Great Rice Cooker For Small Servings

I was given the Zojirushi 3-Cup Rice Cooker as a gift. I do not know how much this unit cost or where it was purchased. However, I see that it is currently available through Amazon Marketplace for $37.90. That price is probably comparable for this cooker which likely came from a specialty store.

I often cook meals, where I am the only one who will be eating. I sometimes cook extra to eat later, which can be a time saver. When it comes to rice, the only time I cook extra is if I'm planning to make fried rice. The size of this cooker makes it convenient for preparation of smaller portion sizes. I will normally half the recipe on the rice bag when I am cooking for myself. I use Botan Brand Rice which recommends 1 1/2 cups of rice to 2 cups of water. I normally half those amounts, and end up with a nice portion size.

The Zojirushi Rice Cooker is very easy to use, and you don't have to worry about overcooking. There is a small lever on the front that you push down to begin cooking. The rice only requires several minutes to cook, resulting in a fluffy moist rice. If you use a high quality rice like Botan, you will find that you get a nice sticky end-product, like you will find in Asian restaurants. This is how I prefer to eat my rice, unlike the grainy dry rice I ate growing up.

Clean up is a breeze with the Zojirushi Rice Cooker. After you have removed your rice from the container (which will keep it hot for several hours after cooking), the interior bowl removes for easy cleaning. If you use the high quality rice, you will get those stick to anything grains that really don't want to cooperate. By removing the entire inner bowl, you can submerge it in water and allow the water to further soften any remaining grains for easy washing.

I'm not exactly sure why the Zojirushi Rice Cooker has a see through lid. You really don't need to look at the rice while it's cooking. I guess it's an aesthetic aspect to the cooker, which resembles a small crock pot. The unit also has handles on either side so you can move it while it is hot, and comes with a measuring cup and serving utensil. The cooker stands less than eight inches tall, and is about nine inches across counting the handles. This unit takes up very little counter space while it is cooking, and then stores easily without using up a lot of cabinet space.

Zojirushi is marketed by Zojirushi America. The parent company was established in Osaka, Japan in 1918. With breakthrough vacuum technology, they began launching a line of quality products for household use. Rice Cookers are among the many quality products sold by this company. Their line also includes Electric Boilers, Bread Makers, Air Pot Beverage Dispensers, Carafes, Vacuum Bottles and more.

The quality of this Zojirushi Rice Cooker is in keeping with the high standards of this company. The fact that this is one of the smallest products they make, does not mean that they took any shortcuts. The cooker is durable and I have not encountered any problems with it.

My Overall Impression of this product is that this durable, high quality rice cooker allows me to prepare smaller portions, takes up less counter space and is easy to use and clean. I would highly recommend this rice cooker giving it five stars out of a possible five.

This review is part of Dianapinions Best Little Write Off