Even Professional Chefs Can't Live Without This Rice Cooker — And It's on Sale
My boyfriend believes that you should just make rice in a pot on the stove — but I know better. For the absolute best, never over- or under-cooked grains, you need a rice cooker. And the greatest rice cookers of all are from Zojirushi.
Beloved by everyone from home cooks to professional chefs, Zojirushi’s range of machines all create fluffy, perfectly cooked rice and grains. Even the queen of comfort cooking, Nigella Lawson, says it’s a gadget she can’t live without: “I have a very old Zojirushi rice cooker, which makes life very much easier in the kitchen, as it not only cooks rice (and quinoa, bulgur wheat and any number of grains) but keeps it safely warm afterwards. Very useful if cooking for children or, indeed, for anyone during a busy working week.”
But owning a Zojirushi rice cooker can be an investment — the most advanced machines retail for as much as $400. So, for those who’ve dreamed of owning their own, today is your lucky day: Right now, Zojirushi’s 10-cup Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer is 29% off on Amazon.
To buy: $168 (originally $235); amazon.com
The 10-cup Micom model makes up to 20 cups of cooked rice and uses computerized “fuzzy logic” technology to sense how your grains are cooking. No matter if you’re making white, brown, sushi, or mixed grains, the machine automatically adjusts the time and temperature so everything comes out perfectly cooked. What’s more, you can even steam your favorite foods and bake cakes in the 820-watt cooker.
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On Amazon, customers rave about their rice cookers, with nearly 1,500 leaving perfect five-star reviews.
“Is there such a thing as the opposite of buyer's remorse? That's what I have,” writes one customer. “This thing is not only pretty and sleek (it appeals to my designer aesthetics), but it has every setting you never knew you wanted: white rice, quick rice (if you don't want to wait), brown rice, porridge, cake, etc. The other day I made a heaping pile of rice for several hungry Asian friends, and we silently sat around my apartment and wept with happiness over the beautiful glistening white kernels of goodness that had been bequeathed to us by Zoji-sama.”
One reviewer described how flawlessly the Zojirushi cooks: “After the first bite, I realized and wondered if I had ever really eaten rice before. Every grain from the top to the bottom from side to side was cooked evenly and correctly. It was literally the best rice I’ve ever had.”
Shoppers also love the rice cooker’s design, which includes a detachable, washable inner lid, and a stylish stainless-steel exterior.
“The inner lid design prevents condensation drip while keeping the rice warm and preventing unpleasant ‘mushy spots,’ a reviewer writes. “The ‘open’ latch is well placed and can be done with one hand. The lid doesn't whip open, it stops slightly before 90 degrees then can be fully opened with a gentle push.”
And no worries about chiseling out baked on rice, says another user: “Clean up is a breeze, it does not boil over (no more setting a plate under it to catch the overflow), and it keeps the rice warm at an optimal temperature so I can start the rice and go walk my dog and no worry about being back in time to turn off the machine so it does not burn while trying to stay warm.”
While this machine typically retails for $235, right now you can snag your own for just $168 (only about $7 more than the 5.5-cup rice cooker). We’re not sure how long this deal will last — so add the Zojirushi to your Amazon cart now and you can enjoy perfect bowls of rice for years to come.
