Throwback to Innovation: Meet Zojirushi’s First Micom Rice Cooker!

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Happy May, Zo Fans!

Are you ready to see back in time to discover the origins of one of Zojirushi’s iconic products? The Micom Rice Cooker transformed the way people cook rice around the world, and remains as one of our most beloved and popular products to date. Without it, we wouldn’t have any of our higher-end IH and Pressure IH rice cookers, as well!
But before we delve into the details, let’s rewind the clock and start where the innovation all began.

Innovating for Over 100 Years

More than a century ago in 1918, Zojirushi introduced the groundbreaking glass-lined vacuum bottle. This innovative creation, leveraging vacuum insulation technology drastically changed home convenience, laying the foundation for our enduring commitment to “Creating a Quality of Life.” From that passion, Zojirushi continued introducing a range of products designed to simplify and enrich daily living. 

Fast forward to the late 1970s and early 1980s, an era marked by unprecedented technological advancement developed in Japan. Known as the “microcomputer boom,” it led way to accessible appliances with capabilities like never before. From phones to washing machines, Japan saw a changing landscape of life with new technology making lives more convenient. 

This boom started competitions from many companies over the best way to cook the best rice. As a result, it was during this period that Zojirushi released its first Micom Rice Cooker. This would, in turn, be a significant step in the realm of rice cooking for generations to come.

Meet the Original Micom Rice Cooker

Zojirushi Micom Rice Cookers & Warmers made their debut in 1983, with the release of a product called Waza Irazu (NMT model). This Micom Rice Cooker fused traditional Japanese culinary techniques with cutting-edge microchip technology that automated much of the cooking process, allowing only washing before and fluffing after as manual tasks. 

Unlike its predecessors, which relied on traditional timers, the Micom technology offered precise control over cooking parameters, ensuring consistently flawless results with every batch of rice. Last but not least, the microchip allowed users to alter the rice-cooking procedure for different types of rice and other rice based dishes, including white rice, okayu (rice porridge), brown rice, and okowa (sweet rice).

Understanding Micom Technology

Micom is simply short for “microcomputer.” The microcomputer within our Micom rice cookers creates ideal cooking environments for various types of rice and rice dishes found in everyday homes. It essentially transformed your rice cooker into a smart appliance, capable of creating optimal cooking conditions for various types of rice and rice dishes. 

It replicated the beloved, precise heating method of a traditional Kamado stove, with a new level of control. By adjusting cooking time, temperature, and other parameters, it ensures the perfect batch of grains every time. Micom works tirelessly to manage soaking, cooking, and steaming behind the scenes to orchestrate the entire cooking process seamlessly. 

There’s a Japanese saying that captures the essence of Micom’s role in everyday life. Taken from the Kamado stove that the Japanese loved, the saying goes: “Hajime choro-choro/ Naka pa-ppa/ Akago naite mo/ Futa toruna!” which translates to “At first it bubbles, and then it hisses. Even if baby cries, don’t open the lid!” This passion for rice cooking laid the foundation for research that now translates into our products today.

Continuing the Legacy

We have always crafted our offerings, from high-end IH and Pressure IH rice cookers to internet-connected home appliances, with one overarching goal: to elevate the everyday experience. At Zojirushi, we remain steadfast in our commitment to craftsmanship, attention to detail, and high safety standards. Drawing upon our rich heritage and innovative technologies, we are excited to continue innovating new waves of products and services designed to inspire confidence and help everyone create treasured moments that they can share.

So, there you have it—the captivating tale of Zojirushi’s first Micom Rice Cooker! If you want to learn more about other Zojirushi throwback products, make sure to check out our Food & Culture blog. 

Do you have any stories of throwback Zojirushi products you want to share with us? We’d love to hear them! Tag us on Facebook and Instagram with hashtags #Zojirushi #ZoFan.

Celebrate the Holidays with Japanese Flavor

Posted on December 25, 2021 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Are you excited for the holidays? In addition to going all out with festive decorations, Japanese people love to celebrate this time of year with popular American foods seasoned with a Japanese twist. For those who want to add a twist to their holiday dinner, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite Japanese and American holiday recipes that are guaranteed to delight and impress – all of which can be made easily with the help of the new Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-DCC10/18.

Introducing The Rice Cooker That Does It All

The newest addition to our rice cooker lineup is the Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-DCC10/18. It comes in 5.5 or 10 cup capacities and in a beautiful Pearl Beige color. What’s unique about this appliance is that it is built with advanced micro computerized Fuzzy Logic technology, meaning that the rice cooker can automatically adjust cooking temperatures and cooking time to cook your rice (or cake!) perfectly every time.

It also includes a wide variety of settings which include: White, Long Grain White, Sushi, Congee, Brown, GABA Brown, Jasmine, Steel Cut Oatmeal, Quinoa, Quick White, and Cake.

Choose from convenient features like automatic keep warm, extended keep warm, reheat, and delay timer functions on the rice cooker’s easy-to-read LCD control panel, so you can cook your dishes whenever you please.

In addition, the appliance comes with an easy-to-clean detachable and washable inner lid, detachable power cord, and extra-large steam vent cap for high-powered cooking. The Menu

Now that we’re thoroughly acquainted with the Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-DCC10/18, let’s get to cooking!

First Bite

If you’re hosting a holiday get-together, it’s important to make a great first impression. Not only are these dishes visually attractive, but they’re also easily shareable and super tasty.

Baked Mac and Cheese Style Brown Rice: A fun twist on mac and cheese, this dish combines brown rice with a medley of cheeses and tomatoes.

Gomoku Sushi: This is a beautifully garnished rice bowl that features seasonal vegetables and seafood on top of sushi rice. Because it can be prepared in advance, it’s the perfect appetizer for events or large gatherings.

Prosciutto Rice Balls: These bite-size rice balls combine Japanese culinary techniques with Italian style. The prosciutto pairs perfectly with the rice, and the basil adds a fresh zing. Pro rice tip: Always rinse the rice before cooking, even brown rice. Milling leaves a lot of starch on the surface of the rice, and if not removed the rice becomes gummy. We recommend to rinse it 3 to 4 times to remove the excess starch. Remember to work quickly to prevent the rice from absorbing starchy water as much as possible. Watch this video to learn more.

Main Course:

Did you know that Christmas Eve and Christmas are widely celebrated with a bucket of KFC fried chicken in Japan? Because turkey is not readily available in the country, this craze has endured throughout the holidays for decades. Here are two dishes that you can make to celebrate just like the Japanese, with chicken as a star ingredient.

Karaage is Japanese-style fried chicken that is fried to crispy deliciousness in small, bite-sized pieces served with rice. It is sure to be a favorite during the holidays.

Curry Doria is a mix between a casserole and Japanese curry. Add generous amounts of mozzarella, and add your protein of choice to your liking (in this case, chicken!). Pro rice tip: Remember to use your measuring cup to measure out your rice and use the water measuring lines on the pan to measure the water. We cook and test tons and tons of rice every year, so our rice cookers can cook the best-tasting rice for you consistently. It’s scientific. It’s precise. Trust us, and use the rice measuring cup in conjunction with the water measure lines. It will yield a perfect result. Every. Single. Time.

A Sweet Ending

One of the biggest highlights of a Japanese Christmas is the decorative cakes that look like works of art — they are almost too pretty to eat! In Japan, people especially love enjoying strawberry shortcake on this holiday. Below are fruit-forward cake options that you can make straight out of your rice cooker.

Layered Trifle Tower: This fluffy sponge cake is layered beautifully with marsala sherry, raspberry jam, custard, and fruit. Serve in a clear vessel to show off the beautiful interior.

Whole Wheat Sponge Cake: This whole wheat cake only requires seven ingredients (plus the fruit) and is easily baked at the touch of a button. Top with whipped cream, enjoy, repeat.

How are you going to spend the holidays this year? Are you planning on trying any of these recipes or tips we shared today? Be sure to share your experience with us on social by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan

Meet the Newest Member of the Zo’ Family: Umami Rice Cooker NL-GAC 10/18

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Happy May, Zo’ Fans!

We are so excited to introduce the latest addition to our rice cooker lineup, the Umami Rice Cooker NL-GAC10/18.

This versatile, multitasking machine makes the perfect rice or one-pot meal with its advanced Fuzzy Logic technology and has the most cooking settings in the Micom category, it’s truly one of the most industrious rice cookers we’ve ever made. Are you ready to learn all about this rice cooker’s impressive features and why it may be the perfect rice cooker for you? Let’s get to it.

The Umami Rice Cooker At-a-Glance

The Umami Rice Cooker NL-GAC10/18 comes in two sizes, 5.5 cups or 10 cups capacities. Both sizes come in a sleek metallic black exterior that adds a unique touch to any kitchen, and its modern profile and upgraded settings make it truly best-in-class. This rice cooker also features an easy-to-read LCD screen with pre-programmed settings like a delay timer, auto keep warm, extended keep warm, and reheat.

Perfectly Paired: More on Parts and Accessories

The Umami Rice Cooker NL-GAC10/18 is easy to store and clean with its detachable power cord. The appliance features a removable and washable inner lid, 1.5 mm thick nonstick coated inner cooking pan, and a clear-coated stainless-steel lid, making cooking and cleaning a breeze. Like the rest of our products, customers can rest assured knowing that all of the food-facing parts are BPA-free. Additional accessories that come with this rice cooker include a steaming basket, rice spatula, spatula holder, and measuring cup, so you’ll be fully prepared to make the perfect rice (or meal) every time.

Settings

This machine’s versatility is unmatched. Our Umami Rice Cooker’s intelligent micro computerized technology enables multiple menu settings and cooking functions, allowing users to make several varieties of rice – and access functions, like slow cook and steam.

Even though there are so many settings and menu options, this machine is designed to be easy and user-friendly. All you have to do is click the setting you want, and the rice cooker will do the hard work for you.

A Guide to the Umami’s 12 Settings:

The quick white and quick Jasmine features reduced cooking time for dinner in a snap
The GABA brown rice setting activates the rice for increased nutritional value
The steam setting cooks meats and vegetables without the need for added fats or oils for a nutritious and delicious meal
The slow cook setting to whip up soups, stews, and one-pot meals you can savor later
Perhaps one of the most exciting settings of this machine is the namesake Umami feature, which makes sweet, soft, fluffy, and flavorful rice through extended soaking and steaming
Other settings include white, brown, mixed, sushi/sweet, porridge, and congee

Tips and Tricks for Your Umami Rice Cooker NL-GAC 10/18

Can you guess how long you should keep your rice warm in your rice cooker? Some customers will keep their rice for 4-5 days, but we recommend keeping your rice for only 12 hours to maximize taste. Not to worry, with this machine’s Extended Keep Warm feature, you can keep your rice up to 24 hours, as well as reheat the rice at the touch of a button with the Reheat feature.

Instead of keeping your rice in the rice cooker for days, refrigerate or freeze your leftover rice to enjoy later. Store leftover rice in a container or wrap tightly in plastic wrap to retain moisture. When you’re ready to eat it, microwave it and use it for fried rice or rice salad!

With the new steam feature, you’ll be able to cook your favorite flavorful meals without the guilt. Pack the steaming basket like the image below after adding water to the pan and select the steam menu setting for perfectly cooked vegetables. Did you know, meats and fish can also be steamed?

Looking for more recipe ideas? Zojirushi.com has plenty of exciting recipes you can cook in your Umami rice cooker. Try our Chesapeake Crab Carrot Rice on the Jasmine setting for a fun dish that is effortless to make. Remember, when using our recipes, to note the product the recipe was designed for and adjust accordingly.

Which exciting feature are you looking forward to using on your new Umami Rice Cooker? Be sure to share your dishes with us on social by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan

Product Inspirations – Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer (NS-LGC05)

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Zojirushi America Corporation

We love one of our newest rice cookers, the Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer (NS-LGC05)!

This rice cooker is ideal for small families or couples, as it can cook as little as a half cup of rice or oats and up to three cups of rice. Whether you’re making an individual portion or enough for a small family, this compact rice cooker is versatile as well as stylish, with a clear coated stainless steel exterior that looks sleek and modern on any kitchen countertop.

The Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer comes equipped with a microcomputer that uses advanced fuzzy logic technology to make fine adjustments to cooking time and temperature, ensuring rice is cooked to perfection every time. It also comes with menu settings to make white rice, sushi rice, brown rice, long grain white rice and special menu settings for steel cut oatmeal and GABA brown rice. GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is said to help lower blood pressure and relieve stress. Using the GABA Brown Rice setting activates the GABA in the brown rice by soaking it for two hours at 104°F before cooking.

Hot and delicious steel cut oatmeal

Cooking in this rice cooker is stress-free. The nonstick inner pan comes with high-contrast water level lines that make it easy to see how much water to put into the pan for the desired amount of rice. The pan is easy to insert into the machine and rice is cooked evenly using the triple heaters on the bottom, sides and lid. The easy-to-read LCD control panel is used to select the menu setting, and once set, the rice cooker will automatically presoak, cook and steam the rice to perfection. With the clock and delay timer functions, you can set rice to cook for dinner before you leave in the morning or set oatmeal to be ready for breakfast before you go to bed! Once rice is cooked, the machine automatically switches to Keep Warm mode, and rice can be reheated to serving temperature using the Reheat function just before eating.

This model features a convenient detachable inner lid for easy cleaning and a fully-washable inner cooking pan. The retractable power cord and sturdy fold-down handle make this machine simple to store and easy to transport. It also has a removable steam vent cap which allows for high-temperature cooking without messy overflows. Accessories include a nonstick rice spatula, spatula holder and a measuring cup.

Buttered Lobster Rice

With superior technology, design and performance, this Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer is great for your cooking needs. And to get you started, we wanted to share some of our favorite recipes that work beautifully in this rice cooker. Making the basics well is at the core of using this rice cooker, so why not first try making white rice, brown rice and steel cut oatmeal. When making white rice, make sure to rinse and wash the grains well prior to cooking and to use the right amount of water for the desired amount of rice. (We’ve even created a video that shows you how to properly wash rice!) Stir and loosen rice immediately after cooking, so that excess moisture is released and rice has a fluffy texture.

Once you’ve mastered these recipes, try making Takikomi Gohan, or Mixed Rice. This delicious recipe combines chicken, fried tofu, vegetables, mushrooms and seasonings with rice, all directly in the rice cooker. And if you’re in the mood for something richer, try Buttered Lobster Rice, where delicately seasoned rice is topped with rich, buttery lobster and a spritz of lemon.

No matter what you make with this rice cooker, it’s sure to turn out beautifully. Check out our product video below for more details, and as always, let us know how you do in the comments below.