Customer Reviews

Zojirushi NS-PC10 Electric 5-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Initial purchase around November of 2003: In my house, we mainly eat brown rice & I was concerned that the cooker handle this since rice cookers seem to be designed with white rice in mind. I also wanted to be able to start it in the morning and come back after work and find it perfectly cooked and still hot. I'm happy to report that this cooker performs perfectly at both tasks. For my brown rice, I find that I need a little extra water (ie, fill it a little over the line instead of at the line) but this is a minor quibble. Other than that, it's very easy to use, the measuring marks for water & the measuring cup for rice make it unexpectadely easy to measure the desired amount of rice. I have also used this with great success with more exotic rices incdluding wild rice, black rice and red rice from Butan (or somewhere around there, I got it at Whole Foods)

Update 10/24/04: After almost a year of use, I still love this rice cooker and recently used it to cook barley very successfully (but you have to measure the water & barley yourself, don't use the rice measurements that are pre-labeled on the cooker as the water to grain ratio is different for barley than rice).

Also, I've abused it by pouring rice into the heating compartment of the unit itself and it still works! I simply forgot to put the rice pot in the unit and poured in the rice without it. By the time I realized my error some had gotten into the innards, where it still lives some months later. Other than the fact that I can hear it, the cooker continues to work flawlessly

Update 8/22/2006. Still working flawlessly, even though there is still rice in the innards due to my carelessness.

For years I've wished that I could cook "perfect rice". This little "Zo" has made it possible for me to prepare perfect Sushi-style rice (sumptuously sticky and moist) as well as the perfect cafeteria-style rice (no two grains stick together, and the rice is firm, almost al dente). And the absolute best feature is the impossibly non-stick surface of the cooking pot. Every grain of rice falls out of the pot! Cleaning my previous rice cooker was so repulsive and difficult that I soon stopped using it. You can use a damp paper towel and clear water to clean this Zo!!

The recipe is simple -- measure rice, rinse, add water, soak, press the button, let it steam for 15 minutes after the cook cycle has finished, then stir to release the trapped excess steam. PERFECT! The Zojirushi will keep your rice warm for hours, but who can wait that long to eat it? Not me!

If you want to avoid the very tiny bit of browned rice on the bottom, the secret seems to be rinsing the rice for a ridiculous amount of time, at least 5 full minutes.

I heartily recommend this item.

We eat rice often. We've had a Faberware cooker for years that finaly died. Wouldn't get another as it cooked the rice unevenly with 'burned spots'. The Zojirushi costs lots more, but is well worth it. This unit cooks all of the rice perfectly every time. We like the size, it delivers 2 to 5 cups of cooked rice, and it delivers the same high quality rice for any batch size.

I wish we could leave it pluged in, but there is no on/off switch. The overall quality seams very good, what you would expect from a [price] machine.

If you eat rice frequently, and enjoy high quality food, this is an excellent machine and is well worth the cash.

I found this machine works great - makes perfect rice every time! It takes about 25 minutes to cook 3 cups of rice, and the cleanup is a snap thanks to the non-stick pan. The machine automatically controls the cooking time, so a timer is not necessary. In fact, since 3 cups of rice cooks in 25 minutes using this machine, I can't imagine ever needing a timer or "stay warm" feature...

So is there any downside to the Zojirushi NS-PC10? Not really... The only (minor) issue is that there is no power switch - the unit is activated by plugging it into the wall (and deactivated by unplugging). The cord is wound around a receptacle recessed into the bottom of the unit (it does not automatically retract).

I really wanted one of the fancy "Neuro Fuzzy" Rice cookers by Zojirushi - but they are just too expensive to justify... The computerized models also require a battery to function (this model does not).

I reccomend this product as a useful, easy-to-use and relatively inexpensive rice cooker.

The included "Operating Instructions" are a joke and practically useless.
It does cook absolutely perfect rice,
BUT cleaning is a pain:

1) The inner pan has a rolled rim which catches and retains water when washing it. Don't put the pan back in the cooker unless you are sure that there is no trapped water left in the rim for dripping into the main body and onto the cooking plate.
2) One needs to also clean the dew collector and the steam vent apart from wiping down the inner main body rim from the liquid that does not reach the dew collector. Instructions tell to not remove the reverse stopper valve when cleaning the vent assembly: I did not intend to remove this stopper valve - it just fell out under a gentle stream of warm water from my faucet...Don't loose it - down the drain!
3) The stationary lid needs wiping + cleaning ASAP, otherwise one collects additional grime [See 4)].
4) Be aware that the area between the steam vent + the slots in the lid does trap really nasty stuff you can't see nor reach easily when cleaning. Pay attention to these hard to reach nooks and crannies....
5) It's easy to miss the moment when the unit switches to the "keep warm" feature, - the click is barely audible, unless you stand next to it. As the recommended 15 minutes of steaming are essential for a good result, it is disappointing that you need to keep watching the unit visually for light changes. Am I asking for too much if I'd prefer a louder click or even a ring?

Saving grace: It does produce the most delicious and perfect rice.
My next rice cooker will again be a "simple" version with a glass lid + less extra parts to clean.

I grew up on rice cooked with the old fashioned rice cookers. This new generation of rice cookers is really amazing. The rice is cooked perfectly and stays hot for hours afterwards. I like the simplistic design of this model, no need to program clocks and timers, so we can unplug it and store it away. It cooks white rice from 1-5 cups perfectly. There is a little area on the bottom that gets a little brown but not burnt or crusty. It cleans up easily with minimal scrubbing. I highly recommend this model.

I bought this cooker to make sushi. It works great even with just a single cup of rice (I don't think that I'll ever make a large batch).

Clean up is as simple as stated, and it's small and attractive on counter (not so important, but it's right next to the coffee machine and I see it every day).

The only complaint that I have is that it's 'always on' so you have to unplug it when not in use.

this is by far the best purchase i have made in awhile! the rice (i have tried all types) comes out perfectly 99% of the time. the other 1% is when i failed to properly rinse the rice and this results in a yellowish, dry spot of rice on the bottom, but no big deal. the interior bowl which holds the rice is easy to clean requiring only seconds. each morning i set up the rice cooker and by evening i have half of dinner already made. this is an excellent time saver and just too easy.

This is the first & only rice cooker I've owned - but this little Zojirushi is GREAT! Clean-up is effortless. It's the perfect size for my small apartment (with very limited counter-space). And it makes PERFECT brown rice each & every time! It also has a rice warmer feature that keeps the rice toasty & moist without any burning.
HIGHLY recommended!

I purchased this rice cooker to cook brown rice. Everytime I have made brown rice, the water boils up thru the vent on the top lid and down the back of the machine. Which then leaves a puddle of thick rice water on the counter and a mess to clean up. Because some of the water boils out, the rice is hard and not soft like it should be.
After contacting Zojirushi and asking for their help, they said that you can only make l cup of brown rice in this rice maker. I hardly think a rice maker is worth the money spent if you can only cook l cup of rice at a time. I was really disappointed with this rice maker.