On September 1, Sanyo Electric will release the ECJ XP2000, a high-end IH pressure rice-cooker.
The ECJ series has been very popular, with sales of two million since the first model was released in 2002. A feature of these rice-cookers is the Variable Pressure IH System, which keeps the rice moving inside the cooker by repeatedly raising and lowering the pressure.
"One feature of this year's model is better pressure reduction performance than before, using a twin depressurization system. Another feature is that the cooker makes effective use of the tasty components of the rice. This system moves the rice around while it's cooking, so it tastes even better when it's done."
Usually, depressurization is controlled by a single mechanism, but this new model uses dual-control technology from commercial rice-cookers. This technology reduces the depressurization time from four seconds to three. Lowering the pressure quickly makes the water boil vigorously. This prevents uneven cooking, and enables the heat and water to fully penetrate every grain of rice.
"Another feature of this cooker is the Takumi Pot. We've used a lot of copper, which has higher thermal conductivity than other metals. In the pot overall, we've used about 70% pure copper, so it conducts heat very well."
Synergy between the Takumi Pot and the Variable Pressure IH System enables heat to reach the center of every grain of rice. As a result, the rice has the soft texture range-cooked rice.
The ECJ XP2000 will be priced at 147,000 yen, and Sanyo aims to sell 3,000 units a month.
