One food you’ll always find on my lunch, dinner and even breakfast plates is rice. Since I was a child, I’d always loved this simple yet filling grain that offers an incredible amount of versatility, and I’m pleased to learn that even professional chefs prefer to use a rice cooker. If you talk to anyone who has feelings about rice cookers, it seems there’s one brand in particular recommended by private and sushi chefs alike: Zojirushi.
Taka Sakaeda, chef-partner of Nami Nori in New York City, told HuffPost he swears by the Zojirushi Micom rice cooker and warmer, which has almost 9,000 five-star ratings and an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
“It’s the only rice cooker I’ve used in my life, and I’ve only had to replace it a couple of times when I’ve moved and it got lost in the shuffle,” Sakaeda said. “I find that the Zojirushi makes everything easy, and is complete with a measuring cup and guiding lines inside the cooking vessel. There’s really no need for any other tools, so compared to cooking rice in a pot, which requires more attention, the Zojirushi is a measure-and-go option.”
This splurge-worthy appliance is packed with tons of cool settings, including modes for white and brown rice, keeping warm, steaming and even one that lets you bake an actual cake in it. It’s also super easy to clean, as it has a clear-coated stainless steel exterior and removable parts. It comes in white and gray and in 5.5-cup (usually plenty big enough for a moderate-sized family) and 10-cup sizes.
