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Zojirushi NS-LAC05 Micom 3-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer

Between what seemed to be an ever expanding waist line and an ever shrinking budget, I figured it was finally time for me to start looking at my diet and my eating habits to see if I couldn’t turn things around for myself, at least a little bit. I knew that I had fallen into a dangerous trap like so many others; using the lack of time and cooking skills as an excuse to eat out waaay too often.

I knew that eating out as much as I did was costing me more money than I should be spending, and at the same time I also wasn’t able to control my portion sizes well at all (I have a tendency to clean what’s on my plate… thanks mom!) However, every time I thought about ‘cooking at home’, I came up against the same two main problems; not enough time and not enough cooking skills. Even for the simple stuff like rice that I love so much that I should have been able to take care of… it just never tasted as good at home when I made it as it did when I ordered it in a restaurant.

That was until I did a bit of research and decided to get myself a really good rice cooker. Now I don’t know how I ever lived without one! These days I use my Zojirushi 3 cup rice cooker more frequently than my TV! And for anyone looking to make a healthy lifestyle change in general, or for a rice cooker in particular, I couldn’t recommend a programmable rice cooker like my Zojirushi NS-LAC05 strongly enough.

Before I get into the specifics of the model I decided on, let me tell you some of the general features that I think are critical in a good rice cooker to make it really work well for you.

• A rice cooker needs to cook rice really well.

  This may seem like a stupidly obvious point, but the truth of the matter is that not all rice cookers will turn out great rice each and every time. In fact, I used to have a bargain basement model that consistently burned the bottom layer of rice. I just figured that was normal, and I discarded it in the trash. Trust me… it’s NOT normal or necessary.

• It needs to cook different varieties of rice really well.

  I used to only eat white rice, and I think part of the reason was that I had such a tough time cooking brown rice. Ever since figuring out that my rice cooker can cook white, brown, long grain, short grain, wild rice, sushi rice, rice porridge, stone cut oatmeal, beans and more, I am eagerly trying – and loving – all kinds of new rice, beans and other grains. (Did I mention all these items are cheap and healthy? Bonus!)

• It needs to be able to be set on a timer.

  This is the greatest thing ever. I love coming home and having the kitchen smell like delicious rice that’s just ready and waiting for me. And knowing that if I get home late, the machine will automatically switch over to ‘warming’ mode to keep my dinner warm (but not dry it out) is just fantastic. The literature suggests that rice can be kept warm like this for up to 13 hours! Not sure if I’d go that long, but it’s good to know it’s capable of that.

  Another thing that I liked about the Zojirushi is that the timer can be set for when you want your rice to be done; not when you want it to start cooking. It may seem like a small difference, but to me I like to just think about when I want to eat, not about when I want a machine to start cooking. I also learned an additional benefit to this kind of ‘brain-dead’ rice cooking; when you let your rice soak in water for a decent period before cooking it, you get incredibly delicious, fluffy rice!

  Once I realized all these things, I knew I needed a machine that had a fairly decent microcomputer built in to it (which the Zojirushi has). I also learned that by having a really good microcomputer, the Zojirushi is able to constantly monitor and adjust the temperature inside the cooker to the perfect level… which is the real secret to perfectly cooked rice and the reason most stove top efforts at cooking rice fall short. The control over the heat just isn’t there.

• It needs to be functional, durable, and preferably not ugly.

  I like to try to keep the clutter on my counter to a minimum, but realistically I know that certain things will end up finding a home on them rather than in the cupboards where they were initially intended to go. And as I soon found out, with the amount of use I get from my Zojirushi, it just doesn’t make sense to put it away every single day. Because of this, I am glad that it is actually a rather attractive appliance. I’ve had multiple people comment on it and how ‘cool’ it looks.

  Besides the fact that it just ‘looks cool’, it is also quite functional. For example, it has a nice sized LCD color display for establishing your settings, and the power cord is retractable like an old vacuum cleaner, making it much easier to stow away when I do put it in the cupboard. And the fact that the whole thing measures just 12” x 9” x 8” and weighs only about 7 pounds makes it easy to deal with whether on the counter or in the cupboard.

  Finally, the non-stick pot does just as described; it doesn’t stick. It cleans up very quickly and easily, which gives me one less excuse for not preparing my own food now.

Overall, my Zojirushi has been a smashing success for me, and I don’t see any reason why others wouldn’t have very much the same reaction. (On Amazon.com, with over 200 reviews as of the date of this writing, it has an average customer rating of 5 out of 5 stars!) I realize that it’s not the cheapest rice cooker on the market, but then again, I wasn’t looking for the cheapest… I was looking for the BEST. The one that I would actually use.

I am thrilled to not only be saving money by cooking at home a LOT more now, but I am actually enjoying it and looking forward to trying new and different recipes. AND… eating better has motivated me to start exercising again. I have already noticed a change in the way my pants fit, and I have a feeling I just getting started!

Why don’t you join me in a new, healthier, tastier direction!

Zojirushi NS-LAC05 Micom 3-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer, Stainless Steel

Rice done right. This rice cooker ensures each grain is perfectly prepared, done just how you need it with intuitive menu settings: white/sushi, porridge, brown and quick cook. The automatic keep warm feature helps maintain freshness until ready to serve. One-year limited warranty. Model NS-LAC05.

Don’y suffer through anything less than perfect rice any longer! Get the Perfect Rice Cooker Today!

Buying a Zojirushi Rice Cooker:

Like so many other things in life, when it comes to buying a Zojirushi rice cooker, you’re going to have a lot of options.  You can find mulitple on-line merchants who sell them, as well as some retail outlets (depending where you live).  But probably the most well known and well respected on-line merchant where you can always be sure to get a competitive price is Amazon.com.  While prices can always change, (which is why I don’t want to quote you a price here and now), I have found Amazon to consistently have among the lowest, if not the lowest price around.  And their reputation speaks for itself.

What Others Have to Say About Zojirushi Rice Cookers:

If you’re looking for more feedback on what others think about their Zojirushi rice cookers, you also might want to spend a bit of time over at Amazon.com.  They have one of the best consumer review areas to help you get more familiar with what multiple customers’ experiences have been with various products.  And if the small, 3 cup rice cooker I used is just too small for you… fear not!  There are plenty of 5 cup and 10 cup rice cookers to look for (and of course I would expect that the larger models made by Zojirushi would be equally impressive.  In fact, they have some even higher end models that I would love to try someday!)

The Zojirushi NS-LAC05 is everything we hoped for and more.

The Zojirushi is easy to use, doesn’t take up much countertop space, is attractive and easy to carry around.

We tried the cheaper model from the same brand and returned it. This one works perfectly

This rice cooker simply cooks the best rice I have ever had.

Zojirushi NS-LAC05 Micom 3-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer Product Details:

• Measures 11-1/2 by 9 by 7-1/4-inch; 1-year limited warranty.
• Measuring cup, nonstick rice spatula, and spatula holder included
• Keep-warm function; LCD display with timer; nonstick inner cooking pan
• Menu selections include white, sushi, porridge, brown, and quick cooking
• 3-Cup rice cooker with micro-computerized fuzzy logic technology