Far more versatile than the typical rice cooker.
936195
So far I've produced perfect white and brown rice, in small and large batches with this marvelous cooker.  It's easy to use and cleans up far better than our previous rice cooker.

The pre-programmed buttons make it easy to set things up.  Just add the ingredients, push the appropriate button and the digital timer will let you know how long things will take.  The 8 cup capacity is actually more than we needed, but then I never thought of using the same appliance to cook rice and steam something else at the same time, using the steamer basket!  Now that I've read the directions, that will be our next cooking adventure.  ;-)

Knock yourself out with this, it's potential would almost seem limitless as a cooking appliance, so get creative!
647543
I'll keep this brief, since there are a number of other posted positive reviews.

I have owned various sized rice cookers and this one fits the bill for a small cooker that prepares enough rice for a couple or small family.

I have had this one for about a month and used it about ten times.  Overall, medium and long grain white rices take about 40 minutes to cook, but come out perfect every time!  I have also made "fried" rice in this cooker, combining prepared ingredients (sauteed veggies, meat, fried egg, soy sauce and seasoning) with the rice before cooking, and it too came out perfectly done.  Have also used it to keep rice warm for up to 4 hours with no degradation in the taste or texture.

The design is slick, with a fingerprint-free metal finish, retractable cord and rice spoon holder (spoon included!).  It even plays jaunty tunes when first engaged and when your rice is ready.  The top-mounted display is easy to read and program, especially when compared to competitors' models with front mounted displays.

My complaints are few.  First, although it is called a 3-cup cooker, it recommends cooking no more than two cups of white rice (pre-cooked) at a time.  Also, the manual is translated from the original Japanese which makes it a little awkward to understand at times.  Finally, although there are recipes included in the manual, they are few and suffer from poor translation.  Otherwise, all is well with the Zojirushi NS-LAC05.

A wise buy despite its few shortcomings!
1091227
Ok- its a rice cooker.  And a rice warmer.  And supposedly a cake maker and slow cooker and food warmer too.  And a veggie steamer.
All I know is that this thing cooks rice like nobody's business.  It does what it says its going to do...and it does it remarkably well.

I have had this product for a little over two months now and have used it approximately 10 times.  To cook rice.  It makes the rice perfectly, not sticky or soupy or burt or any other variation other than perfectly done.  The instructions were a little odd to figure out and took some rereading to get them right.  The on-board timer and cooking computer input display thingy work well and are good at helping you know when rice is done and everything is ready to go.

I haven't used it as a cake maker (although a recipe is included) nor have I used it as a slow cooker or anything like that.  I selected this product for its main purpose.  I wanted to cook rice and have it ready to go when the stir fry was just getting finished.  It takes about 40 mins from start to finish for a 6 cup batch.  (cooked).

The measuring cup isn't an english "cup" of measure but somewhere a little bit smaller.  So be sure to hang on to it as it is what the manufacturer uses at its standard measure.  The non stick inside pot is a snap to clean and all the parts and pieces that need to come apart do- and go back together easily as well.

I have to give this a 5 star review because it does what is was intended to do.  I have no issues with it and am glad that it is in my home.  We eat a fairly large amount of rice and it has been a wonderful appliance to use for that purpose.  But if I want to make a cake, I have an oven- if I want to use a slow cooker, I have a crock pot.  For rice...I now have this wonderful thing...and I love it!
129471
It took me some time to decide which model rice cooker I wanted to buy before I settled on this model.  For many years I had a good experience with an Aroma rice cooker that cost almost 1/10 the price of this rice cooker, but I wanted to upgrade and knew I wanted a Zojirushi although I did compare with and consider other brands.

I bought this model because it does all the things I might want it to; cook multiple types of rice very well.  I do not try to use a rice cooker for anything other than making good rice so slow cooking and grain preparation are not important features to me.

Zojirushi makes regular convection cookers, induction cookers, and this top of the line induction and pressure cooking model featuring rice-making artificial intelligence(Rice of the Machines).  After comparing the differences, I decided that I wanted an induction model largely because its a more modern technology.  The non-pressurized model does not have the UMAMI feature that this model has.  Although I was not entirely sure what this feature would deliver, I decided it was worth investing in.  Basically, the feature extends the cooking time to create a softer more flavorable rice.  The cooker makes rice better than most asian restaurants.  I did not realize exactly how good the rice this cooker makes is until the first time I went back to my local Chinese restaurant after cooking rice with my Zojirushi.  Another advantage of the pressurized models is slightly faster cooking times.

The truth is you can make great rice with a much cheaper rice cooker, but if you realllllllly take your rice seriously and eat a lot of it, spending this much money on a rice cooker might make sense for you.  I would consider either a low or high end Zojirushi, ignoring the middle ground.

SIZE: the 5 cup model makes more sense for couples and smaller families up to 4 or maybe 5 people.

The larger model is more appropriate for familes of 5 and above or smaller familes who may want to cook up a lot of rice and keep it warm for several hours.
1034185
This was my first fancy rice cooker, and I was a bit apprehensive about how much use it would get. We're not especially big rice eaters. Not to worry, I use it several times a week. It works well as a small slow cooker, I can finally make good black bean soup (it takes a long time). I've also started making sticky rice and steel cut oats (porridge setting with 3:1 oats:water) which both take a long time. This is where the timer is great. I put in the ingredients in the morning/evening and it's ready when I get up/home. Cleanup is very easy, the gooey porridge almost falls out clean when I hold the pot upside down. Just don't try to cook too much at once, that could be a mess. The retractable cord is nice too. Now if only it made bread, yogurt, and waffles I could reclaim some precious kitchen space.
2609730
This is far and away the best rice cooker I've ever used.  The programmable settings allow for a tremendous amount of flexibility for when and how you want rice to be done.  The unit as a whole is extremely well-made, and sitting on your counter, it looks a bit like the ship from Flight of the Navigator, albeit a more blocky version.  The instructions are pretty easy to follow and it's easy to disassemble for cleaning.  Don't let your hand wander over the top while it's cooking, though...that's where the steam comes out, and it'll make you scream like a hyena on crack.  It's a great way to convince guests that they shouldn't touch things though.  The inside bowl where the rice goes is really well made and weighted on the bottom and has clear markings showing where the water should be if you have X amount of rice.

The only downside to this machine is that it has a tendency to reek of plastic while cooking.  That probably has something to do with the fact that the steam vent is plastic, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm inhaling some sort of toxic fumes.  Oh, well.
325057
The rice cooks up softer and moister than any other rice cooker I've used.  The warming setting is also nice; you can make it a little ahead of time.  Definitely a buy!
53555
I grew up with one button rice cookers. The kind I liked the best was one where you would put water on the outside of the rice pot as well as in the inside of the pot with the rice and then press the button. I don't think they make those anymore. Nowadays you have to keep the outside of the pot dry. Kinda a pain after you got it wet washing the rice.
Back when I was growing up we made delicious rice, rice porridge, steamed sausage over rice, steamed chicken and vegetables in broth, bean soup, etc. using the simple one button rice cooker. The trick for some of the dishes is to run the cook cyle twice to cook longer.
I mention all this to explain why just having a rice cooker cooking different things doesn't totally impress me. I'm used to having one that is simple to use and versatile.
With this background, I was a little bit disappointed in the ZAC10 rice cooker although I still think it is an excellent product.
This neuro fuzzy is CUTE. And it makes DELICIOUS oatmeal. It also makes cheaper rice taste better. The keep warm feature works perfectly -- no making a crust. I use the timer feature for oatmeal in the morning - very nice to have.
But it is also awfully SLOW. I'm used to the rice cooker cooking faster than the stovetop method but this one is just as slow if not slower. For 1 small cup of rice it takes 40+ minutes. The machine I grew up with took 20 minutes. Even the quick cook feature on this machine takes 30 minutes.
Theoretically you can't use this as a steamer according to the Ultimate Rice Cooker cookbook I also bought. That's too bad since I am used to steaming things in a rice cooker. I will play around with it though and see if that's really the case.
I am still torn about whether to get this for my motherinlaw this Xmas. She loves oatmeal but cooked in milk so the timer feature won't help her. But still, it makes delicious oatmeal without her having to stand and stir. And it keeps it warm for a long time. What's making me hesitate is that she doesn't eat rice that often and the buttons in the front are rather daunting. (It really isn't as complicated as it looks though) Also the manual has no good recipes. It doesn't even tell you if you can make oatmeal with milk or not in it. (You can.) On the web they have some and if I were to get this for her I would definitely print out some recipes to go with it. This would be an expensive gift not to be used.
If you eat rice alot or like rice, oatmeal, porridge, that kind of thing... a rice cooker is a must and this one is a great one. Just realize that if you're use to a one button rice cooker you'll be giving up simplicity.
FOLLOW-UP:
I have demoted this from a FIVE star to a FOUR star product.  It still makes wonderful rice but disappointingly it doesn't handle oatmeal cooked in milk (1% fat).  I've tried it three times now, two times on porridge cycle and this thing made a COLOSSAL MESS.  Hubby said it's like a baby puked all over it, inside and out.  The thing spewed oatmeal which stuck and dried everywhere (I got to it two hours after it went on keep-warm).  Even though the inner part of the lid pops out, it still took nearly an hour to clean up the nooks and crannies of the thing.  I definitely suggest watching it if you cook oatmeal with milk and maybe even opening it up several times to release the steam.  Better yet, do it on the stovetop.  Too bad because the oatmeal still left in the pot that it didn't spew out tasted fantastic.
To be fair to the recipe, I should say I used quick cook oats (1 minute type) instead of the steel cut slow cook type oatmeal.  Maybe that made a difference.  BUt if so, too bad because I still have a lot of the other kind of oatmeal to use up.
2943518
I use this daily for everything from rice, to oatmeal to steaming vegetables.  Stainless steel gear is a huge plus and this cooker will pay for itself over and over.
1880981
I've had this rice cooker for over a year now. Simply put, it's amazing. I know it seems crazy to drop a ton of money on a rice cooker, but like any quality appliance, you'll get a lot of use out of it. I paid $170 for it in 2008, so it's a little weird to see that it costs more now.

Pros:
Extremely easy to clean. I wait until it's cooled down, then I dump out crumbs into the trash and let the bowl part soak for a few minutes. I wipe the inside gently with a soft sponge and all the residue comes off. Zero effort. The top piece is never dirty after one use, and you're supposed to clean it after each use, so all in all it takes only a couple minutes to clean this thing.

The timer feature is incredibly useful. I'm currently doing a master's program, so I don't always have time to cook. I set the rice cooker for 6pm,and my rice is done at 6pm. It makes eating healthy brown rice ridiculously easy.

It makes fantastic rice every time. I have never had a bad batch of rice, unless I somehow mess up the water to rice ratio. I usually use regular/sushi for white rice and the brown setting for brown. Cooking brown rice takes a while, but it's worth it for the texture and taste.

I like the front LCD panel.
The self-retracting cord is very nice.
The rice cooker doesn't take up a whole lot of counter space.

Cons:
Cooking brown rice takes an hour and a half or so. White rice cooks in under an hour. This is a big con for some people, but since I use the timer setting most of the time, it's not an issue. You can set it up to cook up to 24 hours in advance. I could set it at night and then have my rice ready at 6pm the next day. So, for some people the long cooking time is a con, but for me it's not really a big issue.

Price. This thing is expensive, but I think it's worth the $170 I paid.

Not necessarily a con, but 5.5 cups is not 5.5 US cups. It's 5.5 of the cup that comes with the rice cooker. Remember that the green cup is for pre-washed rice and the clear cup is for every other kind. The measurement difference might bother some people who need to make a lot of rice all at once, but since I only make enough rice for me, I don't have a problem with it.

This cooker is probably way more than the average person needs because it has so many settings, but the rice it makes is so good that I think it justifies the cost. It never burns the bottom of the rice, which is excellent.

Overall this is a great product and I definitely recommend it. As a final thought, remember to wash your white rice before cooking unless you're using pre-washed rice.

Update:
I've had this rice cooker for 4 years now, and it works as well as the day I bought it. It still makes perfect white rice and perfect brown rice. The only issue is that the bowl has been scratched by people other than myself who were careless and used metal utensils. The teflon coating hasn't flaked or really changed at all, but it has a few places where there are some little scratches where people used forks when I wasn't watching.

I still think this is the most useful appliance in my kitchen. It makes better rice than any restaurant I've been to, so for me it's been fantastic and I think it was, and still is, certainly worth what I paid for it.
4610416
My husband and I have loved this rice cooker from the moment we made our first batch of rice. We purchased it because we avoid nonstick coatings as much as possible, and we try to go "natural" when we can.

I searched high and low for a cooker without a nonstick pot, and imagine my surprise when I found one at my favorite marketplace -- Amazon.com!

It makes excellent white rice (we use the Japanese kind), and cleanup is a breeze.  I haven't tried the slow cooker cycle yet, but I've made brown rice with good results.

Once, I cooked a packaged medley mix that contained brown rice, wild rice, barley and some other things, and the kernels were a little too firm inside when I served it.  However, I discovered later that the portion I had left in the pot had softened to just the right texture.  I think in the future I'll let some "harder" things sit on the warming cycle for a while instead of serving immediately.

I guess even a great cooker like this one can't be expected to know how to time every crazy combination!
2289454
Great rice cooker. Cooks rice much faster than regular pot-lid style rice cookers. Well made and well designed. If you cook rice often, this is a great buy. Also makes qunioa well. Haven't tried brown rice, only Botan, jazmine and basmati.
4456883
I received this cooker as a gift and was extremely pleased with it.  I made a variety of different dishes.  Uses include making delicate as well as hearty sauces, steaming, boiling water for noodles, an even deep frying.  It has a greater capacity and greater ease of use than a Fry Daddy.  The non-stick interior and exterior makes for quick clean up and the fact that it is fully submerssible (sp?) is a nice convenience.
953330
Leave it to the Japanese to over-engineer a rice cooker.  And I mean that in a very good way!

I was raised on rice and continue to eat it every day.  For someone who cooks rice this frequently, the cost of the Zojirushi line is well worth it.  I could not believe the difference it made in the taste, quality, and consistency of rice. Another key feature is that it is not a "one-size fits all" cooker as are most others.  So you can program and adjust it to cook rice of a variety of types (brown, white, basmanti, etc.) and for different types of output (drier for western-type recipes, sticky for Asian or sushi).  You can use the pre-sets or experiment to find the output style you like best.  Most cheaper rice cookers are not flexible or adjustable at all -- simply an "on-off" button.

Yes, there are far less expensive versions out there, but this is a very well-designed and constructed machine.  The durability and sturdiness are apparent and it looks great.  I've had less expensive versions, including the Cuisinart stainless steel rice cookers.  Those look great, but the quality of the rice could not compare.  (note: the Cuisinarts also require you to use a different ratio of water to rice than standard and thus come with a unique measuring cup -- good luck if you lose or break it or lose the manual listing the ratios.  The Zojirushi cooks using standard ratios and has the water measures printed on the inside of the cooking bowl -- a great, handy feature.)  As for the VERY budget-oriented rice cookers you can get in Asian supermarkets: those don't last and have poor quality, inconsistent rice output, and you can't adjust the cooking characteristics.

It does have a rather large footprint, however.  Note that this is a very large capacity cooker.  I got it because I like to cook a big batch of rice in advance and use it throughout the week or distribute into my pre-prepared frozen meals.  If you don't cook large batches or are only cooking for one, this size might be overkill and I'd recommend one of the smaller Zojirushis.

While I bought this primarily for rice (obviously!), other reviewers have pointed out the great flexibility of this machine to prepare a wide-range of dishes, from soups to oatmeal, even cake!  So it's more than just a rice cooker and I'm only beginning to tap into the machine's full potential.

Again, quality product, great flexibility.  I'm very satisfied with this purchase.
275965
I'm so happy with this cooker. After a string of cheaper models steadily scorching my rice it is really nice to own a good one. I've had it for a couple of months now and have only used it a half dozen times, but so far very pleased.
1178829
I love appliances that serve more than one function. The first thing I did when I received this was throw my old rice cooker away and give my crock pot to a neighbor. Now I have a little extra room in the cupboard.

I'm pretty lazy and I'm not much of a meat eater, but what I would frequently cook in my rice cooker was rice or quinoa, with vegetables steaming at the same time. This nice KitchenAid handles steaming veggies alone or with rice on the bottom with ease.

It also acts as a very high-end slow cooker and can easily replace a crock pot. I'm not very good at slow cooking, but I thought I would make a blueberry cobbler or crumble and use the cooker like an oven. I found a recipe online where you just put blueberries and sugar in the pot along with a yellow cake mix stirred into melted butter.

I think I should have just put the pot on 350 for 40 minutes and it probably would have turned out perfect. Instead, I put it on high slow cooker, and then when after 3 hours it didn't seem cooked enough, I turned it up to 450 and I ended up burning the edges. The non-burned parts were pretty tasty with ice cream, but I'm still confused about the best way to use this.

There are recipes in the manual that sounds really great, including soups, and meats, and pudding and risotto. If I ever get the stirrer I will try the pudding and risotto. They both sound really good and relatively easy to make with the stirrer attachment.

I wish there was more information in the manual or that there was a forum or something. Maybe I'm overthinking it and can use the cooker exactly like a stove and oven. I'm just not sure about that part. Even though, the rice cooking, steaming, and slow cooking already make this cooker worth it.

This is a very nice looking appliance and has that stylish KitchenAid quality. The steaming, roasting basket is solid, the non-stick cooking liner is very nice, and the lid is nice too. You can also use the pot as a kitchen timer, without any heat.

I still need to experiment and figure out the best way to use this, but I think it is a very nice cooker and I really like it. If I ever decide to attempt yogurt making, it even does that.
4122115
This cooker is very versatile.  I warm it up, brown the stew meat, drain the grease and add the ingredients for the stew. Put the lid on and in a few minutes we are eating a stew with more depth of flavor than I've had before.  The pressure just pushes the flavor in!  All of your recipes taste better.  I highly recommend it. And the stainless steel cleans up real easy.