Zojirushi NP-GBC05 - The Best Small Rice Cooker
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Rice cookers come in a range of different sizes. The smallest of these machines are 3 cup devices. They can make a maximum of 3 "cups" of un-cooked rice. You may already know that the cup measurement is a special cup that comes with the rice cooker. These small units are also known as single serve rice cookers because they can make as little as one single serving. But when filled to capacity can actually make five servings. So they are pretty versatile. There are lots of different brands and models. The best is the Zojirushi NP-GBC05. This is what I shall discuss in this article.
If you want the best small rice cooker then the choice is simple. Just get yourself a Zojirushi NP-GBC05 rice cooker. This is for a couple of different reasons. It looks very similar to the NS-LAC05 but there are a few important differences. Internally is where these differences lie. If we compare these two machines we can clearly see where the NP-GBC05 excels. First of all, these two models are both Micom rice cookers. However the NS-LAC05 only costs about half of the more expensive machine which is around $250. The reason for this vast difference in price is that the NP-GBC05 has an Induction Heating system while the cheaper machine does not. This means the way that the machines function is quite different. The Induction Heating system model does not have a heating element to warm the cooking bowl. Instead it creates a magnetic field which turns the cooking bowl into the machine's heat source. Therefore you get the most evenly cooked rice when you use this style of machine. The Zojirushi NP-GBC05 is the only 3 cup rice cooker of any make that has this.
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Following on from the Induction Heating is a special cooking cycle that only Induction Heating rice cookers possess. That is the GABA brown rice cycle. This is an extra long cooking setting that takes over 3 hours to complete. Now this is a long time. But it makes the rice easier to digest and also releases more of the nutrients in an easily digestible form so it is great for the health conscious.
This rice cooker is great if you are single or live with your partner. It will give you a bit of extra capacity too. However, if you have a family then you may well be better off choosing a larger machine like the Zojirushi NP-HBC10.
