Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Rice Cooker and Warmer Review

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List Price: $396.00
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I was expecting this machine to cook rice very well based on previously owning a neuro fuzzy logic rice cooker made by zojirushi, which I've worn out after many years of use. I'm very happy with the new induction heating style of cooking. It cooks brown rice better.

Pro's

--Exceptional rice results, almost foolproof.

--Multiple menu settings account for most types of rice, including GABA brown (which is supposed to make brown rice even healthier)

--Easy to operate. Select menu setting, add cups of rice to bowl (rinse the rice), fill to applicable mark in bowl, and hit cook button.

--Battery backup. A lithium battery means the cooker will remember its last settings even if you unplug it. If you're a creature of habit, this feature makes it even easier to operate.

--Clock timer with 2 time settings you can set based on the clock's time. Like previously stated, the cooker remembers the timer settings until you change them. I leave my cooker set to have rice ready at 6:30a.m. (to pack for lunch at work) or 5:30p.m (dinner).

Con's

--Water level markings in pan are based on the 6.2 oz cup provided (~3/4 cup). Don't lose the cup!

--Expensive (my justification is it saves me $5 every time I pack rice for lunch instead of eating in the cafeteria)

--Takes longer to cook rice than the equivalent stove method (baking or stovetop)

--Timer is military time only (so when I said the timer was set to 5:30p.m., it's actually 17:30)

In summary, buy this machine if you want to use the timer function. If you're the type of person who only remembers things at the last minute or don't like to plan meals ahead, keep your money and get a pressure cooker or a good pot instead.

It fits my needs perfectly, so I give it 5 stars. I also recommend a Zojirushi lunch jar system if you want to use this to make rice for lunch at work. A lunch jar will keep the rice warm and moist, so you don't have to microwave it.

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The rice cooker is best in class ie five stars.

The only negative thing about this rice cooker is that it last about 1 year before it fails. I have just recently had my second rice cooker fail and this time it lasted about 1.1 years similar to the first rice cooker. After contacting Zojirushi they gave me a repair place for the rice cooker. I have already purchased my 3rd zojirushi rice cooker and the repair for the second one will cost $136 dollars.

The nice thing is that you can get it repaired and the customer service was really nice on the phone.

Both failures caused the digital display to lock up.

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The cooker has done excellently. All of the rice types have been great. I'm using it for other grains. After some experimenting, here are my methods so far:

Steel-cut oats for breakfast: add 1/2 cup oats to bowl; wash a few times until the water is mostly clear; add water to slightly above 1 brown rice mark; press timer button; select porridge setting. Great oats are ready in the morning. Adjust the water addition to your personal preference. I add spices, fruit and ground flax later so I need it wet enough. Some residue gets on the top plate and into the steam vent. I set the top plate in water while eating to make it easier to clean.

Quinoa + oats: add 1/2 cup of each into bowl; wash a few times to get mostly clear water; add water to 1 white rice mark; cook as regular white. We enjoy this grain mixture at meals. It saves well in the refrigerator. Saute some onions, etc and add the grain at the end to heat it.

Hulled Barley: cook as brown rice. I like it with slightly extra water. I cook 1 cup barley at slightly above the 1 brown rice water mark.

Amaranth: I've haven't tried it enough to make a recommendation as yet. The regular white rice setting overcooked it.

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This is the second NP-HBC10 induction heating rice cooker I have owned, the first having been given to my son in a moment of weakness. As there are a great many reviews already, I'll just sum up the pros and cons as I see them.

PROS

The rice cooker is attractively styled and easy to use. As other reviewers have noted, be sure to remove and wash the inner lid after each use. This takes only seconds.

The control panel is clear and the interface is intuitive. While one should always read the manual one can operate the cooker without reading a single page.

Build quality, workmanship, fit, and finish are excellent, as they should be for the price.

The extended keep-warm function is incredibly effective. I have often held rice overnight and found it warm, moist, and not crusty the following day.

Cleanup is easy as the machine lacks many of the nook-and-cranny rice catchers of some other brands.

Brown rice is cooked to perfection every time. I don't often bother with the GABA cycle but for people who believe that it makes a difference, it is there to use.

The congee cycle (porridge, they call it) works well and not just for that purpose. You can keep soup hot, etc. I notice that the manual advises against this but I have done it many times.

Replacement parts can be ordered through the internet, if needed. The greatest risk I see is dropping and denting the cooking vessel. In a conventional unit, this might not make much difference but with induction the difference can be huge.

It works well for steaming, despite the concerns of those who opine that fuzzy logic cookers will not do so. You will, however, need to provide your own basket.

If you follow the recipes closely, the rice will always come out properly cooked and never crusted on the bottom. I've not had a single failure and I cook and eat lots of rice.

The cooker has amazing versatility. Steel cut oats for breakfast...yummmmm

Overall, it reeks of quality. That may be of greater importance to some than to others.

CONS

The stainless finish is an extra cost and essentially the same model can obtained in white for a bit less. Zojirushi NP-KAC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System

Induction heating consumes a bit more energy than conventional heating. Not a lot, but some.

The cost is high. A conventionally heated unit that works almost, but not quite, as well can be had much cheaper. Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5-1/2-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer, Premium White

Retractable cord would have been nice. Mine stays plugged in all the time because I use it so often but others might find the cord a bit of a nuisance.

OVERALL

Highly recommended. This is the best non-pressure rice cooker on the market, hands down. The sweet taste of perfectly prepared rice dishes will last long after the bitterness of the price has faded. If you want a pressure rice cooker, Zoji has those, too, but the price is even steeper. Zojirushi NP-HTC Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker & Warmer Color: Stainless Brown, 5.5 cups / 1.0 liter

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Rice Cooker and Warmer

Reliable, easy to clean, and nicely sized for 2 4 people. We've done everything from rice to buckwheat to millet to the best oatmeal I've ever had in my life. The induction cooker really does make a difference and we get wonderfully evenly cooked rice. And the timer function is a lifesaver, especially in the morning.

The only reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wish there were cool-touch handles on the bowls, but the rice is easy to extract and this is a minor complaint. Also, one reason we got this instead of a cheaper Zoji was because of the GABA rice capability, but if you want to save the $$ there are directions on how to make GABA rice just by soaking the rice ahead of time.

Do buy it with the Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook if you're planning to do anything more than rice in addition to recipes, the book is great for giving water-to-grain ratios for just about any grain or legume.