Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Zojirushi Induction Heating 3-Cup Rice Cooker
01 / 02
Zojirushi Induction Heating 3-Cup Rice Cooker
bookmark_border
Where's the price?
To negotiate the best possible price for our customers, we agree to hide prices prior to logging in.
901 requests
Product Description
Using induction heating—where coils at the bottom generate a magnetic field to create an instant source of heat within the pot—the Zojirushi rice cooker is capable of much more than cooking standard white rice. In fact, it can cook up to 3 cups of sushi rice, brown rice, GABA brown rice, and more in no time Read More
search
close
Sort by: Top Conversations
keyboard_arrow_downbsatow
131
Dec 1, 2017
There are TWO kinds of Zojirushi products. Ones made in Japan and ones made in China. I hope these are the made in Japan version.
The quality control of the Chinese made Zojirushi products is questionable. Although they are supposed to be made exactly the same, many consumers feel that the Zojirushi products made in China are not as good or last as long or are as reliable as the Japan made version.
This is not just my personal view. Tourism from China to Japan also indicate this. Thousands come to Japan and buy the same product in Japan for double the price than the ones made in China. No only Zojirushi, but Toto, Sharp, Toshiba, etc...
blahhh
130
Jan 13, 2018
I think the simple answer is that you can't paint everything with the same brush. Historically, Japan was known for producing high quality electronics and other manufacturing. China was not. More recently, this oversimplification has become more and more murky - to the point were such a generalization probably isn't that useful or accurate.
A piece of anecdotal evidence of my own: In 2008, I purchased a Denon audio receiver. This was the last year that midrange Denon receivers were made in Japan. At that time, there was quite a consensus that the Denon receivers still made in the Japanese factory had somewhat better quality control (just taking off the cover and looking at things like solder points and glue applications, etc, corroborated this). But I would never use this isolated experience to judge all Japanese vs Chinese made items today.
That said, it wouldn't be all that surprising if a Japanese company such as this one, that made items in both Japan and China, might have a QC edge in the native country - if for no other reason than the man reason such a company would choose to extend manufacturing into China would be to cut costs. And cutting costs often comes with quality compromises. On the other hand, with an example like the iPhone, which is exclusively made in China (to high standards) there would be absolutely no reason, obviously, to suspect quality compromises.
A piece of anecdotal evidence of my own: In 2008, I purchased a Denon audio receiver. This was the last year that midrange Denon receivers were made in Japan. At that time, there was quite a consensus that the Denon receivers still made in the Japanese factory had somewhat better quality control (just taking off the cover and looking at things like solder points and glue applications, etc, corroborated this). But I would never use this isolated experience to judge all Japanese vs Chinese made items today.
That said, it wouldn't be all that surprising if a Japanese company such as this one, that made items in both Japan and China, might have a QC edge in the native country - if for no other reason than the man reason such a company would choose to extend manufacturing into China would be to cut costs. And cutting costs often comes with quality compromises. On the other hand, with an example like the iPhone, which is exclusively made in China (to high standards) there would be absolutely no reason, obviously, to suspect quality compromises.
bsatow
131
Jan 13, 2018
blahhhFinally, a good and rational answer. However, if most of the mainland Chinese people I work with is telling me that the Chinese will go to Japan to buy products made in Japan, even though the same product is made in China by the same Japanese company, this indicates something to me. When the Japanese start doing the reverse, then I can retract my statement.
michaelmpk
2
Dec 2, 2017
Am I missing something ? I've had a few rice cookers through the years and have never spent more than fifty bucks. What makes this one worth so much more ?
Annndy
89
Apr 30, 2018
GABA was something new to me when I got my cooker. I have always liked brown rice, but only on rare occasions. Now with the GABA setting, brown rice is so much more enjoyable and easy to make that my brown rice consumption has tripled, which is probably better for my health too.
Annndy
89
Apr 30, 2018
michaelmpkZojirushi has a page that explains the unique purpose for this style of rice cooker - https://www.zojirushi.com/grains/nphcc10.html. As I said in an earlier reply, it is certainly possible and even reasonable to make rice in a less expensive cooker, but this model will do it a little better and a lot easier, all while being a very nicely made, elegant and somewhat luxurious home product. I'm not denying that part of the price in a model like this is certainly appearance and brand. It's probably possible to get a cooker that is functionally similar for closer to $100.
Annndy
89
Jan 13, 2018
Great, but not perfect
I have the larger version of this, the NP-HCC10, and while I would describe the rice it makes as perfect, I was a little disappointed in the design and construction. I want to be clear, this is an excellent cooker. I use mine constantly, many times a week, and so far it really does work perfectly. But at this high price I kinda expected perfection and I really didn't get it. I do indeed recommend the cooker but I also want to let people know where it falls short for me so they can be fully informed before dropping close to $200.
Thanks to Jbug for pointing out that some of what I wrote here about my larger model does not apply to this model. I have added to my original comments to highlight where my cooker is not or may not be identical to this.
** The following statement about the cord does not apply to this NP-GBC05! I am leaving in my original text so people can see what I wrote about the larger, more expensive model because this Massdrop offer may have some other issue that I would not know about. My reason for leaving this whole post is that Zojirushi did not live up to its reputation for perfection in my eyes. ** Cord: it is not removable (on the larger model - it is removable on the Massdrop NP-GBC05), it is short and there is nowhere to stow it when the cooker is not in use. In Japan and other rice-staple places the cooker never leaves the counter top so it's not much of an issue, but for those people who would like to put this away when they are done with it, a removable or stowable cord would be nice. Also, the cord is shorter than I would like. I guess that's what you have to do when there is no way to get the cord out of the way - make it short so it's less of a burden.
Open/Close latch: the placement of the large oval latch button (rounded rectangle on the Massdrop offer) at the middle edge of the cooker means that the most natural way to close it is to press on that button which means it won't actually stay closed when that is pressed. That means you have to press the lid closed off-center, which intuitively feels like I am asking for trouble - to bend or wear it off-center. I don't know the best answer, but I do know I don't like the placement of the latch release.
** This section is only applicable to the NP-HCC10. The Massdrop offer doesn't appear to be laid out the same way. ** Controls: asymmetric placement of cook options really bugs me in such a top-tier appliance. There are 11 options and they couldn't manage to put them in a pattern that is symmetrical. The controls in general, while simple, are somewhat counter-intuitive to me. To be specific, the order in which control buttons are to be pressed goes against what I expect. The instruction manual is also one of the most confusing and frustratingly unclear documents I have ever read. Now that I know how to use the cooker it is not a problem, but I just want more from a company with such an impeccable reputation.
Construction/Finish: 2 problems that I think are design flaws, but I can't be sure. First there is a thin gap along the top of the lid where plastic meets metal. That gap fills with dust and any other debris that might fall onto the lid. It is a very narrow gap, thinner even than a toothpick tip, but not so thin that it prevents material from falling into it and becoming virtually impossible to remove. Is that how they actually wanted it to be? I don't know, but I really dislike it. It is not a functional problem but it bothers me a lot. Second, the steam vent is held in place by a plastic tube inserted into a hole in the top of the lid. On my cooker that tube does not extend into the hole deeply enough to ever feel fully seated. The whole vent assembly wobbles, and while gravity alone keeps it in place, it just feels like it's going to come off when I open the cooker. For this kind of money I want it to fully sit deeply, snugly and unambiguously in place without giving me the feeling I got a factory flaw. ** This is my experience with my cooker, which is a different model - essentially just a larger version of this. The Massdrop offering may not suffer from either of these problems. **
I think my cooker is actually perfectly assembled according to the design, but I think the design leaves a little to be desired.
I want to be completely clear on this: my cooker works perfectly. There are no functional problems at all. But the imperfections in little design elements have led me to decide that the next time I drop this kind of money on a rice cooker, it is going to be Tiger brand. I hope this review helps someone, even if they are just uptight weirdos like me.
I have the larger version of this, the NP-HCC10, and while I would describe the rice it makes as perfect, I was a little disappointed in the design and construction. I want to be clear, this is an excellent cooker. I use mine constantly, many times a week, and so far it really does work perfectly. But at this high price I kinda expected perfection and I really didn't get it. I do indeed recommend the cooker but I also want to let people know where it falls short for me so they can be fully informed before dropping close to $200.
Thanks to Jbug for pointing out that some of what I wrote here about my larger model does not apply to this model. I have added to my original comments to highlight where my cooker is not or may not be identical to this.
** The following statement about the cord does not apply to this NP-GBC05! I am leaving in my original text so people can see what I wrote about the larger, more expensive model because this Massdrop offer may have some other issue that I would not know about. My reason for leaving this whole post is that Zojirushi did not live up to its reputation for perfection in my eyes. ** Cord: it is not removable (on the larger model - it is removable on the Massdrop NP-GBC05), it is short and there is nowhere to stow it when the cooker is not in use. In Japan and other rice-staple places the cooker never leaves the counter top so it's not much of an issue, but for those people who would like to put this away when they are done with it, a removable or stowable cord would be nice. Also, the cord is shorter than I would like. I guess that's what you have to do when there is no way to get the cord out of the way - make it short so it's less of a burden.
Open/Close latch: the placement of the large oval latch button (rounded rectangle on the Massdrop offer) at the middle edge of the cooker means that the most natural way to close it is to press on that button which means it won't actually stay closed when that is pressed. That means you have to press the lid closed off-center, which intuitively feels like I am asking for trouble - to bend or wear it off-center. I don't know the best answer, but I do know I don't like the placement of the latch release.
** This section is only applicable to the NP-HCC10. The Massdrop offer doesn't appear to be laid out the same way. ** Controls: asymmetric placement of cook options really bugs me in such a top-tier appliance. There are 11 options and they couldn't manage to put them in a pattern that is symmetrical. The controls in general, while simple, are somewhat counter-intuitive to me. To be specific, the order in which control buttons are to be pressed goes against what I expect. The instruction manual is also one of the most confusing and frustratingly unclear documents I have ever read. Now that I know how to use the cooker it is not a problem, but I just want more from a company with such an impeccable reputation.
Construction/Finish: 2 problems that I think are design flaws, but I can't be sure. First there is a thin gap along the top of the lid where plastic meets metal. That gap fills with dust and any other debris that might fall onto the lid. It is a very narrow gap, thinner even than a toothpick tip, but not so thin that it prevents material from falling into it and becoming virtually impossible to remove. Is that how they actually wanted it to be? I don't know, but I really dislike it. It is not a functional problem but it bothers me a lot. Second, the steam vent is held in place by a plastic tube inserted into a hole in the top of the lid. On my cooker that tube does not extend into the hole deeply enough to ever feel fully seated. The whole vent assembly wobbles, and while gravity alone keeps it in place, it just feels like it's going to come off when I open the cooker. For this kind of money I want it to fully sit deeply, snugly and unambiguously in place without giving me the feeling I got a factory flaw. ** This is my experience with my cooker, which is a different model - essentially just a larger version of this. The Massdrop offering may not suffer from either of these problems. **
I think my cooker is actually perfectly assembled according to the design, but I think the design leaves a little to be desired.
I want to be completely clear on this: my cooker works perfectly. There are no functional problems at all. But the imperfections in little design elements have led me to decide that the next time I drop this kind of money on a rice cooker, it is going to be Tiger brand. I hope this review helps someone, even if they are just uptight weirdos like me.
ryan92084
180
Jan 18, 2018
Just confirmed on my 3 cup that the cord is detachable, I had totally forgotten. Still no way to store it but good to know.
Jbug
62
Mar 25, 2018
ryan92084I picked one of these up a while back. I coil the cord between uses, tuck the metal prongs of the plug into the measuring cups, and store the cord and cups inside the bowl. The cups prevent the prongs from scratching the bowl surface, and everything is right there when I pull it down to use.
I love retracting cords as long as they work, but this is fine too.
I love retracting cords as long as they work, but this is fine too.
ndpanda
58
Nov 28, 2017
I bought the 5-cup version of this cooker after using non-induction models from Zojirushi and Panasonic for 20+ years. All types of rice turn out noticeably better, and the GABA brown rice setting is nice to have. I've also noticed that cleanup after brown rice is quite a bit easier than with the conventional cookers, though I don't know why that would be. Of the appliances that I own, this is the one I would most recommend to others.
ndpanda
58
Dec 2, 2017
I do eat rice almost every day, and when I commented above about ”noticeably better” results with the induction cooker I should have written “noticeably more consistent.” This is something I appreciate; it’s not so much a matter of taste as texture and degree of firmness. For those who eat rice only occasionally I suppose this cooker might be overkill.
RogierFvV
43
Dec 2, 2017
IH shortens the cooking time and is more efficient in electrical consumption. Worth it in spades, but you have to look at the total complement of features. The GABA Brown Rice setting is critically important once you understand the nutritional value of GABA rice.
SarreqTeryx
10
Jan 20, 2018
is this a Japanese made or Chinese made Zojirushi? the Chinese made ones are notoriously unreliable.
Annndy
89
Feb 18, 2018
Yes I think the Chinese are quite capable of producing high quality items, it's just not what the world is asking of them right now. We may feel that there is a healthy market for quality, but the overwhelming majority of customers are constantly proving that price supersedes all other factors. It's a real trick when companies like Bose and Apple can convince the public to spend more than the bare minimum on personal and household products. One of the reasons we have access to higher quality items like these Zojirushi rice cookers is that the Japanese have been convinced that rice cookers should cost $500 and are well worth the expense.
Fuzz
396
Feb 18, 2018
AnnndyI was blown away when I saw the price ranges of rice cookers in Japan, I saw a $1000+ rice cooker in one of their big box stores.
Diamond-like Carbon coated cooking vessels, ultrasonic transducer plates and whatnot. I guess it seems less extreme when you realize that there is rice that sells for $100 a Kilo in Japan.
Diamond-like Carbon coated cooking vessels, ultrasonic transducer plates and whatnot. I guess it seems less extreme when you realize that there is rice that sells for $100 a Kilo in Japan.
pedantic
15
Dec 2, 2017
jbbb120V 60Hz. Check page 25. http://www.zojirushi.com/servicesupport/manuals/manual_pdf/npgbc_05.pdf
Djohn
17
Dec 2, 2018
If they can put the international option up for grabs, the rest of the world would get one.
DrFingerless
14
Sep 11, 2018
This one always interests me. But I live in Australia and I understand that there are major voltage issues with this device outside the USA. Correct me if I am wrong. Please.
poweruser86
7
Dec 1, 2017
I’m kind of a rice cooker snob. Zojirushi is a top brand, but 3 cups is WAY too small, even for 2 people. A 5.5 cup is the sweet spot, enough for 2 people and leftovers, or enough to serve up to 4 or 5 people depending on the dish.
Great cooker, just wayyy too small.
Great cooker, just wayyy too small.
W8lkinUSA
53
Dec 2, 2017
poweruser86Even my 5 Cup cooker can only handle 2-2.5 cups of brown rice (depending on cook speed) with minimal mess. 3.5-4 cups of white rice rarely resorts to scraping the top "lid".
Showing 55 of 103
Recent Activity
Related Products
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop