(checked 2026-10-10)
Bon Appétit's blind tasters pick this induction Zojirushi as the best rice of all, but it costs around $350-420, cooks slowly, and brown rice can come out soft.
Top complaints
- Very expensive
Bon Appétit says the price has climbed to around $360, which is why it lost the top pick to a $70 cooker. Amazon's summary says some owners find it expensive.
- Slow cooking
Bon Appétit says white rice can take up to an hour and brown rice up to two. Amazon owners also say it takes longer than traditional models.
- Soft or split brown rice
Serious Eats found its brown rice split and slightly mushy. Bon Appétit found it a touch soft and says using a bit less water helps.
Source: Serious Eats, Bon Appétit
What owners love
- Wins blind taste tests
Bon Appétit says it has won its staff blind taste tests every time, with grains that are never mushy. Serious Eats calls it excellent for Japanese rice.
Source: Bon Appétit, Serious Eats - Smart keep-warm and texture settings
Serious Eats liked the regular, softer and harder texture options, an accurate cook-time estimate, and an Extended Keep Warm mode that keeps rice from drying out.
Source: Serious Eats - Easy to clean
Serious Eats and Bon Appétit say the pot and removable inner lid are easy to clean; Amazon owners agree.
- You're on a budget
- You need rice in under 30 minutes
- You mostly eat brown rice
- Daily rice eaters who want the best texture
- Japanese short-grain and sushi rice
- Holding rice on extended keep-warm
Scores (tap for why)
What experts say
- Bon Appétit: Makes the best rice and wins every blind tasting. The cons are the high price, a slow cook time, soft brown rice and a cord that doesn't retract.
- Serious Eats: Most advanced Zojirushi pick, excellent for Japanese rice with clever keep-warm and texture settings; its brown rice was split and slightly mushy.
- Wirecutter (NYT): Not a pick: very good rice and an easy-to-read display, but the cheaper NL-EAC made even better rice in Wirecutter's test.