r/BuyItForLife • u/jjguy • Jan 13 '25
Review 24 years and still going strong! Truly BIFL.
Someone asked me tonight how old the rice cooker was, so I looked it up on amazon. I was surprised myself! BIFL!
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u/kissmydonkey Jan 13 '25
Surprised you were buying small appliances on Amazon in 2001.
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u/G0ldenBu11z Jan 13 '25
And that they still have a record of it!
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u/smurfalurfalurfalurf Jan 13 '25
My dad’s Amazon account still has records of his (racist) book purchases from 1996
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u/nowiseeyou22 Jan 13 '25
It was the Bell Curve wasn't it?
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u/smurfalurfalurfalurf Jan 13 '25
HAHAHAHAHA yes, that was one of them. I can’t remember the other one
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u/blackadder1620 Jan 13 '25
what?
is this a whole side to the who moved my cheese people i was too young for?
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u/hates_stupid_people Jan 13 '25
The book tries to tie intelligence to ethnicity/race.
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u/Subtlerranean Jan 13 '25
I'm sure it manages to completely ignore socio-economic factors.
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u/Romboteryx Jan 13 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
They seriously claim in the book that lower IQ scores among black people in the US cannot be due to social disadvantages from slavery and Jim Crow because black people in South Africa score similarly. Apparently nobody told them about Apartheid.
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u/PSteak Jan 13 '25
No, that was expressly acknowledged as a factor and one of the main points the authors were contending with.
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u/maethlin Jan 13 '25
Mine was 2010 and I thought that was old.
Still truckin though, that fucker has probably seen several tons of rice in its lifetime and seems to have a long way to go.
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u/NickCharlesYT Jan 13 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
I have so many Amazon purchases from just a few years ago that link to product pages that simply don't exist anymore, even when the product itself is still sold. The fact this one is still live is actually kinda wild to me.
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u/None-Pizza_Left-Beef Jan 13 '25
The only thing I bought from Amazon in the early 2000s was college textbooks lol
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u/Bearloom Jan 13 '25
Because Japanese corporations need to diversify, they also make great vacuum flasks
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u/17bananapancakes Jan 13 '25
I have a Zojirushi tumbler that works too well. I put my tea in it in the morning and by late afternoon it will still burn the absolute fuck out of my mouth if I don’t take the lid off and let it chill out. I also dropped it off a two story balcony at one point and it barely dented it and had no effect on its effectiveness.
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u/TeamRedundancyTeam Jan 13 '25
I have several of their thermoses and it's the same. It will be warm the next day.
I literally have to cool it off before I put tea in the thermos or else I just can't drink it. Even leaving the lid open takes forever to cool it.
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u/kommunist_kat Jan 13 '25
I use my Zojirushi tumbler to transport hot water so I can enjoy a cup of instant ramen during long hikes!
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u/kitier_katba Jan 13 '25
I bought one for my mother for Christmas, and I warned her about that. I replaced mine with an Eva Solo because it was too good (and also because I had beat it to shit taking it to work for a decade extremely uncarefully).
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u/stelladevil Jan 13 '25
Their hot water heater is great too!
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u/cream-of-cow Jan 14 '25
Pro tip, when it's time to replace the inner lid rubber seal, buy two. They frequently get sold out and I've waited months for inventory to restock. Recently, I waited too long since the boiler was still working fine, moisture got inside and I blew a fuse (easy to fix if you have a multimeter).
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u/fakeburtreynolds Jan 13 '25
We got their coffee maker a couple years ago. Super easy to use and everything comes apart easily for cleaning. Their site also has cheap replacement parts for things they don’t even make anymore.
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u/ADillyDweeb Jan 13 '25
Is this the new Darn Tough?
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u/jimmybabino Jan 13 '25
Most certaintly. For the record, most rice cookers will perform just as well for signicantly less but I never blame someone for going with the bougie option
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u/DeezNutterButters Jan 13 '25
Idk man I've had my fair share of cheaper rice cookers and this one genuinely hits different. You can put pancake batter in that thing and it'll still somehow make perfect rice every time.
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u/F-21 Jan 13 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
It's overpriced on the western markets, their basic models don't cost as much in Japan but they work only on Japanese mains power which is different to all other countries in the world.
There are other companies selling fuzzy logic rice cookers for a quarter of what Zojirushi charges. Who knows if they're as reliable, but Zojirushi does not seem to be going rogue against some rice cooker planned obsolescence cartel either...
Edit: Basic one is about 80€ and an induction one is about 100€ in Japan. You get even higher end ones of course, but it is still a fraction of what is charged for the western markets...
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u/lordjeebus Jan 13 '25
I have lots of Japanese electronics (including Toshiba's flagship rice cooker), the specifications are close enough that they work just fine on US circuits. But the warranties are not valid when you take them out of Japan.
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u/F-21 Jan 13 '25
That's neat, you may also use step down transformers.
Japan has very weird electricity. Everywhere 100V at either 50hz or 60hz. The US is close and I'm certain the basic models will work just fine but the modern ones with induction could potentionally have a shorter life at the slightly higher voltage in the US.
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u/Rohkii Jan 13 '25
To be fair every other american house ive been in has variable voltage between 105-115v
120V exact has been pretty rare.
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u/F-21 Jan 13 '25
The US grid is officially 120V plus/minus 6% depending on how far from the distribution transformer you are and how big the overall load is. So it's supposed to be from about 128V down to 112V. That is the supply, but it will often drop further inside the house, even down to 105V as you say.
About 70 years ago the standard in the US was changed from 110V to 120V. Practically anything made 70 years ago would work just fine on 120V so it made no big difference when they switched, plus due to the load this just made it so that more homes actually had 110V out the plug.
Problem is, it's not as if the circuit is bang on 100V in Japan either, they rate it at 100V but it drops the same amount too.
So it is fair to compare those nominal values. On average, you will get 20V less out of a plug in Japan than in the US...
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u/RedditPosterOver9000 Jan 13 '25
Yeah, there's a difference between a $20-30 rice cooker and the $100+ ones with fuzzy logic controllers and thick pots. I love my Zojirushi.
Is it huge? Nope. But it is noticeable. For something that will probably last 20 years or more, I feel like an extra hundred is a good investment.
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u/JerkasaurusRex_ Jan 13 '25
I'll second this. We previously had the aroma rice cooker, which was ATK's rec at the time. We recently upgraded to the Zojirushi and it absolutely blows the Aroma out of the water. The texture of the rice is just so much better.
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u/NibblesMcGiblet Jan 13 '25
I can confirm that I have an $18 one from Walmart that I've used a few times a week for about 3 years so far that still works great but I'll have to do a !RemindMe 21 years reminder and let you guys all know if it can match one of these BMW rice makers OP has here. I would LOVE to find one thrifting! I know they're supposed to be amazing. But tbh I don't use mine for more than rice.
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u/fredthefishlord Jan 13 '25
Not just as well. They'll perform close to as well. But it's not bougie to get one of these; they're actually just worth it .
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u/NUKE---THE---WHALES Jan 13 '25
if you were ordering anything online in 2001 you were most certainly bougie
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u/soybie Jan 13 '25
Does the clock still work??
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u/jjguy Jan 13 '25
No clock on this model, just the timers that count down and then up as part of cooking.
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u/I_AM_GODDAMN_BATMAN Jan 13 '25
You can replace the battery if the clock doesn't work anymore. Too bad you have to use a solder to replace the battery.
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Jan 13 '25
My mom bought me a zojirushi at a yard sale and I also had that for about 18 years! No telling how long it was used before I got it. Great machines.
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Jan 13 '25
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u/Select-Chance-2274 Jan 13 '25
They got sued by a lesbian bookstore around that time because they were already a bookstore named Amazon
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u/jeezy_peezy Jan 13 '25
Fun fact: the Amazon River was named after Spanish explorers saw tall women running around there that reminded them of the Amazon warrior women of Greek mythology
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u/mapex_139 Jan 13 '25
What did they sacrifice to make it go away? Did Bezos buy all of their inventory?
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u/Select-Chance-2274 Jan 13 '25
Bezos actually paid to license the name from them, and they operated under their full name (Amazon Book Collective) for several years before going out of business.
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u/sarahstanley Jan 13 '25
Pictures of the inner pot please.
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u/jjguy Jan 13 '25
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u/microwavedave27 Jan 13 '25
Looks better than the pot from a 20€ rice cooker I bought last year. I'm definitely getting a better one when mine breaks.
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u/Pinesse Jan 13 '25
Take care of it like a Teflon pan. It also has Teflon coating that is not so scratch resistant and could peel from temperature shock. Don't wash it when it's still hot.
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u/Baiken31 Jan 13 '25
We just got one of these. Replaced the Tiger we had for 10.
Do you have any issues with the non-stick coming off on the bottom of the cooker?
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u/jjguy Jan 13 '25
No, the cooking pot is like new, but I have been diligent about using plastic utensils and washing it by hand.
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u/michijedi Jan 13 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
It really is amazing what just taking care of something will do for its longevity. And how many people can't seem to.figure that out.
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u/Baiken31 Jan 13 '25
That’s good to know about the longevity of the non-stick.
The smaller size and non-stick coming off of the Tiger’s cooking pot is why we switched to the Zojirushi.
I think we washed the Tigers non-stick with the green and yellow sponge which is for stainless steel. Live and learn!
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u/_ohne_dich_ Jan 13 '25
I’m seriously considering purchasing one. Is there a way to check if it’s made in Japan? I’ve heard those made in other countries aren’t as sturdy.
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u/UnicornFarts1111 Jan 13 '25
It said country of origin is Japan on this model when I searched Amazon.
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u/chompsharpley Jan 13 '25
Look for an import or it will say Made in Japan on the right hand top side of the display.
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u/itsrealbattle Jan 14 '25
This is the one I bought. It says Made in Japan right on the front.
I've had mine for about two years and it looks brand new even after using it 4-5 times every week since I've had it. Trick is to always hand wash the pieces.
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u/LargeSeaworthiness1 Jan 13 '25
how many times have you replaced the bowl or other parts, if any? what a workhorse!
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u/jjguy Jan 13 '25
Never replaced or repaired any part of it, ever.
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Jan 13 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
[deleted]
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u/Dornith Jan 13 '25
The coating is non-stick, but in theory you're only ever cooking rice in it so no metal utensils, don't need any adhesive scrubbing or soaps, just the white spoon that comes with it and a sponge should be all you need.
Also, don't put it in the sink and then fill it with your dirty silverware the way my parents did.
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Jan 13 '25
That non-stick coating is toxic regardless if it’s scratched or not. I got a stainless steel rice cooker for this exact reason.
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u/jjguy Jan 13 '25
Someone else asked for pics of the inner pot - here you go https://imgur.com/a/e4FpiA8
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u/Rule12b Jan 13 '25
Holy shit that pot is shiny and new
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u/LivelyZebra Jan 13 '25
If they're only used for rice + water, and are cleaned safely.
they will last!
Thicker multi layed coatings, some even have diamond/titanium infused with the ceramic.
It's like a good quality plate, they only really get replaced when broken after being dropped/chipped.
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u/AccomplishedPin4965 Jan 13 '25
I bought one a couple of years ago and it started flaking/chipping nearly immediately. It seemed like the coating was a manufacturing defect. I contacted them and they said tough shit and offered a discount on another one. Don't own a dishwasher, so it's never been through one. Highly disappointing experience.
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u/digableplanet Jan 13 '25
Not Op, but I have a zojirushi from 2013. Really simple, 6 cup design ($50 rice cooker). The only thing I’ve had to replace was the power cord and they make that detachable (and thusly replaceable). The thing is a tank and still works flawlessly.
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u/BetterTransit Jan 13 '25
I had a zojirushi rice cooker from 2012-2020. The bowl surface started peeling and I couldn’t find economical replacement bowls. I was extremely careful with it but still the surface failed.
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u/digableplanet Jan 13 '25
Did you go to their website and try to find/order the part? I was worried last about the power cord not being manufactured anymore after 10 years, but there it was on their website.
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u/TypeDistinct9011 Jan 13 '25
I have this exact rice cooker. I did replace the bowl though.
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u/Southern_Fan_2109 Jan 13 '25
I had the same one for almost 20 years. Only reason I got rid of it was due to space. Was working like a champ. To be fair, my toaster oven, immersion blender, and microwave oven have also not broken down, only replaced over the years due to aesthetics. The microwave oven was even older than the rice cooker. I could also name my Nutribullet Rx which is now over 10 years old but the auto hold on the button (mechanical part) broke within the first 6 months. I just need to manually hold it down to blend. Outside of that, I'ved used thing nearly daily for the latter part of 4 years and it's still going. I'm not used to kitchen appliances dying on me, but I tend to buy the more basic versions.
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u/Prior_Flow_3518 Jan 13 '25
Bro flexin buying a rice cooker after 9/11 😂
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u/Immediate_Local_8798 Jan 14 '25
We were all messed up after 9/11. An Enrique Iglesias song shot to #1, for god’s sake. It was mayhem!
We all did what we had to do to sooth ourselves.
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u/dnaltrop Jan 13 '25
Roger Ebert wrote about his rice cooker and using rice cookers in general. I always link to this whenever it is relevant.
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u/Nic406 Jan 13 '25
I forget how old Amazon actually is. Back when my dad used to buy books on it only.
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u/Commercial_Wind8212 Jan 13 '25
It isn't BIFL until you pass away
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u/jjguy Jan 13 '25
I’ll update you in another 40 years or so.
!remindme 40 years
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u/RemindMeBot Jan 13 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
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u/ScoopDat Jan 13 '25
Said it in a prior post, and I'll say it again since this is the sub relevant for it..
FUCK Zojirushi. In the last few years, they've gone the Dyson route. Great performing products. Completely betrayed by the non-existent spare-parts aftersales services. (OP should re-consider using 24 year old formulation of non-stick).
This is done on purpose as it's been months and I've never seen the inner bowl come in stock.
I've had mine for a decade (NVC-10, their top of the line at the time for the US market, though to be fair, and unknown to most, I recall seeing some insane $1,500 cooker they had on Japanese sites), and the bowl looks fine, but this is just too long for nonstick products.
Do yourself a favor when buying products for perishable parts. Factor in the cost of purchase for a few of those at the time of sale. ALL, and I mean, EVERY SINGLE ONE of these supposed BIFL companies are going down this shithole route. Oh and for Dyson? FUCK them too, literally can't buy HEPA filters required for functioning of the product - utterly insane.
It's so bad with these two companies, I literally cannot find BNIB spares of either the bowl or the filters when I checked a few weeks back. No site, not even eBay, so you KNOW it's an absolute drought.
It ain't Covid anymore, your supply-chain lying excuses don't fly anymore than "inflation tho" excuses would fly for price increases that many companies peddle to justify 50%-200% price increases of their products in short time.
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u/808trowaway Jan 13 '25
This is the reason why I would probably just keep replacing my cheapo Aroma rice cooker once every 10 years or so. Actually my wife and I have been eating rice less and less often these days at some point we'll probably just start cooking rice in a small nonstick pot on the stove, which really isn't that hard.
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u/Squishypenny Jan 13 '25
Hey, I haven't one of these! Best christmas gift I ever got! Husband purchased it for me in 2023!
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u/digableplanet Jan 13 '25
Zojirushi are tanks. I have the really simple 6 cup rice cooker (model: NHS-06). I bought it around 2013 or so. The only thing I had to replace was the power cord. The beautiful thing is Zojirushi makes it replaceable). The cord was like $16 including shipping. Worth it.
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u/RelevantDress Jan 13 '25
I love the brand. I have a rice cooker I got as a gift and I got myself a water boiler too. Its so nice having boiling water on hand 24/7 for tea and cooking
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u/Possible_Donut_11 Jan 13 '25
My parents have had theirs since 2002! Shows what happens when you take good care of it.
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u/fred-fred-burger-yes Jan 13 '25
Everything I've gotten from zojirushi has been a great investment.
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u/BirdWordAustin Jan 13 '25
I also have this same rice cooker. Purchased it in 2006 from Amazon. I have replaced the bowl once w one that was like new that I found at a thrift shop. Still works great
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u/TheWilsons Jan 13 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
Zojirushi rice cookers are great. 24 years is great value but there are some that still work from the 80s and possibly 70s with maintenance.
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u/PenPenGuin Jan 13 '25
The only reason I've replaced my Zojirushi rice cookers is because I get their newer model and hand-me-down my old one to friends/family.
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u/goodtimesinchino Jan 13 '25
I’ve had mine for six years and it’s like it’s new. Easily my most reliable, useful, and favorite appliance.
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u/wheezytheoso Jan 13 '25
just bought one that didnt work on offerup for 15 bucks. Took it to zojirushi and got it repaired for 40. Works perfectly.
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u/Luneowl Jan 13 '25
Looks exactly like mine which is probably just as old! Mine might have slightly more bells and whistles, not sure.
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u/Zatch_Gaspifianaski Jan 13 '25
I was given one of these second-hand about 15 years ago and it's still going strong.
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u/allthewayupcos Jan 13 '25
I bought a smaller version from this brand, which I love now you’re making me want this one but I’ll have to be able to justify it first
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u/icyleumas Jan 13 '25
A lot of people buy these and then thrash/scratch their inner pots coating. Since they like to use metal utensils and not the plastic rice paddles provided. My Zoji's pot has been used a few times a week for 12 years, and it still looks brand new, with no scratches or peeling/flaking.
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u/devilbones Jan 13 '25
How did you get your battery to last that long? Mine died after about 15 years.
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u/pomsnpomchi Jan 13 '25
Good thing you didn’t go by the few (3.2*) ratings. Likely fake even back then.
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u/canzicrans Jan 13 '25
You're breaking my heart! Mine died at 19 years with use at least twice weekly. I'm still so sad (I bought a smaller Zoji though).
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u/Imbadyoureworse Jan 13 '25
I finally pulled the trigger on a zojirushi and it’s awesome. Very happy with it
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u/way2lazy2care Jan 13 '25
You know, I didn't believe the Zojirushi guerilla marketing thing the first couple times it was brought up in this sub, but this has to be like the fifth Zojirushi post I've seen since Friday.
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u/atl_ee_in Jan 13 '25
I had one of those for almost 20 years as well and it would have lasted for life, except for the nonstick coating on the pot. I found the pot impossible to replace so I got one of the newer models with steel induction heating.
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u/Confident_Fortune_32 Jan 13 '25
We just replaced our Zojirushi rice cooker, after more than 25 years of regular use.
It not only made perfect rice for us, but also for making "bland diet" for our dogs (rice in broth + plain cooked chicken) for episodes of tummy upset/medications that are hard on their digestive systems/"eating somebody they shouldn't have" in the back yard, sigh...
It's worked hard for a living!
When my current bread maker dies, I will probably replace it with a Zoji as well. I was an early adopter, decades ago (remember the Dak catalogue?), and I am now on my fourth (?) breadmaker. I love experimenting with bread recipes.
King Arthur Flour uses and recommends Zoji breadmakers exclusively - King Arthur one of the few companies whose products and recommendations never let me down (even if they're on the expensive side).
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u/madnyss001 Jan 13 '25
I got the newer version in 2018, I have never had an issue with it and we use it weekly.
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u/repbunny Jan 13 '25
Sounds about right. my parents have the NS-ZCC10 for almost 20 years and had zero issues. I splurged on a used newer model, since I expect it to last a good chunk of my life and don't see rice cooker technology to advance much anyway.
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u/Trashcan-Ted Jan 13 '25
I feel like this is the 3-4th post I’ve seen about their rice cookers on this sub. It almost feels like guerilla marketing at this point.
(If it is, then it worked on me, I bought one recently)
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u/orangutanDOTorg Jan 13 '25
My gf has an old one that has all the text in Japanese. I’m hoping it dies so I can get one in English so I can use it instead of having to ask her to do it
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u/Fairly0ddlad Jan 13 '25
I have that brand of rice cooker from 1993. Works flawlessly, but I wonder about PFAS.
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u/bb1001 Jan 13 '25
I have one that's about 13 years old but my pot is a bit scratched the rubber sealing gasket is damaged. I wish replacement pots were not so close in price to the purchase of a whole new cooker.
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u/silverwolf761 Jan 13 '25
My Zoji still makes great rice, but the internal battery is dead. Time and settings reset as soon as it's unplugged
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u/Nicoziggy Jan 13 '25
Nice, you bought on my birthday 24 years ago! Been looking for a good rice cooker, this might be the one
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u/Draven653 Jan 13 '25
My ex gf's Japanese Grandma gave me this same model about 13 years ago. I use it 3-4x a week and it's still going strong. I have recommended it to countless people. Zojirushi products in general are incredible from what I have experienced.
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u/bannana Jan 13 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
Ya but lets see that teflon pan on the inside of it. I had one of these from the same era and they def did not sell a replacement inner pot for them after I had mine for 5yrs. Teflon flakes in my rice is no bueno. Teflon anything is not BIFL
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u/arrrValue Jan 14 '25
Wtf are y’all doin with your rice cookers? I’ve used my $35 piece of shit from Walmart for 25 years.
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u/Pandiosity_24601 Jan 14 '25
I’ve got the same one. My pride and joy for 25 years now. I also have a Cuckoo, which I love
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u/Sweaty_Wishbone_5915 Jan 14 '25
Ngl my 10+ year old Aroma rice cooker that I got from Walmart for $20 is still in solid condition. No scratches, looks like new. Maybe it depends on how well you treat your rice cooker where even the cheapest brands can last long. On the other hand, I haven’t compared the quality of cooked rice between the two brands but I’m happy with my rice cooked in my Aroma! Has anyone noticed a difference? Would be tempted to fork over the extra $$ if the taste is noticeably better
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u/UnhingedChicken Jan 14 '25
Yup! I have the same one. Over 20 years old and still works flawlessly, however we have had to buy a new one as the inside bowl had started to peel despite only using the supplied spoon. I had hoped to just buy a new bowl but when I emailed Zojirushi to ask about part number they said they no longer make them. Replaced it with a similar model and hoping it will be the last rice cooker I ever buy.
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u/Some_Advantage4623 Jan 14 '25
How can I buy a replacement inside pot for my cooker? The Teflon got scratched
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u/StellaAmissa Jan 14 '25
We have had a Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 for almost that long. It has been used frequently for that whole time, and never missed a beat.
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u/ParticularUpbeat Jan 14 '25
I just realized how old my parents rice cooker is. I learned how to make rice in it as a little kid and Im now 42 and it still does the job like new
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u/procrastinaut17 Jan 14 '25
My parents have one from the same brand that is older than me. I also think they purchased it from amazon in ye olden days around the turn of the century. Works like its brand new and is always yummy!
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u/Positive_Heart_3405 Jan 15 '25
My MIL got us one as a house warming gift about 8 years ago and it is an absolute powerhouse. I use it for so much more than rice. She got it on a trip to Japan and if it ever breaks and we can’t repair it we are 100% buying another. It gets near daily use in our house. Especially in the colder months.
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u/Mandy_Moo Jan 16 '25
We have a Zojirushi rice maker that is probably somewhere between 13-15yrs old. When I pulled it out the other night my husband and I both agreed that it was one of the best kitchen appliances we have purchased. We used it so much when our boys were younger that when our oldest son left for college we had to buy him one for school. His wife just bought one for her parents. Definitely a BIFL appliance and worth the cost (at least for my family).
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u/infjnyc Jan 13 '25
The low ratings on amazon screenshot surprises me.