My expertise in the area of rice cookers stems from the time I have spent in Japan. Before I lived in Japan, the idea of eating rice on a daily basis was not appealing. However once you try eating rice that has been prepared properly you begin to see why rice is a staple food for a huge number of people across the world. I now consider myself an ambassador for the simple rice grain and genuine Japanese rice cookers. On this site you will find a wide range of online rice cooker reviews manufactured by a range of companies.

My focus will be on discussing Japanese rice cookers that have been designed for the Western market. In effect these machines are very similar to those sold in Japan itself. However important differences include working at the correct voltage as well as having buttons and instructions in the English language. I use my rice cooker on an almost daily basis and specialize in making all in one mixed rice dishes, or as the Japanese would say, takikomi-gohan. I am compiling a list of my favorite rice cooker recipes on this site.

In Japan, the rice cooker market leader is the company, Zojirushi. Many people decide to buy a Zojirushi rice cooker because of their excellent reputation. They make a wide range of top quality rice cooking appliances, including the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10, Zojirushi NP-HBC10 and the brand new Zojirushi NS-YAC10 machines. By clicking the picture links above you are able to find the cheapest prices for these machines on Amazon.com.

To find out more on me, you can click the About link at the top of this page or read about my rice cooker. If you have any questions or comments regarding rice cookers, please leave a comment or contact me via the contact page above. Let me help you find the best rice cooker.

3 Cup rice cookers · 5 1/2 Cup rice cookers · 10 Cup rice cookers

Browse rice cookers by size

Zojirushi rice cookers are very easy to use. The best kind to get is a Micom rice cooker. Prices for these models start at not much over $100. You can find the best price on Zojirushi appliances on Amazon. There are a wide range of different models. The cheapest machines such as the NS-LAC05 are very good. But if you want to get an amazing rice cooker you have to spend over $250. This is quite a price jump. Models like the Zojirushi NP-HBC10 feature their Induction Heating system which helps to make the highest quality rice.

In this article I shall be posting videos and photos of exactly how I use my Zojirushi NP-GD05 rice cooker which is a model sold in Japan. This machine is very similar to the NP-GBC05 which is available in the United States. The NP-GBC05 actually has a sushi rice setting which my machine does not.

There are lots of different rice cooking recipes that you can make if you buy a Micom device. They are great for cooking all sorts of plain rice including white, brown, rice porridge and so on. However a high quality rice cooker can be used to make so much more. To add some flavor, all that you have to do is use some stock instead of plain water and you can also add any other ingredients such as vegetables or meats that you want. You can take a look at my list of rice cooker recipes here.

Washing rice, particularly if you are cooking Japonica, Japanese short grain white rice, is a hugely important step. It is fairly easy. Typically the Japanese will give their rice three washes and rinses before they consider it ready for cooking. It is important not to treat your rice too roughly because it is easy to break some of the grains.

To find out more information about how to download these Zojirushi instructions, go to the manuals page of their website.

The Lowest Priced Zojirushi Rice Cooker

Trying to find a cheap Zojirushi rice cooker is a bit of a contradiction in terms. It depends upon what you mean buy cheap. Certainly, there are some models that are cheaper than others but if you are looking for a cheap rice cooker then perhaps a different brand would be more suitable. Zojirushi are not really targeting this market. Their focus instead is on producing the best rice cookers.

The product featured above is the Zojirushi NHS-06. This is a simple electrical rice cooker. The thing is that even though this is a Zojirushi rice cooker, you will not get the same sort of rice from this machine as you would if you buy a Zojirushi Micom rice cooker. This is because the basic machines simply have an electrical heating element that you switch on so that it heats the rice. But with a Micom model there is a microchip inside that determines how long the rice is cooked for and it can even make small adjustments to the temperature within the cooking bowl as the rice is cooking. This level of control means that you are able to get great tasting rice every time from a Micom machine.

Another thing to consider is whether it is worth getting a cheap Zojirushi rice cooker like the NHS-06 because for a start it is not a Micom device. Secondly, there are other companies that make cheap rice cookers that are in fact much cheaper than the one featured on this page. Personally I would go for a Micom machine, in fact the only rice cookers that I have ever used have been Zojirushi Micoms. But if you want a cheap rice cooker then you may be better trying to buy a Panasonic SRG06FG for instance. This is a Japanese rice cooker but costs a lot less than the Zojirushi NHS-06.

Regardless of which type of rice cooker you decide to purchase, you should have a look on Amazon. They offer the lowest prices online so are a good place to find cheap deals.

3 Cup rice cookers · 5 1/2 Cup rice cookers · 10 Cup rice cookers

Browse rice cookers by size or price

Rice cookers under $25 · Rice cookers $25 – $100 · Rice cookers from $100

There are many places where you can purchase a rice cooker these days. If you want to know who sells rice cookers at the lowest price then we recommend you check out Amazon. They are well known for their cheap cost and safe and secure online order processing. When you buy a rice cooker on Amazon that is not one of the cheapest machines, you get free shipping. So you have to remember to factor this in to any price comparison. Other online vendors may offer a cheaper price but then include some hidden charges, including shipping.

Amazon stocks all of the currently popular brands. In particular the have all of the Zojirushi rice cookers currently sold in the United States and Canada. Whether you want a small 3 cup or a large 10 cup device, they have them all. Not only Zojirushi, they also stock machines made by Tiger, Sanyo, Panasonic, Aroma, Black & Decker, Oster, Cusinart, Rival, Miracle Exclusives, Wolfgang Puck, Breville, Hamilton Beach, VitaClay, Proctor Silex and Krups. Therefore if you are in the market for a new rice cooker then they have plenty to choose from.

The devices available range from budget machines through Micom appliances to those with Fuzzy Logic technology, Induction Heating Systems and even a pressure cooking function. There are plenty of things that you must decide with regard to the rice cooking appliance that you want. These include brand, size, cost and technological components.

If you want the best 3 cup rice cooker then you should buy a Zojirushi NP-GBC05. This is their smallest machine that has their Induction Heating technology. For a larger sized device with Fuzzy Logic technology, then you may want to get a Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 rice cooker.

Read customer reviews on Amazon

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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This device is actually two in one called the Sanyo ECJ-HC55S 5-1/2-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker. Of course it can be used to cook restaurant quality rice but it also has the additional option of being used as a slow cooker and can cook things such as soups and stews. You can also easily use it as a vegetable steamer. Further it comes with a tofu making function to allow you to prepare your own home made tofu. That said, it is primarily sold as a rice cooker.

If you decide to buy a Sanyo ECJ-HC55S you will discover that it has not one inner cooking bowl but two. This means that it is technically possible to cook both rice and a slow cook dish at the same time. However please be aware that one bowl sits inside the other. Therefore this actually as an impact on the amount of rice that you can cook. Further the inner bowl has plastic feet and these would sit in the rice and boiling water as it cooks. There do not seem to be any warnings not to do this however personally the thought of cooking my rice with plastic is not very appealing. I am sure that Sanyo must have tested this thoroughly for safety though.

The rice cooking pot is relatively think at 3mm. It is coated with a non-stick finish that makes it easy to scoop your rice out. As with most “non-stick” coatings you may actually find that brown rice does have a habit of sticking to the pot. Personally I primarily eat white rice so I do not really encounter this issue but it is worth being aware of. You can read more customer reviews on Amazon to get a more rounded picture. The rice cooking pot has a round bottom. This means that heat is distributed more evenly which is ensures the best results. As noted above, this is a 5 1/2 cup rice cooker which provides enough rice, when filled to capacity, for about ten people. It is just the right size for a family and it gives you a bit of leeway should you be entertaining guests. There are a whole range of settings that allow you to make a wide variety of rices, for example, you can cook Japanese white rice, brown rices, mixed rices, sushi rices amongst others. This really is a top quality rice cooker. Like Zojirushi rice cookers, this Sanyo machine is able to adjust the temperature automatically to prevent the rice from burning and ensure that it comes out perfectly every time.

When you buy a cheap Sanyo ECJ-HC55S you will notice that there is a 24 hour LCD clock which can be set as a 12 hour clock. Similar to other rice cookers it has a keep warm function. This can be used for up to about 12 hours before the rice starts to dry out. Another option is to not bother with this setting. As the lid fits on so well, just leaving the machine once your rice has cooked will keep the rice warm for a couple of hours anyway with absolutely no loss of moisture. If you would like to find a cheap Sanyo ECJ-HC55S, some of the best online prices can be found on Amazon.

Browse the full range

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 NS-TGC10 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.

The NS-TGC10 features Zojirushi’s Micom 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.

Read customer reviews on Amazon

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 Black and Decker RC3303 is possibly the cheapest rice cooker available today. Firstly, you can probably tell that this model is not a Japanese rice cooker. However while this site is primarily about Japanese rice cookers I still want to write about the best value rice cooking machines available today so therefore had to include a Black & Decker RC3303 review.

Read customer reviews on Amazon

This machine makes it easy for you to quickly prepare restaurant quality rice at home. It is a very simple rice cooking machine to use. The Black & Decker RC3303 has a 3 cup rice cooking capability. This is aperfect size for couples or people living alone. All you have to do is add some rice, measure the appropriate amount of water, then make sure to was the rice thoroughly and finally turn the unit on with a simple press of the switch.

When the rice is ready, the machine will automatically switch over to its warming setting. This maintains your rice at an ideal serving temperature without over cooking or drying it out. On top of this, the Black & Decker RC3303 has a removable nonstick pot which ensures that your food comes out easily and you are able to quickly clean up after use.

The Black & Decker RC3303 has some other features including lights that indicate what mode the machine is in, either “cook” or “keep warm”; handles that do not heat up even when the machine is turned on; and a glass lid which allows you to see what is going on inside. The glass lid is useful when you are cooking things like vegetables so you can see their progress.

Even though this machine is not a Japanese rice cooker, I hope you have found this Black & Decker RC3303 review useful.