Zojirushi Thermal Gravity Pot®: The Perfect Hot Beverage Dispenser

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Zojirushi America Corporation

At Zojirushi, we’re not just about creating products but about crafting experiences that enrich your everyday life. Our lineup of Thermal Gravity Pot® Beverage Dispensers, including the SY-BA60, SY-AA25, and AY-AE25 models, are a testament to our century-long commitment to quality, innovation, and meeting the unique needs of our commercial customers. These thermal beverage dispensers use the force of gravity to dispense beverages so that our thermal pots keep beverages tasting fresh for hours while minimizing oxidation at the same time. To ensure they comply with industry standards, they are all NSF certified. Here’s a closer look at what makes our different models of commercial coffee thermal dispensers unique and special from each other.

Thermal Gravity Pot® SY-BA60/60N: Excellence for High-Volume Needs

Our Thermal Gravity Pot® Beverage Dispenser SY-BA60 is a reliable partner for your bustling family gathering, restaurant, or catering service. This appliance is a superb hot beverage dispenser, and an excellent choice to keep beverages tasting fresh for hours. The commercial coffee/tea thermal beverage dispenser is also packed with easy-to-use, easy-to-clean features:

Large Capacity: With an extra-large 1.5-gallon capacity, it’s designed for high volume, ensuring you’re always ready to serve a crowd.
Durability and Heat Retention: Its high-quality stainless steel vacuum liner and durable plastic body, resistant to dents and corrosion, guarantee longevity and consistent performance. The impressive heat retention keeps beverages like coffee, tea, or water, hot and fresh for hours.

Ease of Use and Cleaning: The fold-down handle with a name tag holder, lever-style dispense mechanism, and easily detachable parts for cleaning, make it highly user-friendly.
Design and Aesthetics: Its sleek design is functional and enhances the aesthetic appeal of any serving area.

Watch our product video to learn more:

Thermal Gravity Pot® SY-AA25: Tailored for Versatility

Our Thermal Gravity Pot® SY-AA25 model, another excellent thermal beverage dispenser, takes versatility to the next level. This model offers unique features, such as a detachable serving base that allows it to fit under most brewers. The fold-down handle has a name tag holder so that you and your guests always know which kind of brew is available, and the removable drip tray keeps the dispensing area clean. It features our Brew-Thru® lid (BTL for short) with a mesh filter that helps catch rogue coffee grounds that may filter through some brewers. Here’s why you’ll love this thermal beverage dispenser for your smaller-scale or on-the-go events.

Compact and Efficient: Ideal for smaller spaces while still boasting an impressive 84 oz. capacity, it’s perfect for diverse settings.
High Heat Retention: The stainless-steel vacuum liner ensures beverages remain at the ideal temperature for hours, making it a reliable insulated beverage dispenser for long events.
Customization: With optional features like a taller serving base, it’s customizable to fit your specific service needs.

Thermal Gravity Pot® AY-AE25/25N: The Epitome of Zojirushi Craftsmanship

The Zojirushi Thermal Gravity Pot® Beverage Dispenser AY-AE25/25N is designed to keep beverages fresh for extended periods using the natural force of gravity for dispensing, which minimizes oxidation. Zojirushi is known for our high-quality vacuum insulated glass liners, and this Gravity Pot® features our best high-capacity vacuum-insulated glass liner, ensuring excellent heat retention. It has a capacity of 84 oz. / 2.5 liters and features a high-impact plastic body that resists dents and corrosion. The fold-down handle with a name tag holder, removable drip tray, and an optional taller serving base (7-1/2 inch opening) make it versatile and user-friendly. It also fits under most commercial coffee brewing machines, making it ideal as a commercial coffee thermal dispenser.

Get a closer look at our Thermal Gravity Pot® AY-AE25, along with our lineup of commercial products here:

At Zojirushi, we understand that in the fast-paced world of food service and hospitality, you need solutions that are not only efficient and reliable but also embody a sense of style and sophistication. Our Thermal Gravity Pot® Beverage Dispensers are designed with these principles at their core, ensuring that you can serve your guests with confidence and ease. Now that you know everything there is to know about Zojirushi’s commercial Thermal Gravity Pot®, which one is for you? Make sure to show us how you use your thermal pot at your events by sharing your comments and tagging us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. #Zojirushi #ZoFan

I cooked every rice type on the menu!

Posted on January 6, 2024 by Bert Tanimoto

Hello fellow rice fans and Happy New Year! This month I thought about how many menu settings there are on my rice cooker and how I never use anything but “white rice”. What if I made all the rice types available, just to see how they work? Do you think it would really make a difference? I put my rice cooker to the test!

Jasmine

We don’t eat much Jasmine rice at our house—we almost always make Japanese short grain so I’ve never experimented beyond “Regular” or “Quick”. I can tell you for a fact that “Quick” only takes about 35 minutes but there is a difference. You sacrifice a subtle, overall fluffiness that you get from soaking the grain in water for that extra time and it does affect the texture. I’m embarrassed to admit I use that setting a lot, especially if I’m having curry rice. If I’m topping my rice with curry, I’m just not all that fussy about my rice, you know what I mean?

But we had Thai food for dinner, and I wanted authentic Jasmine rice to go with it. So we decided to cook our own instead of eating the takeout one from the restaurant. Zojirushi warns in their manual that it may cook firmer than normal depending on the brand of the rice, but ours turned out perfectly. It was loose and not sticky, like Jasmine is supposed to be, and the fragrance of the rice really comes through when it’s fresh.

Porridge

This setting is used to make the watery rice gruel called “okayu” (pronounced oh-kah-yoo) that we eat when we’re not feeling well and have no appetite. It’s warm, comforting and easily digestible. The cooker did its job and left the rice in this soupy texture. Normally regular short grain is used for okayu.

Personally, I like to have mine with the rice sprinkles that you can get at the Asian markets. It adds a great flavor to the rice, and if you have it with a pickled plum it’s healthy for you too. If you have this setting on your rice cooker, try this; I promise you’ll find it amazing. You don’t even have to be sick.

Oatmeal

Even though our cooker doesn’t have an Oatmeal setting, you can use the Porridge menu to make oatmeal. We made a slight adjustment by adding twice the amount of oatmeal so that it wouldn’t come out too watery like the rice gruel. For more detailed information go to this page in Zojirushi and it will tell you exactly how to cook oatmeal and other types of rice.

The advantage to using the rice cooker vs. in a pot on a stove? You don’t have to keep stirring it and watching it. We made it for breakfast and had a self-serve Oatmeal Bar.

Sweet

The Sweet setting is used for mochi-gome (mochi rice). You can make a lot of Japanese style traditional desserts using this extra-glutinous rice, but all you need is a stand mixer to make real mochi. After it cooks, transfer the hot mochi rice to your mixing bowl. The Sweet setting does everything, so as long as you’ve measured correctly, you’ll get the super sticky texture you want. We didn’t have a dough hook for the mixer (recommended), so we used the flat beater attachment and it still worked fine. Just knead the mochi rice until you get real mochi.

Make sure you use a lot of corn starch to make the mochi easier to handle. WARNING: Sticky! If you can get red bean paste at your store, you can fill your mochi patties and form them into homemade Daifuku, a traditional dessert. My impressions of homemade mochi: if you have a chance to do this, do it! The freshness and natural sweetness of the rice gets enhanced, and the flavor is unbeatable. Store bought mochi doesn’t even come close. But the caveat is that clean-up might be a turn off to some—it really is hard to get off of everything. If anyone has any ideas about this let me know.

Mixed

The Mixed setting is used to make Takikomi Gohan, type of Japanese rice dish that you can make right in the pot from a kit that you can buy at the market. All the ingredients are in the box, so all you have to do is set it and forget it.

The extra cooking time allows the dashi flavored soup stock to infuse better into the rice so you get an umami flavored rice dish that goes perfectly with broiled fish or any light entree.

Here are two kinds of Takikomi Gohan that we made with the “Mixed” setting. Both were complete kits. This one is a mixed mushroom dish with bits of salmon.

If you buy one that is more expensive, you can get one with chestnuts.Just FYI, both of these Takikomi Gohan dishes are kits that come with everything you see, right out of the box. So easy!

Stay tuned for another post where I try the other menu settings on my rice cooker. Hopefully I’ve inspired you to explore your own rice settings—there’s so much you can do with it!

Products used in this post: Rice Cooker NP-HCC10

Please note that these recipes were not tested by Zojirushi America.

Sukiyaki: Japan’s Heartwarming Dish That Sings ‘Gutsu Gutsu’

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Sukiyaki is a beloved Japanese dish that warms the soul as it fills the stomach. It’s not just a meal; it’s a multisensory experience that starts with the comforting sound of ‘gutsu gutsu’ – an onomatopoeic term that describes the simmering of ingredients in a Japanese hot pot. Join us on a culinary adventure as we explore the fascinating world of sukiyaki and its significance in Japanese food culture.

History of Sukiyaki

Tracing back to the Meiji era (1868-1912), sukiyaki is a historical dish symbolizing Japan’s social and culinary transformation. Originally a celebratory food for gatherings, it evolved into a comforting staple enjoyed across the country.

The name sukiyaki blend combines ‘suki,’ the Japanese word for spade used by laborers to cook, with ‘yaki,’ meaning grilling. The introduction of beef during the Meiji Restoration turned sukiyaki into a beloved method of savoring this once-scarce delicacy, embodying Japan’s ability to harmonize new influences with time-honored traditions.

Sukiyaki: A Symbol of Japanese Culinary Fellowship

Sukiyaki holds a special place in the heart of Japanese culinary culture, representing more than just a beloved dish—it epitomizes the essence of togetherness and harmony. Sukiyaki is traditionally a shared family style, reflecting the Japanese value of ‘wa‘—social harmony.

Gathered around a single pot, friends and family participate in the cooking process, each person adding and cooking ingredients. This interactive dining experience fosters a sense of community and warmth, making sukiyaki a popular choice for festive occasions and a symbol of unity.

Moreover, sukiyaki’s very evolution—from a luxury dish savored by the few to a comforting meal enjoyed by many—mirrors Japan’s historical journey towards inclusivity and cultural openness. Sukiyaki is a dish that not only serves as food but also as a culinary connection between people. It perfectly represents the spirit of Japanese hospitality and the joy of sharing a meal.

Make Sukiyaki at Home

At home, mastering sukiyaki is about embracing simplicity and quality. Creating a harmonious combination of sweet, salty, and savory elements requires patience as each ingredient is carefully simmered.

A classic sukiyaki recipe includes thinly sliced beef, chunks of nappa cabbage, shirataki noodles, fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced onions, and carrots. Leeks and tofu are also added as well. The cooking sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and dashi, although some opt for water.

The preparation starts by heating a shallow pot or electric skillet over medium heat. Once heated, the cooking sauce is added and brought to a gentle simmer. The meat is then added to the pot and cooked until it achieves a savory browned perfection. Then, the vegetables and noodles are added, allowing them to cook until tender and infused with flavor. This culinary masterpiece is completed by serving it promptly, accompanied by dipping sauce or a side of beaten egg.

Here are some tips to make it even better:

For a richer flavor, use Wagyu
If using shirataki noodles, rinse them well under running water before cooking.
To make your own dashi, simply simmer kombu (kelp) and bonito flakes in water for 30 minutes.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. There are many different ways to make sukiyaki. Try adding different vegetables or meats to see what you like best.

Get the full recipe, designed for the Gourmet d’Expert® Electric Skillet (EP-RAC50) here.

Elevate Your Kitchen Game with Zojirushi’s Multicooker EL-CAC60

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Happy December, Zo Fans!

Are you looking for a kitchen appliance that can do it all? Then look no further than the Zojirushi Multicooker EL-CAC60! With its nine menu settings, this kitchen appliance is like a Swiss Army knife, ready to help with sautéing, searing, simmering, slow cooking, steaming, cooking rice, keeping food warm, and even making yogurt! See what sets this Multicooker apart from other kitchen appliances in today’s guide.

The Zojirushi Multicooker EL-CAC60 is made with high-quality materials and construction, with a heavy-duty tri-ply stainless steel cooking pot with resin handles that are resistant to corrosion and rust. The pot has a 10-inch diameter, making it capable of accommodating large cuts of meat or cooking larger batches of food. So, feel free to invite the whole family over, as there’s plenty of room to cook for everyone!

Culinary Applications:

Sauté and sear proteins like chicken, beef, or tofu directly in the pot.
Slow cook soups, stews, and chili on a simmer without the need for constant supervision.
Steam vegetables and fish with the included basket, locking in nutrition and flavor.
Cook various types of rice — from white to brown to quinoa — with the press of a button.
Use the “keep warm” function to maintain the temperature of dishes until ready to serve.
Experiment with making your own yogurt, controlling ingredients for a healthier option.

Functions & Accessories

From a full-color recipe book to inspire your next meal to a measuring cup for precise ingredient additions, each Zojirush Multicooker EL-CAC60 comes equipped with everything you need to maximize your multicooker experience.

Features and accessories include:

A powerful 1,350 watt heating plate for uniform cooking.
An intuitive, upward-facing control panel with an LCD display.
A sturdy, self-standing tempered glass lid.
Dual temperature settings for effortless sautéing and searing.
Smart pre-programmed settings for grains and yogurt, making intricate cooking easy.
A stainless steel steaming basket lets you use the Multicooker for steaming dishes like fish or vegetables.
A rice measuring cup, along with a vibrant recipe book.
Plastic parts are BPA-free for peace of mind.
Practical design elements like a removable power cord and recessed handle for seamless storage and portability.
ETLus certification, ensuring quality and safety.

Recipes

With the Multicooker EL-CAC60, anyone can be a gourmet cook. Check out some of our holiday-friendly slow cooker favorites:

Fettuccine Bolognese – The key to this delicious Italian meat sauce is simmering over low heat for 6 hours to bring out the flavor and richness of each ingredient. The Zojirushi Multicooker’s LO SIMMER setting makes it effortless!

Beef Tamales – These are a savory selection, expertly steamed in the Zojirushi Multicooker to yield a moist, flavorful masa filled with spiced beef, making them a sought-after dish for any festive occasion.

Japanese Nibuta (Braised Pork) – Pork butt or shoulder roast makes delicious, tender nibuta simmered in a sweet soy sauce base. It’s perfect as a main dish or topping for ramen noodle soups.

So, Zo fans, what will you whip up with the Zojirushi Multicooker EL-CAC60? We’re excited to see your creations! Make sure to share your comments and tag us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. #Zojirushi #ZoFan

Twas the Night for Zojirushi (revisited)

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Bert Tanimoto

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house–
Nothing was stirring, not even a mouse.
And just when even a mouse wouldn’t squeak,
The Zojirushi products decided to speak!

The Rice Cooker said, “They can’t live without me.
Rice is a staple, their dinners need me.
Whatever the side dish, whatever the soup,
You need fluffy rice, to complete the group.”

“You’re wrong you know,” the Breadmaker said.
“What staple is there, other than bread?
I can bake it fresh, and it smells so good,
Their mornings are mine, that’s understood.”

Wait just a minute. Wait for the spoiler!
“That’s not how this ends,” chimed the Water Boiler.
“It all starts with water and I heat it with ease.
Tea drinkers love me, everyone agrees.”

“So what? Big deal.” said the Toaster Oven.
“I can toast bagels or an English muffin.
I can bake a cake or a whole lasagna
I’m the one and only, I’m tryin’ to tell ya!”

“Ah, but here’s one thing that’s wrong with y’all.
You guys are stuck here, you’re plugged to the wall!”
The Stainless Mugs just started to smile;
“We’re tall and sleek, we’re a lifestyle.”

The Food Jars, they heard this discussion.
They said, “We agree, we second that motion!
We’re essential, maybe the best of the bunch.
Without us, how can you enjoy your lunch?”

And that Gourmet guy, you know the one–
that Tabletop Griddle who has all the fun.
The life of the party, always looking so chic;
let out a sigh and rose up to speak.

“Hold it, listen you all. You’re missing the point!
It’s not who’s great, or who rocks this joint.
We all serve a purpose; we follow a plan.
We make life easier whenever we can.

We all love to cook, and that’s the truth.
We satisfy cravings, or any sweet tooth.
So let’s enjoy what we do–we are truly blessed.
It’s not about skill, or who is the best.”

A sudden silence then came over the kitchen.
The arguing stopped and they started to listen.
The Zojirushi spirit is alive and well.
“He’s right, good point! They started to yell.”

And so it was on that Holiday night,
with the fire in embers and the stars out of sight,
a commotion was settled, the rebellion rejected.
Peace came again, with the kitchen protected.

Zojirushi products were once again quiet
They knew better than to start a riot.
It’s so much better to give up the strife—
they started Treasuring Everyday Life.

(with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

Click on images to see past posts from Bert-san

Products used in this post: Rice Cooker NW-QAC10/18, Breadmaker BB-PDC20, Water Boiler CV-JAC40/50, Toaster Oven ET-ZLC30, Stainless Mugs SM-VA60/72, Food Jars SW-KA52H/75H, Gourmet Sizzler® Electric Griddle EA-DCC10

Please note that these recipes were not tested by Zojirushi America.