Rice cookers with microcomputer technology have more menu options available, such as a porridge setting. The porridge cycle is designed for cooking rice porridge, but it can also be used for cooking steel-cut oats if you can find the right balance between oats and water. We have selected two Zojirushi rice cookers that have a porridge function for making rice porridge. We give a quick review of the costs and benefits of each rice cooker.
Zojirushi NS-LAC05 With Porridge Setting
This is a small rice cooker with a 3-cup uncooked rice cooking capacity. Its menu setting for rice porridge cooks at a lower temperature for longer to make sure the rice grains are soft.
The porridge setting may also be used for cooking steel-cut oats with some modification to the amount of water used, even though it is actually programmed for cooking rice porridge. However, it can cook only a small amount of oats porridge due to its small capacity.
Costs
- Small rice capacity makes it unsuitable for larger families.
- MICOM rice cookers take longer to cook rice than single switch rice cookers.
- The nonstick coating of the cooking pot scratches easily and may not last for long.
Benefits
- It has a menu setting for cooking rice porridge.
- This is a small rice cooker which needs minimal counter space.
- It prepares 6 cups of cooked rice which is enough for a single person, a couple or a small family.
This 3-cup uncooked rice cooker from Zojirushi makes a good rice porridge, but oats porridge might boil over. You may read our Zojirushi NS-LAC05 review to learn more about it.
Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 With Porridge Cycle
The Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 is a 5.5-cup, 1 liter, Neuro Fuzzy (microcomputer) rice cooker. It can prepare up to 10 cups of cooked rice such as white, sweet and brown rice.
Its porridge cycle cooks the rice using less heat but more time for a soft rice porridge. It features a delay timer for cooking porridge overnight for breakfast.
Costs
- It takes longer to cook rice than less expensive rice cookers.
- The LCD clock’s battery will need to be replaced after a few years by a Zojirushi service center.
Benefits
- Delay timer.
- It has a rice porridge setting.
- Built-in retractable power cord.
Most people in the United States will use the porridge setting to cook steel-cut oats. You can go to Amazon to find online prices for the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 fuzzy logic rice cooker.
Conclusion
The Zojirushi NS-LAC05 has a maximum uncooked rice capacity of 3 cups, which might be too small for cooking steel-cut oatmeal. A five-cup uncooked rice cooker would be better. It is also rather expensive for such a small capacity rice cooker.
The Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 has a 5.5-cup uncooked rice capacity, which provides more space for cooking and boiling rice porridge or oatmeal. It might be the best rice cooker with a porridge setting. It is a little on the expensive side, but it is a great fuzzy logic rice cooker.
Related Posts
If you actually wanted an electric rice cooker for making oatmeal porridge, then we suggest that you read our buying guide to rice cookers with an oatmeal setting.