If you are looking for a cooker that produces delicious results no matter what type of rice you put in, the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker is the best.
What sets the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker apart is its use of "fuzzy logic." Basically, a microcomputer adjusts the cooking time and temperature to adapt to the rice, whether it's brown, sweet, white, or porridge. At the bottom of the inner body of the cooker, there is a thermal sensor that keeps tabs on the rice and reports back to the microcomputer, which makes the appropriate adjustments.
The nonstick internal cooking pan features handy lines indicating how much water to add for each type of rice. Both the cooking pan and inner lid can be removed for easy cleaning, though they are not dishwasher-safe.
Other features include a large LCD screen, programmable delay timer for having your rice ready when you get home from work, handle and retractable cord for easy transport, reheating cycle, and an extended keep warm mode. There are two sizes: 5.5-cup and 10-cup. Both come with a one-year warranty.
Wired recommended the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy to "rice geeks" who are particular about tenderness and texture. The reviewer was impressed with how the device handled basmati, medium-grain white, and long-grain jasmine. However, they were put off by the long wait times.
A Tasty Mess was emphatic in its recommendation of this rice cooker. The blog mentioned that the cup is closer to six ounces, rather than the standard eight ounces. But, the brown rice the reviewer made turned out to her liking — not underdone or overdone and with the right chewiness.
Guides Editor Les Shu grew up in a household where rice was served nearly every night. His family has relied on Zojirushi cookers because they consistently make perfect rice and rice porridge. The 5.5-cup model is actually the model his parents now use after downsizing from a larger cooker.
Nearly 1,600 buyers on Amazon left a positive review of the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker. One owner, who has been eating rice on a daily basis for 35 years, found that this cooker makes rice comparable to how his mother's. Plus, the "keep warm" function helps the rice maintain its freshness for up to three days.
Another buyer shared a story of using the cooker on a daily basis for about nine years. After five years of use, the battery died, but they were able to replace it on their own and get it going again. The only consistent complaint is that it cooks too slowly.
Pros: Adjusts to the type of rice, uses "fuzzy logic," produces tender rice, small footprint
Cons: Somewhat slower than other options