Tiger JBV-A Rice Cooker: Cook Rice And Food Synchronously

It seems like the Tiger JBV-A series are affordable microcomputer rice cookers with plastic cooking plates. You can use the Synchro-Cooking (tacook) function to cook both rice and food at the same time. You may read our Tiger JBV-A micom rice cooker review to learn more about its best features, its capacities, menu options and accessories.

Tiger JBV-A Series: Best Features

I think that the following handful of features are the best that the Tiger JBV-A electric rice cooker can offer you:

  • Cook rice in pot while steaming meat/veggies in the tray.
  • Food cooking plate is BPA-free.
  • Four menu settings has their own buttons for simple operation.
  • Keep rice warm for up to 12 hours after cooking.
  • It has a menu setting for slow cooking.
  • Two sizes are available: 5.5-cup and 10-cup capacities.
Tiger Corporation JBV-A10U-W Micom Rice Cooker showing Pot and Cooking Plate
Cook rice below and food above at the same time.

What are the rice capacities?

The minimum rice capacities for the JBV-A10U (1.0 L size) is one cup white rice or brown rice. Maximum amounts are 5.5 cups white rice and 3.5 cups brown rice. However, you can only cook two cups of rice when using the plastic cooking plate.

The JBV-A18U (1.8 L size) can cook a minimum of 2 cups white or brown rice and a maximum of 10 cups white rice and 6 cups brown rice. The JBV-A18U can cook up to 4 cups of rice plus meat and vegetables in the plastic cooking plate.

Which cup for measuring rice?

The Tiger JBV-A rice cooker comes with its own measuring cup. You should only use the included cup for measuring rice correctly. However, the measuring cup is smaller than a normal US cup size (8 oz.). The included measuring cup has a capacity of just 150g / 5.29 ounces!

What menu options are available?

The Tiger JBV-A rice cooker has only four menu settings, but each setting has its own button. The cooking settings are:

  • Plain
  • Synchro-Cooking
  • Brown
  • Slow Cook/Steam

The Plain setting is for cooking milled long-grain white rice. Use the “Plain” water level scale as marked inside the inner cooking pot. You may keep white rice warm for up to 12 hours. Press the Off/Cancel button to cancel the keep warm cycle.

The Synchro-Cooking setting cooks rice plus another dish in the cooking plate. You should use one of the recipes in the included cookbook to ensure the best results.

The Brown menu option is made for cooking unmilled short or long-grain brown rice. Add the water according to the pot level markings for “Brown”. The keep warm function is not allowed for keeping brown rice warm.

The Slow Cook/Steam setting is useful for slow cooking a stew or steaming food. It is better to use one of the recipes in the included cookbook because they have been tested and will not boil over. Use the “Plain” scale markings when adding ingredients to the pot. If you want to steam meat or vegetables, then follow the guidelines in the Tiger JBV-A user manual. You add some water to the pot and then place the cooking plate on top. Most food portions will be ready to eat after about 30 minutes of steaming.

Tiger Corporation JBV-A10U-W 5.5-Cup Micom Rice Cooker Control Keys
Only four cook settings and no LCD screen!

How long does the Tiger JBV-A cook rice?

White rice takes between 25 and 40 minutes to cook completely. Brown rice has a longer cooking time that can take between 60 and 70 minutes. The total cooking time is controlled by the microcomputer and can be influenced by room temperature and other factors.

Does it have a timer function?

The JBV-A series rice cookers do not have a delay timer function. They really have a simplified control panel with neither an LCD screen nor timer buttons.

What accessories are included?

  • Rice paddle
  • Rice paddle stand
  • Cookbook
  • Rice measuring cup (5.29 oz. capacity)
  • BPA-free cooking plate

Tiger JBV-A vs. Zojirushi NS-TSC

These micom rice cookers both have a BPA-free steaming basket. They are also available in either a 5.5-cup or 10-cup model. The estimated steaming times are similar for both brands. However, the Zojirushi NS-TSC has an LCD screen, digital clock and timer function (read review). The Tiger JBV-A does not have these things.

Another difference seems to be the price tag. It seems like the Tiger JBV-A costs only half of what the Zojirushi NS-TSC costs. This comes as a surprise to us because Tiger rice cookers were always more expensive than Zojirushi rice cookers in the past. The affordable price of the JBV-A series can be traced back to the Chinese factory where it was made. It also has less menu options and no timer function.

Tiger JBV-A: Verdict

The Tiger JBV-A series micom rice cooker has a simple balance between size, price, settings and performance. The plastic cooking plate and Synchro-Cook setting make it possible to prepare both rice and food dishes for the dinner table. Nonetheless, this Tiger rice cooker does not have a delay timer. It also does not have a digital display.

The JBV-A10U is big enough to cook rice for couples or a small family while the JBV-A18U is suitable for a large family. However, the amount of people you can serve is halved when cooking both rice and food at the same time.

The Tiger JBV-A series micom rice cooker is a good choice if you like the Tiger brand and want to own one of their budget model rice cookers. Buy it if you do not need a timer function and want to cook rice and food simultaneously (you may buy it on Amazon – paid link).