****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
This is my second Zojirushi rice cooker. My first, a large, family-sized six-cup unit, is fifteen years old and still going strong. When our remaining child left home, he took the unit with him, which is still being used daily.Being empty nesters, we opted to buy a smaller rice cooker to allow cooking smaller portions and to take up less counter space. The ZOJI NL_BAC05SB suits our needs precisely.This Zoji has a three-cup capacity, and while smaller than others in the line, nothing is omitted in the design. The cooker has a tried-and-true triple heating unit and a thick non-stick cooking pot to ensure uniform cooking.Cleaning is easy, with all parts easily accessed. Keeping your rice cooker spotless is essential for uniform cooking. I found the steam vent on my older model challenging to clean, but this newer unit has a removable steam vent that can be cleaned easily.This versatile cooker makes various kinds of rice, quinoa and the best steel-cut oatmeal you will ever wake up. Mix a batch before you go to bed, set the timer, and your Goji will whistle you a tune telling you your favourite breakfast food is hot and piping and ready to eat.One thing to remember with the smaller-sized unit is that most cookbooks offering one-pot meals base their recipes on the 6-cup models. The three-cup model is too small to hold the different ingredients. The ability to cook a family meal in one pot was convenient when juggling work and family, but it is not a big deal now that I am retired and have time to enjoy cooking.Some are concerned that the Zoji has an internal battery that has to be replaced by the factory in Japan. While that is technically true, the battery in my first machine lasted almost ten years, and anyone with basic soldering skills can replace the battery in ten minutes.I’ve been asked why buy a dedicated rice cooker when you can purchase a cheaper, more versatile pressure-based cooker that cooks faster. I’ve tried those, and they do a great job at certain meals. But none of them come close to delivering the quality of the rice, oatmeal and quinoa I get from my Zoji. It is reliable, simple to operate and consistently provides high-quality hot rice, oatmeal, or quinoa every time.And yes, the Zoji will make you a cute little mini cake for dessert.
