Tiger JAX-T Series Cooks Rice, Steams Food And Looks Good

What does the Tiger JAX-T series microcomputer rice cooker offer you? It can cook white rice, brown rice, mixed rice and porridge rice. It also comes with a cooking plate for steaming meat or vegetable dishes. A slow cook function completes the picture. In this review of the Tiger JAX-T electric rice cooker, I attempt to answer questions about its key features, cooking options, and more.

Introduction

This Tiger JAX-T series rice cooker review presents its best features and answers questions about its accessories, clock, battery, menu options, cooking times, delay timer, keep warm and reheating function.

Tiger JAX-T: Best Features

  • Detachable steam cap and inner lid.
  • Microcomputer controlled cooking.
  • Porridge setting.
  • Slow cooker function.
  • Synchronized cooking with included BPA-free cooking plate.
  • Timer function for delayed cooking.
  • Two sizes: 5.5-cup (JAX-T10U) and 10-cup (JAX-T18U).

What extras are included?

This Tiger rice cooker comes with a spatula, ladle, cooking plate, measuring cup and cookbook.

You should only use the recipes in the included cookbook when making dishes with the included cooking plate. This will prevent any problems with undercooked food or boiling over. You should select the Synchro-Cooking menu option. Do not use the timer function when cooking food in the cooking plate. The tacook plate is made from BPA-free plastic that can be damaged by sharp utensils.

The capacity of the measuring cup is about 180mL, 150 grams or 5.29 ounces. You may also use this cup for measuring rinse-free rice.

How do you adjust the clock time?

The Tiger JAX-T rice cooker has a 24-hour clock display. You should check if it is correct before cooking rice or using the timer function. You cannot change the current clock time during cooking, keep warm, reheating or delay timing. So, connect the power plug to the 120V power outlet and press the HOUR button to enter time setting mode (a small clock icon will appear). Use the HOUR and MIN buttons to change the hour or minutes, and then press the MENU key to accept the time changes.

What happens when clock battery runs out?

This is a good question. The lithium battery that powers the clock function and preset timer memory is built into the rice cooker and cannot be replaced by the user. The battery will last for at least four to five years before dying. This does not mean that the rice cooker is now useless. You can still use all the functions of the rice cooker. However, when you unplug the rice cooker, the current clock time and preset timer settings will be lost. You will have to adjust the clock time every time you plug in the rice cooker before you start cooking.

Which cooking options are available?

The Tiger JAX-T can cook multiple rice types and dishes:

  • Synchro-cooking both rice and food
  • plain white rice
  • quick rice (can also be used for long-grain white rice)
  • porridge rice
  • mixed rice with added seasonings
  • sweet steamed glutinous rice
  • brown rice and brown rice mixed with other grains
  • multi-grain rice (white rice mixed with red, black, barley, millet)
  • slow cooking
  • steaming food

Which menu option for germinated brown rice?

The Tiger JAX-T does not have a specific menu option for germinated brown rice. Nonetheless, you might use the Multigrain setting for cooking germinated brown rice.

What are the approximate cooking times?

The rice cooking times can be modified by factors such as the rice type, rice quantity, extra ingredients, water temperature, water volume and room temperature. Nevertheless, here is a rough guideline to total cooking times for the various menu options:

  • Quick white rice: 25 to 50 minutes.
  • Plain white rice: 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Mixed or sweet rice: 40 to 60 minutes.
  • Brown rice: 70 to 80 minutes.
  • Multigrain: 45 to 60 minutes.

You may deduce from these cooking times that the Tiger JAX series micom rice cooker does not cook rice as fast as a simple on/off analog rice cooker. Nonetheless, the rice is definitely tastier when compared to rice cooked in an ordinary electric rice cooker.

Does it have a delay timer?

The Tiger JAX-T has a clock-based timer function with two presets. You set the time, e.g. ’18:30′, when you want the rice to be finished. The preset times are stored in the rice cooker’s memory even when it is unplugged (so long as the battery is not dead).

How long does it keep cooked rice warm?

The keep warm function does not turn off automatically after a certain period, therefore it stays on until you press the KEEP WARM/CANCEL button to cancel it. However, keeping rice warm for longer than 12 hours is not recommended. You may see how long the rice has been kept warm by pressing and holding down the HOUR button. The elapsed keep warm time will be displayed on the screen, e.g. ‘6h’. The keep warm function works the best with white rice, so avoid using it for brown rice, porridge or stews.

Can it reheat cooked rice?

Yes, you can reheat cooked rice that is in the keep warm cycle. The minimum amount of rice that can be reheated is one cup for the JAX-T10U and two cups for the larger JAX-T18U. However, if the cooking pot is more than half full, the rice might not be reheated completely.

Reheating only works when the rice cooker is in keep warm mode (check if light is on). First, you stir the rice and add one or two tablespoons of water to prevent the rice from drying out. Then you press the START button to reheat the rice (it takes only a few minutes). Stir the reheated rice before serving it.

Where is it made?

The Tiger JAX-T microcomputer rice cooker is made in Japan. The words “MADE IN JAPAN” are printed beneath the Tiger logo on the operation panel underneath the LCD screen.

Tiger JAX-T10U-K 5.5-Cup Micom Rice Cooker LCD Screen
Tiger JAX-T micom rice cooker is made in Japan.

Tiger JAX-T: Verdict

The Tiger JAX-T series is a good choice if you are a fan of Tiger rice cookers that are made in Japan. The replacement of the lithium battery when it dies might be a future problem to consider. Nonetheless, the rice cooker will still cook without the internal battery, but it will not remember clock time or timer settings when unplugged.

The Tiger JAX-T series seems to be a worthy competitor when compared to other similar micom rice cookers (check price on Amazon – paid link).