ZojirushiNW-JEC18BA Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker (10-Cup)

The media could not be loaded. First, I will start off by saying that I was sent the wrong rice cooker by Amazon. I originally ordered the Zojirushi NW-JEC18BA 10-cup Rice Cooker but received the smaller Zojirushi NW-JEC10BA 5.5-cup Rice Cooker instead. Because they look so similar, I didn't notice this until after my first use. But upon discovering this, I decided that the 5.5-cup model will suit 95% of my needs for a family of 3 that might host larger gatherings a few times a year. I did reach out to Amazon to discuss and correct the mistake. This does not impact the review of the product itself, but I wanted to bring it up for awareness.I originally was going for the larger model because: 1) the 5.5-cup was out of stock, 2) the price between the two lead me to believe the 10-cup would be a better value, 3) it would be useful to have a larger capacity for the few times I host large gatherings. When people say that the smaller model should be more than enough for most situations, they are not kidding.Anyways, enough about that, you want to know about the rice cooker and how the rice turned out.The product arrived well packaged. The rice cooker looks and feels very high quality. The new design gives a very modern look that is appealing. For those that leave their rice cooker out all the time, they might appreciate this new aesthetic. Instructions are straight forward and the buttons and display are easy to read and use. The included rice paddle is very well made, rice did not stick to it. My only complaint in the "looks and feel" department is the power cord is thick, making it very stiff to bend/flex, and it is not removable (adding some challenges for storage).Another positive experience is the rice cooker is very easy to clean after using it. It also has a self cleaning mode to help keep the lid/vents clean, minimizing/preventing odors from developing over time.Prior to this rice cooker, I have been using a 6qt InstantPot (Duo60) to cook rice in the past couple of years. Prior to that, I was using a cheap Aroma rice cooker with a glass lid. The InstantPot replaced the Aroma when it started to die and I thought it would make for a good multi-purpose appliance. While it did a great job on a lot of things, I always struggled with it to get good rice. Even after a lot of research, tweaks, and swapping out to a non-stick pot (which greatly helps), my results were still inconsistent and mediocre at best. I typically cook basmati, jasmine, and calrose.I've cooked with it twice so far, cooking calrose rice using the umami setting (a 4 cup batch and a 3 cup batch). It certainly takes a lot longer to cook rice than my InstantPot, but I guess you can't rush perfection. 75 some odd minutes later, rice is done and it plays its happy tune (see attached video). It is very helpful that will tell you how much time is left until the rice is done, allowing you to better plan the other parts of your meal that you may be cooking to go with it.The rice had a beautiful glisten to it, fluffed nicely, and wasn't sticky/gummy. In the words of my almost 11 year old daughter when she ate the rice, "This rice is life changing!" I would have to agree. The whole batch turned out great! No burnt patches, not dried out, not gummy, fluffy, great flavor, nice texture, slight sweetness, and the leftover rice reheated very well (even made for good fried rice nearly a week later). The rice was no longer just a side item to serve with the main part of the meal. It was good enough to stand on its own. I am looking forward to seeing how my basmati and jasmine rice turn out.All in all, I am extremely happy with my purchase. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it one more appliance to take up room in my kitchen that I need to make room for? Yes. Do I need to now work better at planning ahead and start my rice sooner? Yes. But does it deliver the goods and is worth the price of admission? Definitely, above and beyond my expectations!

As an avid home cook, I've found this rice cooker to be a game-changer in the kitchen. The pressure induction heating technology consistently produces perfectly cooked rice with excellent texture and flavor. Whether cooking white, brown, or mixed rice, the results are always impressive.The multiple cooking settings are particularly useful. The GABA brown rice setting, which activates beneficial nutrients, has become a favorite in our health-conscious household. The umami setting, which soaks and steams the rice longer, brings out a noticeably richer flavor in white rice.The keep-warm function is highly effective, maintaining the rice's quality for hours without drying out or overcooking. This feature is especially convenient for busy families or when entertaining.While the cooker is on the pricier side, its durability and consistent performance justify the investment for rice enthusiasts. The non-stick inner pot is easy to clean, and the detachable inner lid allows for thorough cleaning.One minor drawback is the cooking time, which can be longer than simpler rice cookers. However, the superior results make the wait worthwhile.

Very good at making rice if you are very particular about it. For most people the neuro fuzzy or other models will do just as well. It is nice to be able to tweak the softness, firmness, or wet/dry if you always make the same kind, like white rice.

I have always loved rice and with takeout prices what they are today, I’ve been looking for a way to make takeout rice at home. My wife always had a box of Minute Rice in the kitchen, and I always hated that taste and texture. For most of my life, I’ve settled for inferior methods of cooking rice. Believe me, I’ve been all over the internet, watching videos of people telling me how easy it is to make rice. It seemed no matter what we tried, the rice always came out sticky and with an inferior chew texture. At some point, I learned that there are different kinds of rice that I should be using and that you needed to WASH YOUR RICE before cooking. Clearly I had much to learn!Next, I graduated to an Instant Pot, but as it turns out, there is no such thing as an appliance that acts like a Swiss Army knife on your kitchen counter! You can’t be everything to everyone. Yes, the Instant Pot is good for a lot of things, but when it comes to making rice, you NEED a rice cooker if you don’t want the headaches associated with making rice the old fashioned way.If you want to find out how to make a great pizza, ask an Italian. If you want to learn how to make great BBQ, ask a Texan. And if you want to figure out how to make great rice, look no further than the great people of Japan! I don’t claim to understand the strange sorcery that the Zojirushi uses over similar products claiming to be able to make rice just as easy…but there is NO doubt that the Zojirushi does it better than anything I’ve ever used to cook rice. I don’t know how, but I landed on the Zojirushi brand and boy am I ever glad I did.I am seriously hooked on this machine! Yes…it’s expensive. Someone else already said it, but this particular model is the Ferrari of rice cookers (no doubt). The quality of rice that it outputs is better than any takeout I can ever remember. I mix 1 cup Jasmine and 1 cup Basmati rice and wash vigorously / thoroughly under cool water for about 5 minutes or until the starch is gone and the water runs clear. Do NOT skip this step! I put the rice in and fill the water up to the 2-cup line in the insert. Close it up and set the timer for when I want to eat the rice. The machine turns on when it needs to and finishes at exactly the time I requested it. Fluff and serve, it’s amazing. It reheats leftover rice to perfection as well. The device is fairly simple to clean, just basically rinse under a faucet and air dry. The machine comes w/ clear instructions to both get you started and long term care. They do NOT recommend you cook anything but rice in this cooker. They also recommend that you NOT mix with other ingredients w/ the rice (i.e. protein, veggies, etc…). Apparently the digital logic in the machine is monitoring its contents based on the rice that you put in the machine. So if you add something other than rice, then the machine can’t guarantee it does its job properly (that’s my guess anyways).You will want to plan accordingly. This machine does NOT make rice in a short period. My 2-cups of jasmine/basmati mixed rice takes around 55 minutes to be completed. Add in the 5-10 minutes of prep to WASH your wash. For us, the extra time is a small price to pay for the quality of rice you get in the end. You can’t rush quality. You could prep all of this in the morning and set a timer for it to ready later in the day, no problem. Your rice will not turn out mushy just because it’s been sitting in the inner pot w/ water all day. Rice does not work that way. To re-heat rice, you just pile your leftover rice in the middle of the inner pot, do NOT add additional water, close it up and select the re-heat function on the machine. Perfect leftover rice in about 6-8 minutes.We now eat rice at a minimum of twice a week whereas before it was maybe twice a month (at best). Last night, I commented to my wife about how I thought the rice actually out-starred the protein I served it with. If you love rice, and you can afford it, buy it! You will not regret it.My only wish is that it had a retractable extension cord like some of the other Zojirushi rice cookers as this one does not.