The Features Available on Zojirushi Rice Cookers

Zojirushi is a leading name in rice cookers all over the world.  They manufacture high quality, durable rice cookers for all budget levels.  Although they produce some cheaper rice cookers most of their products are higher end and often run over $100.  If you take ever make a trip over to Japan you will probably notice that almost all homes and restaurants use Zojirushi rice cookers.  An entire nation of rice fanatics using a single brand of rice cooker has to say something for its quality.

Zojirushi rice cookers range from small, basic styles well suited to single people who only need the most basic features all the way to the large, expensive styles that are meant for families who cook a lot of different types of rice and need all the varying features that the rice cookers of today can provide.

Here are some of the major features that Zojirushi offers in their different rice cookers:

Warming

Just about every Zojirushi rice cooker that's out there comes with a warming ability.  However, some of the cheaper models only can keep rice warm after it's finished cooking whereas the higher-end models come with the ability to re-warm rice or other items.  But no matter what rice cooker you use make sure to take care when using the warming function with only 1 or 2 cups of rice as it could dry it out.

The Ability to Steam

A feature that's becoming much more popular in Zojirushi rice cookers is the steamer.  This is essentially a plate that usually sits on the rim of the cooking pot that allows steam to pass through.  The steamer is great for cooking fish, vegetables and rice that has better texture when steamed over when boiled such as Thai sticky rice and Jasmine rice.

Fuzzy Logic and Neuro Fuzzy Technology

All mid- to upper-level Zojirushi rice cookers some with one of these features, Neuro Fuzzy being a more advanced form of this technology.  Rice cookers with one of these features have the capability to constantly update and adjust its temperature and cooking time, this allows a perfect final product every time.  The amount of water that is put in with the rice usually varies a bit and the types of rice use different amounts of water which is where Fuzzy technology comes in, keeping the rice cooking predictable and all but fool-proof.

The Power of Induction Heating

This feature is typically only available on the higher-end Zojirushi rice cookers.  Contrary to most standard rice cookers those with induction heating don't have a heater coil near the bottom of the cooking pot.  Instead, it uses a technology that allows a very uniform heating and thus a uniform cooking, preventing rice on the edges of the pot from getting cooked more than that in the center.

I hope this helps you in deciding which rice cooker to buy.  I love Zojirushi rice cookers and that's now all I use in my kitchen but that's not to say the other brands don't make wonderful rice cookers, in the end it all comes down to personal preference.