Customer Reviews

Zojirushi NHS-18 10-Cup Rice Cooker/Steamer & Warmer

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is an excellent rice cooker but I would like to point out something very important. The directions say specifically that you must wash the rice in a strainer until the water that runs through them comes out clear. This is very important. If you are having problems with the rice bubbling up over the top of the rice cooker and getting on the counter, you probably aren't washing the rice or aren't washing it well enough. Also if you are having problems with a crust on the bottom of the rice, you probably aren't washing the rice or aren't washing it well enough. Start washing your rice and you probably won't see those two problems again. Also the rice comes out much fluffier and less gummy if you wash it.

The reason for this is that, when you get uncooked rice, there is a large amount of excess starch that is stuck to the outside of the rice that gets stuck there when the rice is processes.

I love my rice cooker and use it several times a week! But you need to wash your rice thoroughly before cooking. This will help with the "spitting water" problem the cooker has.

I enjoy using the steamer for kale, broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots. The only trick is learning when to put the veggies in while the rice is cooking so that the veggies don't overcook.

My brown rice tends to clump and stick on the bottom, even when the rice is washed. That's one problem that keeps me from rating this as a 5 star machine. The other problem is that the instruction booklet is poorly done. Brown rice needs to soak for 30 minutes before starting to cook.

i just wanted to add my two cents to help offset some of the negative reviews. i bought this particular cooker due to the positive reviews both here and on some other websites. i wanted a cooker due to being tired of cooking potatoes with most meals and getting tired of them. i received the unit very quickly and immediately tried it out. i wanted to try brown rice first, so i washed it briefly and put it in the machine to cook. shortly, a mass of bubbles filled below the lid and started 'sputtering' through the steam hole. not happy about the mess it was making, i endured it and ended up eating some fairly good rice with my first meal. i thought "yeah, they were right, it's messy, what a bummer". so, round two and three, i cooked some more, this time trying varieties of white rice and both resulting in a repeat of the first messy attempt, along with some 'browning' of the rices on the bottom of the pan. again i thought "this is no fun, friends or guests are going to think this is a piece of junk". by this time, i had been reading quite a bit on the 'net about rice, and concluded that a more thorough rinsing of the grains were in order, so my fourth round started off with such, along with an accurate measurement of rice and water, and....a pat of butter thrown in......i thought maybe it might help it from sticking or browning in the bottom. the result......perfect rice! i'm now making that my preparation regimen and i'm getting better results each time. i'm convinced that the errors others are reporting are not the machine's fault and i'm also convinced that, like most other machines, the user needs to figure out how to use it. in a short time a person should be able to make perfect rice repeatedly. to help the bottom-sticking, i'm also now opening the lid and giving a couple of stirs a couple of times through the cooking cycle. also note, like others have said that washing the rice is a must (maybe up to and including soaking, but i haven't tried that yet), as you are washing off a lot of the starch that helps make the mess in the first place. take note of the type of rice you buy. some rices have been stripped of their vitamins and have them 'sprayed back on', the bags will have instructions on them telling you to NOT wash the rice. i would avoid those types. i have yet to steam veggies or whole meals in it, but i'm sure i can get good results from it just as well.

good luck and good health!

update: 3 years later...... absolutely one of the best electronic kitchen gadget purchases i've ever made. we use it quite a lot and it's consistent!

I've been using this model for just over two years now with no problems at all. We routinely cook brown rice and have had none of the problems that others have called out. The one thing you must remember though is that you MUST rinse the rice (white or brown) before cooking it. We put it in a screened collander and run cold water through it for about one minute. Shake the excess water and you're ready to go. The reason for the rinse is to keep the rice from foaming while it cooks. Evidently, the rice packers dust the rice with a talcum-like substance to keep it dry. This will cause the water to foam when it boils if you don't rinse it off before you cook the rice.

Cleanup couldn't be easier. Just rinse and wipe with a soft towel. Don't use metal scrubbers becuase the pan has a non-stick coating that you don't want to scratch. After two years of moderate use, our cooker still looks new and works perfectly.

This is a premium brand, and the product has lived up to my expectations. Five stars for this one.

I spent quite some time doing research on rice cookers. I ended up selecting this one based on it was a cooker/steamer. On the first try the rice was PERFECT! Rinse rice as specified. Go light on the water for sticky rice and add a little more water for fluffier rice. The next morning I used the left over rice in the steamer capacity to make the rice pudding recipe included with the cooker. There was no left over rice pudding. The already cooked rice with the milk/eggs/vanilla had a beautiful custard like quality. I did not have a problem with the brown rice water/rice ratio. The warmer function served me well as the rice was kept warm until everyone was ready to dine! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS rice cooker/steamer for the cook that demands the best versatility from their appliances.

This is an upgrade of a smaller capacity Zojirushi I bought through Amazon a year or two ago. I loved it, and the only reason I am replacing it is that my brother loved it as well. Since we have a family of six and eat rice every day, I figured I would just buy a bigger one and give him the smaller. He is happy, I am happy. My husband is Thai, so we cook only Jasmine rice. To make Jasmine, I use the ratio of one provided cup full of rice to one and a quarter provided cup of water, and it comes up perfect. Definitely rinse your rice, otherwise you will have white stuff spitting everywhere. Also, when the rice is finished cooking and it clicks over to warm, make sure to stir the rice first, otherwise it will brown a bit on the bottom. I have made brown rice as per the directions and it was great, though I discovered I prefer mine a little undercooked. I cannot fault this machine at all, it is a breeze to clean, doesn't take up an inordinate amount of space on my counter, and lets me get everything else done without having to risk a burnt pot on the stove. I see no need to spend more money on the fancier rice cookers with AI or fuzzy logic or whatever it is, and the price here for a basic rice cooker is even cheaper than our local Asian market for similar products. I recommend it to people all the time, and if you are like me and feel that a pot on the stove works just as well, upgrade. I still use the pot on the stove for browned rice, but if you mostly eat just plain rice like we do, you will not regret the purchase.

I really like this machine. It is my second rice cooker. This model is much sturdier than my first cooker. It is very easy to use and turns out excellent rice every time that I have used it. The steamer tray works well on vegetables and does a great job on hard boiled eggs. However one draw back is that the steamer tray does not hold alot of vegetables nor will it hold 12 eggs. I usually get 11 in it. But for rice this model has come out perfect every time. Clean up is very easy and I would recommend this model to anyone in the market for a rice cooker.

This is a good machine for the price, considering it is also a steamer, and a good one. If all you want is to make rice, any cheaper rice cooker will do. This one's for people who like to make everything in their rice cooker (which is possible in cheaper rice cookers, only there's no rack so you can't steam vegies as easily).

Just wanted to respond to what Drew wrote about not having to rinse rice. Rice connoisseurs *always* rinse polished rice to rid the grains of the powder clinging to them. Whether it's talc or rice starch or glucose or whatever is immaterial. If you don't rinse the rice it will *not* have the texture prized by people who eat rice as a staple food, particularly Asians.

Cooked rice should not stick together in clumps, i.e., every grain should separate easily from neighbouring grains. This is the perfect bowl of rice, not one where the starch/glucose/talc/whatever has created a film over the grains and caused them to stick to one another almost like glue.

Risotto is another story altogether. If you want risotto, use Italian arbor rice, and add lots of water ... and cook it in a saucepan.

great rice cooker. the steamer addition is a real time saver, not to mention dish saver, as one can cook almost a full meal with just this one appliance. my roommates and i cook rice almost everyday, and this machine has really helped make that process easy and enjoyable. the only downside is occasionally water/steam will come out of the hole in the cover, resulting in a mess. this only happens when cooking a lot of rice without using the steamer, which acts like an additional layer of covering. not a problem, just something to be aware of when cooking 4+ cups of rice without steaming.

overall, it's a great unit and i'd be happy to buy one again. definitely recommended!

I just got my rice cooker, and I am really enjoying it. The rice is not as mushy and I prefer it that way. I think the directions that came with it are a bit sparce.