Although Zojirushi has a great reputation for quality and durability, here at Yum Asia, we sometimes received e-mails from customers who expressed concern about the Sumiflon inner bowl and asking if there were any alternatives.
A lot of people, for various reasons, like to avoid Teflon – mostly due to PTFE (most Teflon/similar materials have been PFOA free since 2015). While it is very arguably on average slightly more durable than a ceramic coating at the moment, a lot of people are concerned about its safety. When overheated, it is thought that in certain extreme circumstances the PTFE coatings can break down and release toxic gases. Although Zojirushi inner bowls use Sumiflon which is thought to be far more stable than Teflon we took their concerns on board.
When we were designing and developing our first own brand Sakura rice cooker, we took customers concerns about inner bowl material to heart and made the decision to include a ceramic coated inner bowl that was multi-layered and extremely hard wearing. When developing our second rice cooker, Bamboo, we included a heavy-duty (it’s heavy!) ceramic coated inner bowl as well which is is made in a special way to conduct the Induction Heating. The ceramic coating on Yum Asia rice cookers are extremely hard-wearing and from our experience, it has been more durable than Sumiflon/Teflon bowls.
What Exactly Does Ceramic Coated Mean?
Ceramic is a much newer material in the world of non-stick and it’s widely considered to be the safest and most environmentally friendly option. Ceramic coatings are free of PTFE, PFOA and BPA. As ceramic coating technology has developed over the last few years, the thicker the coating, the more hard-wearing the inner bowl is. So we made sure that our Panda, Kumo and Sakura ceramic inner bowls have a 2mm thick coating with five (5) durable layers which ensured that it was extremely hard-wearing and would last a long time. Bamboo has a 3mm thick Joubu inner bowl with 5 specially constructed layers for conducting the Induction Heating.
When many people think of ceramic, they think of pottery. However, as technology has advanced, manufacturers have been able to develop hard-wearing ceramic coatings which enable products like our Kumo, Panda, Sakura and Bamboo rice cookers to have a ceramic inner bowl while still being very easy to clean, a safer cooking profile but still having non-stick properties.
The ceramic inner bowls of the Panda, Kumo and Sakura are carefully layered which specific material which allow heat from the 3D heating process to be conducted through the inner bowl for an even distribution of heat and also allows the heat to be retained so it keeps your food hotter for longer.
The ceramic inner bowl of Bamboo is also carefully layered which specific material which allow heat from the Induction Heating element to be conducted through the inner bowl for an even distribution of heat and also allows the heat to be retained so it keeps your food hotter for longer. The heavier inner bowl is necessary for conducting heat.
This is where the modern ceramic coatings have a huge advantage over the older, clay/pottery ceramic – traditional clay/pottery ceramic takes a long time to heat up and the heat distribution can be very uneven. The modern ceramic coated inner bowls have all the advantages of traditional clay/pottery ceramic but none of the disadvantages!
Benefits Of Cooking With A Sakura or Bamboo And Their Ceramic Coated Inner Bowls
Panda, Kumo, Sakura and Bamboo’s ceramic coated inner bowls helps them withstand wear and corrosion from acidic foods like tomatoes. As mentioned above, the ceramic coating allows for an even distribution of heat and also allows the heat to be retained so it keeps your food hotter for longer. Ceramic coatings also prevent staining from food and won’t absorb food flavours.
Panda, Kumo, Sakura and Bamboo’s ceramic coated inner bowls are very easy to clean. They simply need a wipe with a soft sponge, or if you have cooked a curry or other strong smelling food, you can just soak with a little bit of washing up liquid and then wash normally by hand. You are never left with burned on food messes.
Yum Asia brand rice cookers are some of the few rice cookers on the UK and European market with a ceramic coated inner bowl, particularly at this affordable price point. Click here to buy or learn more about Yum Asia’s rice cookers – Yum Asia rice cookers or see our microsite
For more in depth information regarding rice cooker inner bowl types see here