Contrary to what others may believe, cooking rice can be quite tricky. However, most people don’t have time and effort to know the different ways of cooking rice. This is where the Sanyo ECJ-HC55S 5-1/2-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker can help.

There’s many things to like about this rice and slow cooker. It can cook a wide variety of foods ranging from rice, stews and soups, to tofu, steamed vegetables and more.

It has not one, but two inner pots with lids to keep foods seperated. The titanium lined bottom provides even heat distribution and no sticking. You can expect up to 11 cups of fully cooked rice with this Sanyo cooker.
 
Features included with the Sanyo ECJ-HC55S:

• Micro-computerized 5-1/2-cup rice cooker and slow cooker
• Steaming function with programmable timer; slow cook up to 12 hours
• LCD clock; keep-warm function; carrying handle for easy transport
• Includes tofu container, steaming tray, measuring cup, spatula, and recipes
• Measures approximately 13 by 10 by 8 inches

What are actual customers saying? Here’s a sample of the many reviews on Amazon:

“Spent way too much time researching the various brands and finally decided on the Sanyo due to the slow cooking option. The first day I tried simple Jasmine rice and it came out perfect. Next Day tried Botan ( Medium Grain) rice and once again it was cooked just like a resturant. Decided to try a simple slow cook chicken stew recipe from the internet, came out good and the slow cook function worked very well. Granted it’s only been a week since I’ve had it but I have to highly recommend it due to it’s versitility. Some of the feature that stand out for me are;

1. 12 hour clock ( not 24 hour like some brands)
2. Contacted Sanyo about changing Battery (clock) and it can be changed by the user without shipping to Sanyo. ( does take a little common sense though)
3. Comes with two pans, one for Rice, other for slow cook along with a steaming tray and tofu tray.
4. EASY TO USE!
5. Makes great rice! I don’t think I needed to spend more money for better taste.
6. Looks to be built well. For those who are wondering, it’s manufactured in China.

I’m very happy with this cooker!”

“This cooker replaced the National fuzzy logic that I had used at least 3-4 times a week for 5 years. With all the new rice cookers on the market it was hard to find one that had the features that I wanted, without a bunch that I didn’t need. I really don’t need to bake a cake in my rice cooker!! What I use the most are the slow cooker options and the rice options. I mostly make short grain brown rice and this model cooks it much faster than my old National. I also loved that this cooker came with an extra pan and lid for the slow cooker…which makes it a great value.

If it is important for you to know the length of the cook cycles, I suggest that you time them the first time you use them because the instruction booklet does not give the times for the cycles. My old National would show the length of the cycle when you started each cycle, i.e. when using the regular cycle it would show 43 minutes on the clock. This cooker only shows the time left when it gets down around 15 minutes. The brown rice cycle cooks in 75 minutes. I cooked quinoa on the quick cycle the other day and it was done in approximately 30 minutes.

Another option I like on this model compared to the National is that, so far, the lid is easier to clean. The national used to bubble up through the steam vent and make a mess that was not easy to clean from the rubber gasket, but the Sanyo doesn’t do that and the lid barely needs to be washed after cooking a batch of rice. I wish these types of cookers would make removable upper lids so that they could be kept cleaner.

I also love that this model has the slow cooker and that there is both high and low slow cook cycles.

This cooker is just right for a small family or couple, but if you generally cook for more than 3 people, I would recommend the larger model. I can make enough soup for 4 people if bread and salad were served, but it may only serve several people if they had large appetites. It definitely does not have enough room in the slow cooker to do large roasts.

Great value, great cooker, I highly recommend it.”

You can find out more about the Sanyo rice cooker through the link below.