A Scotsman living in Japan
Living in Japan I am spoilt for choice regarding which rice cooker to use. I went to the shop yesterday to have a look and found loads of different brands, some that I expected like Zojirushi and Tiger and others that I did not, including Hitachi and Toshiba. Anyway, there were absolutely loads. I was looking for a 3 cup rice cooker. This is the smallest you can get but is big enough to feed four or five people if you cook 3 cups of rice at once.
I was surprised to find a Zojirushi Induction Heating machine, the NP-GD05, for about $150. After returning home I looked on the Japanese Amazon site and found it for even less! This model is not available in the U.S. or Canada. I think the closest model sold in these countries is the NP-GBC05 but this model costs over $200. This just goes to show that some of the best rice cookers can be found for really good prices...if you live in Japan!
In my opinion, if you want the best rice cooker then your best option is to buy a Zojirushi. Ever since I came to Japan eight years ago I have had one of their machines. So admittedly I cannot compare them against their competitors but I am very satisfied with the way they work and the quality of the rice that they produce. That is why I am thinking of buying a new one. To be honest, I don't actually need it. My existing machine still works fine but is actually a mid-sized rice cooker. A small one would take up slightly less space and be perfect for my requirements. Japanese rice cookers are great electronic devices that help you to make rice that tastes amazing.
10.07.2010. 21:28