Customer Reviews

Zojirushi NS-PC18 Electric 10-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Using a rice cooker should be easy - otherwise, why plunk down the money for it? This Zojirushi is user-friendly only after some experimentation since the manual contains almost no information about how to use it. However, since I've finally found the right procedure (as I'll share later), I've been pleased with its performance.

First, some background. I have a Zojirushi NHS-10 that worked beautifully from the start, but after a year of use, started spitting and gurgling starchy water all over the counter. With that kind of mess, I was afraid to cook larger amounts of rice, so I bought this model as a replacement. I liked that the top latched and that the vent hole had a shallow well around it to catch expelled water. I had loved the quality of rice that the less expensive model cooked, so I stayed with the same brand.

My first attempt with this model resulted in the same gooey mess as with my old model - and I was furious. After several phone calls to relatives who also owned this model, I discovered that you MUST use the measurements provided by the plastic measuring cup and inside the non-stick pan. (Because I found that the plastic cup is not really a full cup of rice and was used to a one cup rice to two cups water ratio, I had used my own measuring cup.) For every Zojirushi plastic cup measurement, fill to the corresponding water mark inside the pan. Fill the pan with water to the correct level AFTER adding the rice.

Rinse rice twice before cooking if you want to avoid slight browning on the bottom. Allow fifteen minutes after the machine changes from cook to warm for additional steaming and fluffier rice. How do you cook brown rice? Not a clue. Brown rice requires longer cooking time and therefore more water. My old Zojirushi came with a small manual that provided rice/water ratios for several varieties, but this arrived with almost no instruction. I suggest experimenting with brown and wild rice before counting on it for company.

The pan for this model is huge, and you must use at least two cups of dry rice. The size stated on the box is misleading, as two to ten cups refers to uncooked, not cooked, quantities; rice doubles in size when cooked. Although it's not practical for a small family, larger families and frequent rice eaters will appreciate its generous capacity. Cleaning is slightly more complicated (though hardly time-consuming) than with less expensive Zojirushi models since the steam valve at the top should be rinsed free of accumulated starch between uses. (One relative rarely rinses the valve, however, and has no problems.) The non-stick pan cleans easily, although care must be used not to scratch the surface. The cord wraps around the bottom for storage. The unit itself is surprisingly light-weight given its appearance, making it easy to remove from even high cupboards.

I have mixed feelings about this rice cooker, as I prefer the results of the less expensive model. However, the overall design of this cooker, with its latched lid, larger steam hole, and "dew" catcher (to collect condensation when the cooker is left on warm for prolonged periods), is better, especially if you intend to leave the rice on warm for an extended time. The biggest drawback of this model is the lack of instruction for users unfamiliar with rice cookers.

Three stars right out of the box, four stars once you adapt.

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.

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.

First off, let me say that the first time I used this rice cooker, I was immediately impressed with the texture of the rice and the ease of use. It couldn't be easier -- add rice and water, insert the metal bowl, close the lid and hit the "cook" button.

After several months of use, I've realized several flaws in the design. First, there is no "off" button. To me, this seems to be a bit of a fire hazard, as it is far too easy to forget to unplug the machine after the rice has cooked (it reverts to "warm", which WILL burn eventually). Secondly, there is no timer or bell to alert you to the fact that the rice is done. I've never quite managed to "catch" it reverting from cook to warm, so after 8 months, I still don't know exactly how long it takes to cook rice in this cooker.

I've also noticed that the metal "bowl" included for cooking loses its anti-stick qualities over time. After several months, rice began sticking to the bottom of the bowl during cooking, resulting in a lightly burned bottom layer of rice. I've also noticed that during the first few months of use, lots of moisture was captured in the drainage caps, resulting in very sticky rice. Now, no moisture is ever captured, and the rice almost seems wet (and often undercooked).

Finally, unless you're positive you want to cook at least two cups of rice every time you use the rice cooker, this is NOT the cooker for you. I honestly thought I'd want to prepare two cups at a time each time I used it, and now I understand that a cooker with a one cup minimum would have been a better purchase.

In all honesty, I don't feel the quality of this cooker was significantly higher than those a fraction of the cost. While I'm certain I'd love the "smart logic" high-end Zojirushi cookers, I would have been better off buying a cheaper model than this one -- the cost was astronomical compared to the quality, and now I feel I'm a bit turned off from Zojirushi. They just have not delivered the quality I would expect from their reputation.

This rice cooker is great, but Amazon overcharges you. You can get it for $30 less at Costco.com!

I received this cooker as a holiday gift last winter. Its awesome. I can't recommend it highly enough. Just remember, as others have said, don't really go by the instruction manual.

Almost all the rice you cook in it will be 2:1, even short grain (except Japanese sushi rice, which is really tiny and almost elliptical). For brown rice and small rice batches (1-2 cups) I went even further than that, at 2.5:1, and it all cooked up better than perfect.

As far as rice boiling over, I have never had that problem because I never overfill it. Every rice cooker, stove pots included, will boil over and make a gooey mess if they're overfilled. I always be sure that with rice and water added, its all well under the top line inside the cooking pot.

If you haven't the time to soak the rice first before cooking, just be sure to let it sit after its light switches over for 5-15 minutes. This will really help it cook to the perfect consistancy. Though the light switches from "cook" to "warm," its not actually "ready" for a few more minutes.

Have owned three other rice cookers. Quirky and undependable. This Zojirushi has been in my kitchen for about seven years and operational at least three days a week. Infallible. Mostly it's medium grain but occasionally brown and more often recently, complete meals such as jambalaya, (for which an excellent recipe is on this site). The reason I am here is that my fifteen year old daughter just slammed the lid very hard after serving herself. Apparently the social whirl of high school caused the appliance violence. The latch flew off, broken. If I can find a new latch I'm good. If not, there will be a brand new one of these working hard at my house very soon.

This has been the rice cooker I have ever owned. I threw away my "el cheapo" Aroma after I got this one. The rice on the bottom does tend to get a little more done, but it's no match for the non stick surface. I have made anywhere from 2-10 cups (uncooked) of rice in this cooker and it does equally well with both large & small amounts. I guess if an ON/OFF switch is really that important to you, then I wouldn't recommend this rice cooker. Otherwise, buy and enjoy.

From the leading brand in rice cookers, the Zojirushi rice cooker is a must-have for anyone that loves Asian cuisine. White and brown rice is always an important part of my meals and this product simply performs without fail. The greatest thing I love about this product is that once the rice completes the cooking process, the button pops automatically to the "keep warm" feature. I have had this particular rice cooker for more than 2 years now with little to no problems. Below are some recommendations as well as pros/cons:

Recommendations:

-Don't overestimate the amount of rice you place into the pot. A couple of cups is more than enough for 1 person. Rice expands as it starts absorbing the water, which many people don't realize as they place the rice inside.

-Let the water soak in the rice for about 5 minutes, any less and this will usually cause the rice to not be very soft.

-Serve the rice as soon as possible. Letting the rice sit inside too look will cause the rice on the edges to be cooked longer so that it will be difficult to remove and clean afterwards.

Growing up in New Orleans, my mom cooked rice in the morning and then decided what was for dinner. So after ruining pots of rice on the stove, I became a very satisfied "rice cooker" person. This is the third one I've owned. The other two worked fine, but this is the king of rice cookers!

A couple of tips: first, spray a cooking spray in your cooker each time before using. You should treat it like a teflon skillet. Mine looks brand new and it is over 3 years old. Never put it in the dishwasher. Always hand wash. And always use a plastic or even better, a wooden spoon when serving your rice.

My rice comes out perfect every time. I even add things to my rice for certain dishes. Like if we are having Thai, I might add saffron to the rice and water. Excellent!

I don't think you need more than a button to push to get it started. I always start my rice a couple of hours before the rest of the dinner and it is warm and ready to go when the rest of the meal is.

If you serve dishes with rice and want it perfect every time, I highly recommend this rice cooker.

My son-in-law was stationed in Japan and I gave this to him for Christmas because this is the ONLY RICE COOKER he will use.