Stainless Steel Rice Cookers and rice steamers have taken the guesswork and the drama out of cooking rice in the kitchen. When you cook with a Rice Cooker you will never again wait in trepidation, wondering just how the rice is going to turn out.
Companies such as Zojirushi, Aroma, Tiger and National/Panasonic have a range of rice cookers that will produce perfectly cooked rice every time.
While gas powered rice cookers are available, for domestic use most are electric, of which there are two main types.
The first, simply known as an electric rice cooker, cooks and then in most case keeps your rice warm and fresh for anything between 4 and 24 hours.
The second type, and this is where hi-tech electronics comes to the paddy field, are microprocessor controlled and are know as fuzzy logic rice cookers.
What’s the difference between the two you ask? Well price and convenience for a start.
Besides that, an electric rice cooker is designed and calibrated mainly for easily cooking white rice and cooking it to a medium texture.
Simply throw in a measured quantity of washed rice with the appropriate amount of water, switch to cook and Bob’s your uncle, 20 to 30 minutes later you will have perfect white rice.
You can very the texture of the cooked rice by varying the amount of water you cook with. Adding a little more water than is recommended results in a softer rice, a little less water, a harder, crunchier rice.
Electric rice cookers will also cook other types of rice, such as brown and mixed, but you will need to follow your recipe book carefully and experiment with water levels.
A quick comparison of some Best Stainless Steel Rice Cookers
| Name | Zojirushi NP-GBC05 | Zojirushi NP-HBC10 | Zojirushi NP-HBC18 | Zojirushi NS-TSC10 |
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| More Info.. | More Info.. | More Info.. | More Info.. | |
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| Capacity | 3 cup | 5 and ½ cup | 10 cup | 5 and ½ cup |
| key Features | User-Friendly LCD Panel with 7 Control Buttons; Detachable Cord for Convenient Storage | Healthy Cooking Options, cETLus Listed, FCC Standards Tested | Micro Computer Technology, Easy Clean-Up, cETLus listed | Micro Computerized Fuzzy Logic Technology; Reheating Cycles and Retractable Power Cord |
| Heat source | Superior IH Technology | Superior IH and Micro CH Technology | Superior IH Technology | Micro CH Technology |
| Programmable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-functional | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 8.8 pounds | 10.1 pounds | 9 pounds | 9.8 pounds |
| Timer | 2 hours delay | 2 hours delay | 2 hours delay | 2 hours delay |
| Warranty | N/A | 1-Year limited | 1-Year limited | N/A |
| Ratings | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| Price | $$$ | $$$ | $$$ | $$$ |
Best Stainless Steel Rice Cooker Reviews
Zojirushi NP-GBC05
The Zojirushi NP-GBC05 is a 3-cup rice cooker that comes with multiple menu-cooking functions. You can cook as little as 1/2 cup of rice with this appliance.
Whether you are cooking for yourself or a small family, this small rice cooker is perfect for you. Because of its compact design, the unit will not take up a lot of space on your kitchen counter.
Read full Review
Zojirushi NP-HBC10
The Zojirushi NP-HBC10 is a 5 1/2 cup rice cooker and warmer that uses microcomputer and induction heating technology for even cooking.
This type of heating introduces another dimension to the heating process. The entire cooking pan is transformed into a heat conductor, resulting to even heat distribution.
This model is essentially the same with the NP-HBC18. Their only difference is the capacity.
Read full Review
Zojirushi NP-HBC18
The Zojirushi NP-HBC18 is a 10-cup rice cooker that uses induction heating technology for perfectly cooked rice every time.
It has various cooking configuration settings so you can cook different kinds of rice (regular, sushi, brown, mixed, etc.).
Lower-end rice cookers do not have this functionality. The cooking timer allows you to choose between two delay settings- keep warm and extended keep warm.
Read full Review
Zojirushi NS-TSC10
The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 is a 5 1/2-cup rice cooker and warmer that uses Micro Computerized Fuzzy Logic Technology.
This technology makes the appliance intuitively adjust cooking temperature and time based on the type or rice you are cooking.
Unlike traditional rice cookers that basically turn on and off, the NS-TSC10 comes with multiple cooking functions that will allow you to cook grains in different ways.
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Zojirushi NS-ZCC18
The Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 is a micro-computerized rice cooker with a capacity of 20 cups (cooked rice). This rice cooker is a great choice for bigger families. What makes it stand out among the rest is it uses Neuro Fuzzy smart technology.
This enables the rice cooker to adjust the heating times and cooking or warming temperatures for optimal results. It doesn’t matter what type of rice you want to cook because it will turn out perfectly.
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