re unsure, you most likely don’t and should go with a 5.5-cup size.
Induction Heating
I did a lot of research on this and found a lot of confusing explanations, but after that, I think I can give you a very good simple explanation. Regular rice cookers use a heating element to heat the rice cooker bowl. Induction heating rice cookers create a magnetic field that causes the rice cooker bowl itself to heat up so that it actually is the “heating element”. Cool, huh? This method allows for very exact temperatures and therefore better rice and more control. Only cookers with induction heating have enough control to be able to cook GABA brown rice because it requires such exact temperatures at multiple stages.
The Models
The choice you have is pretty easy. There are four models of rice cooker that you have to choose from, and 3 of those models are almost exactly the same, they are the induction heating models. The fourth is not an induction heating model and is the one to choose if you’re on a budget, but don’t worry, it’s still a great rice cooker. The differences between the different models are very minor, but I’ll make them clear and why you would choose a certain model.
The Pressure Rice Cookers:
NP-HTC10 & NP-HTC18
(Pressure, Induction Heating, GABA Brown Rice)
If you want to do nothing with your rice cooker other than make rice and you want the absolute perfection in rice, this is the cooker for you. This model is basically the same as the others, but it is sealed so that steam doesn’t escape below a certain pressure and this added pressure cooks the rice slightly more effectively.
Having said, it’s a minor difference and not one normal people need to worry about. In Japan, among induction heating rice cooker users about half of them use a pressure model and half of them use a regular induction heating model. These models will not cook steel cut oatmeal correctly, so if you’re looking forward to that then these aren’t right for you. If you want just rice and absolutely the ultimate perfect rice, then definitely do get one of these.
You will pay at least a $100 premium for these cookers compared to the non-pressure cookers.
The Full Featured Rice Cookers:
NP-GBC05, NP-HBC10 & NP-HBC18
(Induction Heating, GABA Brown Rice)
The NP-HBC10 is the model I personally chose. Like the pressure cookers, these models can cook GABA brown rice. Long story short, this rice cooker supports a method of cooking regular brown rice that activates it causing natural elements to be created in the rice that are very healthy. It takes longer to do, but it’s nice to have the option.
These models look the same and act the same as the pressure cooker models but without the pressure and that’s about the only difference. This allows them to also cook the steel cut oatmeal. They are also at least $100 cheaper than the pressure cookers, so for most people, this is very attractive.
The Quirky Alternative Rice Cookers:
NP-KAC10 & NP-KAC18
(Induction Heating, Removable Power Cord)
This is just a slightly cheaper version of the “full featured” rice cookers above. It looses the stainless steel outer wrap, the ability to cook GABA brown rice, and some other very minor features that you won’t use anyway. But it adds a nice touch: a removable power cord. It would be nice to remove the power cord and keep it inside the cooker when not in use, so I’m surprised the other models don’t also have this.
If you don’t care about GABA brown rice, this is the model for you. You won’t save that much money, though, over the higher “full featured” models.
The Neuro Fuzzy Rice Coooker:
NS-ZCC10 & NS-ZCC18
(Save Money)
This is the only non-induction heating rice cooker I’m talking about here. I just mention it because if you’re not quite ready to invest in an induction heating model you can save about $100 with this one. Is induction heating really a big deal? Well, yes it is. Over 50% of Japanese rice cooker owners use an induction heating rice cooker. This model also won’t cook GABA brown rice. But if you’re new to the idea of rice cookers, this model is still going to cook better rice than you’ve ever had before and make you pretty happy.
Conclusion
If you’re buying a rice cooker in the United States and you’re at least somewhat serious about it, the four models above represent your best choices. I spent days compiling this information and worrying if I would choose the best rice cooker for me, but now I’m not at all concerned. Zojirushi makes a great product and the company has a good reputation for quality.
This page was used to provide the statistics used in this buying guide.