Tiger Corporation JBV-A10U-W Rice Cooker with Food Steamer Review

The JB A10U W rice cooker by the Tiger Corporation is a compact, low-priced microcomputer rice cooker that comes with the latest features in rice cooker technology. In fact, you can take advantage of the synchro cooking function and cook your favorite foods and rice at the same time. This is a multifunctional model that will allow you to streamline the cooking process when you’re preparing dinner for your family. No longer will you have to wait for your rice to finish cooking in order to use its other functions. Obviously, this fact alone will be a huge selling point for any potential buyer.

Our Verdict: This model by the Tiger Corporation is beginner-friendly and features several presets for ease of use, and offers the type of versatility most cooks are looking for in a rice cooker that can handle it all. It’s a great buy for the family on a budget and comes loaded with some great features that cooks of all skill levels can appreciate.

Overview and Features

This model is marketed as a one-push function rice cooker. Just one touch of a button controls a variety of features. The simple controls make the rice cooker more user-friendly, which is a plus for any new cook. Now, you can prepare two dishes at the same time using the synchronized cooking function.

Automatic Cooking Logic System

Introducing one of the leading smart rice cookers on the market, this model is equipped with the tacook synchronized cooking function. The internal automatic cooking logic system will closely monitor the cooking temperature during use in order to create the perfect meal.

Unique Cooking Plate

Unlike competing models, the included cooking plate has been specifically designed to retain the flavor. This is simply a brilliant addition. If you’re cooking a garlic heavy dish, you won’t have to worry about the flavor of that particular dish impacting the flavor of your rice. The plate is also BPA-free.

Presets

The cooker allows you to choose from a total of four rice setting options:

• Plain
• Brown
• Slow cook/steam
• Synchro-cooking

With the plain rice setting, you can simply add your favorite type of white rice, add the required amount of water based on how many cups of rice you want to prepare, hit the plain rice button and go about your day.

If you’ve ever had trouble cooking brown rice in rice cooker, then you’ll love this preset. The brown rice function is specially designed to cook this tricky type of grain. On the stovetop, it’s easy to undercook or overcook brown rice since it has that thick bran layer attached. The machine’s brown rice function is designed for longer water absorption, and works to cook your rice to perfection.

The slow cooker and steam function allow you to steam veggies or other dishes, or slow cook meats, fish, and other entrees to perfection.

The synchro-cooking option is perfect for busy cooks who don’t want to be tied to their stove all day. Use this feature to cook rice in the pot then use the tacook cooking plate above the cooking rice. Now, you can cook two dishes at the same time.

Stay Warm

The stay warm feature will automatically keep your rice warm and ready to serve for up to twelve hours.

Capacity

This compact model can cook up to five and a half cups of rice per batch. While the capacity may seem a little low, for smaller families this quantity is perfect. With a larger rice cooker, you’re usually only able to make as little as four cups of rice, with a max capacity of ten to twelve cups. But if you’re cooking for just one or two people, then cooking four cups of rice per batch is definitely overkill. This machine has a minimum capacity of one cup, which is pretty impressive. However, I should mention, when you’re using the cooking plate with the synchro cooking feature you will only be able to prepare up to two cups of rice at a time.

Measuring Cup

Like all other rice cookers, this model comes with its own dedicated measuring cup. If you’ve used rice cookers in the past, then you know how important it is to measure rice using the included cup. Some cups are slightly smaller or larger than a standard measuring cup. If you want to get perfect results each time, make sure you’re using the included measuring cup only, when preparing rice. This cup is said to be smaller than a standard measuring cup. Instead of eight ounces per cup, this cup counts a little over five ounces as one cup.

Inner Pot

The small inner pot features a nonstick coating that prevents rice and other types of foods from sticking to the surface, which also makes clean up a cinch. Clean up is a matter of wiping out the pot using a soft soapy sponge, rinsing, and allowing the pot to air dry. While the pot is dishwasher safe, I always recommend washing any type of pot with a nonstick surface, by hand. Additionally, in order to prevent damage to the nonstick coating, only use the included rice paddle or other plastic, wooden, or rubber utensils when servings, otherwise you’ll risk scratching the delicate surface.

Cooking Time

So, how long does it take this machine to prepare a batch of rice? White rice can take twenty-five minutes for one to two cups and up to forty minutes to prepare five and a half cups. Brown rice will have a much longer cooking time of sixty to seventy minutes. The cooking process and time is controlled by the internal microcomputer which monitors the internal temperature and adjusts the cooking time length accordingly. The cooking times for other dishes will vary from food to food. As an example, steaming spinach will take just ten minutes, while steaming fresh broccoli can take up to twenty to twenty-five minutes. Despite the fact that this machine has internal temperature control technology, I recommend keeping a close eye on other dishes when you’re using the synchro-cooking feature in order to avoid over or undercooking food.

Control Panel

The control panel itself is rather plain. It doesn’t have an LCD screen and does not come equipped with a delay timer function. On the front of the machine you’ll find a total of just six buttons. There are dedicated buttons for plain rice, slow cook/steam, brown rice, synchro-cooking, off and cancel, and stay warm. The simple controls are what helps to make this model so user-friendly. However, the lack of additional cooking options or a digital display can be seen as a drawback for some buyers.

Free Extras

This package includes:

• Rice cooker
• Rice paddle
• Cookbook
• Rice paddle stand
• Lid
• BPA-free cooking plate
• Measuring cup

Advantages and Disadvantages

Pros

Cons

Tiger Rice Cooker Versus Instant Pot DUO80 Multi- Use Rice Cooker

In terms of features, this model by Tiger can’t really stand up to the competition, at least when compared to a full-sized rice cooker. The Instant Pot DUO80 is a beast of a rice cooker that comes with a total of fourteen smart programs that allow you to cook anything from rice and chili to chicken and yogurt. It also comes loaded with a wide range of safety features, a faster cooking process, and has a pot capacity that can handle up to eight quarts. It’s also up there in price. While the cost of the Pot DU80 won’t exactly break the bank, it’s not quite as budget-friendly as this rice cooker by Tiger. But if you’re looking for a model that can handle a larger capacity than what this model offers, it’s a great alternative, just expect to pay more.

Conclusion and Rating

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

Most rice cookers on the market are aimed at large families, so finding one that can cater to couples or a smaller family will be a breath of fresh air for some potential buyers. The small, compact design also means it won’t take up too much counter space, which is often an issue with full-sized models. This model by Tiger Corporation features a simple balance between performance, settings, price, and size, making it the best Japanese rice cooker for smaller families.

The synchro cook setting and cooking plate make it possible to cook both veggies and rice at the same time. However, this model is rather plain in design and doesn’t come with much in the way of controls and setting options. It also doesn’t have a delay timer, which would allow the rice cooker to fire up and start cooking automatically. The appliance itself is large enough to cook enough rice for a small family, but won’t be suitable for preparing enough rice for a large family dinner. Overall, this model is a good choice if you’re on a tight budget and looking for a rice cooker that can handle making smaller batches of rice. I gave this model a rating of four and a half out of five stars.