Let’s talk about the Zojirushi NS-VGC05 Micom. If you haven’t heard of Zojirushi brand rice cookers before, listen up. These rice cookers come with a little elephant on the side (Zojirushi literally means “elephant brand” in Japanese) and have become famous for making high quality rice thanks to “fuzzy logic” technology. The NS-VGC05 Micom is a 3-cup rice cooker and warmer that’s perfect for dorm rooms and live-in couples. Don’t let the model number intimidate you – this cooker fits comfortably into a small kitchen and has a reasonable cooking time.
The word “Micom” stands for micro computerized. This means that the Zojirushi NS-VGC05 Micom doesn’t work like simple rice cookers that will cook to a certain length and temperature regardless of how much rice or water you put in. Fuzzy logic allows a device to work out degrees of rice and water based on weight. That elevates it above a mere hot plate – it’s like having someone standing over the stove for you every time you cook!
Anyone who has experienced rice cooking knows that it’s best to serve the rice up as soon as it’s ready to keep it from getting tough. But the Zojirushi NS-VGC05 Micom has a keep warm setting, which does a great job of keeping it fluffy for a while if you have a previous engagement. If you don’t have a lot of time to spend on cooking, but still want perfect results, you can set it to start cooking your rice while you’re at work and enjoy it when you get home.
This is one of the most versatile cookers out there. It doesn’t have a slow cooker function like some of the larger models, but it can also cook Asian style porridge, tofu, and can even bake a little cake inside of its thick spherical inner cooking pan. If you want to stick to rise, it has rinse-free, and quick cooking settings, along with a spatula, a couple of measuring cups, and a book of charming Japanese recipes. You’ll never get bored making rice with this cooker! Finally, it has an easy-to-read LCD control panel which includes a clock and timer function for cooking timed recipes.
It’s important to note that this model doesn’t handle brown rice that well — you’ll need the NS-LAC05 for that. Also, once in a while the collected moisture from cooking will drip into the bowl if you’ve left a finished bowl on warm for long enough. But those are really minor flaws. Overall, the NS-VGC05 Micom has what it takes to cook your rice perfectly ever time, and the compact size guarantees it’ll never be an elephant in the room.