Do you eat a lot of rice all the time? If taste and texture is very important to you, then the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom rice cooker might be a good fit. This Zojirushi Micom fuzzy logic rice cooker can prepare 2 to 10 cups of fluffy cooked rice. Its 5.5-cup uncooked rice capacity makes it suitable for a family of about 5 individuals. Our Zojirushi NS-TSC10 rice cooker review discusses its features and answers a few questions. We also list our likes and dislikes before ending with our conclusion.
Zojirushi NS-TSC10: List Of Features
- 5.5-cup uncooked rice capacity, or about 1.0 liter size.
- Automatic keep warm, extended keep warm as well as reheating function.
- BPA-free steaming basket for steaming food.
- Cake menu setting for baking a cake.
- Dimensions: 14 inches high, 10 inches long, 8.5 inches wide.
- Handle for easy carrying.
- Inner lid can be detached and washed.
- It can cook a minimum of one cup of uncooked rice.
- LCD control panel with clock and delay timer functions.
- A melody or beeping sound signals the end of the cooking process.
- Retractable power cord.
- Runs on 110 volts and uses 610 watts.
- Stainless steel exterior.
- Menu options: white rice/sushi, mixed rice, porridge, sweet, brown, cake, steam, quick.
- Accessories: steaming basket, rice measuring cup, rice spatula and spatula holder.
Zojirushi NS-TSC10: Overview
The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 (manufacturer) rice cooker can cook a maximum of 5.5 cups uncooked rice. The MICOM microcomputer technology allows it to automatically adapt cooking temperatures to the type of rice it is cooking.
It has menu settings for white rice, sushi rice, mixed ingredient rice dishes, porridge, brown rice, cake, steam, and quick cooking. The mixed rice setting may be used when you add extra ingredients to the rice.
It has an automatic and extended keep warm cycle as well as a reheating function. It keeps the rice warm without letting it dry out. The steam vent releases steam during cooking, so having enough open area above the rice cooker is a good idea.
Rice Cooking Times
Keep in mind that this Zojirushi rice cooker uses fuzzy logic which adjusts the temperature and therefore the cooking times. The actual rice cooking times might vary by as much as 20 minutes. It depends on the logic of the microcomputer.
White rice takes about 60 minutes to cook. The quick setting reduces the cooking time to about 45 minutes, but the rice might be a bit harder than usual.
Brown rice obviously takes longer to cook, about 90 to 120 minutes. The menu setting for brown rice allows for longer preheating and cooking times to ensure that the brown rice is soft and edible. Remember to rinse the rice before putting it in the non-stick inner cooking bowl.
Cooking Pot
The inner cooking bowl has a non-stick coating which makes it easier to keep clean, but be careful not to scratch the surface with hard utensils. Use the included rice spatula.
Steaming Basket
The steaming basket is BPA-free. You can use the steam setting and the steaming basket to steam food. If you want to cook rice as well as steam food, the space will be limited, so you will not be able to cook the full 5.5-cup capacity of rice in the bowl.
The Smallest Rice Amount
You might cook one measuring cup filled with uncooked rice. This small amount of rice is still well cooked. One cup of oats or quinoa is probably the minimum for these types of grain.
Can the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 cook quinoa?
You might be able to cook quinoa seeds with the white rice setting. You need to experiment with the water to quinoa ratio until you get the best ratio. Start with a 1:1 water to quinoa ratio. You might go up to 2 cups of water to one cup of quinoa. Remember to rinse the quinoa seeds under cold water before adding it to the cooking pot.
Is the pot and steamer dishwasher safe?
You can wash the nonstick cooking pot and steamer tray in the dishwasher. Still, the nonstick coating might last longer if you clean the pot by hand. It really is not too much trouble to clean it with a soft sponge and warm, soapy water.
Is the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 made in Japan?
No, it is manufactured in China. If it was made in Japan, it would have cost almost twice as much.
What do we like about the NS-TSC10?
- Retractable power cord.
- It cooks tasty white and brown rice.
- You might use the porridge setting for cooking steel cut oats.
- Delay timer works well for cooking porridge for breakfast or rice for dinner.
- The keep warm mode keeps the rice warm without letting it burn or go bad.
What do we dislike about the NS-TSC10?
- It is made in China, but the build quality is still good.
- White rice takes about an hour to cook.
- Brown rice needs almost two hours to finish cooking.
Conclusion
You might pay more for this Zojirushi Micom rice cooker than for a cheap rice cooker, but you get a 5.5-cup rice cooker that could last for a good number of years while making really tasty rice. White and brown rice is cooked moist and fluffy, better than an inexpensive rice cooker can ever dream of cooking it. It takes longer to cook rice than your usual inexpensive electric rice cooker, but good taste needs time.
The Zojirushi NS-TSC18 can cook 10 cups uncooked rice to produce about 20 cups of cooked rice. It has the same features except for its bigger 1.8-liter size. You can buy the NS-TSC18 if you need more rice cooking capacity.
As discussed, the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom rice cooker makes wonderful rice. It can even cook oatmeal porridge too. In brief, the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom rice cooker is great at cooking rice, and is definitely worth the money in my humble opinion (check price on Amazon).
Thank you for reading our review of the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5.5-cup (uncooked) fuzzy logic rice cooker and warmer.