Choosing the Best Japanese Rice Cooker for the Most Delicious Rice Dishes

Everyone loves rice. Even though Chinese and Japanese are the biggest consumers, the other rest of the world is following them closely.

Believe it or not, rice needs a bit of special attention while cooking.

Therefore, having the best Japanese rice cooker to prepare it would be a wise investment.

Like this, you will be able to prepare always delicious meals for you and your friends.

But why to complicate your life cooking rice when you can choose the instant rice packages?

There are plenty of reasons starting from the taste and ending with the nutrients. However, if you want to be a “rice cooking artist”, you will need to start with the best tools for cooking.

Top 5 Best Japanese Rice Cooker 2019

Product Name	Color
Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT Micom 3-Cup	Black	Check Price
Panasonic SR-G06FG Automatic 3.3 Cup	Silver	Check Price
Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup Micom (Editor's Choice)	Silver	Check Price
Tiger JAX-T10U-K 5.5-Cup Micom	Silver	Check Price
Hirbo 13-in-1 Asian-style Multifunctional 5-Liter	Silver	Check Price

Now that you have a clear view on how to choose a rice cooker, it is time to present you the best Japanese rice cookers. These products meet all the criteria mentioned above. What is more, there are in the top of their category.

Reviews of Best Japanese Rice Cookers

Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT Micom 3-Cup

This is the best Japanese rice cooker at the moment. When you are buying this product, you receive everything: durability, versatility and competitive price. Could you wish for more? I would say, not.

This rice cooker comes with many excellent features.

First of all, it is extremely easy to use. Moreover, the inside lid is removable. On top of that, the chord is retractable. Furthermore, it has some interesting keep-warm and delay settings. Therefore, your cooking experience will be excellent.

It is not a rice cooker for large families. You can cook at once 3 cups of dry rice or warm 6 cups of cooked rice. However, you can use it also for sushi or brown rice.

Panasonic SR-G06FG Automatic 3.3 Cup

When Panasonic launched this model, the company created a lot of buzz around it. I loved the features, but I also loved the price. This Japanese rice cooker is perfect for a small family, having a 3-cups capacity. It is very compact. Therefore, they do not have to worry about the space it occupies.

It has one-step automatic cooking. Moreover, it offers an amazing experience thanks to the see-through glass lid. Furthermore, the non-stick aluminum pan is very important because you will clean it in just a couple of minutes.

On the other hand, apart from the small capacity, it lacks the steaming attachment. However, people love it for its many other functions and versatility.

Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup Micom (EDITOR’S CHOICE)

Zojirushin are keeping themselves in the top of the best Japanese rice cookers with this model that features excellent functions. It comes with the Fuzzy Logic feature offering you the opportunity to personalize it according to your needs. With the help of the LCD screen and digital functions, you can set this rice cooker to do whatever you want.

In comparison to its competitors, once you buy this device, you can also prepare mixed sushi, sweet cooking, steaming, baking, etc. Moreover, it has a stainless steel exterior that means only one thing: durability. You can choose from two delay time settings. Furthermore, you will keep your food warm thanks to the automatic keep warm function.

This model is almost perfect, but I found also a downside of it. The cooking pot is made of aluminum and has a Teflon coating. In time, this material tends to peel off and is not so durable. However, Teflon is very easy to clean and with some extra attention the product will resist a lot.

Tiger JAX-T10U-K 5.5-Cup Micom

One of the first things that make users buy this model is the stainless steel exterior. This means that the product is durable in time. Moreover, its shape is a bit unique. If we add it to the easy functions, cooking becomes an exciting and delightful adventure.

What is more, it has 4-in-1 functions and 10 cooking settings. Everyting is computerized. Therefore, it will be extremely easy to use it.

The inner pan and lid are removable. This is very important because it will be easy for you to clean it.

Furthermore, you are able to cook two different dishes at once without worrying that one of them will not be as good as the other. Flavors will not interfere with each other.

In case you have a large family and 5.5-cup capacity is not enough, this model comes also in a 10-cup size. One minor downside mentioned is the non-retractable cord and just one setting for slow cooking.

Hirbo 13-in-1 Asian-style Multifunctional 5-Liter

This is an authentic Japanese rice cooker. It has 13 pre-set options. Therefore, you can use it to cook various foods. Imagine that you can use it even for pastas or soups. It has the delay cooking function. This means that you can set the timer for the time you want to prepare the food, and you do not have to worry about anything else.

What is more, you will be able to keep your family’s food warm until they all reunite at the table. You will be able to set the functions and read the steps very good thanks to the LCD panel.

Furthermore, on the screen you will also see the cooking status of your recipe. In addition, it is very easy to clean thanks to the inner pot made of non-stick material. It is durable and efficient thanks to the fuzzy logic function.

However, even though cooking can be amazing with this Japanese rice cooker, it does not come with a cooking book. Therefore, you will have to find the recipes on your own. It does not also have extra accessories.

All in all, the Japanese rice cookers are excellent tools that everyone should have in their kitchen. What is more, they are good not only for the rice, but also for many other dishes. For example, you can prepare veggies, cakes, pastas, or soups. The Japanese producers have added many functions to their products. Therefore, their products are very easy to use. With a Japanese rice cooker you can have a restaurant-quality meal every day.

Buyer’s Guide

1) Cost-effective

The first reason would be because it is cost-effective.

Yes, you heard it right!

Even though you have to make the initial investment and buy the rice cooker, on the long term this option will cost you less. When you are eating rice from time to time, it may be more convenient to cook instant rice.

However, if you are a rice fan and you cook it very often, then a rice cooker will be what you need. The normal rice is cheaper than the instant one.

This is why, if you invest in a rice cooker, you will see how the difference adds up.

2) Nutritive Value

Another reason is based on the nutritive value.

Instant rice may be quick and convenient in terms of time and effort, but it lacks nutrients. This happens because the instant rice undergoes a series of processes until it appears in the hypermarket.

It is first precooked. Producers then dehydrate it.

After the rice is dehydrated, they pack it and send it for sale. On the other hand, the normal rice cooked slowly in the rice cooker has a lot more nutrients. Therefore, when deciding to make a choice between the two options, think first of your health.

3) The Taste

Last but not least, the difference is made by the taste.

Even though you add plenty of spices in the instant rice, it will not taste authentic. Nothing can be compared with the taste of freshly cooked rice.

As we mentioned before, the instant rice is dehydrated before packaging. Therefore, when you cook the instant rice, you practically rehydrate the content of the box. It does not seem like a delicious meal option, right?

How To Choose The Best Japanese Rice Cooker?

The market is now full of rice cookers. At a quick analysis, they all seem to cook rice perfectly every time. However, there are some aspects that need to be taken into consideration to determine the best Japanese rice cooker.

This will help you take the decision wisely. You will not choose the best rice cooker just based on intuition. After you read this article, you will make a documented choice.

1) Size

When you choose a rice cooker, you think of how much quantity of rice you will cook for your family. Therefore, it is important to know that rice cookers do not measure the rice in grams. They measure it in cups. Moreover, if you want to obtain the most delicious rice ever, you should use the rice cooker at its near full capacity.

This is why it is important to choose the product with the capacity that will be enough for your needs. For example, a small rice cooker has a capacity of 3-4 cups. On the other hand, bigger rice cookers have a capacity of 10 cups.

2) Design

Usually, there are three types of design for a rice cooker: pot style, cool-touch style and egg shaped. If you are a beginner, the pot-style version is just perfect for you. This type of rice cooker is based on the Japanese design. It has an inner pot right in the cooker’s body. The inner pot is removable. The pot style rice cooker has also a removable lid.

The cool-touch rice cooker manages to keep injuries at a very low rate. This is possible because its exterior stays cool all the time. You can prepare the most delicious rice in this rice cooker thanks to the lid that locks while cooking. What is more, for most of the models in this category, the inner lid is also removable.

The third category comes with a more modern design. The egg shaped rice cookers have a digital display in front of the machine. Usually, you will find this type of rice cooker in restaurants.

3) Fuzzy Logic Function

This function is excellent. It makes the rice cooker think exactly like a human when cooking the rice. For example, if you are cooking rice on a cold day, you know that it cooks more slowly. Therefore, you would increase the temperature. The rice cooker with fuzzy logic function does exactly the same.

What is more, fuzzy logic also helps you in establishing the rice consistency. For a human this is sometimes difficult. Therefore, the rice cooker goes beyond human senses and succeeds in delivering the best rice ever.

4) Other Features That Might Be Interesting

Modern rice cookers usually have a non-stick pan. This is perfect because you will clean it faster. Other rice cookers come with various utensils. For example, you can find in the package some steamer baskets or plastic spoons. They are perfect to steam vegetables at the same time the rice is cooking.

How cool is that?

Benefits Of Using A Japanese Rice Cooker

​More and more people have started to become the fans of Japanese rice cookers. There are plenty of models to choose from the market. Each producer is trying to bring more features to the table and gain life-time customers. However, irrespective of the brand you choose, there are some benefits of using a Japanese rice cooker :

1) Increased level of safety

Experts claim that the Japanese rice cookers are the safest devices on the market. This is one of the benefits that people simply adore. When you are dealing with an electronic device, it is very important to know that it does not put your life in danger. Therefore, everyone puts safety on the first place when they choose a Japanese rice cooker.

2) No burned rice

When you are a beginner, there might be moments when your magic in the kitchen fails. Therefore, sometimes you burn the rice. Even though it may not be your fault, the Japanese rice cooker makes sure such cases never happen. It does not matter what recipe you want to cook.

When you put the rice inside the Japanese rice cooker, its sensor will cook the rice just perfect. Once it is ready, it will stop. This is why you can erase the chapter of burned rice from your cooking experience

3) Helps you establish the perfect proportion between rice and water

Sometimes cooking rice is not as simply as it may seem. Establishing the correct proportion of water and rice can be very challenging. With a Japanese rice cooker, this is not an issue anymore. The cooker has already highlighted the lines that indicate the proportions you need to consider when you cook rice. Moreover, many Japanese rice cookers come with a recipe book where you will discover the right proportions for the dish you want to cook.

4) Schedule your cooking time

When you are a busy person but you still want to keep your family happy with healthy recipes, the Japanese rice cooker is exactly what you need. It gives you the opportunity to schedule the cooking. Therefore, all you have to do is first to add all the ingredients. Then set the timer. Once the time is off, the Japanese rice cooker will start cooking. This means that you will have your recipe ready right in time when you need it.

5) You can keep your food warm

Let’s say that you finished cooking earlier, but you still wait for all the family to come home. Why to risk serving them a cold food? When you have a Japanese rice cooker this is not a problem anymore. These devices have a special function that keeps the food warm for how long you want it. Therefore, you will not have to worry again about warming the food because you cooked it too early. By using this type of rice cooker, you can enjoy a warm meal whenever you want.

How To Use A Japanese Rice Cooker

When you want to cook delicious meals using a Japanese rice cooker, it is very important to know how to use it.

Therefore, the video below shows you what functions work best for the perfect Japanese rice.

Follow the steps explained in the video and you will amaze your family with the best dishes:

Product	Quality
Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT Micom 3-Cup	A+
Panasonic SR-G06FG Automatic 3.3 Cup	B+
Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup Micom (Editor's Choice)	A+
Tiger JAX-T10U-K 5.5-Cup Micom	A+
HIBRO Asian Style 13 in 1 Multifunctional 5-Liter	A+

FAQ

In Conclusion

​After reviewing all these products, the winner of the best Japanese rice cooker award is Zojirushi and their model NS-TSC10. It offers a complete cooking experience giving you the opportunity to cook many other dishes apart from rice.

The LCD screen is very convenient showing you very clearly the functions you want to choose and the status. The capacity is generous enough for a big family. The two-delay settings and fuzzy logic technology make this product an authentic Japanese rice cooker. What is more, the materials used offer durability. For all these features, the price paid is a correct one as you will get an excellent performance.

Did you like reading this article? What other products can you recommend? Share your thoughts in the comments section and don’t forget to share this article to others.​