We tested one Panasonic model with fuzzy logic in 2018, and although it had 13 settings and cost about half as much as our top pick, it took an excruciatingly long time to cook white rice. It has since been discontinued, and we’ve passed on other Panasonic models, like the 5-cup SR-DF101 and the identical 10-cup SR-DF181, which didn’t come with features or reviews compelling enough for us to call them hamilton beach in. Our favorites were the nubbly paddles from Zojirushi and Tiger because rice didn’t stick to them as much as it did to others. You don’t have to use these paddles—a wooden spoon would work as well—but do not use metal utensils or anything that can scratch the nonstick coating inside the pot. Its illuminated LED menu includes a fun animation of the machine puffing away during the cooking stage.
There’s no digital way to cancel your order or process a return. First try they wouldn’t resolve an issue that was due to a glitch in their system and then wouldn’t cancel my order. Like most drip brewing machines, the drip coffee maker is fairly straightforward. When you’re ready for coffee, just say, “Alexa, turn on my coffee maker,” and a red brewing light on the machine will turn on. If you don’t have an Alexa speaker in the room, or you don’t feel like talking, you can navigate to your coffee maker in the Devices section of the Alexa app and press the power button.
Hamilton Beach Brands licenses the brands for Wolf Gourmet® countertop appliances, CHI® premium garment care products, CloroxTM True HEPA air purifiers, and Brita HubTM countertop electric water filtration appliances. We also tested the Cuckoo CR-1020FW, a Williams Sonoma exclusive. According to a company representative, Cuckoo has plans to team up with other retailers for exclusive appliances, and we wanted to see how this machine stacked up against Cuckoo’s flagship offerings. It didn’t make white rice as texturally rewarding as the higher-end models, but it still cooked Nishiki and jasmine rice well. Lacking pressure, this model was slower than other Cuckoo cookers, but it made better basmati and softer brown rice. Other quirks like hard-to-read measurements on the inner bowl and a large size kept this model from being a top contender.
The intense pressure that builds from trapped steam inside a pressure-cooker pot causes the water’s boiling point to rise, and at the higher temperature, the rice cooks faster. Handles on the inner pot make it easier to pick up than many others we tested, and the Neuro Fuzzy’s computer chip is particularly good at adjusting cooking parameters to adapt to human error. This simple model ranks among the fastest non-pressure cookers we tested, making jasmine rice in around 35 minutes.
Pressurized cooking, substantial construction, and lightning-fast delicious results make this the right cooker for the serious rice eater, especially if you love sushi rice. We love the Espro P7 French Press coffee maker for anyone who likes to travel without sacrificing their coffee snobbery. Instead of a traditional hamilton beach air fryer press that has a single mesh filter, this one has two, so your cup is free from sludge and stray coffee grounds. The double wall insulation and insulated lid mean it’ll stay hot longer than glass options, and it won’t shatter, either. I would suggest cusomers do your research before buying this coffee maker.