Best Japanese Rice Cooker – Preparing Rice The Asian Way!

How Does a Japanese Rice Cooker Work?

Many people think a Japanese rice cooker is like any cooking appliance you can have in your kitchen. But in reality, they’re somewhat different.

A standard cooker is comprised of 5 different parts: the controls, the body, the cooking pan, the heating plate or system, and the thermal-sensing apparatus.

Inside the body of the machine, you will find the inner cooking pan. That’s the part that heats up to make sure the rice cooks.

But that wouldn’t be possible without the heat plate or heating system. It could be either a heating element or an induction mechanism, always below the pan or bowl.

To make sure this system heats up to the right level, the sensing device below makes sure it is always at the right temperature. You could say it is a thermometer that keeps the heat stable. But it all works according to the input in the control panel.

Once the thermal-sensing part selects the right temperature (according to the pre-set mode), it sends a signal to the heating element which starts augmenting or minimizing the heat accordingly.

Then, heat bowl or pan will heat up accordingly. This will eventually start cooking the rice until it’s done.

How to Use a Japanese Rice Cooker

After learning how an instant pot Japanese rice machine works, it is time to learn how you can make it work. Here’s what you should do:

1. Pour the amount of rice you want inside the bowl of the cooker.
2. Add enough water. It should cover the rice entirely. You can add the desired spices, vegetables, or any ingredients at this point too.
3. Now close the lid and select the mode for the cooking. They have different types of cooking modes depending on the rice kind.
4. Once you have the selected mode, you can push the START button on the machine. It should start cooking the rice by now.
5. Finally, wait until the machine tells you (from 20 to 40 minutes), and you’ll be ready to enjoy your rice. It should be fluffy and water-free.
6. Serve the rice and eat it!

This process is as straightforward as it can be. And most models are this way without much more to think about.

Of course, some machines will have a few different functions and things to consider, but nothing too tricky. Overall, you just need to add the rice, water, and start the appliance. That’s it.

What to Look For When Buying a Japanese Rice Cooker

If you want a high-quality rice cooker Japanese brand, you must know what to look for. That’s why we’re going over the key factors to think about when buying a cooker. Here they are:

Capacity

The first thing to consider is the rice capacity. You’ll want a model that can host enough rice for your needs.

That’s why you should think about it this way: every 2 cups is one person’s worth of rice. So, for models with 3 cups of capacity, you can get one a half or two servings. As for models with 5.5 cups, you can get up to 3 to 4 servings. And as for models with 10 to 12 cups, you can serve up to 10 people or more without any problems.

Controls

The easiest-to-use model you can go for will only have a START or ON button and that’s it. But sometimes, you will need a few other controls and setting options. Whatever it offers, make sure it is user-friendly and doesn’t demand much to work. If you want something simple without much functionality, then go for it.

Keep-Warm

A superb feature that you shouldn’t overlook in a Japanese rice cooker is the keep-warm function. It maintains the rice warm or hot even after several minutes or hours of being cooked.

For example, if you cooked the rice at 11 AM and you want to eat it by 1 PM – then you can set up the keep-warm function to never stop heating the rice. This feature doesn’t overcook the rice; instead it just maintains sufficient heat to make sure the rice never cools down.

Cool Touch

Apart from keeping your rice warm, it shouldn’t be a problem to handle. We always recommend cool-touch cookers because they go the extra mile to help users manage their cooking. This will prevent burns on your hands and make cleaning easier overall.

Cleaning Ease

Every Japanese cooker should be easy to clean. For that, try to get models with non-stick bowls or pans. Those will prevent the rice from sticking and makes cleaning effortless.

If you can go for models with plastic or stainless steel inserts or detachable bowls, then you are getting an even better product. These will make the cleaning process even easier overall.

Retractable or Removable Cord

A power cord that you can retract or separate from the machine always delivers extra convenience. From the installation process to the storage, one of these will make your overall experience better.

Detachable Lid

Offering an extra advantage when cleaning and better serving experience, a removable lid is a must-have feature. We recommend one of these made of plastic above all others. But stainless steel or glass ones are not too bad either.

Practical Features        

Other features like digital controls, delay timers, Fuzzy Logic that cooks automatically, beep or alert sounds, and many others – are always useful to have.

Any feature that makes the whole experience better will be a great choice to consider. Especially if you are a big rice eater, these practical features can go a long way.