Customer Reviews

Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System, Stainless Steel

5 star:		(101)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

We purchased this rice cooker last week, and have used it twice for brown rice. The rice came out better (and with less effort on our part) than any other cooking method we've ever used. It was, in short, the best brown rice we'd ever had anywhere.

We also tried out the warming function, in which the machine keeps rice warm for up to 12 hours on normal warm mode--there's also an extended warm mode for up to 48 hours. After about 8 hours on warming mode, the rice was virtually the same as when it had just been cooked.

The machine could not be easier to use. Build and material quality appear first rate. The rice pan is heavy duty--same for the non-stick coating. Very quiet in operation, very easy to clean. All sorts of little details that suggest many cycles of refinement in the design. Aesthetics are delightfully Japanese. The stainless steel side and top panels appear as an afterthought designed to fit Western tastes.

One thing I haven't seen anyone else mention about Zojirushi rice cookers. On the last page in the owner's manual there's a footnote which suggests vaguely that this rice cooker may not function well at high altitude. Since I live in Santa Fe at 7,000 feet, I called Zojirushi USA and asked about this. They told me that their rice machines do not function well above 3,000 feet, and that I should return the machine I purchased. Well, instead, we tried it at better than double its supposed elevation limit, and as mentioned above, it worked perfectly--so it's hard to imagine that it might work MORE perfectly below 3,000 feet. Suffice it to say that if you live in Denver, Albuquerque or Santa Fe, you can ignore Zojirushi's disclaimers about poor function at higher elevation.

All in all, this is a superb product that combines the otherwise mutually exclusive benefits of perfect rice with set and forget automation. The folks at Zojirushi USA (aside from their apparent ignorance about cooking rice at altitude) are informative and friendly. We tend to buy the best kitchen equipment we can find just to avoid the hassles of unreliability. Accordingly, we're difficult to please, and this machine meets our (very high) standards.

LONG TERM USE UPDATE (January, 2009):
This machine has continued to function flawlessly. Apparently Zojirushi induction rice cookers aren't well known in northern New Mexico, since whenever we have a dinner party and rice is on the menu, our guests are always intrigued by this thing, and regularly end up buying one of their own.

One clarification: the cooking bowl is stainless steel, as is the inside cooking bowl cover. Apparently these parts tend to be aluminum on the vast majority of computerized rice cookers, even those from Zojirushi. The bowl is coated in some sort of very heavy duty anti-stick coating--after a year or two of use, the coating still looks new--it hasn't started flaking off at all. I would guess that boiling water (which is basically what rice cookers do) isn't too hard on the coating, and we're probably not poisoning ourselves, the way we might be if we used non-stick pans (which we don't).

Reference my comments above about Zojirushi rice cookers working perfectly at high elevation (which was news even to Zojirushi), I've since heard that high elevation performance may be better with induction rice cookers than with computerized rice cookers with standard heating elements. Who knows. What is definite, however, is that as of this writing this machine has functioned perfectly at 7,000 feet for almost two years.

I was expecting this machine to cook rice very well based on previously owning a neuro fuzzy logic rice cooker made by zojirushi, which I've worn out after many years of use. I'm very happy with the new induction heating style of cooking. It cooks brown rice better.

Pro's

--Exceptional rice results, almost foolproof.

--Multiple menu settings account for most types of rice, including GABA brown (which is supposed to make brown rice even healthier)

--Easy to operate. Select menu setting, add cups of rice to bowl (rinse the rice), fill to applicable mark in bowl, and hit cook button.

--Battery backup. A lithium battery means the cooker will remember its last settings even if you unplug it. If you're a creature of habit, this feature makes it even easier to operate.

--Clock timer with 2 time settings you can set based on the clock's time. Like previously stated, the cooker remembers the timer settings until you change them. I leave my cooker set to have rice ready at 6:30a.m. (to pack for lunch at work) or 5:30p.m (dinner).


Con's

--Water level markings in pan are based on the 6.2 oz cup provided (~3/4 cup). Don't lose the cup!

--Expensive (my justification is it saves me $5 every time I pack rice for lunch instead of eating in the cafeteria)

--Takes longer to cook rice than the equivalent stove method (baking or stovetop)

--Timer is military time only (so when I said the timer was set to 5:30p.m., it's actually 17:30)


In summary, buy this machine if you want to use the timer function. If you're the type of person who only remembers things at the last minute or don't like to plan meals ahead, keep your money and get a pressure cooker or a good pot instead.

It fits my needs perfectly, so I give it 5 stars. I also recommend a Zojirushi lunch jar system if you want to use this to make rice for lunch at work. A lunch jar will keep the rice warm and moist, so you don't have to microwave it.

The rice cooker is best in class ie five stars.

The only negative thing about this rice cooker is that it last about 1 year before it fails. I have just recently had my second rice cooker fail and this time it lasted about 1.1 years similar to the first rice cooker. After contacting Zojirushi they gave me a repair place for the rice cooker. I have already purchased my 3rd zojirushi rice cooker and the repair for the second one will cost $136 dollars.

The nice thing is that you can get it repaired and the customer service was really nice on the phone.

Both failures caused the digital display to lock up.

The cooker has done excellently. All of the rice types have been great. I'm using it for other grains. After some experimenting, here are my methods so far:

Steel-cut oats for breakfast: add 1/2 cup oats to bowl; wash a few times until the water is mostly clear; add water to slightly above 1 brown rice mark; press timer button; select porridge setting. Great oats are ready in the morning. Adjust the water addition to your personal preference. I add spices, fruit and ground flax later so I need it wet enough. Some residue gets on the top plate and into the steam vent. I set the top plate in water while eating to make it easier to clean.

Quinoa + oats: add 1/2 cup of each into bowl; wash a few times to get mostly clear water; add water to 1 white rice mark; cook as regular white. We enjoy this grain mixture at meals. It saves well in the refrigerator. Saute some onions, etc and add the grain at the end to heat it.

Hulled Barley: cook as brown rice. I like it with slightly extra water. I cook 1 cup barley at slightly above the 1 brown rice water mark.

Amaranth: I've haven't tried it enough to make a recommendation as yet. The regular white rice setting overcooked it.

Reliable, easy to clean, and nicely sized for 2 - 4 people. We've done everything from rice to buckwheat to millet to the best oatmeal I've ever had in my life. The induction cooker really does make a difference and we get wonderfully evenly cooked rice. And the timer function is a lifesaver, especially in the morning.

The only reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wish there were cool-touch handles on the bowls, but the rice is easy to extract and this is a minor complaint. Also, one reason we got this instead of a cheaper Zoji was because of the GABA rice capability, but if you want to save the $$ there are directions on how to make GABA rice just by soaking the rice ahead of time.

Do buy it with the Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook if you're planning to do anything more than rice - in addition to recipes, the book is great for giving water-to-grain ratios for just about any grain or legume.

I lived in Japan and can tell you that the Japanese are rice fanatics. They are also "gizmo" fanatics. Well, those two combinations create this most unbelievable kitchen appliance.

We use it for Brown (Gaba Setting) rice, I never liked Brown rice before, I liked traditional Japanese White Rice. Brown always tasted bitter. Gaba is a very complicated method of cooking rice and you could never do it without a timer, the induction system helps too since it can regulate the temperature on the rice much more accurately. This thing also has some kind of logic chip that controls the cooking. The brown rice comes out sweet and a little "nutty". The rice kernels kind of "pop" in your mouth when you bite .

Also, Steel Cut Oatmeal, no problem. I purchased a smaller Zojirushi without logic and no induction. It made a mess (I live at 6,000 feet, that could be a factor).

This one makes steel cut perfectly, no mess, beautiful oatmeal. Mix ratio: 1 part oatmeal to 3 parts water. Use the porridge setting. I can't imagine going back to quaker rolled oats.

Awesome piece of engineering.

I've been using the Zojirushi HBC10 fuzzy logic induction rice cooker for about a month and half now, and love, love, LOVE it! It makes the absolute best rice I've ever had. I especially love the porridge feature and have been making lots of jook. Although the instructions say you can't make jook out of brown rice, I've found that I can if I'm willing to put extra time into it. I run one porridge cycle, let it cool for 15 minutes (you can't start a new cycle while the bowl is hot), and than run the porridge cycle again. My favorite jook is made with Forbidden Rice (made by Lotus foods) with chicken broth, and chopped up apple chicken sausage added in the last 20 minutes or so. Yum!

I originally ordered the less expensive Zojirushi NS TGC10 model. When I recieved it, I was dismayed to see that the detachable inner lid was made of aluminum! It's my understanding that it's very unhealthy to cook foods in direct contact with aluminum. I called the seller who told me that all of the Chinese-made fuzzy logic models are made this way. I returned that model and bought the induction model instead which has a stainless steel detachable inner lid. As a long term cooking and health investment, I feel it's worth every penny that I paid. I wish the bowl was made out of stainless steel rather than non-stick, but I can live with that.

UPDATE - 1 Year Later
- I've used this rice cooker for almost a year now and still love it. I use the timer to have hot steel-cut oatmeal or jook ready for me when I wake up. I've also used the porridge setting to make risotto which comes out fantastic - with SO much less work than making it on the stove top. It makes fabulous brown rice, and the GABA brown rice is especially good. I've also used it to cook lentils, beans and quinoa, which come out perfect every time. After a year, I still feel this rice cooker is the best "kitchen investment" I've ever made.

I highly recommend buying The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook with this rice cooker. It gives you a ton of great information on different kinds of rice, grains and legumes, and all the things you can do with your rice cooker.The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook : 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings and More, from Start to Finish in Your Rice Cooker

Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System, Stainless Steel

My old dime store rice cooker finally died a few weeks ago so I got online to shop for a new one. I tried the high-end brand names I usually buy for my kitchen since I love to cook and invest in good quality items. The selection of typical hot pots with and on-switch was endless. Even the better brands only offered a sleeker look for the higher price. And then there were a couple foreign makers at very high price tags. I browsed them just to see what made them so proud of thier product and figured they would be for commercial use or something. After I read the features and looked back at the others, they all just looked pitiful. I have delayed starts,keep warm, audible finish signals, and LED read-outs on other kitchen and household appliances, so why not a rice cooker. I just hated to pay that much just to make rice. After all rice is rice and it's not like we eat rice every day or even every week. I tried making rice one night on the stove and that was awful. I finally bought the Zojirushi 5 cup induction in stainless for the convenience features. The delay start and keep warm are hard for a busy mom to resist. It looked nice in my kitchen when I got it out of the box. The instruction book was a bit intimidating until I realized it was mostly sections in other languages. The English section made sense and is much easier to operate than my cell phone. The first pot of rice was with my regular store brand. Rice is rice, right? Nope. This stuff had an aroma, texture and taste that was wonderful. It was like trying a new food. Had I known how fabulous it would taste, I'd have bought it for the food quality alone. Sure it was an investment and a risk. It could have arrived and just made... well... rice. But it didn't. After the first meal, there was no more discussion about the expense for plain old rice. This new stuff was well-worth it. Now if it's buying one of these or paying your electric bill, keep the lights on. You have other things to worry about. But if this is within your reach, it would be a sound investment. I truely enjoy cooking and trying exotic foods. My mother-in-law has become very trusting over the years and will try anything I make even if she can't pronounce or recognize it. Sadly, rice (well this new stuff) had never been on the menu much. All that has changed. My sushi can stand up to any sushi restraunt. Just think what you'll save by making your own California rolls. I'm reading Asian cookbooks that have been collecting dust in my archives for years. Now I know what they were talking about. You have to start with great rice. Even if you don't cook and aren't a foodie, this is still the right machine. Should this sturdy little gizmo ever need to be replaced, it will be with a Zojiurshi.

This is the second NP-HBC10 induction heating rice cooker I have owned, the first having been given to my son in a moment of weakness. As there are a great many reviews already, I'll just sum up the pros and cons as I see them.

PROS
The rice cooker is attractively styled and easy to use. As other reviewers have noted, be sure to remove and wash the inner lid after each use. This takes only seconds.

The control panel is clear and the interface is intuitive. While one should always read the manual one can operate the cooker without reading a single page.

Build quality, workmanship, fit, and finish are excellent, as they should be for the price.

The extended keep-warm function is incredibly effective. I have often held rice overnight and found it warm, moist, and not crusty the following day.

Cleanup is easy as the machine lacks many of the nook-and-cranny rice catchers of some other brands.

Brown rice is cooked to perfection every time. I don't often bother with the GABA cycle but for people who believe that it makes a difference, it is there to use.

The congee cycle (porridge, they call it) works well and not just for that purpose. You can keep soup hot, etc. I notice that the manual advises against this but I have done it many times.

Replacement parts can be ordered through the internet, if needed. The greatest risk I see is dropping and denting the cooking vessel. In a conventional unit, this might not make much difference but with induction the difference can be huge.

It works well for steaming, despite the concerns of those who opine that fuzzy logic cookers will not do so. You will, however, need to provide your own basket.

If you follow the recipes closely, the rice will always come out properly cooked and never crusted on the bottom. I've not had a single failure and I cook and eat lots of rice.

The cooker has amazing versatility. Steel cut oats for breakfast...yummmmm

Overall, it reeks of quality. That may be of greater importance to some than to others.

CONS
The stainless finish is an extra cost and essentially the same model can obtained in white for a bit less. Zojirushi NP-KAC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System

Induction heating consumes a bit more energy than conventional heating. Not a lot, but some.

The cost is high. A conventionally heated unit that works almost, but not quite, as well can be had much cheaper. Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5-1/2-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer, Premium White

Retractable cord would have been nice. Mine stays plugged in all the time because I use it so often but others might find the cord a bit of a nuisance.

OVERALL
Highly recommended. This is the best non-pressure rice cooker on the market, hands down. The sweet taste of perfectly prepared rice dishes will last long after the bitterness of the price has faded. If you want a pressure rice cooker, Zoji has those, too, but the price is even steeper. Zojirushi NP-HTC Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker & Warmer - Color: Stainless Brown, 5.5 cups / 1.0 liter

I just retired the Zojirushi rice cooker I was given by my mother over 10 years ago which she used. This is a worthy replacement. It is even better with the multiple settings than the one button. (you know what I'm talking about) But face it, guys aren't supposed to be into appliances but I can't stop thinking this is sweet looking every time. A cool thing is the clock is already set when you get it. It has a battery. I thought it was a sticker at first and tried peeling around the display. (Don't be mean) Yeah it really is expensive but I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. After the previous Zojirushi's track record I am brand loyal. If you eat rice frequently and have a small family you won't be disappointed by any of their rice cookers, but this will be the best looking one in the family.