REVIEW OF HITACHI RZ-D18WFY ELECTRIC RICE COOKER: IDEAL FOR VERSATILE COOKING NEEDS

Choosing an electric rice cooker nowadays is not an easy task due to the overwhelming number of options available in the market. However, users tend to opt for electronic rice cookers with diverse cooking capabilities, timer function, and quick cooking features, aiding users in preparing meals more efficiently.

1. REVIEW OF HITACHI RZ-D18WFY ELECTRIC RICE COOKER: IDEAL FOR VERSATILE COOKING NEEDS

Choosing an electric rice cooker nowadays is not an easy task due to the overwhelming number of options available in the market. However, users tend to opt for electronic rice cookers with diverse cooking capabilities, timer function, and quick cooking features, aiding users in preparing meals more efficiently.

In the electric rice cooker market, the Japanese brand Hitachi offers two types of products: induction rice cookers and electronic rice cookers. The product being reviewed by VnReview today is the Hitachi RZ-D18WFY electronic rice cooker with a 1.8-liter capacity in red color. This product also comes with a 1-liter capacity option and another color option in black.

Unlike conventional rice cookers, the Hitachi RZ-D18WFY is an electronic rice cooker equipped with an internal processor chip to automatically adjust the temperature for different types of rice or various cooking modes. In addition to cooking modes for various types of rice, this rice cooker also has an automatic cooking mode for various dishes, capable of cooking rice and side dishes simultaneously. You can also set the timer, select regular cooking, quick cooking, or slow cooking based on your needs.

The 1.8-liter version of Hitachi RZ-D18WFY is suitable for households with 4-6 people. This electric rice cooker is manufactured by Hitachi in Thailand and imported for official sale in Vietnam with a listed price of 3.8 million dong.

Design

Hitachi RZ-D18WFY features a distinctive design typical of rice cookers from Japan. The cooker has a round, compact, and elegant design. Every detail of the cooker demonstrates excellent craftsmanship and sturdiness. The seams between components such as the steam vent lid or the cooker lid are tightly sealed, the surface paint is smooth, minimizing dirt adherence. The red color version we used in our experience stays vibrant and uniform.

In addition to its excellent craftsmanship, every detail of Hitachi RZ-D18WFY is designed for convenience. The sturdy, thick handle is attached to the middle of the cooker body for easy movement. The cooker lid is designed to open and close smoothly. The steam vent is wide for fast steam release and can be easily removed for cleaning when needed.

The time display screen and cooking modes with backlight are easy to read even when used in dimly lit rooms. The control buttons are logically arranged, large-sized, and provide a satisfying click. As it is a product manufactured by Hitachi for the international market, the control interface uses English. This may pose a slight challenge for users unfamiliar with English.

However, Hitachi includes a very detailed user manual in Vietnamese with the Hitachi RZ-D18WFY package. Additionally, the manufacturer also includes a cookbook with 56 recipes, including 40 recipes for automatic cooking mode, 10 recipes for Double Cook parallel cooking mode, and 6 regular recipes. You should keep these two guidebooks carefully as they will be very useful in your future usage.

The pot's thickness is designed to retain heat for a longer period.

One surprising feature of the Hitachi RZ-D18WFY is its exceptionally thick pot, noticeably heavier than conventional rice cookers. The thick pot not only enhances heat retention but also contributes to the overall weight of the cooker, reaching 4.7kg. According to the manufacturer, this pot has a thickness of 3mm with a 5-layer structure consisting of 2 reinforced aluminum layers, an aluminum alloy layer to improve heat conduction, a black metallic coating layer, and an anti-stick layer.

The pot features water level indicators and convection ridges to enhance heat circulation.

Inside the pot, there are additional markings to adjust water levels for different types of rice. Beneath the pot, there are convection ridges which, according to the manufacturer, help increase heat circulation throughout the pot's volume for more even cooking.

Accessories included with the rice cooker

Accompanying this rice cooker is a rice measuring cup (180ml), a rice paddle, a steaming tray, and an additional tray for cooking other dishes simultaneously during the rice cooking process.

Versatile cooking modes

The Hitachi RZ-D18WFY is equipped with a processor (microchip) to control the temperature for different stages of the rice cooking process and provide settings suitable for various cooking modes. Thanks to this microchip, the Hitachi RZ-D18WFY offers users very flexible and diverse cooking modes.

Multiple cooking modes supported by the cooker

Specifically, the cooker has separate cooking modes for common types of rice including white rice, fragrant rice/Japanese rice, sticky rice, brown rice, and mixed rice. Cooking porridge, making cakes, and steaming also have their own modes. Moreover, Hitachi introduces two interesting cooking features rarely found in conventional rice cookers: an automatic cooking mode for 40 dishes and a Double Cook mode that utilizes steam and heat from the rice cooking process to cook food simultaneously.

Automatic cooking mode for 40 dishes according to the accompanying menu

In the automatic cooking mode, this rice cooker can cook 40 dishes listed in the accompanying cooking guidebook, including popular dishes from Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, and China. Each dish in this mode corresponds to the sequence number of the dish in the guidebook.

Cooking modes with up to 12.5-hour delay timer

Also thanks to the integrated microchip, the cooker provides options for quick cooking, slow cooking, and programmable cooking. In the timer mode, you can schedule cooking for up to 12.5 hours for most cooking modes, except for the steaming and baking modes, which can only be scheduled for up to 1 hour. This is a very convenient feature not found in conventional rice cookers.

Real-world cooking test

Over nearly two weeks of real-world usage, we conducted multiple tests cooking plain rice, a function that can be considered basic and essential for any modern rice cooker. The types of rice used included jasmine rice, basmati rice, and Thai fragrant rice, which are currently popular varieties among families.

In our real-world cooking tests, the rice cooked evenly from the grains around the edges to the center of the pot, with the grains remaining intact and preserving the flavor of each type of rice. The quality of the rice was also consistently maintained across batches with varying amounts of rice. The average cooking time for plain rice was around 40-50 minutes per normal cooking cycle and reduced to 25 minutes in quick cooking mode. These figures closely align with the manufacturer's specifications provided in the instruction manual.

We also experimented several times cooking rice with more water and less water than the usual one-cup-to-one ratio to see if the integrated processing chip in the cooker could compensate for errors caused by the cook. The results showed that the rice from these batches did not turn out as fluffy, smooth, and sticky as when cooked with the right amount of water. Clearly, the quality of the cooked rice still greatly depends on properly measuring the water each time. The integrated processing chip in the cooker helps regulate heat and provide flexibility in cooking modes, rather than being a 'magic' solution that can produce delicious rice even with excess or insufficient water.

Brown rice has its own cooking mode, lasting 90 minutes per cooking cycle

In addition to cooking brown rice, we also tried jasmine rice and brown rice. Each type of rice was cooked with 3 cups of water as per the cooker's instructions. The results were similar to brown rice: the rice cooked evenly throughout the pot and was tender. However, there were differences in cooking time: jasmine rice took just over 30 minutes before the cooker beeped to signal the end, while brown rice took exactly 90 minutes.

Parallel cooking mode simultaneously cooks rice and steams food without rice absorbing odors

The porridge cooking mode or the steaming mode for sticky rice and steamed buns... also worked as expected. In the Double Cook function, cooking rice simultaneously with food, we tried cooking rice with spicy shrimp, and the rice was evenly cooked, tender, and smooth as in the normal cooking mode while the shrimp dish was also thoroughly cooked. Surprisingly, the rice did not absorb any odor from the shrimp dish. The cooking time in parallel cooking mode remains unchanged compared to normal rice cooking mode, taking about 40 minutes when cooking 3 cups of rice.

Colorful mixed rice is one of the 40 automatic cooking dishes

As for the automatic cooking function with 40 accompanying dishes, each dish will have a different cooking time depending on the type of rice and accompanying ingredients. For example, with the colorful mixed rice dish number 26 out of the 40 accompanying dishes, the cooking time is about 40 minutes according to the menu guidebook, including 2 cups of jasmine rice and accompanying ingredients. The final result is that both the rice and the mixed dishes are cooked just right, not mushy. However, it's important to note that cooking the dishes in automatic cooking mode requires careful adherence to the instructions in the accompanying book.

Electric consumption

During real-world usage, we also measured the electricity consumption of the Hitachi RZ-D18WFY with basic cooking modes. On average, each pot of plain rice with 3 cups of rice consumes about 0.2 kWh. It's worth noting that during the cooking process, the Hitachi RZ-D18WFY consumes very low electricity (around 100W) during the initial 15-minute soaking period, then cooks at high heat (consuming electricity at a maximum level of nearly 1,000W) for 10 minutes, and switches to keep-warm mode for the final 15 minutes of the cooking process.

A typical rice cooking cycle with 3 cups of rice consumes 0.2 kWh of electricity

So, if you cook just one pot of rice every day with 3 cups of rice, the Hitachi RZ-D18WFY will consume about 6 kWh of electricity per month.

The steaming mode for sticky rice and steamed buns or the Double Cook mode also have similar cooking times and electricity consumption as cooking plain rice. Brown rice, however, has the longest cooking time of up to 90 minutes and also consumes twice as much electricity as cooking plain rice. Overall, the electricity consumption of the different modes depends on the cooking time.