Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have been an avid white rice eater since my birth. Over the years scientific evidence has slowly accumulated that white rice is probably not as healthy as once thought. I remember coming to the US in 1980 as a graduate student from India and then being diagnosed with essential hypertension. My first blood pressure measuring device had a manual that claimed that exclusively eating rice and fruit juice would mitigate (and even cure!) hypertension. Today neither fruit juice nor rice (at least the white polished variety) are considered all that healthy. The former because of the sugars contained and the latter because the body converts the starches to glucose. I have attempted unsuccessfully to wean myself of white rice and switch to Indian wheat tortillas (chappatis) over the years. I have also tried switching over to eating brown rice. Unfortunately, my eighties era rice cooker (also a Zojirushii that still runs after 17 years of daily use) was never able to make the brown rice without it becoming hard and almost inedible. Finally, I decided to look into acquiring a new rice cooker that could handle brown rice. After much research on the web, I came across the new Zojirushii induction heating based cooker. This model (NH-VBC18) has the latest induction heating technology and the earlier fuzzy logic technology. I obtained this cooker over the web from Comfort House (note other reviewers have claimed that they could not get one from Amazon) in California for $225. The unit arrived promptly in 3 days after I paid for it with my credit card. The same day that the cooker arrived, I went over to my local Indian grocer in Sugar land and bought brown Basmati rice. A 4 pound bag of brown basmati (brand name Kohinoor) costs $5.99 - approximately 50% more than equivalent quality white basmati. For those who have not heard of basmati, it is the fragrant long-grained rice from the foothills of the Punjab in India and Pakistan. The adventure began that evening when I made my first batch of the brown basmati. I used the brown setting on the cooker and carefully measured the prescribed amount of water. The rice came out 90 minutes later well cooked but a bit dry. The next day, I tried the semi-brown setting and the results (60 minutes later) were perfect! I am delighted with the exquisite brown basmati produced by this machine - I do not miss my white basmati anymore and have convinced my wife (she was skeptical of my new toy) to switch over to eating brown rice also. The unit is beautiful to behold and is very functional too. It plays a musical chime when it is programmed and also when it starts the cook cycle and when it ends the cycle and switches over to the keep warm cycle. If you do not like the musical chime, you can reprogram the unit to beep. The unit also has a GABBA brown cycle that takes 3 hours to cook brown rice and supposedly increases the GABBA (nutrient) level in the rice - I have yet to try this option. The manual can be a bit confusing as it has been translated from Japanese but it is eminently readable. Oh, by the way, this cooker is made in Japan. The machine is very easy to clean. The inner pot lifts easily, has built-in lifting lugs and a non-stick interior. The plastic steam vent case comes off easily and needs only to be rinsed and re-inserted. I have never had any overflow of water or steam from the unit. I fill the inner container with brown basmati and water in the morning before I leave for work and program it to be ready in the evening. Note that it is very important that the correct amount of water be added and that the rice be measured with the cup that comes with the unit. I have had the warm cycle run for 4 hours after cooking without any noticeable hardening of the rice. I have not tried out any fancy recipes and am not likely too. Mostly, Indians like to cook plain rice and add curries and other condiments later on while eating. Furthermore, I have read elsewhere that adding meat, vegetables and spices directly in the cooker may leave odors that may persist for a while. I have been delighted with this machine - it is worth every cent. I feel fuller after eating brown rice and the added fiber content is helpful the next morning too ! Highly recommended to all those wanting to switch to brown rice.