Rice cooker flies Many people are unaware of this because they don’t understand what all the fuss is about or they’ve simply never heard of it. These people are missing out on a lot of convenience. A good rice cooker will cook delicious rice with surprisingly little effort. It may not be as perfect as a fine-dining restaurant would make, but it’s much better than most people can usually do. Measure out the number of cups of raw rice you want in the rice cooker bowl, rinse (if you like), fill the bowl with water up to the line that corresponds to the number of cups you want to make, close the lid and press start. Do something else for a while, and soon, a song will play to let you know the rice is done.
What’s less known is how it keeps rice near-perfect: warm and ready to eat. Make a batch in the afternoon and you’ll have enough for dinner in the evening, plus a nutritious portion for an early meal the next day. (Zojirushi recommends not leaving rice in the rice cooker for more than 12 hours, or 24 hours on the “keep warm” setting.) It might not be perfect the next day, but it’s still surprisingly tasty. For those of us who’ve spent a few years at home during the pandemic, it’s not hard to imagine the convenience. I’d say that for about half of the 12 years I’ve owned this rice cooker, I’ve had it on, ready to deliver food to hungry bellies.
I’ve used and reviewed other brands of rice cookers, but Zojirushi is hands down my favorite. They almost always perform very well, whether you choose the basic or premium model. Look for one with a start button (not a light switch), which is easily the most evenly heated and retains heat, but you’ll be happy with pretty much anything in the Zojirushi lineup.
For more advice on appliances, check out our other kitchen guides, including the best food steamers , best food processors , best toasters and best stand mixers .
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