Incredibly reliable and perfect performance

This model is a tried and true piece of culinary equipment! We are an ethnic Asian family and we have used this rice cooker for over 40+ years to make rice on a daily basis for about the first 20 years. It is still in fine working order and has never failed us in all that time. You're probably wondering how I know it is that old? That's the age of our oldest son and when we started a family, that's when we bought this Hitachi Rice Cooker. Just to show you how old it is - the detachable electrical cord/plug on it IS NOT POLARIZED! We got it before that safety feature became a required item on all electrical items sold in the U.S. mandated by U.L. and fire safety organizations.

It's a pretty easy and simple cooking implement. There is an inner cooking pot made of aluminum (the new ones are non-stick coated), an outer housing, a detachable power cord and a lightweight metal lid. The only control is a single lever that turns the machine on for cooking. Upon finishing the cooking cycle, the lever pops back up with an audible bell to signal the end of the cooking process. It, then, enters an automatic "hold" or keep warm cycle. It will hold the rice warm until the power cord is unplugged.

The process of making rice is incredibly simple. You simply measure out the amount of rice you want to cook using the special measuring cup supplied with the unit. Then, rinse the rice until the water runs kinda clear. This gets rid of the impurities and the talc in the uncooked grains of rice. Usually, about 3 to 4 rinse changes is enough. Then add cold tap water based on the number of cups of rice. There are markings scribed on the inside of the aluminum, inner cooking pot. Just fill the pot with water up to the corresponding mark for the number of cups of uncooked rice you put in it.

Put the inner pot into the unit, plug the power cord in, put the lid on and push the control lever down to start the cooking cycle.

The initial phase consists of boiling the water so it can be absorbed by the rice. This cycle time varies by the amount of rice being cooked and is governed by the temperature sensor in the unit. Once the water is boiled off or absorbed by the rice, the high power cycle shuts down to the "warming" cycle at reduced power to avoid burning the rice.

The best way to cook rice is to leave it on the warming cycle for 15 minutes after the control lever pops up and the bell sounds to signal the end of the boiling cycle. After those 15 minutes, unplug the unit so that it is completely off and wait another 15 minutes to let the cooked rice "rest." This resting period will allow the cooked rice to pull away from the vertical wall and flat bottom of the pot making it easier to toss/fluff the rice.

Open the lid and fluff the rice by using a plastic spatula to turn the rice. It is now ready to serve!

You will get consistently good results with this unit. It really is foolproof.

It can also be used as a small steamer. Simply use something to raise a plate containing the food items off the bottom of the pot and add a little water and engage the cooking lever. The rest is automatic. You will have to decide when to turn it off by unplugging the cord.