Customer Reviews

Sanyo ECJ-S35K 3-1/2-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker/Warmer with Bread-Baking Function, Black

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When I saw it had a bread baking function, I was curious. I didn't expect a whole lot but I figured if the bread baking isn't great, I'd always have an oven anyway. So I took the chance.

I just used frozen bread dough (the one with 3 loaves in a bag). 1 loaf was a bit too big so I pinched off the end to make it smaller.
after 90 minutes I opened the lid it was all the way to the top. I then flip it over to brown the other side. Now the instruction says after 40 minutes you have to punch it down. Well, I didn't because I didn't hear the buzzer. But since it baked fine, I don't even bother to punch it down. It bakes fine without doing so. I used Pizza dough. What's great is that for a quick loaf, it won't heat up the whole kitchen. It doesn't use unnecessary eletricity(or gas) because you don't have to turn on the big oven. When we decide to have Italian, I just pop one piece of thawed dough. By the time the dinner is ready, bread is done. It doesn't produce dark crust, instead, it comes out with very light crust. Inside is so soft like steamed bun. It is so yummy. I also tried sweet roll dough with cinnamon, currant and sugar. It was great, too. I'm sure you can get really creative.

And by the way, it also cooks great rice, too. I used to own Zojirushi and I believe Sanyo cooks better rice than that. Not that Zojirushi is bad, it was an older model. This rice cooker's inner bowl is much thicker so that might be why....
Anyway, I am so glad I bought this.

I bought this because I thought it would look pretty on our black granite counter. We eat rice all the time with all sorts of dishes from stir-fry and teriyaki to Chicken & Broccoli casserole and Beef Stroganoff and the ricee cooker ends up getting left out on the counter *all* the time. I got tired of looking at that ugly old rice cooker we had that clashed with our recently remodeled, sleek, new kitchen. (I know, I am so kitchen-vain!)

Woo baby!! Now I am making bread, from scratch- every single night before I go to bed(or setting my alarm really early) because my family *loves* the bread this thing makes!! It's amazing really!

I make a loaf and it is gone before the day is over, guaranteed- it is so yummy and chewy. The crust is just crusty-perfect on the outside and the inside is soft and chewy. The kids love it for breakfast instead of toast- just straight out of the rice cooker with a little butter and homemade strawberry jam. My husband makes himself ham and cheese panini sandwiches which are the best ever with slices of the stuff.

So, the recipe book came with one recipe and I have played around and modified it slightly and ended up with the following which seems to be a hit with the whole family:
In my food processor I mix together
*2 cups of white flour and
*a package of quick-acting yeast- (I prefer quick-acting but have also used red star yeast that I get in a big package from a large club store but if you use regular yeast you should mix with a little of the scalded milk below that has been cooled to 90-110 degrees before adding at the end.)

Meanwhile scald 1 Cup of Milk (do this in a large pan because milk will bubble up really quickly and you'll have a mess on your stove if you aren't super vigilant)

Remove the milk from heat once it starts bubbling.

Add 1 Tbs vegetable oil and 1/2 C Honey and a tsp of Salt, whisk it up well and let cool to 120-130 degrees for quick-acting yeast(again, if you use regular yeast here is where you would mix with scalded milk mixture cooled to 90-110 degrees which you can proof-- let sit for 5-10 minutes or so and watch for the bubbles. Remember with yeast bubbles=no trouble, no bubbles=trouble.)

Throw it all in the food processor and process until it turns into a ball (use the dough blade attachment-- its the plastic thing-a-ma-bob without a real cutting blade). If it doesn't ball up right away, continue to process and slowly add a little flour until it does. It should eventually be easy to pick up out of the food processor and play with.

Play with the dough for a while. This is technically called kneading. I like to make dinosaurs and then squash them together like they are fighting. When you've had enough play time, pat it into a ball and throw that baby in your rice cooker. Select bread mode. It will beep after 40 minutes at which point you can/should punch it down if you did it right and they yeast thing worked properly. It will beep again after another 40 minutes and then you flip the lo9af over to brown on the other side for the remaining 10 minutes.

The awesome thing about this is even if the yeast doesn't do it's thing, the bread is dense but still yummy as can be because it is nice and steamy in there. Yum!

Try it, you'll love it!!

Oh, and it makes great rice... AND you can make bread pudding... but that's all in the manual...so, uh, read the manual after you buy this.

Oh, and one last thing... it looks great sitting out on my counter!

I've had this rice cooker for about a month. In that time I've used it 8-10 times. So far the quality of this product is very good -- I've had no problems at all. It has a solid and well built feel to it.

This appliance is very easy to use. Unless you're programming it for a later start, you simply pour in the appropriate amounts of rice and water, select the kind of rice from the menu button, and press the start button. That's it. I usually prepare white Jasmine rice, and cook time is roughly 45 minutes. I used to be able to cook this rice on the stove top in roughly 25 minutes, so at first I was a bit concerned about the longer cook time. However, it's turned out to work just fine. The value of a rice cooker like this Sanyo is that you can put in the rice & water, turn it on and walk away. When preparing on the stove top, I couldn't leave it unattended. So now when I come home from work, I can get the rice started and then go walk the dogs or begin prepping the rest of the meal. It's really convenient. The keep warm function is also helpful. If I'm not done with the other elements of the meal, it automatically switches into the keep warm mode until I'm ready.

The quality and taste of the rice is excellent. While I was happy with the rice I prepared on the stove, I think this is better. Clean up is very easy. It is truly a non-stick pot. I simply wash the removable inner pot and inner lid in warm sudsy water and wipe down the rice cooker. It's really easy and quick.

I would recommend this to anyone who is looking at a rice cooker. This model (ECJ-S35S) can cook up to 3-1/2 "cups" of uncooked rice, which is plenty for my wife and me. If you have a bigger family, you may want to consider a larger capacity model -- especially since the price is not too much different.

I am extremely pleased with my purchase of this Sanyo after researching different micom rice cookers to replace an on/off model. So far I've made brown rice, several varieties of white rice, steel-cut oats (porridge cycle), and bibimbap. Everything comes out great and the cooker is easy to clean and is attractive-looking with a small footprint. I haven't tried bread-baking yet and would like to hear from someone who has.

This is our second Sanyo rice cooker and we love it!!! If you want a very very good Japanese style rice cooker, this is the one for you!! You can set the timer for when you want the rice to be done and it is! Easy cleaning, easy use, can't ask for more!

I received this product as a gift and it has been one of the most useful devices I have ever used in the kitchen. Because of how easy cooking rice in it is, I can make half a cup of rice for a snack that isn't terrible for me like chips or other kinds of processed packaged food. Even if you make the kind of rice that comes from a box, the machine makes it easy and makes perfect rice every time.

I strongly suggest adding one of these to your kitchen devices.

So, far, this is a great cooker! I can do rice, quinoa, and even dried beans! I haven't tried bread yet, but the manual says I can make it, too! It's very useful. It is a great mid-range model, and a good size for a 2-person household.

This little cooker will change your life. Quite a claim, I know. Consider this: No more stirring, burned rice, soaking burned rice out of a pan, or scrubbing. Experiment with grains like barley and quinoa (keen-wah). Cook with broth instead of water. Come home to wonderful aromas and warm comfort food; make soups, stews, tapioca pudding, and steel cut oatmeal with maple syrup and sliced apples. When you're feeling punk, curl up in your flannel robe and eat porridge. Pour thick cream on it if you want. Treat yourself gently in these rocky times. Honor the small animal who lives within you; he has been buffeted by forces beyond his control. This too shall pass. I have no experience with the Zojirushi product, but I can't imagine anything better than this cooker. That it doesn't have a little holder for the paddle doesn't not justify Zojirushi's higher price. The heavy bowl is substantial and is truly non-stick.

I bought an earlier version of this rice cooker a couple of years ago and have been delighted with it. Based on my recommendation, two friends have bought them. And I myself just bought a third one (the new version) as a present for another friend. Nothing to add to the positive comments from others in this forum. We haven't checked out the bread-making capability yet, but the new one makes rice and steel-cut oatmeal just as well as the old one. My one small complaint is that it is difficult to clean next to the hinge. But that's minor, compared to the cooker's overall quality and convenience.

For what it's worth, my favorite everyday rice by far is Kokuho Rose rice, which cooks perfectly in the Sanyo. You can buy the rice at any Asian food store, and at many supermarkets that have a large "international food" section.

When you make sushi rice use a little less than the amount of water they specify for white rice. Too much water makes soggy rice, and too little water makes dry, crunchy rice. If you get the water level down the results are excellent; the taste is much, much better than a cheap rice cooker. Great non-stick bowl. I love the pre-soak function. This is definitely worth the investment.