nishimark

This was mentioned before, but have you thought about just buying a Japanese language version? Learning curve may be a bit steeper, but they aren't that complicated.

bocastephen

Yes, I am fine with a Japanese language version if there is an online English manual somewhere - as long as it won't be damaged by the US electric standard, it is viable option and may even be cheaper.

The only thing holding up our decision right now is the concern about the pot becoming damaged if we cook other things - for example, we use our current rice cooker to make sweet potatoes and some one-pot dishes which mix meat and vegetables into the rice, but the current rice cooker is an old model that uses our own ceramic or metal bowl.

Not sure why the companies would advertise one-pot meals for their advanced rice cookers if that ends up damaging the machine.

nishimark

I think that will be a limiting factor. I imagine that machines produced for the domestic market will have no need for an English manual, thus it won't exist.

LapLap

Why advertise one pot if it damages the machine?
There are plenty of frying pans/skillets on the market that claim to be built for years of heavy use, but you'll be lucky if you can make any of them last more than a year or two.
I imagine there are people in Japan who use regularly use their rice cookers for one pot and baking and simply expect to buy a new machine every couple of years.
If you want to go ahead with using a cooker for everything, perhaps the best approach is to find a machine where you can buy (or at least order from the manufacturer) a replacement/extra pot at the time you purchase it. A year or two later the spare bowl will almost certainly be obsolete and impossible to find.

gnaget

The reason that I suggested Kappabashi is because Boca seems to be looking for something very particular. Certainly Labi, Bic, et al. will have standard products.

Yes, you can use Japanese 100V appliances in the US but in theory one should avoid doing it for resistive heating appliances, but I think induction heating should be less of a problem and people like myself have used 100V Japanese "power" appliances for many years on US 120V without failure.

I also think that you should consider an electric nabe cooker in addition to a rice cooker. You can buy them the in US, where they are sold as electric skillets. https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-EP-.../dp/B001KVZZGC Every Japanese household has one of these.

nacho

Sorry to hijack the thread: I would like to buy a rice cooker that doesn't have non-stick layer and I looked in Europe, Malaysia and Thailand and I couldn't find one that I like.

I know a Taiwanese brand called Tatung has it but I'm not going there - I'll be going to Japan next month so I'm wondering if I can get something similar that I can use in Europe.

Thanks a lot in advance!

LapLap

Tiger has a model with an earthenware pot. Can't tell you much about what it is coated with, only thing I could make out was that it has a glaze that suits it for infra red.

I don't read or write Japanese, but if you know someone who does, perhaps they can look at the press release for you
https://www.tiger.jp/press_release/pr_150520_01.html

bocastephen

For those in the US/Canada, I found some of the same Japan made models are available in large Japanese supermarkets like Marukai in California. The panel operating buttons were redone in English, but the models are the same with the same features (IH, pressure, earthenware, etc) and they are clearly marked as "Made in Japan" (vs the cheaper made in China models stacked nearby). I will probably go this route vs dragging a giant box through Tokyo, the train, the airport, the plane, etc etc. The pricing is about the same as Tokyo, maybe a little less before CA sales tax.

Now I will sort of hijack my own thread - since the rice cooker is pretty much set for us, we are on the lookout for a good Made in Japan washlet toilet seat. Toto seems to have 100% of the US market for premium washlet toilet seats, aside from the cheaper Chinese and Korean imports. What we really want is this Panasonic model, but the tourist model is only for China. Has anyone in the US or Canada seen one of these available at retail? I don't want to bring back the seat from Japan and run into repair issues (it's not something I can test in my hotel before leaving), plus we just had plugs installed in the toilet areas and would like to get the seats as soon as possible.

Yub

I bought a Zojirushi NP-ZF10-TD at the Costco in Tamasakai in January. I was shopping at the same Costco three weeks ago and saw it still in stock. The price is ¥18,777, and Costco will do tax-free sales if you present your passport.

The NP-ZF10-TD has been working fine at home in the US without using a step-down transformer. I suspect that the cooker's electronics automatically adjusts for the higher voltage. At some point I'll get around to measuring the actual electric draw to confirm.

It doesn't have an earthenware pot/nabe, but it does have the okoge scorched rice menu. I'll have to try it when I get home next week.

There is a Japanese manual, but no English manual that I could fund.

cowie

Be careful. Correct me if I'm wrong, but looking at your location CPH, are you looking for a 220-240V model? Most, if not virtually all, of the rice cookers you'd find in Japan will require 100-120V. You could use a transformer. It'd need to be a hefty one due to the high current draw of the cooker, so that's hardly an elegant solution...

tide

I bought a Panasonic many years ago from a US-based dealer on ebay. Came with return policy and warranty. It was more than 15+ years ago so I no longer have contact but perhaps you might start there.

At present, all my washlets (I have 3) are 100V and were bought from Japan (retail store at local neighborhood Aeon). I've not had any issues, I installed them myself and the only thing I ensured before purchase was fit. In future, if I had to replace them, I would just buy from Costco - don't need all the fancy features.

Yub

Costco Japan has the LIXIL INAX RG2CST Shower Toilet Seat for ¥18,800 (¥17,407 tax-free). The Costco Japan item number is 585148.

Toto Washlets are readily available in the US, but I think they start around $250-$300. I haven't noticed other Japanese brands in the US, but there seem to be a lot of brands that I never heard of before.

bocastephen

Thank you - I reached out to Lixil on FB to see if they sell in the USA and confirm the products are made in Japan and not China. I've never seen their products in the USA, everything here seems to be Toto, vastly overpriced and the export models are probably not made in Japan, or cheaper no-name models made in China, such as what they sell in Costco over here.

Some of the larger H-Mart Korean markets have a few imports from Korea we may look at as an alternative if we can't find the right machine here.

nacho

Yes. I'm based in Europe and the voltage is the same as SG and China. I have seen export versions of various Japanese electrical appliances that are targeted at Chinese tourists.

My mum was able to order a Tatung rice cooker to bring back to Hong Kong when she visited Taiwan and she has been using it for more than 20 years.

cowie

Deleted -- wrong info.