can you explain The difference between the type of rice cooker "IH" and "pressure IH" | @DIME at dime

Have you ever heard the terms “IH” or “pressure IH” when choosing a rice cooker? Even if you somehow know that "you can cook rice more deliciously than a normal rice cooker", there may be few people who can clearly explain the reason.

So, this time we will introduce the difference between IH type and pressure IH type rice cookers, and introduce the manufacturers that sell pressure IH type rice cookers.

What is the difference between "IH" and "Pressure IH" on a rice cooker? What is the secret to cooking delicious rice?

Did you know that cooking delicious rice depends on the heating temperature?

When cooking rice, the higher the temperature at which the rice is heated, the faster the "a" and "gelatinization" of the starch.

It is said that rice that has undergone "a" and "gelatinization" is chewy, and the more you chew it, the more delicious it spreads in your mouth.

In other words, the key to eating delicious rice is how to heat the rice cooker.

In addition to "IH" and "pressure IH", a heating method called "microcomputer" is mainly used for rice cookers. What is the difference between these heating methods?

The microcomputer type is a type that heats the kettle with a heater mounted on the bottom of the inner pot. Since the rice is heated from the bottom of the inner pot when cooking, there is a slight temperature difference between the rice near the bottom of the pot and the rice above, which tends to cause uneven cooking.

However, depending on the product, a heater is also attached to the top of the rice cooker, and there are types that can heat the pot from both the top and bottom. In addition, the big advantage of the microcomputer type is that the price of the main unit is cheaper than IH and pressure IH.

On the other hand, IH is an abbreviation for "Induction Heating", and the IH heating coil heats not only the bottom but also the inner pot. Compared to the microcomputer type, it is less likely to cause unevenness in cooking, and the cooked rice is fluffy.

Pressure IH heats the inner pot by the IH heating coil like the IH type, so uneven cooking is less likely to occur, and pressure is applied to the inside of the pot when cooking. By applying pressure, the boiling point of water rises, and rice can be cooked at a high temperature of 100°C or higher.

Not only is rice cooked with high heat delicious, but it is fluffy and sticky and retains its elasticity to some extent even when it cools down, so you can use it for bento lunches and rice balls.

[Reference] Difference between Zojirushi microcomputer, IH and pressure IH

If you want to eat more delicious rice, we recommend "pressure IH"!? tends to be expensive.

There are also microcomputer-type and IH-type products that are designed with ingenuity in terms of function and pot shape, so it may be a good idea to consider your wallet before making a purchase.

Is there anything other than pressure and IH? Points for choosing a rice cooker

In addition to heating methods such as pressure IH and microcomputers, there are many points to choose a rice cooker. For example, size, ease of maintenance, inner pot material, etc.

The related article below introduces how to choose a rice cooker. If you are thinking of buying a rice cooker, please refer to it.

[Related article] What is the difference between clay pot type and pressure IH? 6 points to remember when choosing a rice cooker

Manufacturers selling pressure IH rice cookers

From here, we will introduce the major home appliance manufacturers that sell pressure IH rice cookers.

Pressure IH rice cooker manufacturer: Iris Ohyama

Iris Ohyama, which has a wide range of reasonably priced home appliances, has released a pressure IH rice cooker. The price range is from 10,000 yen to 30,000 yen, so there are many products that you can buy at a relatively low price, so if you want a pressure IH, but you can't get it because the price is high, you should try Iris Ohyama's pressure IH once. Why not try it?

[Reference] Iris Ohyama

Pressure IH rice cooker manufacturer: Zojirushi

As of July 2021, Zojirushi has released 14 types of pressure IH rice cookers.

"Enbuyaki NW-LB" is equipped with 6 IH heaters on the bottom, which stirs the rice with intense heat convection during cooking, maximizing the sweetness of each grain of rice. .

In addition, you can select your favorite cooking method from 121 ways. The "40 hours extreme heat retention" suppresses dry rice and keeps it delicious for up to 40 hours.

[Reference] Zojirushi

Pressure IH rice cooker maker: Tiger Thermos

As of July 2021, Tiger Thermos has released 9 types of pressure IH rice cookers (3 of which are made from clay pots). .

The “Clay pot with bubble fire meal JPL-G100” uses a mainland pot for the inner pot. You can cook rice at a maximum temperature of about 280 degrees, which is quite high. In addition, the radiant heat from the far-infrared effect brings out the sweetness and umami.

One of the points is that you can cook different rice depending on the brand of rice.

[Reference] Tiger Thermos Bottle

Pressure IH rice cooker manufacturer: Toshiba

As of July 2021, Toshiba has released four types of vacuum pressure IH rice cookers.

The “Ensho Cooking RC-10VXR” pursues a cooking method like a furnace with a large heat power of 1420W. The rice is heated from the core to achieve a plump finish.

In addition, due to the shape of the inner pot, large heat convection occurs during rice cooking. Heating unevenness is suppressed and you can cook plumply to the center.

If you use the "Aim Cooking" mode, you can select the rice cooking time in 5-minute increments from 25 to 50 minutes according to the timing you want to cook the rice. In the "sweet cooking" mode, you can increase the sweetness of the rice by soaking the rice in water longer.

[Reference] Toshiba

Pressure IH rice cooker manufacturer: Hitachi

As of July 2021, Hitachi has 3 types of "pressure & steam IH" type rice cookers and 3 "pressure IH" type rice cookers. types are on sale.

The inner pot of the "Pressure & Steam RZ-W100EM" has aluminum layers to achieve large heat and lightness. The unique convex shape of the bottom of the inner pot expands the heat generation area, and when cooking rice, bubbles are generated to transmit the heat of large heat to each grain of rice.

By "steam heat retention", you can keep the rice moist and delicious after being cooked for up to 40 hours.

[Reference] Hitachi

* Data is based on editorial research as of mid-July 2021. *Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, we do not guarantee the completeness and accuracy of the content. * Please use and operate the product at your own risk.

Written by Akira Takamizawa