Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker with Induction Heating System

The Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker with Induction Heating is an aboslutely fantastic rice cooker. At a retail price in the range of $300, one would expect amazing quality. And this rice cooker delivers. I will tell you some pluses and minuses about this unit.

Pluses:

This rice looks nice and is easy to use. As a matter of maintenance, you have to remove and clean the inner lid after you use it each time. This only takes a couple of seconds, and for a machine of this quality that maintence is important.

The control interface is very intuitive. I recommend you read the manual, but I don't think it's necessary to use the basic functions.

Quality of craftmanship is superb, as it should be at this price.

Unlike a lot of rice cookers, the extended warming feature is highly effective. On several occasions I have warmed rice overnight and in the morning it was warm, still moist, and not.

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

It cooks brown rice perfectly every time. I do not make much use of the GABA cycle but for those who think that it is effective, that feature is available.

The congee cycle (which makes porridge) makes good porridge but other things as well.

You can find replacement parts on the internet. The biggest danger I can imagine is dropping and damaging the cooking vessel. In a standard rice cooker, that may not make a big difference but with induction the effects can be pretty bad.

It is effective for steaming, regardless of what people say about fuzzy logic cookers not being able to steam. The one (easy to solve!) problem, though, is that no basket is included with the product so you have to find your own.

Rice will always be properly prepared and not scroched and crusty on the bottom, provided you follow normal recipes.

The unit is amazing versatile and can cook a variety of other foods.

So, the basic point of the above is that this is a high grade rice cooker that gives you tremendous control. If you are interested in varieties of rice and trying new recipes, you will love this unit.

Minuses:

The stainless steel finish is not completely necessary and basically the same cooker can bought in white for a little cheaper. The Zojirushi NP-KAC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System

Induction heating uses some more energy than regular heating. This could affect energy costs a little.

The price is expensive! You can opt for a rice cooker with conventional heating rather than induction heating for much cheaper, even though the difference in quality may not be evident to you unless you are really into your rice. A comparable unit with conventional heating is the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5-1/2-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer

There is no retractable cord. That would make tidying up and storage a bit less of a headache.

The Verdict:

I really recommend this rice cooker for anyone who is really serious about their rice and its quality, because this unit measures up. For others, comparable units with slightly less exceptional quality can be bought for significantly less.