Rice cookers and Instant Pots make cooking simple. Both are simple and easy to set up for quick weeknight dinners. Which one cooks rice better?
A Zojirushi rice cooker is the better choice for anyone who cooks rice often. The quality of Zojirushi rice is far superior to Instant Pot rice. Zojirushi cooks rice with a perfect, fluffy texture. The Instant Pot often makes rice that is sticky and dry.
Is Rice Better From An Instant Pot or A Zojirushi?
Rice cooked in a Zojirushi has a fluffier, lighter texture than rice cooked in an Instant Pot. Zojirushi, a Japanese company, began in 1918. Since then, they have strived to create household products using the latest technology.
Instant Pots are multi-cookers; they don’t specialize in rice. Instead, they perform multiple kitchen tasks and are a great space-saving appliance. Robert Wang created the Instant Pot in 2010.
My rice cooker makes better rice than my Instant Pot, hands down. Rice cookers cook perfectly moist, fluffy rice. Instant Pots can make rice, but the texture isn’t as good as rice from a rice cooker.
What’s The Difference Between A Zojirushi And An Instant Pot?
Both can cook rice, so what’s the difference?
Zojirushi: The Specialist
A Zojirushi rice cooker is designed to cook rice. Though many assume rice cookers only cook rice, most can cook various grains, make frittatas, and even boil eggs.
Zojirushi rice cookers boil the water inside the machine, creating steam. This steam cooks the rice. Rice cookers heat to a maximum of 212° F. Some Zojirushi rice cookers use induction to cook rice. Induction rice cookers heat the entire inner pot rather than just a plate at the bottom of the cooker.
Many Zojirushi rice cookers use fuzzy logic technology, in which a computer chip makes real-time adjustments, almost like a person would. Some Zojirushis don’t use fuzzy logic technology; these appliances cook with automatic cycles like other rice cooker brands.
Instant Pot: The Generalist
The Instant Pot can do multiple jobs. It can make yogurt, slow cook, steam, saute, pressure cook, and cook rice. Some Instant Pots can double duty as pressure or water-bath canners.
Instant Pots pressure cook food. These machines heat to a high temperature, tightly sealing the cooking pot. Because of the high heat and pressure, food cooks quickly.
Advantages Of A Zojirushi
Zojirushi rice cookers offer several benefits.
They Cook Superior-Quality Rice
Both regular and fuzzy logic Zojirushis cook excellent rice each time. These machines are made of durable materials and last 8 to 10 years.
Easy To Clean
Most rice cookers have a non-stick inner pot. All Zojirushi rice cookers have PFOA-free, non-stick coatings. Cooked food won’t stick, making clean-up easy.
Extended Keep-Warm Setting
Once your food is cooked, Zojirushi machines automatically switch to the “keep-warm” setting. They’ll keep your food warm for 12 hours or more.
Disadvantages Of A Zojirushi
Zojirushi’s can’t do everything. Here are some drawbacks of these rice cookers.
Long Cooking Times
Fuzzy logic cooks excellent rice, but it takes time. White rice averages about 45 minutes of cooking, while brown rice can take well over an hour.
Fewer Functions
While Zojirushi cookers cook more than rice, there’s a limit to what they can do. They don’t preserve food, cook large roasts, or make yogurt like Instant Pots.
Another Appliance To Store
Storing another appliance might be intimidating if you don’t have a lot of kitchen space. Most kitchens already have a slow cooker, toaster, coffee maker, and many other devices. Storing a specialized rice cooker may not be an option for everyone.
Advantages Of An Instant Pot
Instant Pots do much more than cook rice. They’re versatile appliances that make an excellent choice for busy families.
Can Perform Many Functions
I love making yogurt in my Instant Pot. I also use it to cook beans and large amounts of meat. I love setting it up and having it cook various foods for me. Though I don’t love the quality of rice it makes, I successfully used it for rice for years.
Saves Storing Multiple Appliances
Purchasing an Instant Pot means you don’t have to store multiple appliances. I don’t like keeping one-use appliances because my kitchen is small. I can do so much with my Instant Pot. It makes it worth the space it takes up on my shelf.
Cooks Rice Quickly
The Instant Pot can make a pot of rice in about 15 minutes. If you’re short on time, this machine will cook your dinner fast!
It automatically switched to “Keep Warm” after it finishes cooking. The timer counts how long your food warms. The counter is one of my favorite features of my Instant Pot. If I miss the beep signaling my food is done, I still know how long it’s been warming.
Disadvantages Of An Instant Pot
Though the Instant Pot has many advantages, it also has disadvantages.
Rice Can Be Sticky Or Dry
The Instant Pot wasn’t explicitly created for cooking rice. Though it cooks rice decently, the texture of Instant Pot rice is not as good as from a dedicated rice cooker. Instant Pot rice is often sticky and can be slightly dry.
Stainless Steel Pot
The inner pot is stainless steel, not non-stick teflon like a rice cooker. Cooked food sticks to stainless steel, so clean-up can be difficult. Some cooks prefer to avoid Teflon, though. In that case, a stainless steel pot may be an advantage.
The Bottom Line
The Instant Pot and a Zojirushi rice cooker cook rice and other foods. Zojirushi’s were explicitly created to cook rice, so they make better quality rice than the Instant Pot. If you enjoy cooking rice, you’ll appreciate owning a rice cooker.
