My wife and I have never owned a rice cooker and decided it would help now that we have twins! anything to make our lives easier and this thing is amazing. We have tried each type of setting and grain like rice, oats, quinoa, and each time it is perfection. We really wish we got it sooner. It's small enough that we can store it away after each use and still use it daily. All the pieces are easy to clean and simple to assemble. Really all around perfect and glad we got it.
Excellent experience so far; brown rice, steel cut oats, spelt berries, farro and fresh steamed vegetables have all come out of this little machine perfectly. I'm terrible at cooking rice and grains on the stove so cost vs. ease of use in my case makes this rice maker completely worth it. I have no complaints about the length of time any grain takes to cook because the results are amazing and it's easy enough to plan ahead. It's also easy to clean.
cooked up perfect short grain white, jasmine and mixed white rice so far. every grain was consistently the same texture. made for great egg fried rice with leftovers the next day as well. also great with steaming broccolli and carrots as an addition to my meal. super easy to clean and compact package made it easy to store.
I'm not foodie and I can't wax on in great detail about rice. But what I can say is we eat a lot of rice and this cooker will make it restaurant grade. We've done at least 6 batches of rice in the first few weeks and each time it's been great. Operation is very simple once you figure out the menus (it took me 10 mins) and cleaning this is ridiculously easy. The bowl is bonkers thick and really smooth/slick. Dried rice wipes off after a 10 minute soak in water (if you don't clean it right after use). The construction of this is rock solid and the details they paid attention to are impressive: 1) A ridge that is high enough to prevent water going into the induction heat bowl, 2) handle dips so you can take the bowl out easily, 3) lid removal is impossibly simple, etc. My only critique is that the fan of this model was louder than expected and you'll definitely know when this is cooking rice from the fan noise. But it's worth looking beyond that for the features and the quality of rice this produces.
It has a dedicated space on the kitchen counter because it looks so nice and is more compact than I expected. We did buy an extra bowl anticipating it will wear out while the cooker is still going strong. We're very very pleased with this model and hope it gives us many years of quality cooked rice.
For the price of this device there were several things we instantly noticed/missed from our Neuro Fuzzy. 1) The cord is not retractable and we use the rice cooker quite a lot so it's inconvenient to stuff it back behind the device. 2) this was our first induction rice cooker and did not realize how loud it is when cooking and continual beeping when rice is being kept warm. It is livable but not ideal. 3) There's no rice paddle holder so we are constantly knocking over the rice paddle when it's standing on the counter next to the cooker as intended, it ends up being laid out on top of the device instead. 4) There is no handle to pick up and move the cooker, our Neuro Fuzzy had a handle we could swing up from behind which came in handy more often than one would think.
Response from zojirushi.comBy Zojirushi Customer Support, January 30, 2024
We appreciate your valuable feedback and for comparing our product with our Neuro Fuzzy model. We would like to inform you that the IH or induction heating models require a thicker power cord due to the technology they use, which makes it difficult to incorporate a retractable feature. Moreover, the IH rice cooker may produce slightly more noise than our regular rice cooker with a heating plate, which is completely normal for this type of technology. Additionally, the beeping sound that you hear during the keep warm mode serves as a gentle reminder to avoid keeping the rice longer than recommended, so that it retains its freshness and flavor. We hope this information helps you understand the purpose of each of these features.
We also offer an alternative model that comes with a side spatula holder and handle, but it has a more classic design compared to the modern design of the NW-QAC10/18.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/customer_service/entry
I had the previous version of the induction rice cooker but decided to upgrade to the newest version. I liked the flat top and the built in steam vent, as well as the self cleaning function, although I have not tried it yet. I have used it once so far, for basmati rice, and it cooked flawlessly. It looks beautiful and stores easily in my cabinet. At first I missed the handle, but it actually is easier to store since the indents on the bottom make it easier to maneuver in and out of the cabinet. I loved the previous version and I am sure I will love this upgrade as well. Plus it’s gorgeous!