Product Inspirations –
Go for Gold with the Ichimatsu Patterned Mugs!

Olympic fever is already underway in Tokyo, host of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, and the themes of the games brings together the heritage of old Japan with the modernity we’ve come to expect from the nation.

This concept infuses current Japanese design trends, drawing upon the Ichimatsu pattern, a traditional Japanese two-toned checkerboard design that originated during the Edo Period (1603-1868). During that time, Kabuki theater was hugely popular, and a famous actor, Sanogawa Ichimatsu, elevated the art form with his performances. He had an iconic style and wore pants with the checkerboard pattern on stage. His style became so popular that the pattern was named after him. Today, this design element from centuries ago connects us to fresh imagery in modern times.

SM-NAE48SA

The Ichimatsu checkerboard pattern is part of our new set of Stainless Mugs (SM-TAE48SA and SM-NAE48SA). The pattern is beautifully displayed on the white, black, red and blue finishes. The SM-TAE48SA model features a flip-open lid, and the SM-NAE48SA model features a twist-open lid.

SM-TAE48SA

Along with these gorgeous finishes, these Stainless Mugs come with a double nonstick coated interior that repels stains and odors. They were made using a special manufacturing process to round the bottle opening, making it more comfortable to drink directly from the mug. Both lid types – flip-open and twist-open – are interchangeable with each mug, allowing for a customized look and drinking experience. And both lid types disassemble for easy cleaning. As always, our Stainless Mugs are built with Zojirushi’s superior vacuum insulation, which minimizes heat transfer and keeps beverages hot or cold for hours. The 1 5/8” (4cm) wide mouth opening makes it easy to fill the mug with ice cubes and all areas that come into contact with beverages are BPA-free.

Rounded Opening

Grab one of these Stainless Mugs and fill it with fresh water, Black Iced Tea or Simply Iced Coffee. We know you’ll love these new, lightweight Stainless Mugs as much as we do. Check them out and let us know what you think!

Product Inspirations –
Glass Vacuum Carafe
(AH-EAE10)

Did you know that we make carafes? Whether they’re used for home, office, hospitality or other commercial use, our vacuum insulated carafes have always been a big part of our product lineup.

This year, we’re excited to introduce our newest – and dare we say, most stylish – Glass Vacuum Carafe (AH-EAE10). This designer carafe has an iconic style and adds beauty and substance to any table.

The unique vertical, decagonal shape of our carafe was conceptualized by David Tonge of The Division in London, who was inspired by classic Japanese design. According to David, he “wanted to create a unique and sophisticated flask which would have a strong impact on the table.” He studied many different types of carafe designs and realized that most were rounded and had horizontal sections, just as a separate base or top. David explored using a vertical construction for the carafe, and paired with Japanese aesthetic and design principles, resulted in the new AH-EAE10 model.

The carafe is made in Japan, and holds 34 ounces of liquid. It comes in four gorgeous colors: Silver, Black, Red and Gold.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Zojirushi product if it wasn’t functional as well as beautiful. The inside of the carafe utilizes a specialized vacuum liner made of premium, medical-grade-equivalent borosilicate glass, which is durable and stain- and odor-resistant. The glass has been tested by a third-party laboratory and rated EP/USP Type I, same as medical grade glass, ensuring that it’s strong and of the highest quality.

The glass liner also provides superior heat retention, using our vacuum insulation technology. As with our other vacuum insulated products, the air has been removed from between the inner and outer layers, preventing heat transfer and keeping beverages hot or cold for hours.

The carafe accommodates most brewing attachments, for that perfect cup of coffee, and the sturdy handle and easy-to-use large push-button stopper allow liquids to pour out smoothly. Pour over coffees are easy to make with this carafe, and beverages like brewed hot tea, hot water or cold ice water stay fresh and at the optimal temperature.

The smart features designed into our newest vacuum insulated carafe make it versatile to use. At home, use it to keep freshly brewed coffee hot all morning or fill it with ice water to serve at mealtimes. At the office, use it during meetings or in the breakroom. And for any hospitality-related event, be it a conference or wedding or show, use it to serve hot beverages easily.

Check out the new Glass Vacuum Carafe on the product page and let us know your favorite color and how you’ll use it!

Product Inspirations –
Stainless Bottle (SJ-TG08/10)

At Zojirushi, we’re all about designing that perfect vacuum insulated bottle, mug or tumbler, whether you’re taking your favorite beverage with you while you’re out or while you’re sitting at home or the office.

Our latest bottle – the Stainless Bottle (SJ-TG08/10) – is one of our most versatile. Its gorgeous sparkling stainless steel finish and sleek black lid and strap make it stylish. It works on the go, whether you’re outdoors, at work or traveling, and it’s packed with a host of features.

Along with the beautiful finish, this Stainless Bottle is made using Zojirushi’s superior vacuum insulation technology. The air between the outer and inner layers of the stainless steel is removed, so heat is blocked from transferring through the layers of steel, greatly minimizing the temperature change of your beverage. We even guarantee our vacuum insulation with a five year warranty on heat retention.

The extra-wide 2-inch opening makes it easy to fill, even with full-sized ice cubes, and the nonstick coated interior ensures that the bottle is simple to clean. Plus, all areas that come into contact with your beverage are BPA-free.

The bottle’s lid is one of our favorite features. The lid doubles as a standalone cup. You can take a hot drink with you, pour a cup when you’re ready, and keep the rest of the beverage fresh and ready to enjoy later. You can even use the lid to share your drink while maintaining hygiene. And the one-touch button on the stopper allows for smooth pouring through the spout. Imagine going to your favorite sporting event, and being able to not only bring your own sencha tea with you, but being able to sip it just like you would at home.

Because we know many of our customers would use the bottle for hot beverages, as well as cold ones, we’ve incorporated smart design features like a stopper gasket to prevent leaks, and a small taper below the opening of the bottle to indicate the maximum fill line. And the adjustable carrying strap makes it even more convenient.

This stainless bottle is made of high-quality 18/8 stainless steel and comes in two sizes – 27 oz. and 34 oz.

Check out this bottle to add to your collection, and as always, let us know how you use your favorite Zojirushi bottle!

Product Inspirations –
Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker (BB-SSC10)

Our Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker has so much to love – it’s a small powerhouse that makes hugely satisfying breads, doughs, cakes, and jams!

This breadmaker is compact and comes in a modern white design. It has a small footprint, about the size of a letter-sized paper, taking up minimal counter space, and makes 1-pound loaves, perfect for smaller families. The Maestro features a wide selection of 15 course settings, which control the kneading, rising, and baking functions based on the type of bread, dough, cake, or jam to be made.

Ten of the fifteen course settings are for baking bread, including traditional loaves like White, Whole Wheat, and European, as well as settings for Quick White and Quick Whole Wheat. Along with the traditional course settings, the Maestro offers healthy settings for Multigrain, Gluten Free, Salt Free, Sugar Free, and Vegan breads.

The Maestro comes with special course settings for doughs, cake, and jam too. The Bread/Pizza Dough setting is great for producing things like Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and Naan bread, while the Pasta Dough course setting lets you make homemade pastas like Spinach Pasta. Quick cake breads like our scrumptious Lemon Loaf are easy with the Cake setting and our unique Jam setting lets you make fruit preserves without constant stirring over the stove.

While these course settings are all amazing, we really, truly love our Homemade setting! This course setting allows you to store up to three custom programs, so you can control the knead, rise, and bake times per recipe! We’ve even come up with a recipe that we had to call our Meatloaf Miracle, because it was made in the breadmaker using a Homemade course. (Check it out in the recipe booklet that comes with the breadmaker!)

Our Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker can make all of these recipes because of its smart features. It uses a removable, nonstick coated Baking Pan to hold the ingredients, and mixes them with a single Kneading Blade, which is secured into the Baking Pan on a sturdy, rotating shaft. It also utilizes double heaters built into the bottom of the breadmaker to rapidly heat the interior of the Baking Pan so that breads are springy, light, airy, and have gorgeous crusts. It also has a new, distinctive feature – the Auto-Add Dispenser. Instead of requiring you to keep track of when to add ingredients such as dried fruit, nuts, and seeds during the knead cycle, the Auto Add Dispenser holds these ingredients and works with the breadmaker’s intelligent microcomputer to add them to the dough at the right time during making. The easy-to-read LCD control panel accesses the brains of the machine and lets you choose the course setting as well as select the crust color. It also allows you to set an optional 13-hour delay timer.

In true Zojirushi tradition, the pan, along with all surfaces that come into contact with food, are BPA-free and cleaning is simple. The Baking Pan, Kneading Blade, and Auto-Add Dispenser pieces are all removable and hand-washable.

Accessories include a full color recipe booklet with 50 delicious recipes, liquid measuring cup, and measuring spoon.

The recipe booklet has amazing recipes, and you can find more on the special website we’ve dedicated to this amazing little bread maker. Check out recipes like Party Bread and Matcha Swirl Bread. Best of all, we’ve loaded eight how-to videos to help you perfect your bread and dough making skills!

If you’re already an owner of the Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker, share your favorite creations with us below. And if not…get one now!


Product Inspirations – Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer (NL-AAC10/18)

At Zojirushi, we’re inspired by everyday cooking, at home, in any kind of kitchen, and for large and small families. We design our small appliances to meet your day-to-day needs, and our Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer (NL-AAC10/18) is one of the best examples of the effortless practicality and stylish functionality that guides our product design.

This is made in Japan and comes in 5.5 and 10 cup capacities. It’s also smartly multifunctional. At its core, it cooks rice and rice mixed with grains, such as barley and adzuki beans. But this rice cooker also features a Steam function, which allows you to cook vegetables, fish, scallops, prawns, chicken, meat-filled potstickers, or dumplings.

Rice is cooked using one of six pre-programmed settings: White/Sushi Rice, Mixed Rice, Porridge, Sweet Rice, Brown Rice, and Quick Cooking. Each of these settings, along with the one for Steaming, are accessed on the easy-to-read LCD control panel. Once the desired setting is selected, the rice cooker uses fuzzy logic technology – which cleverly directs the appliance’s microcomputer to make fine adjustments to cooking time and temperature – to make perfect rice every time.

White Rice and Brown Rice are easy to make; simply select the White/Sushi or Brown Rice setting. But this rice cooker also allows you to make mixed rice, such as rice with barley or Shiitake-Gohan (Shiitake Mushroom Rice), by adding stock, seasonings and vegetables directly into the rice cooker along with the rice. The instruction manual that comes with the rice cooker has smart tips on how to get the best results for all kinds of dishes, including the correct proportion of rice to other grains, how to rinse rice for the best results, and how to season rice for cooking.

 

The black inner pan is ideal for helping you with assembling and cooking your dish. Markings on the inside of the pan serve as a guide for how much water to use and the heating element evenly heats the ingredients. Once the dishes are cooked, the rice cooker will either make a beeping sound or play a melody, and will keep the food warm using the Automatic Keep Warm setting or the Extended Keep Warm setting. We use this feature along with the Delay Timer, which allows you to program when you would like the rice to be finished cooking. We often fill the inner cooking pan with rinsed rice and water in the morning, set the timer for the evening, and leave for the day to come home to cooked, fresh rice. The rice cooker will automatically keep it warm, and when we come home, we simply open the lid to eat or add ingredients for dishes like Green Tea Rice.

The Steaming function is another ideal feature in this rice cooker. To steam your favorite foods, fill the inner cooking pan with the appropriate amount of water, insert the steaming basket securely into the inner cooking pan, then place your foods into the basket. Select the Steam setting from the LCD panel and set the cooking time. Before you know it, your food will be prepared and ready to eat!

A rice measuring cup, rice spatula, and the steaming basket accessories come with the rice cooker.

Maintaining this rice cooker is also simple and practical. The inner lid, which covers the cooking pan, is detachable and washable, as are the removable inner cooking pan, steamer basket, and spatula. Simply wipe the inner and outer surfaces of the machine to clean them. And when storing the rice cooker, remove the detachable power cord and fold it up neatly next to the machine.

We hope you try out the great recipes found on pages 18-21 of the instruction manual, and try out some of our favorites from Zojirushi.com. As always, be sure to share your favorite dishes with us!