Rice Cooker

So our new puppy decided that if she is not allowed access to footwear, she will devote her attention to other needful things in the house. Thats why when we came home yesterday and found the power cord of our trusty simple Aroma rice cooker all chewed up. We eat fair amount of rice- white and brown, probably more of the latter. Hunting for another unit yielded incredible choices - Zojirushi, Tiger, Aroma etc..Does anyone hae any recent experiences with rice cookers?

I have a Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Logic Cooker/Warmer, and like it very much. It cooks much more than just rice, which fits into my requirements of a higher priced food appliance. The directions are confusing, so I bought The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. It has recipes for pilafs, risotto, polenta, chilie, Soups, porridges, puddings and more. Two of my faves so far are Orange rice pilaf and a butternut squash risotto. It even steams salmon, makes salsa, dim sum, and more.

We use a 1 1/2 qt stainless steel sauce pan with a lid.

Karen,
one model of the Zojirushi claimed to make germinated brown rice. Have you or anyone tried this?

We use a 1 1/2 qt stainless steel sauce pan with a lid.

If all that is wrong with the old one is the power cord, you should be able to replace it quite easily. Many hardware-type stores carry such things. Replacement is usually no more than a couple of screws.

We use a 1 1/2 qt stainless steel sauce pan with a lid.

Well damn, Carl, there's no fun in that!

Howie,
That thought has occurred to me. The current cooker is a moulded plastic thing with absolutely no screws visible. I intend to call Aroma and see if they have any ideas on it.
-Shaji

We have two Aroma rice cookers and enjoy them very much when keeping rice warm after cooking is necessary. Most of the time, however, we use the old fashion method Carl mentioned: a sauce pan with a lid.

Often manufacturers will hide the screws under a sticker. Sometimes a plastic clip can be pried apart nead a seam between two of the pieces. Have you looked here: http://www.aroma-housewares.com/kitchen/appliances/replacement-parts.html?line=Rice%20Cookers

Often manufacturers will hide the screws under a sticker. Sometimes a plastic clip can be pried apart nead a seam between two of the pieces. Have you looked here: http://www.aroma-housewares.com/kitchen/appliances/replacement-parts.html?line=Rice%20Cookers

Thanks Howie. I called Aroma and apparently the power cord is not removable

[Robin Garr]

Thanks Howie. I called Aroma and apparently the power cord is not removable

Can you simply cut it off above the damaged part and splice in a new plug?

Can you simply cut it off above the damaged part and splice in a new plug?

The splice point can be ugly but that will work. Use the correct gauge wire.

We use: http://www.zojirushi.com/products/nspc

It simple, quick, works fine for rice and brown rice. We have not used it for anything else. It does leave a small film of somethingorother (water and starch) when cooking Japanese sushi rice. Apart from that no complains.

Can you simply cut it off above the damaged part and splice in a new plug?

The splice point can be ugly but that will work. Use the correct gauge wire.

I am assuming you all are honorable folks and not trying to put me in harms way! But I will that a shot in a few weeks (waiting for a fractured arm to heal).
Zojirushi's look really good, but they are expensive. Aromas are cheaper ($ 30 at costco).

Can you simply cut it off above the damaged part and splice in a new plug?

The splice point can be ugly but that will work. Use the correct gauge wire.

I am assuming you all are honorable folks and not trying to put me in harms way! But I will that a shot in a few weeks (waiting for a fractured arm to heal).
Zojirushi's look really good, but they are expensive. Aromas are cheaper ($ 30 at costco).

Yikes - a broken arm?? Hope it's not hurting too much and that it heals up quickly!

As for the cookers, I would factor in how often you make rice. A Zojirushi would be overkill for us - we use our ancient, crappy rice cooker about twice a month. I have some Japanese friends, though, who use theirs nearly daily. I think they sprung for a top-of-the-line Zojirushi and have had no complaints.

I think it's worth it to invest in a better model, though as Mike says, it depends on how often you use a rice cooker. We've had this Sanyo model since 2006, and use it 4-5 times a week. A bit pricier but very reliable and we like the timer function http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-ECJ-F50S-Mi ... B000E5EDMM

Before this, we had a Zojirushi which we were also very happy with. We passed it on to a relative, and like the Sanyo it's still going on strong after years of extended use.