Zojirushi rice cookers
Rice cookers are to the Japanese what kettles are to people in the West. Admittedly their uses is completely different but the point is that every household in Japan has a rice cooker.
Until I came to Japan I had no idea how good rice could actually taste and feel in the mouth nor how easy it is to make it. The most popular brand of rice cookers in Japan today are the Zojirushi range of rice cookers. They produce a wide variety of appliances for every requirement and budget.
An important procedure when cooking rice is the preparation of the rice you are going to eat. All that you have to do is ensure that you wash the rice before you cook it. The Japanese have a particular way that they like to wash their rice and that is seen to be the correct way to do it. Washing the rice rinses away excess starch that is not removed during the milling process (when the husks are removed). This makes the rice taste better, become fluffier, appear whiter and become more fragrant. The following video shows how it is done.
There are many different Zojirushi rice cookers to choose from so it is important to consider your needs. The most important thing in my opinion is the size of the cooker. Will you be making rice for a large family or for only a few people? Even the small cookers can comfortably make rice for about 8 people so only if you are cooking for hordes could this become an issue. But once you buy your cooker the maximum amount of rice you can cook will be fixed.
Then you will need to think about what kind of rice you want to cook. All the Zojirushi rice cooking appliances can of course cook white rice. If this is all you are really after then one of the simplest and cheapest machines will be perfectly adequate for your needs. The more expensive rice cookers come with timer functionality which is well worth considering if you want fresh white rice ready for when you get up in the morning. On top of this Zojirushi claim that with their premium models it becomes easier to make things like okayu (rice porridge), sushi rice, brown rice and other variants.
A handy feature of their rice cookers is the keep warm functionality. This means that rice that is made in the morning will still be perfectly edible in the evening without becoming too dry. Of course if you leave it for longer periods, for example, over 24 hours then the rice, although edible becomes dryer and unpleasant to eat. This kind of rice cooker is an excellent household appliance that makes cooking rice much easier than attempting to use a pan on a stove.
The Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 is a currently popular model that is sold internationally. It has a wide range of features that mean it can cope with almost any rice cooking needs.
Tags: electrical appliance, food, Japanese cooking, kitchen appliance, rice, rice cooker, warming meals
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