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372 of 374 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Restaurant Quality Rice at Home, September 25, 2006
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.
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155 of 155 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only way to make rice, March 5, 2007
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.
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166 of 169 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Love This Rice Cooker!, January 4, 2007
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.
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