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Top of the Line: Zojirushi NP-NWC10XB Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker
Zojirushi has become the gold standard when it comes to Japanese rice cookers, and this is their top of the line model. While you can find machines for nearly half the price with induction heating technology, this one combines that with pressure cooking for the most precise and evenly cooked rice in town. This rice cooker also has AI technology that “learns” from past cooking experiences and adjusts to cook rice perfectly. You can select among three rice firmness levels, which allows you to make amazing sushi/fried rice, fluffy white rice, or softer sticky rice (this third setting is also amazing for brown rice!).
Most Stylish and Most Features: CUCKOO CRP-LHTR1009F Twin Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker
If you’re looking for a stylish addition to your kitchen, this Cuckoo rice cooker is, hands down, the way to go. Despite Zojirushi producing the best quality rice, the devices themselves aren’t especially attractive. The Korean brand, Cuckoo, developed a line of super sleek rice cookers with a TON of nifty features including voice navigation, pressure induction heating (with the option to turn off pressure cooking), non-stick stainless steel pot, LED touch-controls, and 16 menu options including GABA/brown rice, glutinous/white rice, veggie rice, scorched rice, baby food, sticky rice, high/non-pressure options, and a quick turbo mode for rice in a pinch.
Best Without Completely Breaking the Bank: Zojirushi NP-HCC10XH Induction Heating System Rice Cooker
This rice cooker is priced right in the middle of the pack, but you still get the benefit of some high end features, and so this is actually the one we recommend the most. Obviously, if you want the best of the best, you should go with the Zojirushi NP-NWC10XB or CUCKOO CRP-LHTR1009F, But if those are out of your price range, this model still kicks some serious tail.
While it’s lacking the pressure cooking of the higher end models, it still features induction heating, which is a relatively new technology in the culinary world (compared to gas and electric) that uses a magnetic field to heat the pot itself almost instantly. The ability to adjust the temperature lightyears faster than a gas or electric element enables much finer and more precise control over the temperature of the rice while it’s cooking, so you end up with the perfect pot every time.
Best Budget: Zojirushi NHS-10 Rice Cooker
This is the kind of rice cooker you probably recognize from your parents’ house growing up, and to be totally honest, before upgrading about 2 years ago, I had been using this exact rice cooker since college! It lacks all the bells and whistles of the newer generation models, but if your goal is just to find an inexpensive rice cooker to make rice to have with dinner each day, you really don’t need the fancy ones. The one thing that bothered me over the course of 12 years of use is that the “non-stick” surface is not the greatest. There’s usually a bit of crispy rice left over, but it’s not enough to be a deal breaker. And it’s possible it was just mine because with over 8k reviews and 4.6 stars on Amazon it’s clear that it does the job well. Oh yeah, it also includes a steamer basket that sits on top of the rice so you can steam vegetables at the same time!
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