Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System, Stainless Steel Review
Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System, Stainless Steel
Perfectly Cooked Rice with the NP-HBC10
Along with micro computer technology, this 5-1/2-cup rice cooker and warmer provides superior induction heating for more evenly distributed heat to ensure perfectly cooked rice every time. Choose from a variety of cooking functions including white rice (regular, softer, or harder), mixed rice, sushi rice, porridge, sweet rice, and quick cooking. In addition, healthy cooking options include brown rice, GABA brown rice, and germinated brown rice. The unit's black, thick, spherical, inner cooking pan and heating system provide even heating, and its interchangeable melody and beep signal indicates when the cooking cycle has ended. Other highlights include a detachable and washable inner lid, an easy-to-read LCD control panel with clock and timer features, and automatic keep warm and extended keep warm, as well as a delay timer with two settings and a detachable power cord. The unit's clear-coated stainless-steel exterior not only cleans easily, but also matches any kitchen decor. Accessories include a spatula, a spatula holder, and a rice-measuring cup. The 1230-watt rice cooker and warmer measures 14-3/16 by 9-13/16 by 7-15/16 inches.
Make Every Type of Rice
Brown Rice
This is a menu setting designed to cook delicious brown rice. In order to cook hard rice bran and the rice inside, preheating time is extended for better absorption of water, and is cooked at a lower temperature to allow the rice to cook longer without becoming mushy.
Sushi Rice
Because sushi rice will be processed after it's cooked, it's easier to handle when it is a little firmer. This menu setting is very similar to regular white rice, but uses less water (adjusted by the water fill lines) for a firm finish.
Mixed Rice
Mixed rice is rice cooked with additional ingredients and seasonings. This setting extends preheating for better absorption of seasoning. Also, the cooking temperature is slightly lower than regular white rice, to avoid ingredients from boiling over.
Porridge
Instead of cooking rice in larger amounts of water and risk making it sloppy, use the porridge setting to cook fluffy porridge. Cooking temperature is slightly lower than regular white rice, to be cooked longer for soft texture.
Easy-to-read LCD control panel
Zojirushi NP-HBC10 Features
- Superior induction heating (IH) technology
- Healthy cooking options: brown rice and GABA brown rice settings
- Easy-to-clean clear coated stainless steel exterior
- Automatic keep warm and extended keep warm
- Delay timer (2 settings)
- GABA brown setting or Brown Rice Activation activates brown rice for increased nutritional values
- Menu settings include: white (regular, softer or harder), mixed, sushi, porridge, sweet, brown, GABA brown and quick cooking
- cETLus listed, tested to comply with FCC standards
A newly discovered way of cooking brown rice to "activate" it and increase natural occurring gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid in brown rice believed to have health giving properties such as lowering blood pressure, improving kidney function and relieving stress. The brown rice is "activated" by soaking it at 104°F for 2 hours before the actual cooking begins. All Induction Heating System rice cookers, including the IH Pressure models, have the GABA brown rice setting.
Detachable inner lid for easy cleaning
MICOM (Microcomputer) Technology
Aided by microcomputer technology, this category of rice cooker takes having rice on your menu from occasional to serious. MICOM allows the cooker to have multiple functions on its menu, making it a necessity for any avid rice fan who wants to incorporate rice into her daily diet. The microchip does all the thinking for you by, based on the type of rice you are cooking, from adjusting cooking times, temperatures, and timing the pre-soak of the raw grains to the final "wait" period during steaming.
Conventional rice cookers simply turn on and off in reaction to temperature. The "fuzzy logic" of MICOM fine-tunes this adjustment to adapt to various rice types, such as white, brown, sweet or porridge, which all have different cooking requirements. The trigger to everything is the thermal sensor, a small round button at the bottom of the inner body of the cooker. As the inner pan's weight rests on it and activates the sensor, it starts the cooking process and keeps an eye on the temperature and time.
Induction Heating (IH) system for precise temperature control
Induction Heating took rice cooking to another level by introducing another dimension to the heating process. Where the heating element would normally be located at the bottom of the cooker, IH transforms the entire inner cooking pan into a heat conductor, allowing for higher, more precise and more uniform cooking temperatures.
Induction heating occurs when a magnetic material enters a magnetic field. This is recreated by passing an electric current through coils located at the bottom of the rice cooker's body. As the special, 2-ply inner cooking pan is placed inside, a magnetic field is created, which in turn generates instant heat. The entire cooking pan becomes the heat source, with the ability to cook at higher temperatures, which can be turned on and off instantly for greater control.
Spherical inner cooking pan and heating system provide even heating for perfectly cooked rice.
Accessories include rice measuring cup, nonstick rice spatula and spatula holder.
