The Panasonic Fuzzy Logic 5 Cup Electronic Rice Cooker holds 5 cups of uncooked rice and offers 8 menu settings for cooking various types of rice.  In addition to rice, you can also steam vegetables, cook oatmeal, or even bake a small cake.  The nonstick pan makes cleaning easy.

The “fuzzy logic” technology refers to the use of a microcomputer to automatically make adjustments to cooking time and temperature to handle cooking different varieties of rice.  The Panasonic fuzzy logic rice cooker has a 24-hour clock timer, auto shut off feature, and a keep warm function that will keep your rice warm for up to 12 hours.

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Product Features and Specifications:

• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 14.9 x 11″
• Product Weight: 7 pounds
• Micro-computer controlled
• 5 cup capacity
• Nonstick coated pan
• Dome lid with moisture cap
• 24 hour clock timer
• Auto shut off
• Detachable power cord
• Measuring cup and rice scoop included

The Reviews:

The reviews for the Panasonic Fuzzy Logic 5 Cup Electronic Rice Cooker are very good.  Most people agree that it’s an excellent quality machine with lots of functions and the ability to cook perfect rice, not to hard and not too mushy.  One of the reviews we found this from someone that said they stopped using their range and oven and use the Panasonic fuzzy logic rice cooker for baking, steaming, cooking soups, and even frying fish and meat.

Another reviewer commented on how the “fuzzy logic” works really well and takes all the guesswork out of making any kind of rice.  Plain white rice, Spanish rice, Thai or Indian, just add your ingredients, fill with water, and push a button.  The fuzzy logic takes over from there and cooks everything at the right temperature and for the right amount of time resulting in perfect, delicious rice.  Combine the “fuzzy logic” technology with the 8 programmable menu options and cooking any type of rice push button simple.

People also commented on how easy it is to clean.  The nonstick bowl just needs to be wiped down after cooking rice and if you to something a little messier it is dishwasher safe as well.  The auto shutoff feature is like an insurance policy against burning rice and making a horrible mess if you get distracted with other chores and the keep warm function gives you the ability to have a perfect serving of rice whenever you want one.

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Our research suggests that this is a top quality product that can consistently produce great tasting rice.

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The Cuisinart CRC 400 4 Cup Rice Cooker is a great little compact rice cooker that is perfect for single people or couples.  It’s a smaller version of Cuisinart’s 8 cup rice cooker and features the same brushed stainless steel exterior.

The steam vent at the top of the lid prevents splattering and the chrome plated handles remain cool to the touch during cooking.  Its compact size and retractable cord storage takes up very little space on your countertop and dishwasher safe removable parts make this machine very easy to clean.

We found Amazon.com to have the best deals on the Cuisinart CRC400. Click here to take a look. It’s usuallly around $40 or so.

The steamer basket allows you to cook more than just rice and can be used to steam vegetables, boil eggs, and even cooked meat and fish.  When cooking is finished the machine automatically switches to a keep warm setting, keeping your rice or other foods warm until you’re ready for them.

Product Features and Specifications:

• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 10.1 x 9.9″
• Product Weight: 5.8 pounds
• Brushed stainless steel finish
• Stainless steel steaming basket
• Tempered glass cover with stainless steel rim and chrome plated knob
• Measuring cup and rice spoon included
• Retractable cord storage
• All removable parts are dishwasher safe
• 3 year warranty

The Reviews:

The reviews for the Cuisinart CRC 400 4 Cup Rice Cooker and are very mixed.  A lot of people absolutely love this machine and many others were very disappointed.  The people that gave it positive reviews like the addition of the steamer basket which allows them to cook food items other than just rice.  The steamer basket is great for vegetables and for hard or soft boiled eggs.  Many people also like the looks of this machine, it’s square shape with rounded corners and its stainless steel finish gives this machine an elegant look.

A lot of people liked how easy this machine is to clean and praise it for being able to consistently make great tasting rice with the simple push of a button.

One of the major complaints with this machine is that it overflows very easily with some people saying that it happens almost every time especially when preparing brown rice which requires more water.  Even some of the positive reviewers noted that it has a tendency to overflow but said that adding a little oil or butter to the recipe prevents this from happening.  Another complaint that a lot of people have is that the top of this machine gets very hot and could be potentially dangerous.  Some people claimed that the “keep warm” mode actually continues cooking and burns the rice.

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It’s hard to say whether this rice cooker should get a recommendation or not because the reviews are so polarized with people either loving it or hating it.  For everyone that says it’s the best rice cooker they’ve ever used there is someone else that says it’s the worst.  Having said that, the primary complaint is the boil over tendency which seems to be easily remedied by adding some butter or oil to the recipe.  It seems like if it was not for that one major complaint that the reviews of this machine would be very positive and of course the price of the Cuisinart CRC 400 makes it attractive as well so if you like a little butter added to your rice this could be a good buy.

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The Zojirushi NHS 06 3 Cup Rice Cooker is a small machine that won’t take up too much counter space in the kitchen and is the perfect size for single people or small families.  It cooks up to 3 cups of dry rice, white or brown.  A removable nonstick pan makes cleanup much easier and a glass lid lets you keep an eye on things.

The side of this rice cooker has a convenient holster for the included rice scooper and when you open the lid the steam droplets roll off the lid where they are collected in a container near the hinge.  In addition to convenient features like these, this machine does the most important thing which is cooking fluffy and delicious rice.

Amazon.com has the best prices on this Zojirushi 3 Cup Rice Cooker and it normally runs around $48.00 Click here to check it out.

Product Features and Descriptions:

• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 9.1 x 7.8″
• Product Weight: 4 pounds
• Can also boil or steam vegetables
• See-through glass lid with stay cool knob
• Stainless steel steaming tray
• Measuring cup and spatula included

The Reviews:

The reviews for this product are mixed and are not quite as stellar as you would normally expect from a Zojirushi machine.  The people that gave this machine positive reviews say that it is easy to use and clean up and consistently makes great rice.  The people that like the Zojirushi 3 Cup Rice Cooker agreed that it makes nice fluffy rice but even some of the people that gave this machine positive reviews had some criticisms for it.

There were a number of people that were very disappointed with this particular machine calling it a waste of money or saying that you could do better at this price.  One major gripe that people had was that many websites are marketing this product as having a keep warm feature that will keep rice warm for up to five hours when the user manual with this machine clearly states that it does not have this function which is available on the larger, more expensive models.

There were a number of other complaints about this machine as well including a poor lid design with one person saying they have never been able to use this particular cooker without spraying water all over the countertop.  Some other people did not like the fact that there is no on-off switch and that this machine needs to be unplugged rather than just switched off.

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Although the Zojirushi name is synonymous with quality when it comes to kitchen appliances you may want to pass on this particular model.  Many of the people that gave this machine a good rating had some of the same concerns as the many people that give it a poor rating.  Our research suggests that you may be better off shopping around a little more and finding a different cooker.

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