Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System, Stainless Steel

We purchased this rice cooker last week, and have used it twice for brown rice. The rice came out better (and with less effort on our part) than any other cooking method we've ever used. It was, in short, the best brown rice we'd ever had anywhere.

We also tried out the warming function, in which the machine keeps rice warm for up to 12 hours on normal warm mode--there's also an extended warm mode for up to 48 hours. After about 8 hours on warming mode, the rice was virtually the same as when it had just been cooked.

The machine could not be easier to use. Build and material quality appear first rate. The rice pan is heavy duty--same for the non-stick coating. Very quiet in operation, very easy to clean. All sorts of little details that suggest many cycles of refinement in the design. Aesthetics are delightfully Japanese. The stainless steel side and top panels appear as an afterthought designed to fit Western tastes.

One thing I...Read more

I was expecting this machine to cook rice very well based on previously owning a neuro fuzzy logic rice cooker made by zojirushi, which I've worn out after many years of use. I'm very happy with the new induction heating style of cooking. It cooks brown rice better.

Pro's

--Exceptional rice results, almost foolproof.

--Multiple menu settings account for most types of rice, including GABA brown (which is supposed to make brown rice even healthier)

--Easy to operate. Select menu setting, add cups of rice to bowl (rinse the rice), fill to applicable mark in bowl, and hit cook button.

--Battery backup. A lithium battery means the cooker will remember its last settings even if you unplug it. If you're a creature of habit, this feature makes it even easier to operate.

--Clock timer with 2 time settings you can set based on the clock's time. Like previously stated, the cooker remembers the timer settings...Read more

The rice cooker is best in class ie five stars.

The only negative thing about this rice cooker is that it last about 1 year before it fails. I have just recently had my second rice cooker fail and this time it lasted about 1.1 years similar to the first rice cooker. After contacting Zojirushi they gave me a repair place for the rice cooker. I have already purchased my 3rd zojirushi rice cooker and the repair for the second one will cost $136 dollars.

The nice thing is that you can get it repaired and the customer service was really nice on the phone.

Both failures caused the digital display to lock up.