Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe last rice cooker you'll ever buy, probably
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2023
Purchased in June 2016, used at least weekly since then (often 3-5 times a week)
Before I say anything else, a note about cooking rice - RINSE YOUR RICE, PEOPLE. IT'S IN THE DIRECTIONS AND IT'S CRUCIAL FOR GOOD RICE.
Fit & Finish:
- Despite the shell being mostly plastic, this rice cooker feels a bit luxe and everything is nice and tight. The super shiny plastic is extremely easy to wipe down whenever it gets dirty.
- The retractable power cord is an amazing feature, such a creature comfort. It works just like it did when we got it, albeit slightly slower now. I've never had a problem with getting it to go in the direction I needed.
- The lid and hinge mech is solid and easy to use, just one big button to release. An interesting thing to note is the hinge only opens just beyond far enough for the rice pan to be insertable into the machine, so if it didn't pop up all the way and your hands are full, you'll need to use an elbow to nudge it the rest of the way open. My solution is to just pop it open and make sure it's fully open before I start doing anything else.
- The handle is light and plastic but has not cracked at any point, not even the joints. This was something I was worried about since the unit feels like it could be an issue, but I kinda swing this thing around when moving it in/out of my pantry, and it's still totally solid.
Product in use:
- The user interface (buttons and screen) is intuitive, easy to use, and there are no seams between the buttons for any water ingress. The buttons on my unit haven't even started to wear down after 7 years.
- As far as functions go, I only really ever use the White or Quick rice features - I don't eat brown rice at home, and haven't felt the need to use any of the other ones. I've also never used the timer feature as I am not the best planner. But this thing sure does make the most perfectly cooked rice every single time. It's honestly kind of rough having such high quality, easy to cook, white rice at home, and then go out to eat and the rice you're eating is just mushy and overcooked or gummy. This thing spoils you.
--- A note about Quick Rice - I have found that the quicker cook time /can/ lead to slightly tackier/gummier rice if you open the lid as soon as the cycle ends. I would give it a few extra minutes to steam out before opening and the rice will be almost as perfect as the regular cycle.
- Volume of rice cooked - I don't think I have ever maxed this thing out, but I have gotten close. What is MORE impressive, is that I can cook 1 single 'cup'** (**OF THE CUP THEY GIVE YOU TO MEASURE THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE LINES IN THE RICE PAN, WHICH IS ACTUALLY 3/4 CUP) of rice and it comes out just as perfect as if I cooked rice for 6 people. This amount of rice has never been short of enough for one meal for two adults. On quick rice, this amount cooks in like...15 minutes? And on White it'll start at 50, but will actually skip a few and be done in 25min or so.
Summary:
I thought for sure that $130 (at my time of purchase) was a bit overkill for a rice cooker, but I will 1000% buy another one of these whenever my current unit dies, if that ever happens. I thought 7 years was a good run (< $20/year for perfect rice at home?!) so any more time after this is just a big bonus.
10/10, and 10/10 with rice.