Zojirushi 612252-NL-BAC05SB Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer Silver Black

After doing a lot of comparing between Tiger and Zojirushi for a new rice cooker, I ended up deciding on this 3-cup rice cooker. It is the perfect size when cooking for just 1 or 2 people. I liked the features of the rice cooker - the different cooking modes...although I haven't used any other than white rice and quick...but I like having the options. The pot is non-stick and we'll made, so it is easy to clean and keep clean. I also like that it came with a rice paddle (shamoji) and measuring cup (Japanese rice measuring cups are smaller than 1 cup in the US. I am used to measuring the water to rice ratio 1:1 for white rice (with my old rice cooker), and I tried using the inner markings on the inside of the pot...but I felt it was a little mushy for my taste...so I went back to measuring the water I put into the pot. It is seriously easy to use and easy to disassemble to wash. For some reason...I really want to try the cake recipe...making cake in a rice cooker is intriguing to me. Pros: easy to use, easy to clean, good cooking modes, cooks my japanese short grain rice just the way I like it, great price, good size for 1 or 2 people Cons: none (except maybe measure your water instead of using the lines on the inside of the pot) (not a deal-breaker for me) Next recipe: kamameshi! Read more

Our old rice cooker finally died after 20 years of solid service. After slogging through terrible reviews on the current batch of low-cost offerings, I finally came across this Zojirushi Micom. It was about 2.5x the price of the cheaper items. In today's market, finding quality is often difficult and it's not always certain that paying more will get you more, but the reviews were solid and I decided to take a chance. Here's the thing. Back in the day, I used to laugh about fuzzy-logic in appliances, but I'm not laughing now. It is absolutely NOT a joke or hyperbole to say that the rice made in this cooker is better than any I've ever had. And the oatmeal. Steel-cut oatmeal comes out insanely perfectly, really full of flavor and excellent texture. I know, it sounds like I work for their marketing team but this is a completely honest review from a real customer. This model is perfect for one or two people. No more wasteful leftovers from cooking too much rice. It makes insanely simple but profoundly delicious one-pot rice meals. Simple menu interface, flexible operation modes, very well made. We call it "Zo-chan". No, really. Anthropomorphizing it helps remind me to treat it with respect and keep it clean and perfectly maintained for many years of anticipated use, like the other important kitchen tools. Read more

This is by far, the best Rice Cooker I've ever had. Prior to purchasing this rice cooker I was using a basic $30 cooker that cooked the rice perfectly, or so I thought. As I began to use different types of rice, I started not to like how sticky the rice was. After buying the Zojirushi, my rice cooks with better taste and dryer so the rice is more individualized and not gummy. It rewarms better when cooked this way. I can also cook different styles of rice perfectly every time. The only drawback is it takes a little longer to cook. No more waiting to the last minute to decide to cook rice, but 50-minutes is worth it for perfectly cooked rice each and every time. Read more

I use this appliance daily for steel cut oatmeal and it's a champ! It takes about 50 mins to cook the oats, but does so perfectly every time with zero attention needed while cooking. I do also use this appliance for rice and it performs the same with consistency. A usage tip is that it does come with water markings in the tub to align to the amount of water needed per measure of oats or rice you put in the bowl, but quite often more or less water is needed to achieve the desired result. I find with oats I need to add more water than the measure lines indicate. And with rice I need to be exact on the line or slightly below in order to get the right outcome. So it does take some practice to get the water level right to the desired softness or firmness you want as the outcome. Bottom line it's overall a great machine, easy to use, and easy to clean! Read more

I've been using this cooker for several weeks. Fantastic cooker for rice, oatmeal and quinoa. In fact the quinoa turns out truly amazing. I bought this before I truly knew all my rice-cooking options, so am a bit jealous of Induction Heating... but not sure there is a huge difference beyond shaving a few minutes off the cooking time and a 75% increase in unit cost. It would be interesting to understand differences in electrical costs over the course of a year. I'm still experimenting with water quantity. My short-grained white rice from California ends up with a sticky sushi-like consistency following the cooking bowl water-mark, whereas my Basmati rice ends up more light and fluffy. My Oatmeal (which I use the timer to have ready for me each morning) is a bit thicker consistency using bowl water-mark... I may try making with a bit more water. The quinoa is light and airy. If my family members have a staggered arrival home from daily activities and we cannot eat dinner together it is pretty cool that food in the cooker warmer will keep food like-freshly-cooked for hours. It does not get dried out or burnt. I hand clean the unit after each use because I don't want the pieces to degrade, but very easy to clean, just a couple of minutes. For the price, I think it is a good value. Read more

Excellent, as the brand is expected to be. Very important to follow directions exactly. Use the provided cup. And know how to properly use the lines on the inside of the pot. Very easy to hand wash, and I love that the inner lid is very easy to take out and wash. There are tons of directions and reviews in online videos, which are helpful. This is perfect for 2 people. It makes perfect rice (of all kinds) and oatmeal every time. Read more