Zojirushi NS-WAC10 Micom Fuzzy-Logic 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this to replace a basic Panasonic rice cooker. Nothing wrong with the Panasonic's machinery, but the bowl's Teflon coating was damaged beyond repair. I decided to splurge on the Zojirushi because I thought the timer feature would be useful, which it is. I also like that it can make brown and sweet rice as well as white rice, and the white rice seems to come out with a better texture.
However, the Zojirushi is a hassle to clean: You have to not only wash the bowl, but also remove and wash the inner lining of the lid and then wipe down the inside of the lid itself (attached to the body) every time you use it. Not a huge burden, but annoying to someone who's used to just tossing the Panasonic's rice cooker lid in the dishwasher.
The Zojirushi's regular white rice setting also takes between 50-60 minutes to cook 2 cups of rice, as opposed to about 30 minutes for the Panasonic. The Zojirushi does have a quick cooking option that will cut the time to 30 minutes with no apparent loss of quality. However, as far as I can tell, it'll revert to the regular setting after it's done, so that you have to keep selecting the quick cooking option every time you want to use it as opposed to having it just sit there with quick cooking as the default. (Keep in mind, though, that this may be user error as I'm still learning how to use it.)
To sum up: Good rice, adequate controls, and fussy to clean. 4 stars.

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Equipped with micro-computerized Fuzzy Logic technology, this 5-1/2-cup rice cooker and warmer automatically makes fine adjustments to the temperature and heating time to ensure perfectly cooked rice every time. The unit comes with a black, thick, inner cooking pan that provides even heating, and its multi-menu cooking functions include white/mixed, sushi, porridge, sweet, brown, quick, and rinse-free. Once the rice has fully cooked, the appliance automatically switches to Keep Warm mode, which keeps the rice at the perfect serving temperature without overcooking. The unit also provides extended keep-warm settings, a user-friendly LCD control panel, a clock and delay timer, a detachable and washable inner lid, a dent-resistant plastic exterior, and a detachable power cord for easy storage. Accessories include a rice-measuring cup, a rinse-free rice-measuring cup, a nonstick spatula, and a spatula holder. Ideal for singles or smaller families, the 610-watt 5-1/2-cup rice cooker measures 13-3/16 by 9-7/8 by 8-1/2 inches.

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Sanyo ECJ-M100S Micro-Computerized 10-Cup Rice Cooker Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very new model which Amazon started selling only recently. I bought this over a month ago from a third party seller here.
Being a native rice eater, and having cooked rice flawlessly on the stove-top for years, I have always been very dismissive of these automatic rice cookers because they never lived up to the hype. Every rice cooker I had tried would brown the bottom layer of my rice, and I would have to simply throw the bottom half an inch of cooked rice into the sink.
Well, turns out that I had been wasting time & money over the wrong type of rice cooker. A friend recommended that I buy a fuzzy logic cooker. The concept was appealing, but the two hundred dollar tag was the deal-breaker.
While searching for another kitchen item, I stumbled upon this Sanyo model which claimed to deliver the same fuzzy logic technology for about half the price of the leading brand. And bought it on a whim.
Boy, am I glad! I have nothing but praise for this machine. I have cooked white basmati rice, brown basmati, brown short grain, quinoa, steel-cut oats, and bulghur wheat. Very very pleased, and highly recommend it. Remember, you have to stick with their suggested water proportions.
It also has the Bake option which I haven't tried yet, but apparently, it is a premium feature found in the high-end models. Sweet.
Cleaning up is a breeze as the steam vent detaches neatly. Despite having a large capacity (20 cups of cooked rice), It doesn't take up much counter space either due to its tall, round design.
So, to anyone that's been avoiding the fuzzy logic cookers because they are overpriced: go grab this affordable winner to create your before and after rice moment.
Update on 9/1/2010:
Having used this rice cooker for over 6 months now, here are my additional observations:
- it could use a Bell or Ding at the end of the cooking cycle so I know if I want to turn it off or let it be warming.

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Take the guesswork out of making restaurant-quality rice at home with this easy-to-use cooker. The handy appliance offers a large 10-cup uncooked-rice capacity, producing up to 20 cups of cooked rice at a time--great when gathering a group of friends or the whole family for dinner. Simply add dry rice, measure in the water, and make a selection from the one-touch digital control panel. The thoughtfully designed micro-computerized cooker features Fuzzy Logic technology, which automatically makes fine adjustments to the temperature and heating time to ensure perfectly cooked rice. Once the rice has cooked, the appliance automatically switches over to keep-warm mode, which maintains an ideal serving temperature without overcooking. In addition, the unit's large LCD display offers a 15-hour timer that allows for meals to be ready ahead of time, which means dinner can be ready and waiting after a long day at the office. Choose from a variety of menu options including white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, rinse-free rice, sprouted brown rice, mixed rice, sweet rice, and porridge. It also offers a steam function (steam tray included) for steaming vegetables, a slow-cook cycle for preparing soups and stews, a quick-cook cycle, a reheat function, and a bread baking cycle for baking cakes and more. Other highlights include a tight jar-style top, a removable steam vent and dew collector, a thick (2 mm) nonstick inner pot, and a carrying handle for taking cooked food right to the table. Accessories include a handy measuring cup, spatula, spatula holder, an instruction manual with recipes, and a Martin Yan recipe booklet with original recipes from the celebrated master chef. Attractively housed in stainless steel with black accents, the 650-watt cooker measures approximately 11 by 10-1/2 by 11 inches.

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Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 10-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer, Premium White Review

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(More customer reviews)Excellent rice cooker. So far, I've used it for white and brown rice with and without the automatic timer and it works great. I'll use it for shushi next week. With the automatic timer feature you set up the machine and then tell the rice cooker the time of day when you want your rice to be ready. After that time it switches automatically into 'keep warm' mode so your rice is ready to eat in case you're delayed. This is one of the main reasons I bought this specific model.
A few things to note so you can make a more informed purchase.
1- Cup size is different. I guess a japanese cup is different than those used in the US. Therefore, 10 cups in this case actually translates to 7.5 US-sized cups of rice.
2- Cooking time is longer than 'normal'. I included the estimates for some types of rice straight from the manual. The zojirushi website also has estimates.
a- Quick cooking (only white rice): 35-45 min
b- White Rice: 51-60 min
c- Sushi rice: 47-58 mn
d- Brown rice: 82-108
3- The minimum amount of rice you can make with the 10 cup model is 1 cup except for sweet, mixed, and brown rice where the minimum is 2 cups. Mixed rice is one where you ad a few other ingredients that will cook together with the rice 9eg. soup stock, soy sauce). For the 5 cup the minimum you can make is 1 cup for all types of rice except porridge where you can make 0.5 cups. Again, these are the smaller cup sizes.
4- For those with small kitchens, the 10 cup machine has the following dims (WxDxH in inches): 11x14.2x9.4. The 5 cup is 10x13x8.1
Enjoy perfect rice every time. Spend your time preparing other parts of your meal.

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Easily cook restaurant-quality rice at home with this 1000-watt computerized rice cooker and warmer. Simply fill the inner pot with up to 10 cups of uncooked rice, select the food type, press the cook key, and listen for the completion signal. The unit's thick, spherical inner pan, which allows for spherical heating, provides a Dupont Teflon nonstick coating that prevents rice from sticking, while stay-cool side handles make the inner cooking pan simple to remove for quick cleanup. Multi-menu selections using advanced Neuro Fuzzy logic technology control the temperature for efficient cooking of many different types of rice including white, sushi, mixed, porridge, sweet, semi-brown, brown, rinse-free, and quick cooking.
Moreover, the unit offers automatic keep-warm and extended keep-warm cycles that maintain ideal serving temperatures, and its reheat cycle allows cooked rice to be reheated and served as freshly cooked. For added convenience, the unit provides an LCD clock and timer, a removable washable lid, a retractable power cord that saves on counter space, and a contemporary white exterior, which makes for an attractive addition to any kitchen. Accessories include two measuring cups (one for regular rice and one for rinse-free rice), one nonstick rice spoon/scooper, a rice spoon holder that attaches to the side of the machine, and easy-to-follow recipes. The rice cooker measures approximately 11 by 9 by 10-1/2 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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Panasonic SR-DE102 Fuzzy-Logic 5-Cup Electronic Rice Cooker/Warmer,White Review

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(More customer reviews)My first inclination when my fiance said he wanted a nice rice cooker with fuzzy logic like this was to ask, "what the heck does anyone need with a $90 rice cooker?!"
Well, having this has really changed my mind. The rice is perfect. Every time. Got some stuff to add in to the rice? Fine, dump it in at the beginning. The cooker still cooks it perfectly. Spanish rice? No problem. Just put a can of V8, some salsa, and some butter in, fill to the line with water the rest of the way, and press 'start.' Rice to go with Indonesian, Thai, or Indian food? Put in some Turmeric and Coriander and there it is, fragrant and inviting. Brown rice, long grain, jasmine or basmati, it figures out exactly what to do. It also steams vegetables and other things. It does all the thinking for you about how long to cook it.
Oh yes, and cleanup? A snap. If you just cook rice, just rinse out the bowl. It's got a really nice, high-quality teflon bowl so the scraps come out like *that*. Cooked something more complicated? The bowl is also top-shelf dishwasher safe. So easy.
Perfect rice, every time. I love my new rice cooker.

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Panasonic 5-Cup (uncooked) Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker, Micro-computer controlled, Black non-stick coated pan, White w/gray LCD readout color, Domed Lid with Moisture Cap, 24-hour Clock Timer, Automatic Cooking, 12-hour Keep Warm, Auto Shut-off, 8-menu settings, Deluxe Steaming Basket included, Detachable Power Cord, Print Water Level, White finish, Carry handle, Measuring-Cup and Rice Scoop included.

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