We just bought a japanese rice cooker and we thought that it will be easy to get a voltage converter. Unfortunately we have been unable to find one. The rice cooker needs 100 V and 450W. If anyone has one or knows where I can get one, please let me know. It will be really helpful! Thank you so much.
Hi,
The answer comes in two parts:
1) You need a "Spannungswandler" (German word for use in Zurich) or a voltag converter. Things like http://www.airlinktransformers.com/j...ge_converters/ http://www.japantrendshop.com/DE-spa...00v-p-194.html http://www.amazon.de/Spannungswandle.../dp/B00H42WZUA
2) Don't do it. It's probably cheaper to buy a rice cooker here in Europe. The Japanese ones do not cook rice any better, and the additional features you get here in Europe as well in (yes, I did the research some time ago). If you fell for, e.g., a http://www.zojirushi.com/ (that's the Rolls Royce) _in Japan_, you should have looked for the export models - much more expensive, less cool.
Hi,
What a spot on! I bought zojirushi. I am really happy that I have bought it. It looks amazing. but the problem is that I can't use it and the spannungswandlers are so expensive I thought we could just use a normal spannungswandlers. Thanks for the suggestions for the spannungswandler
I disagree. We have one of the higher end Japanese models and even a non-Asian like me can taste the difference to any cooker we had in Europe and other parts of Asia... it's the top end zojirushi which cooks with pressure. I think that makes the difference.
Problem is that those converters are heavy as hell, so postage for Mailorder probably costs an arm and a leg.
Tutti.ch has one convertor listed:
1000W:
I also agree, Japanese rice cookers are better.
We actually bought a 1,000 Watt Spannungswandler as we have other items to plug in as well. If buying from Germany, please note that the outlet plug may be German. Read the adds carefully, we found one where if you told him you were using it in Switzerland, he would provide the proper adapter in the price.
A word of warning: Not every travel adapter will survive a 1000 Watt machine... I know cause I fried some with my electric hot pot pate.
Just be aware the second one is 110 *to* 230.
Always keep an eye on your rice cooker while you are using it. Don't trust 1000w adaptor!
Just have a look at the for sale section:
Hi,
May I know which shop do you get it from? I am having trouble finding one. Thanks for your help
Why not?
Anyway, none of the adapters suggested will work correctly as Japanese voltage is 100VAC, not 115VAC like US/Canada.
Running it at 115VAC will result in 32% more power usage, which it probably won't survive.
Tom
Hi,
Just a quick review for anyone who might be interested to purchase/interested in Japanese rice cooker in the future.
The quality of the rice is so so much better with the Japanese rice cooker. The taste of the rice itself is the same, but the texture is really different. Every single rice grain is fluffy and the grains do not stick to each other. More importantly, the bottom part of the rice is not burnt! (with my old rice cooker, the bottom part of the rice always stick to the pot).
However, as mentioned earlier, it needs a special converter. The converter itself is not big, but it is pretty heavy (heavier than the rice cooker!). Instead of using 100V, I went with 110V, which is the US version and easier to obtain. I have read tons of different reviews and a lot of people have been using Japanese appliances in the US without convertor. but bear in mind, it might shortened the life time of the appliances. Not sure by how long, as I just started using it.
Another thing worth mentioning, the converter costs a bomb. It is really expensive. The cheapest one in amazon is 80euros and I went to a store in Zurich, it cost 170chf. I bought a second hand converter instead.
There are also export version, which you could find in yumihana in Zurich. But buying directly from Japan (+import tax) + second hand converter costed cheaper than yumihana. Though I am not sure if the saving is worth the extra effort.
In sum, if you are someone who loves to eat rice and eats them at least 3-4 times a week, this might be something worth investing for
Take a look here:-
http://www.airlinktransformers.com/j...ge_converters/
Of course if your handy with a soldering iron you could get the bits from RS components, transformers with adjustable taps won't cost much, it will need to be housed in a box. I threw away several when I left CH.
Just wanted to note that Nishi Japan Shop also stocks export rice cookers.
It is interesting to hear that other cookers do such a bad job. I thought that a big part of cooking Japanese style rice correctly is rinsing and preparation. Certainly one can do a decent job with a pan .
Except that with 230V mains, as is the Swiss norm, the output is 115V, and not 110V, which results in 32% more power consumption, not a good thing.
Tom
That would be the case with a simple device, but is it really a concern with a smart cooker using thermostats to govern temperature and avoid burning the rice?
Yes, as the heating coils, when on, are still dissipating 32% more power.
Tom