Comment by throw0101a | Hacker News Reader

Comment by throw0101a | Hacker News Reader

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The Wirecutter had this to say about their main pick (Zojirushi NS-ZCC10, currently US$ 170)

> Rice made in the Neuro Fuzzy can seem like a work of art: firm, slender, intact, and milky white. Each grain plumps nicely without bursting and doesn’t seem to break when scooped out of the pot. In our tests, the Neuro Fuzzy was one of the few machines that made sushi rice, brown rice, and long-grain rice all taste great. Of all the machines we tested, this model produced the best basmati, cooking it up light and fluffy. By comparison, our upgrade pick, the Cuckoo CRP-G1015F, made overly moist long-grain white rice.

* https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-rice-cooker/

The main complaint is that it took longer than most other models.

They also have a US$ 45 budget pick. America's Test Kitchen / Cook’s Illustrated also has a preferred model (Aroma):

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uABJWCGrFPo

It's also worth considering whether just getting a multicooker (aka Instant Pot) may be the better option. Given it can also do pressure cooking and act as a slow cooker, the latest models are pretty good jack-of-all trades:

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGLX40ge4zQ

Finally Zojirushi is most favorite reliable appliance brand available in Japan for me. Nowadays I always buy Zojirushi product if it exists in category. Never looked back after bought. I also suggest Zojirushi's thermos bottle.

I bought the Zojirushi thermos bottles per recommendations on the Internet, but found that the silicon seals take on the smell of coffee and/or tea very easily. And once the smell is on them, it's impossible to remove. While Zojirushi does sell spare parts, the cost is usually not worth it.

I have a slow cooker, a rice maker, and pressure cooker--none of which I use that much. I'm guessing that an Instant Pot--even if not optimal for at least a couple of those uses--would be a better choice if I were starting over.

I just bought an Aroma pressure cooker [0] to replace our 15yo Aroma rice cooker that had reached its end of life after multiple uses per week (the cord and the lid latch both broke within a couple months of each other). It does a great job with the rice, but making a meal that requires both a pressure cooker and a rice cooker requires some advance scheduling.

[0] https://www.aroma-housewares.com/kitchen/appliances/MTC-8016...

> (Zojirushi NS-ZCC10, currently US$ 170)

Why does this model take longer than other brands/models?

Is it doing something special with its neuro fuzzy logic?

Probably a big part is that it soaks the rice (with no heat) for an extended period before cooking. I think the soaking is roughly a third of the total cooking time.

my zoji has a quick cooking option that makes ok rice, its just not as fluffy as the long way.

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