Customer Reviews

Zojirushi NS-LAC05XA Micom 3-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer, Stainless Steel

5 star:		(259)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

My wife and I became busy recently and decided it was time to finally get a rice cooker to save some time in the kitchen. We bought a cheap old-school rice cooker and the rice would scorch, water would boil out of lid, and the rice was worse than cooking the rice on the stove top.

Then we decided to invest in a good rice cooker.

The Zojirushi NS-LAC05 is everything we hoped for and more. We wanted a rice cooker that would make great rice, that could handle smaller amounts of rice, that had a timer, and could handle a variety of different rices.

This rice cooker is a dream.
-It's attractive. We've already received compliments from guests.
-Its footprint is very reasonable for a small kitchen.
-With a thick, stick proof bowl the rice doesn't burn to any spot and clean up is simple.
-It easily makes rice for 2 adults (1.5 of the "cups" for us) but could handle 4 adults (3 "cups") with normal eating habits. Note: the cups aren't full size cups of rice.
-It does a great job on a variety of rices; there are different settings for different rices and the measurement markings appear correct for different rices. So far we've tried long grain brown, medium grain brown, sushi, jasmine, white basmati, brown basmati, and brown/white mixes. We haven't had a bad batch of rice.
-The computer's fuzzy logic algorithm (i.e. "Micom Neuro Fuzzy") constantly adjusts the temperature so the rice comes out perfect every time. I also think the cooker starts out at a low temperature and gradually steps up the heat but I'm not 100% sure.
-The heavy bowl seems to distribute heat perfectly and there's no scorched rice or crust attached to the bowl.
-The timer is convenient for setting the rice to be completed at a specific time, at which point it keeps your rice warm. We've found it completes cooking within a minute or two of the timer setting. There are two timer settings that you can adjust...presumably so you could have your rice prepared for breakfast & dinner in Japan.
-The retractable cord is a nice feature.
-There's even a little holder for the included rice paddle that attaches to the side of the cooker.

We've even used it to make Polenta. Just use 1 Zojirushi-cup of corn grits, chicken broth up to 2-cup brown rice mark, and cook using the white rice setting. When it's done, put the mixture in a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

I'd highly recommend this rice cooker. It's probably not big enough for a big family but for a single person, a couple, or a small family it will probably fit the bill perfectly. I can't over-emphasize the quality of rice the cooker produces...it's like a dream having rice as good or better than a restaurant at home. We probably eat grain cooked in this machine 6-7 nights a week. Once you switch to this Zojirushi you'll never want to go back to your old ways.

I set the timer in the morning and the rice is ready when I come home from work. When I walk in the door, my apartment smells of cooked rice, -- which is surprisingly pleasant. The timer is a must especially for brown rice which takes one hour and 40 minutes to cook. If I come home late, the rice is still okay since it automatically goes into a keep warm mode when the cycle is completed. It has a "mixed rice" mode which actually means cooking chicken, fish and tofu with the rice (not tried it yet). The only con is that the direction are terrible. It must have been poorly translated from Japanese. I'm not subtracting a star for this issue because it's so simple to operate once you know what to do. The cooking bowl has water level gradations etched into the side-- there are several depending upon the setting (brown, white, etc.) You put the dry rice into the bowl using the supplied measuring and add water until the level reaches the line for the rice you are cooking (brown rice is from .5 cup to 2 cups, white rice is from 1 to 3 cups, etc.) That is not exactly what the directions say (e.g., "level scales according to the menu you have chosen and then flatten the surface of the rice." What? Anyway, I comes out perfect and steamy hot. A special nubby rice spatula is included.
Also, it makes great oatmeal, even the steel cut type that normally takes 30 minutes to cook. Use the "porridge" setting. Use about half as much water as recommended on the oatmeal box. It has two timers that remember the last time used and the cooking setting. I have one timer set for porridge in the morning and the other for brown rice in the evening.
It has a small footprint on my counter - about the size of a toater. The cord has a retraction mechanism (like a vacuum cleaner) which means here is no excess cord on the counter. There is a large handle, much like you would see on a small cooler, making it easy to put pick up and put away when not in use.

Received this Zojirushi 3-cup Micom as a self-holiday gift a week ago. Since then, I've made sushi rice, basmati, brown & wild medley, along with various types of dal (basmati and red/yellow lentils with curry) and mujadarah (basmati and green lentils with carmelized onions). I've also used the warming part of things to gently steam scallops on top of rice for a New Year's treat. Yum! Soon I'll try veggies and flavored broths.

I first put in too much water, since the directions didn't make it clear that the water measures on the cooking bowl include rice at the bottom. But after I got this right, the results were perfect each time. The rice is as good or better than from a restaurant (plus fresher), and much, much cheaper to make at home, particularly if you purchase rice by the pound. I'm working on my sushi technique, but it's already tasting good if looking funky. I do advise rinsing, rinsing, rinsing the rice before cooking. Soaking the grains doesn't really seem necessary, unless you're using the timer, in which case there is no way around it.

Speaking of which, the timer works great. It was wonderful to wake up to the aroma of fresh rice. I fixed dal a few times and then left for the gym. When I came home, it was ready, steaming hot, perfectly cooked and the house smelled divine. I think it gently steams, then cooks just at or below a boil, and then steams again. So it really is terrific with beans, such as lentils, that easily fall apart with too much rough treatment, but that benefit from a long slow simmer. And, of course, that's the way to go for rice too.

The Zojirushi is easy to use, doesn't take up much countertop space, is attractive and easy to carry around. I took it over to a friend's house for my contribution to a holiday meal. During the car ride, the rice stayed warm in the bowl and helped keep some bread wrapped in foil warm. Actually the warm function keeps rice warm for hours with no diminishment of the quality. The Zojirushi makes cute sounds when it starts up and finishes cooking. Also it's a snap to clean! No nasty white residue and boiled over starch, or scalding steam or water. It truly cleans up in a minute, which is amazing in itself.

What's not to like? Well, the price! But Amazon was offering $25 off with a kitchen purchase of over $125. So, although I also considered the 3.5 cup Sanyo (which costs $99) -- which perhaps has a better, thicker bowl -- there wasn't really any savings. Since this is a newer model rice cooker, probably manufactured to compete with the Sanyo, the Zojirushi is what I went with. It's perfect for me. If you make bigger batches of rice at one time, though, I suppose a larger size would be better. Amazon offered the best deal, BTW, including eBay, shopping locally, etc, since there was no tax or S/H.

I considered American rice cookers, hot pot styles, etc. They all looked like junk, and I wasn't convinced that they wouldn't turn out messy, glue-like rice. I'm glad I went ahead and got the best for my uses. The quality of rice and beans has been outstanding. Plus I can't get over how much money I'm saving by not buying take-out, and I get to season the food to my liking. There is hardly any food that is cheaper, more comforting or nutritious than rice and beans, and you can keep the oil and butter to a minimum to keep the calories low while not feeling deprived. I'm going to use it to pack lunches too, which means the Zojirushi will pay for itself in one month. Since it arrived, I've hardly used the microwave and hardly have eaten any meat. And, boy, does food taste better! Totally highly recommended.

We tried the cheaper model from the same brand and returned it. This one works perfectly, especially for cooking very small quantities of rice. Couldn't be happier, and yes,it does employ fuzzy logic when cooking the rice. Don't buy a cooker without that feature.

And everything from this brand is usually very high quality. This one is no exception. If you are a serious cook, this is the entry level. Don't go any cheaper. Note that it only cooks 3 cups. Perfect for those who like rice but may not want so much of it. For two people, we've found that 1 cup is enough to satisfy our craving for rice dishes for two, without pumping up our waistlines.

It's very easy to use. They give you a measuring cup and you measure the rice with the lines on the cup (we use 1/4 cup per person, but most will probably want 1/2 cup per person), then dump it into the bowl that is included in the thing. Next, add water (some people will stir the rice with their fingers) and pour the water back out to rinse the rice. Some of the hulls from the rice will float off when you pour the water out. Rinse twice, then fill the water back up to the mark corresponding to the amount of rice you have in there. Yes, you add water to the mark with the rice inside. Put the bowl in the unit and close the lid. Next you push menu to select the type of rice you have (white, brown, sushi, etc., use porridge for steel cut oatmeal) and push start. If you want to use the timer, instead of pushing start, push timer, use the arrows to set the time (it starts with the last time you used) and then push start.

The only knock I have is that it takes a *long* time to cook 1 cup of rice. 40 minutes just seems like it's twice as long as it should take. However, because I don't know whether that is longer than other fuzzy logic rice cookers, I didn't take a star away from the product. Just be forewarned, it takes a LOT longer than cooking rice on a stove. Is it underpowered? I don't know. The flip side is that it only takes 450 watts to run the thing, and so it is less likely to pop the circuit breaker if you have something else going.

A little off topic, but if you are looking at a rice cooker, you may want to learn about rice. Here is what we have learned so far. There are three basic grain sizes of rice: long grain, medium grain and short grain, also known as sweet rice or sushi rice. Each kind has its place. Long grain rice is best for fried rice and pilafs - where the rice shouldn't stick together because you want every grain to be coated with a flavoring. By itself, long grain rice is not that great tasting. We Americans are used to long grain rice, but wait until you branch out into other types.

Medium grain rice is for serving just plain rice, like as a side dish with Chinese dishes. It is easily the best tasting rice by itself. It clumps together to a degree, making it easier to eat with chopsticks. If you want the most delicious rice you can find, and you won't be flavoring it, buy medium grain. It's so much better than that long grain minute rice we grew up with.

Finally, sushi rice is very short grain and clumps like mad. It is generally limited to sushi, where you would be willing to sacrifice flavor to get better clumping, and sweet dishes, because of its high starch content. This rice cooker has a special setting for short grain rice. But I find short grain rice to be too artificial tasting, and so even for sweet dishes, I use medium grain rice.

Next, there are two basic types of rice: brown rice, which is how all rice starts, or white rice, which is brown rice with essentially all of the nutrients removed. With no nutrients, white rice doesn't spoil like brown rice can. We've found very little difference in taste between brown rice and white rice. If you don't like brown rice, you were probably thinking of an exotic variety that had a deeper taste. Regular brown rice you buy in the store is very nearly the same taste as white, so we've stopped buying white. Find Botan Calrose brown rice in an asian market, look at the health advantages of brown rice on the internet and you'll never go back. Note, there is a special setting on the cooker for brown rice, and different water marks for brown, and brown rice takes about 80 (not a typo) minutes to make one cup.

I'm sure you can find more detail on line, but that should give you the basics. Ditch your long grain rice: you'll be amazed at how much better medium grain rice can be. And try brown rice: you'll be shocked at how close it is to the nutrient-less white rice. This cooker makes all kinds of rice really well. I've had it for about three years and we use it nearly every day. It's still working like the day we got it. The nonstick bowl looks and acts like new. The battery keeps all of the settings and the current time, though my understanding is that the battery is not easily replaceable without sending it back.

The Zo' is a competent rice cooker. It's easy to make good rice, just fill with water, drop in the rice, select the type of rice you're cooking and hit the `cooker' button. Timed cooking, the type we do most often, is just as easy and only requires one more step.
The bowl is cast aluminum with a thick coating of Teflon, both inside and out, that will most likely last for years. The markings inside the bowl are easy to read in contrasting white and they are raised which makes them very easy to see and use.
I thought the retracting cord and spoon holder were just gimmicks but they are both handy additions to the cooker.
It cleans easily too. The top just pops out and the bowl is a cinch to wash, no different then any small pot and there is no need for an external steam cup to catch any overflow like on many other cookers.
We buy grains in bulk and rice too. I like the organic short grain brown rice and it cooks perfectly but I did have to play with the water to rice ratio just a bit which I think is normal. It only took about two or three tries to get rice just the way we like it.
I don't like the display, you have to stand back to see it clearly. They should have used one with a better field of view, you can buy a $5.00 clock that is easier to read. Also the rice takes a long time to cook, over an hour and a half for some types of rice. We don't eat white rice so you may find that you can use the quick cook setting for a shorter cooking time.
I don't have another cooker to compare the fuzzy logic to so I can't say how effective it is over a non fuzzy logic cooker but it does make very good rice consistently.
The price is comparatively high but I think the quality is there. The cooker is made in China but I'd say under strict supervision from Zojirushi as the fit and finish are excellent and the cooker has a quality look to it.

UPDATE:
I originally gave the Zo 4 stars.
After owning this for over a year and many rice cooking sessions the teflon on the top half of the bowl started to come of easily with slight rubbing. I have never used harsh chemicals or abrasives on the bowl but I think the problem lies in the fact that I make mostly one cup at a time and the top half gets hotter than the rest of the bowl where the coating is still well attached.
I can't use this cooker anymore. I sent an email to Zo asking if they make a stainless bowl, they don't. On the matter of my teflon flaking off they have no answer nor did they off to examine or exchange it.... Caveta Emptor.

This rice cooker simply cooks the best rice I have ever had. The size is perfect for 2 people. So far I have made white rice, brown rice, steel cut oatmeal, and a few twists on rice. I mixed white rice with veggie stock, soy sauce, broccoli, and carrots. It came out excellent. I tried the Jambalaya recipe found on the Zojirushi website. It was super easy and also came out excellent. The oatmeal was out of this world, I had never had steel cut oatmeal. If you haven't tried it, I would recommend it, it is not the same as the instant oats we are used to from the Puritan spokesman. With this rice cooker, cooking steel cut oatmeal is as easy as cooking instant (I use half a cup of oats in the rice measurer, one and a half cups of water, half a cup of milk).

The cooker is so simple to use, easy to use the timer to have the rice/oatmeal ready whenever you want it. You can read the manual to learn to program it, but it is very intuitive. If you happen to run late, the cooker keeps the rice warm and fresh for several hours.

The clean up is a huge selling point. The thick bowl is non stick and cleans up easily, the upper lid snaps out and cleans up easily, even the spatula/fluffer cleans up easily. I usually have it clean before the rice is cool enough to eat.

In my opinion, it is worth the extra cost. The rice does not come out clumpy like in a steamer or less expensive cooker. You can see and feel the quality in the product. A very good buy.

I have the same usual story of woe; used a cheap, awful rice maker with a glass lid for years, had to deal with an awful mess anytime I just wanted a side of rice.

I finally gave in and ordered this 3-cup rice cooker after doing a lot of research. It's as great as everyone says! It was just delivered this afternoon, and I've already pulled it out and cooked up some rice. It was so simple, I didn't even bother reading the instructions. The truly fantastic thing about it was, I was able to go run an errand that suddenly came up without worrying about leaving it sitting. When I got home, a *perfectly* cooked serving of rice was waiting for me.

It is quite expensive, and I debated buying it because I'm moving to Japan next year. But I have absolutely no problem with spending the measely $20 to send it on over to myself.

Admittedly, I am only one person, and never cook for more than 4, but I can't see this rice cooker failing to deliver for a small family of average eaters. I only made one cup (smaller than the '1 cup' we use in cooking), and it made a full bowl of rice.

This is the first time I've ever bothered writing a review for anything--but I simply had to, because I am SO impressed. I would reccomend this cooker to anyone who loves eating lots of quality rice. :)

When I was in Japan for five months in 2006 I first witnessed the magic that is a rice cooker/warmer. I quickly grew attached to it and used it every day. After coming back to the states I went shopping for one and thought, "aren't these all the same?" and bought the cheapest I could find. What a mistake that was.

After using it for a few months I just couldn't take it anymore. The rice was always burnt, soggy, or crusty. So last week I got the NS-LAC05 in the mail and fell in love instantly. It makes perfect rice every time. The warmer keeps rice moist and fresh for a long time (I sometimes leave it in for 12+ hours). Honestly, I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

After reading some of the reviews here I was pleasantly surprised to hear that you can put steel-cut oats as well as beans/veggies/meat/fish in it. I had no idea but I look forward to trying this out for myself.

Highly recommended.

After years of struggling to cook a variety of rices perfectly and consistently on the stovetop, I now own a machine that does the job. I've only owned my NS-LAC05 for about two weeks but, so far, I couldn't be more pleased with it. I've cooked a mixed whole grain rice called Black Japonica, as well as brown basmati, several times each and every batch has come out perfectly.

For my purposes, the most valuable feature of this machine is the timer. I put the rice and water in the cooker before going to work in the morning, set the timer for 8:00 p.m., and have perfect, warm rice waiting for me when I get home from the gym. Once the rice is done cooking, the machine automatically goes into "keep warm" mode . . . so I have nothing to worry about if I get hung up at work or stay at the gym longer than planned. Perfect rice is waiting for me. This cooker with timer makes eating healthy whole grains possible even with busy schedule and a lack of the patience necessary to wait an hour after arriving home to eat dinner.

Although the size of this cooker sounds small (3-cup), it's perfect for solo eaters up to dinner parties of 6.

Well worth the money . . . enjoy!

I love my Zojirushi rice cooker! I didn't mind cooking white rice on the oven or quick oatmeal in the microwave, but I really prefer brown rice and steel-cut oatmeal. The problem was, by the time my wife or I got home to start dinner, it was too late to start on brown rice. It was the same at breakfast - there just was not enough time to cook steel-cut oatmeal on weekdays, so I only had it on weekends. I was not willing to pay $100 for a rice cooker, but when I read that it could cook oatmeal as well as brown rice, and it could do it on a timer, and that it could keep rice warm for several hours, I was willing to give it a shot. If you follow the directions (rinse your rice!), it really does all of those things. Rice comes out great every time (I have tried several varieties of brown rice), and so does steel-cut oatmeal (I use McCann's). Rice will stay warm for many hours. Clean up is a total breeze, particularly if you do it as soon as the bowl cools. Since I bought it, I have discovered that my 1 and 1/2 year-old loves brown rice and oatmeal, so I have started setting the timer every night so that there is fresh oatmeal waiting for us when we get up. I have used it every day for about four months, and I do not have a single complaint. If you can cough up the $100+, I would highly recommend this rice cooker.