Hello and Welcome! Today’s post is a little different than my recipe or Ingredient Spotlight posts. That said, I suppose this post does shine a spotlight on a specific piece of kitchen equipment I never thought I needed, or wanted. Yes, a rice cooker! But this isn’t just any rice cooker. The 5.5 cup Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker is a rockstar piece of kitchen equipment. It does its job perfectly every time. So, read on about the Neuro Fuzzy Rice cooker; and down below, I will link to some Djalali Cooks recipes perfect for a side of rice. Let’s Do it!
This is not a sponsored post, but every once in a while there is a piece of kitchen equipment or cookware that is really worth mentioning and recommending to you. Especially if it’s a product that really changed my mind. Frankly, I didn’t care about rice cookers. Even though I frequently make rice, it just never occurred to me to buy a rice cooker. The ease of use and the perfect-every-time-results made me a convert. The other thing is that brown rice and white rice made in the Zojirushi just tastes better than stovetop-made rice.
Neuro Fuzzy Technology
You might be wondering what the heck Neuro Fuzzy means. A Neuro-Fuzzy system is a learning machine that finds and uses the parameters of a “fuzzy” set of rules. “Fuzzy” refers to the allowance of more vague (read: human) assessments in computing. So, the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy basically uses an algorithm and IF-THEN sets to learn and make fine-tuned adjustments to temperature – ensuring perfectly cooked rice, every time. It seems complicated but you can think of it as a type of AI.
A Worthy Investment
The 5.5 cup Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker has a steep price tag, but think of it as an investment piece – like an InstantPot. It doesn’t just make really good rice! In fact, you can use the Zojirushi Rice Cooker similarly to an InstantPot. There are entire cookbooks devoted to InstantPot-style recipes made in the Zojirushi. From cakes, to steamed vegetables, frittatas, beans, stews and more.
Simple to Use
The Zojirushi is really easy to use. Measure out the amount of rice you want to cook, rinse it well under cold running water and transfer the rinsed uncooked rice to the rice cooker bowl. Then fill with water to the line indicating the amount of rice you want to cook. I am cooking 2 cups of rice; so I poured in my 2 cups of rinsed rice and filled the water to the line between the 1 and the 3 under WHITE RICE.
Set the rice cooker bowl in the cooker, close the lid and press the pink COOKING|REHEAT button. A cute Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star tune will play and it’s on its way to perfect rice!
The clock will not indicate how many minutes remain until it gets to the ten minute mark. When it’s done, it will play another little tune and kick over to the KEEP WARM setting. The rice cooker itself is compact, lightweight and its retractable cord not only works smoothly, but it makes the whole rice cooker easy to store.
Rice Perfect Recipes
Chicken and Black Bean Stew
Korean Braised Short Ribs
Egg Fried Rice
Vinegar Braised Beef
Fish and Summer Vegetables
Tequila Shrimp
Pineapple Marinated Chicken
Smoked Salmon Onigiri
I hope you found this recommendation for the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker helpful and interesting. I hope if you’re ever in the market for a rice cooker, you give this Zojirushi consideration. And if you’re not in the market for one, perhaps this post will change your mind, like mine was. Take care and be well everyone! xo Kelly
Monique
January 27, 2022 at 9:49 amKelly, we too cook rice somewhat often and have hemmed and hawed about the practicality of buying another appliance to store when it can be done on the stove. I’m very interested in hearing what pushed you over the fence. It may do the same for me. Also, can you cook grains? Quinoa, farro, fregula,???
Kelly Djalali
January 27, 2022 at 10:37 amHi Monique, good questions! First, I decided to invest in a rice cooker because I could never get consistent results from cooking on the stovetop – every time I made rice, the results were always slightly different. That, and stovetop cooking required a bit of babysitting. I wanted to set and forget and still get perfect, consistent results every time. I also like to make rice in large quantities to always have some in the fridge. Plus, the thing I love about the neuro fuzzy rice cooker is that if I accidentally add a little too much water, or too little water, the machine makes the adjustments to the temperature to account for my lack of precision. And cleaning the Zojirushi bowl is so, so, so much easier than scrubbing a pot.
And yes, you can make other grains in the rice cooker. Typically the water/grain ratios will be same as they would be on the stovetop, and often you would choose the brown rice or grain setting, depending on the model of rice cooker. So far, I have only made rice in my Zojirushi, but there are tons of online bloggers who have whole cookbooks devoted to cooking grains and much more in their rice cookers. There are other models of Zojirushi rice cookers, so check out their whole line, to find one that best suits your needs! http://www.zojirushi.com/category/rice_cookers/
Hope that helps! Let me know if you end up getting one! Have a great day, xo Kelly
Mary.
January 27, 2022 at 1:25 pmI have this and it’s wonderful! Highly recommend it.
Kelly Djalali
January 27, 2022 at 4:20 pmWonderful, Mary! ?
Suzanne Smith
January 27, 2022 at 2:59 pmThat thing sounds great! I do hate pulling out tons of appliances, but may have to think about this. Thanks for noting which one you purchased, Kelly.
Kelly Djalali
January 27, 2022 at 4:22 pmHi Suzanne, I hear ya! I will say that this appliance is so compact, lightweight and its handle is sturdy. It’s really no trouble to pull out at all! xo Kelly
Sierra Delta
January 27, 2022 at 5:37 pmHi Kelly! I’m interested in a rice cooker because my son, a budding cook in California, loves his so much. I’ve discovered that if I have the appliances he uses in his home in my kitchen, he’s more than willing to cook for us when he visits! How long have you had your Zojirushi? In reading online reviews, I see that people have mixed experiences with the non-stick lining. Have you had any issues?
Kelly Djalali
January 27, 2022 at 6:56 pmHello Sierra Delta, I have had my Zojirushi for about 7 months now… I haven’t had any issues with the interior bowl, but I have only ever used the silicone rice paddle that it came with. And I use a very soft sponge to clean it. I can tell though just by looking at it that the nonstick interior would be very sensitive to using metal utensils of any kind to scoop out rice. I think with proper care, it will be fine. You can buy replacement interior bowls, but they’re about $99. Hope that answers your questions! xo Kelly
C
January 27, 2022 at 11:00 pmI had the exact same question. Have had this on my radar for the longest time but decided against it cause of the poor reviews on the lining. At this price point that should not be an issue, in my humble opinion. I’m still looking for something else for the time being. I’m sure other than that, this is a fantastic product. I make my rice on a stove top and get great results every trime. Let me know if you want to know my recipe. I cme from a third world-ish country so for us these gadget were just not a thing, so I learnt making rice the old way.
Kelly Djalali
January 28, 2022 at 8:01 amHello C, The nonstick insert of this rice cooker is really no different than any other piece of nonstick cookware; it requires no more special care than a nonstick skillet or bundt pan – price point notwithstanding. So, I wouldn’t necessarily let the nonstick insert dissuade you, if you’re interested in a Zojirushi. They have many models that fall into other price points as well! Thank you for stopping by today, xo Kelly
C
January 28, 2022 at 7:54 pmI don’t mind spending in great gadgets. I have a plethora of delicate stuff that I paid a pretty penny for and I am ok with that. I just found too many complains on this issue. Now to be fair many people also said they’ve had this for years with no issues whatsoever. We’ll see. I know I will end up caving into it. I love rice, and so does my fam. Rice is a staple at home, so seem to make sense. It was some post of you from few weeks ago that re ignited my interes in it. Btw… I ended up here due to Revolver. Love your recipes.
Kelly Djalali
January 28, 2022 at 9:11 pmHello C, With proper care, the higher quality, pricier pieces of kitchen equipment will end up paying for themselves, I believe. I am so happy you found your way to Djalali Cooks, I am really glad you enjoy the blog and the recipes – thank you so much for your support! Have a wonderful weekend, xo Kelly
Sally Burke
January 28, 2022 at 1:44 amHi Kelly, I checked this out on line and you are not wrong about the price, it is quite exi! If I was earlier in my cooking life I might consider it, but as it is space wise I am struggling with all of my kitchen and pantry paraphernalia, so will continue on my tried and true method. Thankyou for sharing, and I am sure there will be many young ones like you who will give that amazing piece of kitchen equipment a try.
Once again, happy cooking ?? ?
Sally ?
Kelly Djalali
January 28, 2022 at 8:06 amHi Sally, I am glad you found the post interesting! I do understand that accumulating gadgets and appliances is an issue – I have the same thoughts when it comes to considering a new piece of equipment. Especially since storage space in my kitchen is at a premium! Thanks for stopping by and dropping a line today, it’s always so nice to hear from you. Happy cooking to you too! xo Kelly