A Pivotal Moment in Zojirushi History: The Hanagumo Electric Rice Warmer

The royal blue Hanagumo rice cooker with a flower design around it and stainless trimming over a black reflective surface and a black background

Zojirushi’s long history of innovating dates back to our founding in Japan in 1918 with the manufacturing of glass-lined vacuum bottles – a breakthrough technology at the time. From that point forward, we were dedicated to creating new products and home appliances that make life more comfortable and convenient. And as Zo fans of today know, our approach to rice cooking is no exception.

The Evolution of Rice Warmth: A Historical Perspective Pre-Zojirushi

Before the advent of Zojirushi’s innovative solutions, warm rice was a luxury, often a challenge to keep fresh unless freshly cooked. People traditionally relied on “ohitsu” or straw baskets, and in the sweltering summer heat, a bamboo container called “meshi-ikaki” was essential to preserve the rice without spoilage.

The revolutionary Zojirushi elephant jar, however, changed everything. It addressed the common struggle of keeping rice warm, especially for families where late working hours were the norm. This breakthrough marked a significant shift in Japanese household convenience, setting the stage for the iconic Hanagumo Electric Rice Warmer.

Rice in a wooden container with lid called ohitsu

Introducing Hanagumo: the world’s first electric rice warmer

After years of working to perfect how rice is warmed and cooled through the thoughtful design of odor-eliminating vacuum-insulated rice jars, Zojirushi turned its attention to how electricity could make extended rice warming possible, without sacrificing taste. And thus, the world’s first electric rice warmer was invented.

The Hanagumo electric rice warmer hit the market in 1970, revolutionary for its ability to keep rice to 68°C to prevent the spread of bacteria. Its name, meaning flower cloud, and floral pattern quickly became recognizable across Japan – a symbol of life in “danchi” apartment buildings, where dining rooms and kitchens are integrated.

Powering a movement in history

The Zojirushi rice warmer’s popularity boomed throughout the mid 1970s, as industrialization and urbanization made dual-income households a societal mainstay. With more married couples headed to work, technology that could deliver added convenience and reduce household chores were in high demand, and the electric rice warmer joined the ranks of vacuums, washing machines, and refrigerators as home appliances making a new way of life possible.

By making at-home food preparation easier and less time consuming for working families, the rice warmer found itself at the center of a pivotal time in history. The UN declared 1975 the International Women’s Year, and the decade that followed represented a global movement for gender equality. During this period, women across the globe pursued opportunities for academic, social and career advancement outside the home, fueled by innovation that empowered then to use their time more freely than ever before.

Thus, home appliances like the Hanagumo Electric Rice Warmer that reduced the burden of domestic labor remained in high demand during this period, and ultimately inspired Zojirushi’s next great innovation: the electric rice cooker.

Rice in traditional Japanese bowls

Becoming Japan’s leading electric kitchen appliance manufacturer

Looking back at this pivotal chapter in our history, the Hanagumo marks an important milestone. It was the debut and popularity of this groundbreaking rice warmer that earned Zojirushi its place as one of Japan’s leading electric kitchen appliance manufacturers – a position we are proud to maintain today.

Where is the Hanagumo today?

Zojirushi will never stop innovating when it comes to rice cooking, with a lineup of electric rice cookers and warmers that takes inspiration from our very first model. Does your family have a vintage Hanagumo, or a story to share about your first Zojirushi rice warmer? Share with us on social media and help us celebrate where our journey began #ZojirushiHistory

Precision Meets Performance: Transform Your Kitchen with the Zojirushi Commercial Rice Cooker

Large rice cooker in stainless with black trimmings

Preparing the perfect bowl of rice can require time, care, and precision, which can be a challenge for those working in busy restaurant kitchens.

Enter the Zojirushi Commercial Rice Cooker NYC-36, a culinary marvel that makes the process easy at the flip of a switch. Designed for maximum performance and durability, it is the rice cooker of choice for cooks and chefs working in kitchens today.

A trusted tool of culinary experts.

Large stainless rice cooker in a kitchen and someone is opening the lid

A 20-cup powerhouse designed to flawlessly cook and keep your rice warm until ready to serve, Zojirushi’s Commercial Rice Cooker and Warmer elevates culinary creations to improve diner satisfaction.

The “keep warm” feature maintains your rice at the perfect serving temperature, ensuring your guests have a delightful experience with every bite. This feature complements a variety of menu items and global cuisines.

Close up of the bottom front of the rice cooker with a black panel with a switch that has keep warm and cook setting with a small light bulb on the side of each setting

This commercial electric rice cooker stands the test of even the most bustling of kitchens. Crafted with a durable stainless-steel exterior, the Zojirushi Commercial Rice Cooker promises longevity and resilience. The nonstick inner cooking pan adds a touch of convenience. Engraved with a rice water measure lines, both works together to make cooking and cleaning a breeze.

Large stainless rice cooker with the lid open and a person in the background lifting out the cooking pan

Ease and versatility at your fingertips

The Zojirushi Commercial Rice Cooker & Warmer is more than an appliance; it’s a culinary ally. From crafting perfect sushi rice to preparing flavorful rice bowls, this industrial rice cooker effortlessly adapts to any demand. With it being able to prepare 40 servings at a time, it is a must-have for your restaurant or catering business.

Whether you’re running a busy restaurant or catering an event, this commercial rice cooker is the most reliable choice for any kitchen or service setting where rice is the star of the dish.

When preparing your rice in this restaurant rice cooker, you will experience ease like never before as the side condensation collector manages excess moisture efficiently.

The detachable and washable inner lid further ensure that the highest standards of cleanliness are never compromised. Furthermore, the inclusion of an extra-large rice spatula adds even more convenience to your kitchen routine.

Zojirushi’s signature quality and safety standard

Proudly bearing the ETLus and NSF certifications, the Commercial Rice Cooker ensures your commitment to the highest safety and sanitation standards in keeping with Zojirushi’s long standing dedication to quality.

Raised view of the rice cooker with a person removing the transparent dew collector on the right side Explore more on YouTube and social media

Want to see it up close? Visit Zojirushi’s YouTube channel for a detailed look at the Commercial Rice Cooker & Warmer and discover more about Zojirushi’s range of commercial products.

And, if you are already using a Zojirushi commercial electric rice cooker in your restaurant or business, share your experience with us on Instagram and Facebook using #Zojirushi or #ZoFan to join our worldwide Zo family!

I cooked every rice type on the menu!

rice cooker display panel

Hello fellow rice fans and Happy New Year! This month I thought about how many menu settings there are on my rice cooker and how I never use anything but “white rice”. What if I made all the rice types available, just to see how they work? Do you think it would really make a difference? I put my rice cooker to the test!

Jasmine

We don’t eat much Jasmine rice at our house—we almost always make Japanese short grain so I’ve never experimented beyond “Regular” or “Quick”. I can tell you for a fact that “Quick” only takes about 35 minutes but there is a difference. You sacrifice a subtle, overall fluffiness that you get from soaking the grain in water for that extra time and it does affect the texture. I’m embarrassed to admit I use that setting a lot, especially if I’m having curry rice. If I’m topping my rice with curry, I’m just not all that fussy about my rice, you know what I mean?

But we had Thai food for dinner, and I wanted authentic Jasmine rice to go with it. So we decided to cook our own instead of eating the takeout one from the restaurant. thai food jasmine riceZojirushi warns in their manual that it may cook firmer than normal depending on the brand of the rice, but ours turned out perfectly. It was loose and not sticky, like Jasmine is supposed to be, and the fragrance of the rice really comes through when it’s fresh.

Porridge

This setting is used to make the watery rice gruel called “okayu” (pronounced oh-kah-yoo) that we eat when we’re not feeling well and have no appetite. It’s warm, comforting and easily digestible. The cooker did its job and left the rice in this soupy texture. Normally regular short grain is used for okayu.porridge in rice cooker

Personally, I like to have mine with the rice sprinkles that you can get at the Asian markets. It adds a great flavor to the rice, and if you have it with a pickled plum it’s healthy for you too. If you have this setting on your rice cooker, try this; I promise you’ll find it amazing. You don’t even have to be sick.rice gruel meal

Oatmeal

Even though our cooker doesn’t have an Oatmeal setting, you can use the Porridge menu to make oatmeal. We made a slight adjustment by adding twice the amount of oatmeal so that it wouldn’t come out too watery like the rice gruel. For more detailed information go to this page in Zojirushi and it will tell you exactly how to cook oatmeal and other types of rice.oatmeal in rice cooker

The advantage to using the rice cooker vs. in a pot on a stove? You don’t have to keep stirring it and watching it. We made it for breakfast and had a self-serve Oatmeal Bar.oatmeal breakfast bar

Sweet

The Sweet setting is used for mochi-gome (mochi rice). You can make a lot of Japanese style traditional desserts using this extra-glutinous rice, but all you need is a stand mixer to make real mochi. After it cooks, transfer the hot mochi rice to your mixing bowl. The Sweet setting does everything, so as long as you’ve measured correctly, you’ll get the super sticky texture you want. We didn’t have a dough hook for the mixer (recommended), so we used the flat beater attachment and it still worked fine. Just knead the mochi rice until you get real mochi.making mochi in stand mixer

Make sure you use a lot of corn starch to make the mochi easier to handle. WARNING: Sticky! If you can get red bean paste at your store, you can fill your mochi patties and form them into homemade Daifuku, a traditional dessert. making mochi with red bean pasteMy impressions of homemade mochi: if you have a chance to do this, do it! The freshness and natural sweetness of the rice gets enhanced, and the flavor is unbeatable. Store bought mochi doesn’t even come close. But the caveat is that clean-up might be a turn off to some—it really is hard to get off of everything. If anyone has any ideas about this let me know.

Mixed

The Mixed setting is used to make Takikomi Gohan, type of Japanese rice dish that you can make right in the pot from a kit that you can buy at the market. All the ingredients are in the box, so all you have to do is set it and forget it.

The extra cooking time allows the dashi flavored soup stock to infuse better into the rice so you get an umami flavored rice dish that goes perfectly with broiled fish or any light entree.

Here are two kinds of Takikomi Gohan that we made with the “Mixed” setting. Both were complete kits. This one is a mixed mushroom dish with bits of salmon.Japanese mixed rice with salmon

If you buy one that is more expensive, you can get one with chestnuts.Japanese mixed rice with chestnutsJust FYI, both of these Takikomi Gohan dishes are kits that come with everything you see, right out of the box. So easy!

Stay tuned for another post where I try the other menu settings on my rice cooker. Hopefully I’ve inspired you to explore your own rice settings—there’s so much you can do with it!

Products used in this post: Rice Cooker NP-HCC10

Please note that these recipes were not tested by Zojirushi America.

All images by Bert Tanimoto ©2024

Hoka Hoka: The Sound of Perfectly Steamy Japanese White Rice

Freshly cooked rice in a traditional Japanese bowl and a pair of chopsticks holding a bite of rice with steam rising

In Japan, the sound of perfectly cooked white rice is known as “hoka hoka.” This onomatopoeia perfectly captures the gentle popping and bubbling of the rice grains as they cook, a sure sign that they are cooked to perfection.

Hoka hoka is a sound that we at Zojirushi love to hear. White rice is a staple food in Japan, and it’s essential to many traditional dishes. For rice to be considered perfectly cooked, it must be fluffy and tender, with each grain separate and distinct.

There are many different ways to cook white rice, but the most important thing is to use the right type of rice. Japanese rice is short-grain rice that is high in starch. This starch helps to create the fluffy texture that is characteristic of perfectly cooked Japanese rice. If you want to learn about different types of rice or see what rice looks like when it’s over or under-cooked, visit our Rice Guide here.

Uncooked white short grain rice in a flat woven basket, in the center a wooden square container filled with rice

Making White Rice

Ready to make some white rice now? Here are some tips for perfectly and deliciously cooked Japanese white rice in your Zojirushi rice cooker:

  • Use the correct type of rice. Japanese rice is short-grain rice that is high in starch. This starch helps to create the fluffy texture that is characteristic of perfectly cooked Japanese rice.
  • Rinse the rice thoroughly with cold water. This will remove any excess starch that can usually makes it clump, become yellow, and brown the bottom. It’s important to rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
  • Use the correct amount of water. The amount of water you use will depend on the type of rice you are using and the size of your rice cooker. Zojirushi rice cookers come with a measuring cup and a water level guide inside the cooking pan, so it’s easy to get the right amount of water.
  • Don’t open the lid while the rice is cooking. This will release steam and can make the rice tough.
  • Fluff the rice with the rice spatula after it’s cooked. This will release steam trapped in the rice and will separate the grains and make the rice light and fluffy.

White bowl with a red bottom and red lines from bottom to top, filled with white rice and a pair of chopsticks in front. Another bowl of rice in the back and a cup of tea

Hoka hoka is not only the sound of perfectly cooked white rice, it’s also a metaphor for the joy of eating a delicious Japanese meal. When you hear the sound of hoka hoka, you know that you are about to enjoy a taste of Japan!

At Zojirushi, we believe that everyone should be able to experience the joy of perfectly cooked Japanese white rice. Have you heard hoka hoka when making rice before? Share your thoughts, comments, and questions with us on Twitter,

Elevate Your Rice with Zojirushi’s Induction Heater (IH) Rice Cookers!

Two flat top rice cookers side by side in two different sizes. The large one is on the left and the smaller on the right

Are you tired of cooking rice on the stovetop? Do you wish you could enjoy perfectly cooked rice every time you cook rice? If so, you need a Zojirushi Induction Heater (IH) rice cooker! Induction heating is a more efficient way to cook rice than traditional heating methods, which means that your rice will cook more evenly, produce fluffier rice, and will improve the deliciousness of your rice. If you haven’t met our IH rice cookers before, let us introduce you.

What is Induction Heater (IH) Technology?

See through rice cooker looking at the interior with the cooking pan filled with rice depicting the heat generated from induction heating and the path it moves with two arrows traveling from the center bottom moving up towards the center

IH technology utilizes electromagnetic energy, which uses the cooking pan as a conductor, generating heat instantly. Unlike traditional rice cookers that rely on conventional heating elements or a heating plate, the electromagnetic waves of the IH rice cooker generate quick and even heat within the inner cooking pan. This enables rapid and efficient heating, cooking the rice from all angles and eliminating any potential for unevenly cooked grains.

The Zojirushi IH Rice Cooker Lineup

Zojirushi offers a diverse range of IH rice cooker models, each designed to cater to your unique needs and preferences. Take a look at them below:

Zojirushi NP-NWC10/18

The Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker & Warmer uses pressurized cooking and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to cook perfect rice. Platinum infused nonstick inner cooking pan helps the rice cook sweeter. Pressure cooking helps turn beta starch into alpha starch for softer and easier to digest rice. Includes convenient settings like Jasmine, Congee, and Steel Cut Oatmeal settings.

Zojirushi NW-JEC10/18

Black rice cooker on the right and a tray with tea and a rice dish to the left, and a round vase with aesthetic branches with leavesMade in Japan with precision, the Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker & Warmer combines automatic pressure, artificial intelligence, premium convection, superior IH technology, and an iron coated platinum infused nonstick inner cooking pan to create perfect rice. Its exclusive “My Rice (49 ways)” setting will ensure that it cooks perfect rice tailored to your tastes, all while looking sleek and elegant. it will surely become a permanent fixture in your kitchen.

Zojirushi NW-QAC10/18

Bright kitchen with white marble countertops with a kitchen island and a modern rice cooker in black in the foregroundThis Japan-made Induction Heating Rice Cooker & Warmer uses superior Induction Heating (IH) technology to generate high heat and makes fine heat adjustments, which result in fluffier and more aromatic rice. The sleek and elegant flat-top design with an integrated control panel brings your kitchen to the next level.

Zojirushi NP-HCC10/18

Side view of the rice cooker along with a rice measuring cup and a spatula on the side of the rice cooker

If you are looking for a classic and timeless stainless steel look combined with our advanced Induction Heating System, then this is the one for you. The Induction Heating System Rice Cooker & Warmer uses high-tech Induction Heating (IH) technology to heat the inner cooking pan. Because of this special heating method, the rice cooker is able to make precise temperature adjustments to cook exceptional rice.

Zojirushi NP-GBC05

Side view of a stainless steel rice cooker with a spatula attached on the side and two rice measuring cups in the forefront.The 3-cup capacity Induction Heating (IH) System Rice Cooker & Warmer is ideal for singles and smaller families. It cooks as little as 1/2-cup of rice and takes up minimal space. Superior IH technology efficiently prepares flawless rice every time, even with smaller portions.

A Closer Look: Features & Functions

Close up of the rice cooker with the lid open taking a look at the area where the pan would be inserted

Zojirushi IH rice cookers have a variety of other features that make them the perfect kitchen appliance for any home cook. These include:

  • Micro Computerized: The rice cookers are equipped with a microcomputer that controls the cooking process precisely, ensuring that your rice is cooked perfectly every time.
  • Multiple cooking functions: In addition to cooking white rice, these rice cookers can also cook brown rice, sushi rice, porridge, and a variety of other grains.
  • Keep warm function: The rice cooker will keep your rice warm for up to 24 hours, so you can enjoy fresh, hot rice whenever you want.
  • Easy to clean: The inner cooking pan is non-stick coated, making cleanup a breeze.

Investing in a Zojirushi rice cooker means investing in quality and durability. Crafted with precision and built to last, our IH rice cookers are engineered to stand the test of time, providing you with years of culinary excellence. Cooking rice will never be the same!

To learn more about Zojirushi rice cooker technology, read our rice cooker guide. And remember to share your comments and rice ideas with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan