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Features of the Zojirushi Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker
This unit is user friendly and has a stainless steel exterior and an easy to read LCD control panel.  It also includes a clock and a delay timer that can be used to program the start time of the rice cooker.

This induction pressure rice cooker has a retractable power cord that supports 120 volts.

Specifications
Dimensions:15.4 x 10.1 x 8.6 inches
Weight: 13 pounds
cETLus listed, tested to comply with FCC standards
One-year limited manufacturer warranty
Control Panel
Cancel button – used for stopping the rice cooker or cancelling a menu selection
Rinse-free – use when cooking rinse-free rice
Menu: select one of the many menu settings
Keep Warm Selection- choose Extended Keep Warm, Automatic Keep Warm, or Reheat
LCD screen – displays time in the 24-hour military format and text showing when rinse-free or pressure is used
Time setting – use arrows to set the cooking time, timer or clock
Timer – set the timer so the rice will finish cooking at a particular time.  Be sure to set the current time on the clock (in military time) before using the timer function.
Start/reheat – used to start the cooking process or to start the process to reheat rice
Umami Setting
In 1907, a Japanese chemistry professor, Kikunae Ikeda, sought to identify a particular taste found in cheese, some cooked meats and tomatoes. This taste was not one of the four well known tastes - sour, sweet, bitter or salty. Dr. Ikeda knew it was in a certain type of seaweed that was used in soup bases. He isolated crystals of glutamic acid, an amino acid from this seaweed, and found that glutamate was the distinctive taste. He Umami (savory taste).

The Umami setting on the Zojirushi NP-NVC10/18 is intended only for use with white rice. When activated, the rice is soaked in water longer and steamed longer than if the white rice setting was selected.

The theory is that this extra time allows the natural sugars of the rice to be released into the water. These sugars are then reabsorbed into the rice when the cooking begins. The result is rice with a savory taste.

Heating Technologies
The Regular Keep Warm function is activated once the rice is cooked. This allows the rice to be kept warm and fresh until it is ready to be eaten. However, it is not to be used for keeping rice warm for more than 12 hours, reheating cold rice or for rice containing extra ingredients or seasonings.

The Extended Keep Warm mode can be activated during the Regular Keep Warm mode. This feature is not to be used for keeping rice warm for more than 24 hours.

If the Keep Warm Mode has been activated, and the rice has not been loosened within the first 10 minutes, the Keep Warm Monitor will remind the cook to loosen the rice. This reminder comes in the form of 4 short beeps.

If the rice has not been loosened within 10 minutes of the completion of the cooking cycle, the monitor will emit the beeps again at 40 and 70 minutes after the rice is cooked. The beeps can be disabled by switching to the silent mode.

The Reheat Mode can be used during the Regular Keep Warm or the Extended Keep Warm modes. It is used for keeping the rice hotter during these modes and can be used only when reheating white rice.

If it is used when reheating other types of rice, the grains may become discolored or burnt.

Additionally, the Reheat Mode may only be used once, otherwise the rice may become scorched or dry. When this feature is being used, it is important to loosen the rice.
Pressure Cooking
Pressure cooking seals the heat and moisture inside the cooker allowing higher temperatures to be reached. When under pressure, the heat and water are absorbed into each rice grain cooking it from inside to the outside.

When the menu is selected, the unit automatically chooses one of three pressure settings, then adjusts the cooking time of the rice. Pressure cooking helps turn beta starch into alpha starch. This makes the rice softer and easier to digest. It also cooks rice faster than rice cookers that don't have this function.

The pressure cooking feature is not activated when these three pressure settings are selected:  white (harder), sushi, sweet and porridge.

The Zojirushi induction heating rice cooker has numerous safety features including a pressure control valve, back-up safety valve, inner lid valve, and an inner lid filter. It also has a pressure indicator that locks the lid when the pot is under pressure.

Induction Heating
The Zojirushi NP-NVC10/18 uses induction heating.  In this type of heating system, an electrical current passes through copper coils producing a magnetic field. This field is activated when the pan is placed in the rice cooker.  Heat is then generated throughout the full inner pan not just the bottom as in conventional heating methods.

Since the entire pan is the heating element, it will heat up faster and the food will be more evenly cooked. Additionally, the temperature control is more precise with induction heating than when heat comes from just the bottom of the pan.
Company
Zojirushi, a manufacturer of premium kitchen appliances and vacuum insulated products, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018. They have been distributing their products in the United States for 31 years. Zojirushi is known to produce innovative, durable and quality products. Their line of rice cookers varies in price according to the features offered.
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