Rice has become a major part in many different cultures. It is an affordable and versatile grain, used and loved by many cuisines around the world. Rice can be enjoyed on its own, as a side dish or as a base ingredient for many dishes such as fried rice, sushi, onigiri and many more. It is no doubt that rice has become a big part of Asia, it has also been a core tradition in Japanese cuisines for centuries.

 

Photo: seibu-kaihatsu

 

              The first consumer-oriented rice cooker was introduced by Mitsubishi in 1945, it uses the traditional heating coils to steam rice. But then, there was no other functions other than simply cooking rice.

Nowadays, various Japanese electrotonic and homeware manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, Zojirushi, Panasonic, Tiger and Toshiba have created various rice cookers with different functionalities, that are now the staple of every household. Today, we will introduce top 8 Japanese rice cookers that will produce soft and delicious rice for your daily consumption.

 

Photo: btob.kanehatsu

 

 

 

1. Panasonic Variable Pressure IH Jar Rice Cooker

 

 

 

Panasonic’s Variable Pressure IH Jar Rice Cooker SR-JW058 is a pressure rice cooker that uses a two-stage IH method (Induction heating, a cooking appliance that makes use of magnetic induction to generate heat in cookware). It cooks delicious fluffy rice that is soft from its core. A great quality rice cooker that is also equipped to cooking porridge and other types of rice. It is a medium size rice cooker that has high functionality that is comparable to a large rice cooker.

              It is great for everyday use for a small to medium family household. It has easy-to-use display panel with push buttons to select your options. Although this cooker is priced relatively higher than regular rice cooker, it is said to be a great investment that raises the standard of living for those that consume rice on the daily.

 

 

 

2. Zojirushi NP-VZ10-TA Rice Cooker

 

 

Zojirushi NP-VZ10-TA rice cooker is one of the best to buy if you want a great quality and long-lasting rice cooker. It makes the rice soft and tasty by slowly absorbing water through as it cooks. After the water slowly being absorbed into the rice, it releases alpha from the rice core, making it fluffy and delicious!

It is great for cooking all kinds of rice, a basic rice cooker that generates heat through the entire pot. It has an induction (Heating Boiling IH) cooking technique that continues to cook with high heat power without drawing a fire even after boiling and cook up to the core. It has maximum capacity of 5.5 cups per pot, making it a great rice cooker for a family of 3-5 people.

 

 

 

3. Smart Basic Iris Ohyama Smart Basic RC-MA30AZ

 

 

 

This rice cooker is ideal for those living alone. It cooks up to 3 servings, which is a perfect amount if you are living alone. It is equipped with features to cook white rice, cooked strainer, rice porridge, and brown rice. You can enjoy a wide variety of ways to eat rice, it also has boiled and steaming mode where you can steam bread and even cook stews or curry.

              It has a simple display screen with push buttons to select the modes, easy to use for those that wants something simple and affordable at the same time.

 

 

 

4. Tiger Thermos (TIGER)Pressure IH Jar Rice Cooker

 

 

 

The Tiger Thermos Pressure IH Jar Rice Cooker has a technology that claims to reproduce the deliciousness of rice cooked in a clay pot. It is said to have one of the best retention powers among many other cookers. It has an inner lid that is easy to attach and detach for more functionality.

In addition, the heating system of the inner pot is scattered in three places, so the heat will be distributed evenly to ensure the rice is soft and fluffy all rounds.

 

 

 

5. TOSHIBA Flame Takumi Cook Jar Rice Cooker

 

 

 

TOSHIBA Flame Takumi Cooker Jar Rice Cooker has high functioning power that is highly preferred by cooking lovers. It is a vacuum pressure IH jar rice cooker that uses the original large heat of the Kamado to cook the rice.

It perfectly cooks delicious rice that is soft and fluffy from the evenly distributed heat. It is equipped with function that slows you to specify the rice cooking time in 5 minutes increments between 30-50 minutes.

In addition, it also has function that allows you to cook creative meals such as hot spring eggs and tofu. It is a rice cooker that can meet the detailed needs of those who like cooking!

 

 

 

6. Zojirushi Mahobin STAN. NW-SA10-BA IH rice cooker

 

 

 

This rice cooker uses gourmet boiling IH method that keeps cooking the rice with high heat of IH without lowering the heating power even after boiling. It also features baby food menu that allows you to make varieties of baby food, easy for new moms out there.

              The rice is evenly cooked so that you can feel the umami while rice is remaining as solid grain. In addition, you can also choose to cook your rice texture from normal, soft and firm options. It looks stylish and sleek at the same time, with easy-to-use screen panel. This rice cooker is a perfect gift for newlyweds, and it also makes for a great housewarming gift.

 

 

 

7. Yamazen YCJ-S025 (B) Rice Cooker

 

 

 

An old school small cooker that allows you to enjoy cooking rice, steaming vegetables and Chinese steamed buns. It is a perfect cooker for those that have limited space and need minimum cooking utensils. It has a compact size that does not take up a lot of space in your kitchen. It also has glass lid that allows you to see the ingredients inside, making it convenient.

In addition, it is very easy to use with a simple on/off switch. There is also a recipe book included for those who are new to cooking and want to enjoy different ways of cooking with the Yamazen Rice Cooker.

 

 

 

8. Mitsubishi Electric NJ-AWA10-B Real Charcoal Pot

 

 

 

A perfect little rice cooker for those that enjoy charcoal and kamado cooking style. This is the highest-grade model of Mitsubishi rice cooker, it uses an inner pot made from charcoal with a 99.9% purity, which cooks different from metal pots. It has a cooking method that uses the heat from intense heat convection to slowly cook the rice.

It has abundant cooking functions that separate this rice cooker from other, it has 41 varieties of function that allows you to cook rice in different ways. In addition to various grains such as wheat and brown rice, you can also cook according to the menu such as sushi, okawa and rice balls. There are also 15 different options for the rice texture.