Sanyo ECJ-E35S 3.5-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker/Steamer Review

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(More customer reviews)This was a Christmas present to myself as I have been wanting a micom rice cooker for some time now. I chose this one because of the price, the 3 cup size, the Sanyo reputation, and the features. And a very wise choice it was!! My first impression as I pulled it out of the box was that it was extremely attractive and modern looking; the web site picture does not do it justice. The body is white with stainless steel accents in a very up-to-date style. It is small and easily tucked away if need be, the cord is retractable. The buttons are large and easy to read and access. The menu features a setting for white, brown, porridge, quick cook and a Korean dish called Dol sot bi bim bab. The instruction book is easy to follow, although you really almost would not need it as the controls are very self-explanatory. Included in the guide are some simple recipes, including one for the dol sot bi bim bab.
The main stand out for this model is a bowl that is built like a tank and is titanium nonstick. It is 5 mm. thick--by far the thickest I have seen on any micom rice cooker. It distributes the heat consistently all around the circumference of the bowl. Another plus is that it has separate markings for brown and sweet rice, showing the necessary higher water level needed for those types of rice. Since I mainly cook brown rice, the separate menu selection for brown and separate bowl markings for brown win this cooker very high marks with me. The bowl is a three cup size, but two cups fill it very full. This is the perfect size for a single person or maybe a couple, but a larger group might want to go up to the 5 cup size. (I might get one of those myself....I like this cooker that much!) I believe the 5 cup also has a steam and slow cook function that the smaller unit does not have. Not a big deal for me but for some might be a selling point.
I have cooked brown, japanese white, jasmine, brown basamati, and even Uncle Ben in this and basically had perfect rice each time. I have also used the timer to have it ready when I come home from work! My only gripe is that it takes 1 1/2 hours to cook brown rice, so if I don't use the timer, I have to wait on it. However, the results ARE worth the wait.
Oh, a couple quirks. The condensation cup is on the top of the cooker--empty it each time, or else if you move the unit, it could spash water down the front of it. I learned the hard way. Also, the clock will read 0.00 at noon instead of 12:00--the 0.00 does NOT mean the rice is ready if you happen to be cooking around that time. Also learned the hard way. Clean up is simple, the pieces come off and reassemble without any brain work. More work than a traditional glass lid cooker perhaps, but again, worth it.
Amazon seemed to have the best price and included free shipping for this model Wal-mart and Best Buy also carry it, but they were not in stock (in my area anyway) and had to be ordered--and you pay shipping. The unit has a one year warranty. It is made in China.
In short, this is a very attractive, well-built, well-designed little unit that turns out perfect rice at an incredible price. If you have any thoughts about getting a micom rice cooker, get this one!!

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Micro-Computerized technology along with a modern design highlight this impressive Sanyo rice cooker/steamer. An extra thick 5MM non-stick inner pot with round bottom maximizes heat distribution and insures superb consistency in cooking. With the multi-menu settings, the fuzzy logic technology controls the temperature as you easily prepare delicious rice dishes including white, mixed, rinse-free, sprouted brown, quick, brown, sweet as well as porridge and the Korean specialty dish of Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab.Program your meal to be ready when you want with the 24 hour preset timer and LCD clock. A reheat function keeps the rice as hot as it was initiallly cooked while the keep warm function will keep the rice warm immediately after cooking. Clean up is no problem with the non stick inner pot. A retractable cord and carrying handle provide easy storing. Included are measuring cup, mult-language instruction manual with recipes included.

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Panasonic SR-MS182 Fuzzy-Logic 10-Cup Rice Cooker, White Review

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(More customer reviews)This cooker is supposed to be able to: cook white rice (normal mode), white rice (quick mode), brown rice, sticky rice, rice porridge, steam, cake, slow cook. I tested the functions I would most often use: cooking white rice, steaming, cake, and slow cooking.
[1] Cook rice (white jasmine) in normal mode
This cooker is meant to make as little as 2 cups rice (4 cup yield cooked) to 10 cups (20 cup yield cooked). Cooking takes about 40 minutes. When cooking the minimum (2 cups) with the recommended amount of water according to the markings in the inner bowl, the finished rice seemed a bit dry and undercooked. Whenever I find the rice slightly undercooked for my taste when the machine says the rice is finished cooking, I let the rice steam for a few additional minutes in "warm" mode, and it'll usually eventually get cooked more thoroughly, though still a bit dry. I've had the same problem with my old rice cooker. With smaller amounts of rice, the markings are usually off so I need to add more water than what is recommended. I tried cooking 2 cups again, but this time, added water 1-2 millimeters above the recommended water line, and the rice came out perfect when the machine sounded the "ready" beep. When I made a larger amount in this cooker (4 cups), I added water only up to the recommended line, but this time had no problems with the finished rice. Again, this is the same way my old rice cooker (different brand) performed, so don't necessarily think badly of Panasonic's line, there are problems all around - just keep tweaking water as you get to understand how the rice will turn out the more you use the machine.
[2] Cook rice in quick mode
I tried with 2 cups again. Cooking finished in about 15 minutes, but was far more undercooked than the rice in Task 1. I let the rice steam in "warm" mode for about an hour, and the rice was better - took away the whole point of trying to cook rice quickly, though. Doubt I will bother using this over normal cooking.
[3] Steam
You can set the cooking time for steaming anywhere between 1-60 minutes, adjusting in 1 minute increments. The plastic steaming tray fits into the inner bowl of the rice cooker. The tray is approximately 8.25 inches in diameter and 2.25 inches deep. There are two nubs in the plastic tray protruding inwards that you use to help lift the tray out of the inner bowl when steaming is done. Steamed 4 quartered russet potatoes great, and tray was very easy to clean.
[4] Cake
Instead of cake, I made a batter for pumpkin bread that is normally baked at 350º for about 55 minutes in a loaf pan. Put it in the cooker on "cake" mode and it finished cooking in 55 minutes as well. Cooked nicely though the texture of the crust is slightly different and better suited for actual cakes. There will not be the golden crust on the top of the baked good you are used to with oven baking. The top of the cake/bread will look and feel more like steamed buns. You can set the cooking time in "cake" mode anywhere from 20-65 minutes, adjusting in 5 minute intervals.
[5] Slow cook
A completely frozen block of corned beef was cooked in "slow cook" mode for 3.5 hours. It was nice that I didn't have to worry about falling asleep with the machine on since there are no flames to deal with on the stove and didn't have to watch for spillovers. There is no temperature control, but the machine keeps the temperature so the water stays at a low simmer. Cooking times for slow cooking can be adjusted in 30 minute increments anywhere from 1-12 hours.
Happy with overall performance except for quick cooking rice.
Other notes:
The machine will remember the cooking time settings you last used for the steam, cake, and slow cook options - great so you don't have to reset it all the time when you cook the same thing often. A detail I really appreciated was that the inner cover to the lid had a rubber gasket around the edges with a layer of rubber folded back in such a way that when you open the lid, with all the condensation on the inner cover from the steaming of rice, the water is caught in the groove in between the layers of rubber and does not drip all over the bottom half of the machine. The machine displays the time when not in use, but it just operates on a 24-hour clock i.e. when it is 4 in the afternoon, you will see 16:00 on your time display. There is unfortunately no other option for those of us who like to simply see 4:00 pm. The display lays more horizontal than vertically. I wish the display were more vertical so you could easily see the time on it sitting down in a chair across the room, not only if you're standing over it. Disappointed there is no slot/holder for the rice scoop. It would have been nice since once the scoop starts getting used, there's rice sticking all over it and it would be good to have somewhere to put the scoop in between servings without having to dirty another dish or the countertop.


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Take the guesswork out of making restaurant-quality rice with this easy-to-use rice cooker. The handy appliance offers a 10-cup uncooked-rice capacity, producing up to 20 cups of cooked rice--great when cooking for a group of friends or the whole family. Simply add dry rice, measure in the water, make a selection, and push the "start" button. Equipped with micro-computerized Fuzzy Logic technology, the unit automatically makes fine adjustments to the temperature and heating time to ensure perfectly cooked rice. Choose from a variety of menu options including steam; quick cook; porridge; slow cook; cake; and white, brown, and sticky rice. Once the rice has cooked, the appliance automatically switches over to "keep warm" mode, which maintains an ideal serving temperature for up to 12 hours. The unit's delay timer offers a 24-hour clock with one memory setting for starting the cooking cycle at a later time, and its automatic shut-off function offers peace of mind. Other highlights include a binchotan-type black pan with white anodizing for better tasting rice, a dimple pan that expands heat by 20 percent for enhanced performance, a detachable steam vent, a large orange LCD read-out, a detachable power cord, and a carry handle for convenient transport. A steam basket, measuring cup, rice scoop, and a user manual in English, French, and Chinese come included. The 835-watt rice cooker measures 14-1/5 by 11 by 9-4/5 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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Sanyo 3-1/2-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cookers/Warmers with Bread-Baking Functions Review

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(More customer reviews)When I saw it had a bread baking function, I was curious. I didn't expect a whole lot but I figured if the bread baking isn't great, I'd always have an oven anyway. So I took the chance.
I just used frozen bread dough (the one with 3 loaves in a bag). 1 loaf was a bit too big so I pinched off the end to make it smaller.
after 90 minutes I opened the lid it was all the way to the top. I then flip it over to brown the other side. Now the instruction says after 40 minutes you have to punch it down. Well, I didn't because I didn't hear the buzzer. But since it baked fine, I don't even bother to punch it down. It bakes fine without doing so. I used Pizza dough. What's great is that for a quick loaf, it won't heat up the whole kitchen. It doesn't use unnecessary eletricity(or gas) because you don't have to turn on the big oven. When we decide to have Italian, I just pop one piece of thawed dough. By the time the dinner is ready, bread is done. It doesn't produce dark crust, instead, it comes out with very light crust. Inside is so soft like steamed bun. It is so yummy. I also tried sweet roll dough with cinnamon, currant and sugar. It was great, too. I'm sure you can get really creative.
And by the way, it also cooks great rice, too. I used to own Zojirushi and I believe Sanyo cooks better rice than that. Not that Zojirushi is bad, it was an older model. This rice cooker's inner bowl is much thicker so that might be why....
Anyway, I am so glad I bought this.

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A modern design and micro-computerized technology highlight this impressive rice cooker/warmer. The multi-use appliance can make bread from dough thanks to its unique bread-baking capabilities, and with multi-menu settings, its fuzzy logic technology controls the temperature for easily preparing delicious rice dishes including white, mixed, rinse-free, sprouted brown, quick, brown, and sweet, as well as porridge and the Korean specialty dish of Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab. The cooker's titanium-coated extra-thick (5 mm) nonstick inner pot with a round bottom delivers maximum heat distribution, optimal cooking, and effortless food release. For added convenience, the unit provides a pre-soak function for setting additional soak time before cooking to ensure the best-tasting rice; a reheat function that heats the rice as hot as it was initially cooked; and a keep-warm function to keep the rice warm immediately after cooking. Other highlights include a retractable cord, a carrying handle, and an LCD clock and 24 hour preset timer, which allows for cooking to be completed at a desired time. Accessories include a measuring cup, a multi-language instruction manual, and an exclusive Martin Yan recipe booklet with 16 original recipes from the celebrated master chef. The cooker measures approximately 11 by 9 by 8 inches.

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