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The Panasonic SR-MS182 has the same technical specifications as the Panasonic SR-MS102. The only difference is that the rice cooker featured on this page is slightly more expensive due to being a larger machine. The SR-MS182 is a 10 cup rice cooker while the SR-MS102 has a 5 cup capacity. Larger rice cookers like this one are good if you have a big family to feed or often have a need to cook more than 5 cups of un-cooked rice. You might think it is worth getting a large rice cooker just in case. However this is not always the best idea. Rice cookers work best, in other words make the best rice, when they are filled to at least 1/3 of their capacity. Therefore in a 10 cup machine you want to be cooking over 3 cups of rice at a minimum for it to come out as well as it can. This is something you should consider while looking for a rice cooker to purchase. Biggest is not always best.

You can compare prices of a number of Panasonic rice cookers on Amazon. They usually have a lower price than the Panasonic homepage itself. They are the online retailer where you can find the best deals.

The Panasonic SR-MS182 is a Micom Fuzzy Logic rice cooker. Read more about the meaning of Micom here if you are not already clear what it means. If you want the best rice cooker, buying a Micom is your only option.

This rice cooker can do much more than just cook rice. For example it has a slow cooker setting which makes it perfect for making soups as well as stews. You can even make cakes with this device. Also it comes with a steaming basket so that you can prepare delicious, healthy steamed vegetables for the whole family. Of course it has a host of different rice cooking settings as well.

If you need a big rice cooker that cooks great rice at a reasonable price, this Panasonic SR-MS182 is definitely one to consider. You may also be interested in the Zojirushi NS-TGC18 and Zojirushi NS-ZCC18. As you can see, both the Panasonic and Zojirushi models have “18″ in their product item code. This indicates that they are 10 cup rice cookers. You can compare their prices on Amazon.

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More and more people in North America are deciding to buy a rice cooker. Part of the reason is that it is recognised that Japanese diets are very healthy. Rice makes up a large part of the food eaten in the Far East so now people in the West are looking to get the health benefits from eating rice. So if you have decided that you want to make your own rice at home you have a lot of research to do to find out which is the best rice cooker for you.

There are a host of Japanese rice cookers and then some make by U.S. companies as well. Japanese brands include Sanyo, Hitachi, Toshiba, Panasonic, Tiger and Zojirushi. It is the last two that have the best reputation in Japan itself for being the best products. It is a good idea to compare prices of rice cookers on Amazon against those you find at your nearest store. Often shopping online can save you money. However an option that may be the best is to visit a shop to see what machines are available and view them with your own eyes. Then if you find one you like, just remember the price and the go home. You can then check if the same model is available for a cheaper price on the internet. This way you know what you are going to be buying and you can get it for the best price.

When deciding which rice cooker to get there are various questions that you have to answer, for example:

• What size do you need?
• What brand do you like?
• How much can you afford?
• What do you want to cook?

There are other things that you may want to address too. However these four questions above provide a good starting point from which to make your rice cooker purchasing decision.

There are typically three sizes of rice cooker, 3 cup, 5 1/2 cup and 10 cup machines. The smallest size is great for anyone living alone as well as couples and small families. The mid-sized rice cookers are good for families and can feed up to ten people at once. Finally the larger machines are good if you like to cook for a lot of people. They can feed up to eighteen mouths.

As discussed above, there are many different Japanese brands to choose from, U.S. based companies such as Aroma and Black & Decker also produce budget rice cookers. These may be suitable for students or anyone else looking for a low cost rice cooker.

There are rice cookers to suit any budget. They range from under $20 to over $400. The more you spend, the more options and fancy technology your machine will have. For example, the Zojirushi company has a range of technologies that it uses including, Micom, Neuro Fuzzy, Induction Heating. Pressure cooking. If you are asking “What does Micom mean?” the answer is  Micro Computerized. This is a special chip set that controls the machines’ operation.

Also, the types of rice that you want to prepare will have a bearing on the machine that you require. The Zojirushi Rizo rice cooker is the only one that can may risotto. While if you want to make GABA brown rice the NP-HBC10 might be suitable.

There are a wide range of rice cookers to choose from. Why not browse the full range?

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When you compare prices for the Zojirushi Micom NS-LAC05 3 cup rice cooker you will find that Amazon offer one of the lowest prices. If you are looking for a top quality reasonably priced model, then this may be perfect for your needs. A feature of this kitchen appliance is that it has a spherical inner cooking pot. This means that the rice should be heated more evenly. The end result is that the rice that comes out always tastes great. The cooking bowl has a non-stick coating so cleaning it after use is easy. Once you have scooped out all your rice let it cool and allow the remains to dry out completely. Then simply wipe with a piece of kitchen paper. This should be enough to remove most of the “rice paper” covering that remains. Then simply soak in warm soapy water for a little while and the rest is easy. The inner lid also comes off making it easy to clean this part too.

The Zojirushi Micom NS-LAC05 is a three cup rice cooker and is the perfect size for singles, couples and small families. It makes enough rice for 4 or 5 people when filled to capacity. When you buy a Zojirushi micom rice cooker you get a machine that is rated as a 5 star appliance on Amazon with about 200 customer reviews. Having a maximum score after so many customers have added comments goes to show that it is impressing a lot of people. For me Zojirushi produce the best rice cookers. They are good value for money but this does not mean that they are necessarily cheap. The micro computer chip set inside this machine gives it the capability to make small temperature adjustments as your rice is cooking.

You can read a further Zojirushi Micom NS-LAC05 rice cooker review here.

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The Sanyo ECJ-PX50S is one of their premium rice cookers. If you find a cheap Sanyo ECJ-HC55S you can save yourself a few dollars but even though these machines are similar, there are some differences that will make the extra cost of this model worth it for some. It depends on exactly what you are looking for in your rice cooker. One of the main differences is the thickness of the inner cooking pot. If you are trying to find a cheap Sanyo ECJ-PX50S you may find this difficult. This machine costs more than $100 so it depends upon your definition of what cheap means. This rice cooker has an extra thick cooking pan that is 3.5 mm in thickness. It is made from titanium and has a non-stick coating. The benefit of a thicker cooking pot is that it more effectively distributes heat. Therefore this helps ensure perfectly cooked rice every time you use your machine. In addition the cooking bowl has a rounded bottom which also adds to its heat distribution effectiveness.

When you buy a Sanyo ECJ-PX50S you get the benefit of its Variable Pressure Control Technology. This causes the rice to move about as it is cooking within the machine to help bring out its flavor and ensure a light and fluffy texture. There are various options you can set for the rice that you want to prepare. This machine can handle a whole host of different styles including Japanese white rice (japonica), brown rice, non-rinse rice, sushi rice and many more. As mentioned at the start of this review, this appliance offers more than just a rice cooking ability. It can be used to create delicious soups and stews by using the slow cook functionality. Further it is great for steaming vegetables too. For people looking to eat a healthier diet, this electrical appliance can become a great help. The cooker offers a timer function that can be set up to 24 hours ahead of when you want the machine to start cooking. This allows you to prepare your breakfast before going to bed and waking up to something nice and warm. In the winter this can be a lovely treat that you can give yourself, every day. Once the food that you have put into the Sanyo ECJ-PX50S has finished cooking, it automatically switches over to the warming function. This is claimed to keep food ready for up to 24 hours. However it has to be said that the sooner you eat it, the better. Food that has been kept warm using this setting tends to dry out a little if left for too long. This is especially true of rice which can become hard. This does not mean that it is not edible but just that it may not be as amazing as if it was eaten sooner. This is true of most rice cookers. In my own experience I find that eating “kept warm” rice up to about eight hours old is optimum.

The Sanyo ECJ-PX50S can prepare up to 5 cups of un-cooked rice. This will be enough to feed about seven or eight people. So it is a good sized cooker for many families. There is also a pressure cooking ability that can speed up cooking times. This rice cooker has a stainless steel outer shell which is both easy to clean and stylish. The steam vent is also removable. This makes it easy to clean up after use.

If you are looking for a cheap Sanyo ECJ-PX50S rice cooker then I recommend checking out the LINK prices available at Amazon. They have a wide range of Sanyo rice cookers at reasonable prices.

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There are a wide range of Zojirushi rice cookers sold all over the world today. The NS-TGC10 Micom cooker is another strong performer in their product line up. This rice cooker is a 5.5 cup capacity machine which makes it perfect for families. This is the same size as the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 rice cooker. However, the Micom is actually the cheaper of the two. This is why I like this machine so much. Another feature of this machine that caught my eye is the fact that the inner lid is detachable. This makes for much easier cleaning.

As with the NS-ZCC10, the NS-TGC10 Micom also features Zojirushi’s advanced Fuzzy Logic logic technology. This is what allows the rice cooker to think for itself and make slight temperature adjustments to ensure perfectly cooked rice every time. The majority of the features of both these rice cookers are the same. For example, they both feature a wide range of cooking settings from plain white rice, to their keep warm function through to even cooking cakes. Of course there are a whole variety of styles of rice that can be prepared by using the machines’ specific settings.

The main differences between the Zojirushi NS-TGC10 Micom and the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 rice cooker are the way they look. You can check them out below. The NS-TGC10 is on the left. The NS-ZCC10 looks smaller here but that is just due to the pictures sizes. They are in fact very similar in size. Personally I prefer the styling of the NS-TGC10 Micom machine as I like the stainless steel coloring and to me the unit looks more robust. Click the images for more customer reviews on Amazon.com.

Another difference between these two Zojirushi rice cookers is the inner cooking pan. The Zojirushi NS-TGC10 Micom has a black thick flat bottomed cooking pan while the NS-ZCC10 rice cooker has a spherical bottomed pan. Some people feel that the spherical style allows for more even cooking of the rice. I have used rice cookers with both styles of cooking pans. My current machine has the flat bottomed style and I am more than happy with the rice that it produces. Although I am once again thinking of getting a new rice cooker with the spherical cooking bowl.

To me, the cheaper Zojirushi NS-TGC10 Micom is the machine of choice out of the two discussed in this review.

The Zojirushi NP-HBC18 is the big brother to the Zojirushi NP-HBC10 rice cooker. While the smaller machine has a capacity of 5.5 cups, the NP-HBC18 can cook 10 whole cups of rice at once. This makes it perfect for large families (over 8 people) as well as great for entertaining and dinner parties. Typically 2 cups is enough for 3 people so this machine is capable of preparing rice for up to 15 people at once.

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The larger machine also gives you the option of simply cooking more rice for yourself. Storing rice in tupperware containers and then freezing it is a perfectly good way to save yourself time and on washing up. There are special containers that you can get to store your rice in. These are easy to find in Japan however I am not altogether sure about their availablity in the U.S. and Europe. Wraping portions of rice up plastic wrap is another option to consider.

The features of this rice cooker are literally the same as the smaller machine. The only really difference being the size. Therefore it really depends upon your own situation as to which machine would be best suited to your needs. If you are looking for a top of the range machine then a Zojirushi rice cooker may be your best option. The NP-HBC18 uses induction heating technology to ensure even heating of your rice and avoid burning. There are a wide range of cooking options that can be used to prepare a variety of different kinds of rices and recipes. Of course if all you want is standard white rice then the Zojirushi NP-HBC18 excels and, provided you wash and prepare your rice correctly, guarantees you perfect rice every time.

The NP-HBC10 is Zojirushi’s latest Induction Heating System rice cooker. It can also be used to keep rice warm and includes induction heating and micro-computer technology. There are a variety of features and settings on this Japanese rice cooker. These include superior induction heating technology when you compare the machine to other manufacturers.

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The NP-HBC10 has a range of healthy cooking options which include brown rice, GABA brown rice and germinated brown rice. There are also a variety of multi-menu cooking functions. These include options for making white rice, mixed rice, sushi rice, rice porridge, sweet rice as well as quick cooking. The NP-HBC10 is a 5.5 cup Zojirushi rice cooker. If you require a rice cooker with a larger capacity you may want to buy a Zojirushi NP-HBC18. This is the big brother of the device featured on this page. This makes is perfect for many different sorts of households. It is small enough not to take up too much space. Deciding to buy a Zojirushi NP-HBC10 will suit those living alone as well as families. It is a well designed piece of kitchen equipment and has an easy to clean clear coated stainless steel exterior. The cooking pan is thick and hard wearing. Fortunately there is a detachable and washable inner lid. This is useful because it means it is easy to get all parts of the rice cooker clean. The machine also has an easily readable LCD control panel incorporating both clock and timer functionality. Induction heating is a special type of technology that Zojirushi employ. It involves the use of magnetic heating coils that produce a magnetic field that allows for instant heating of the contents of the non-stick inner cooking bowl. This heating method that the NP-HBC10 uses means that rice simply will not burn while it is cooking. Also it seems to be even better than the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 at cooking brown rice.

You can find the best price Zojirushi NP-HBC10 on Amazon. They have a huge range of cheap rice cookers as well as the best rice cookers on sale. I hope you have found this review useful.

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The Panasonic SRG06FG 3 cup rice cooker is a great budget model Japanese rice cooker. It is designed for household use. Its relatively small size being able to cook up to three cups of un-cooked rice is perfect for couples and people living alone as well as students. The machine is very reasonably priced on Amazon at under $25 which makes it an excellent entry model for anyone interested in starting to eat rice more regularly. This cooker has a clear glass lid which allows you to see the food that you are cooking. This makes the Panasonic SRG06FG great for things other than just rice like vegetables for instance.

The Panasonic SRG06FG does not have all the fancy options that you will find on Zojirushi rice cookers however it has all that is required to be able to cook standard varieties of rice. Once you have cooked your rice in this rice cooker there is a setting that allows you to keep it warm until required. This is all that I typically do with my Japanese rice cooker even though I have many more fancy options. The price of this model means that even if you do not plan on eating rice more than once a week, it is still great value for money.

The Panasonic SRG06FG 3 cup rice cooker boasts some useful features including a non-stick coated cooking dish. Admittedly any decent rice cooker will have this. It also comes with some stay cool handles. These are positioned on either side of the rice cooker as well as on the lid. This means that should you need to take the lid of while it is cooking then it is quite easy to do so. That said if you are cooking rice, simply leaving it to do its job is the best idea. Inside the cooking bowl are marks that tell you how much water is required for varying amounts of rice. For example if you want to cook two cups of rice, after the rice has been washed, you would have the rice in the cooking bowl and then just add water up to the “2″ mark on the inside. This ensures you have the exact amount of water that is necessary to cook perfect rice. This is why opening the lid while the machine is cooking rice is not best practice. The non-stick cooking bowl is by virtue very easy to wash up afterwards.

You can find this cheap rice cooker on Amazon for a very reasonable price. I hope this Panasonic SRG06FG 3 cup rice cooker review has been of some use.

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The Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5-1/2-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker was specially designed for the overseas market. Overseas in this case being the United States, Canada and Europe. Unlike all the Japanese rice cookers available in Japan, the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 comes with English buttons as well as instructions written in English. In effect bringing the excellence of real Japanese rice cookers to the Western market.

This Zojirushi rice cooker comes with a wide range of features and has everything you could possibly want in a rice cooker. For me, some of the features are somewhat supurfluous BUT it does have some amazing points that other brands don’t come close to matching. The question really is whether you think the price, at over $100 is worth paying for this piece of kitchenware technology.

Rather than simply list all the features that this rice cooker sports, I will discuss the points that make this machine the best rice cooker available in the West. If you want a full feature list run down you can find all the details on Amazon.

Zojirushi rice cookers are the number one selling rice cooking appliance in Japan. Of course there are a variety of models, much more than are available on the Western market. But as far as what is available to the English speaking world, the NS ZCC10 offers some top Zojirushi features.

The mark of a quality rice cooker is the standard of the white rice that it is able to prepare. Forgetting about all the different types of rice that a Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 will allow you to prepare, as far as standard Japanese white rice is concerned, it does an excellent job. The cooking bowl has a spherical bottom shape which allows for even cooking every time. There are special handles attached to the cooking bowl that do not heat up. These can be used to easily transport the hot rice cooking bowl from cooker to work surface.

One thing that I really like about this machine is the detatchable inner lid. As the rice cooks and steam rises, over time the inner lid becomes covered with a white film. With many older style Zojirushi appliances you just had to wipe the lid down as best you could. But now being able to completely remove this section means you can clean it 100%. As I like a spotless kitchen, this feature alone is enough to justify the price for me! These are all good reasons to get a Zojirushi NS-ZCC10.

As with most Japanese rice cookers this appliance comes with a rice measuring cup and a serving spoon. Admittedly this “feature” is not unique to the NS-ZCC 10 but is notable all the same. When using one of these electrical cookers it is necessary to measure out a specific amount of rice as this makes it easy to measure how much water you need too. Therefore the fact that they come with the steamer just adds to the package. There are many other Zojirushi rice cooker reviews available online. Some are better than others. I like to think that the one you are reading is a good one.

I hope this Zojirushi NS ZCC10 rice cooker review has been of use. If you would like further details of this machine you can get a full technical rundown as well as read customer reviews on the Amazon website.