Even Old Rice Can Be Fluffy and Sweet! The Boom of High-Functionality Rice Cookers & Home Rice Milling Machines — At the Forefront of the "Rice Revolution" in the Era of Stockpiled Rice —

Even Old Rice Can Be Fluffy and Sweet! The Boom of High-Functionality Rice Cookers & Home Rice Milling Machines — At the Forefront of the "Rice Revolution" in the Era of Stockpiled Rice —

2025年07月09日 16:11

Table of Contents

  1. The Reiwa Rice Riot and the Impact of Releasing Stockpiled Rice

  2. Quality Issues and Flavor Deterioration Mechanism of Old Rice

  3. Technological Innovation: The "Rehydration Revolution" Triggered by High-Function Rice Cookers

  4. In-Depth Analysis of Featured Models

  5. Reasons for the Popularity of Home Rice Milling Machines and How to Choose

  6. Market Trends and User Profiles Through Data

  7. "Making Old Rice Delicious" Cooking Techniques Practical Edition

  8. The Intersection of Food Loss, Disaster Stockpiling, and SDGs

  9. Manufacturer Strategies and Future Outlook

  10. Conclusion: A New Lifestyle Expanding Around Rice



1. The Reiwa Rice Riot and the Impact of Releasing Stockpiled Rice

The surge in rice prices that began in the summer of 2024, triggered by the spread of hoarding on social media and speculative spot trading spikes, developed into a social phenomenon known as the "Reiwa Rice Riot."

In January 2025, the government eased the regulations on "conditional buy-back sales" of stockpiled rice, steering towards market release. In the first auction in March, about 142,000 tons were bid on, rapidly revitalizing distribution, but retail prices remained high.edenred.jp



2. Quality Issues and Flavor Deterioration Mechanism of Old Rice

As time passes, the starch in old rice undergoes retrogradation, losing moisture and aroma, and the fats oxidize, giving it a distinctive odor. With the release of stockpiled rice, the harvest year of rice reaching households shifted rapidly from new to 2-3 years old, leading to complaints of "deteriorated taste," "hardness," and "yellowing."

Amidst the many households forced to refrain from repurchasing due to price surges, a new idea of "enjoying old rice" has become necessary.nomura.co.jp



3. Technological Innovation: The "Rehydration Revolution" Triggered by High-Function Rice Cookers

The latest high-end rice cookers combine pressure IH, AI control, and multi-layered earthenware coating to estimate the moisture content and protein level of each grain of rice. They detect the dryness and unevenness unique to old rice in real-time, instantly optimizing the profiles for pressurization, steaming, and cooling.

The "Bistro V Series" embeds 64,000 temperature sensors in the inner pot, extending the pressurization time for inadequately hydrated old rice to draw out sweetness.nojima.co.jp



4. In-Depth Analysis of Featured Models

4-1 Panasonic "Bistro V" Series

  • AI Cooking × Pressure IH × Smartphone Connectivity.

  • "Old Rice Mode" controls water temperature in 0.2℃ increments.

  • Suggested Retail Price: 119,800 yen (5.5 cups).nojima.co.jp


4-2 Tiger "Donabe Gohohaki JRI-A100"

  • Maintains softness with earthenware coating + variable pressure.

  • Suppresses yellowing with 15-atmosphere steam finish.sakidori.co


4-3 ZOJIRUSHI "Enbu Daki NW-PV10"

  • Enhances vertical and horizontal heat convection with rotation IH.

  • 81 preset cooking modes for old rice to brown rice.yuitelog.conohawing.com


4-4 TOSHIBA "Vacuum Pressure RC-10VSV"

  • Water penetrates inside the rice grains under high negative pressure, maintaining texture even after freezing and reheating.kaden.watch.impress.co.jp

User reviews include comments like "Last year's Koshihikari tastes like new rice" and "Shocked after replacing the rice cooker for the first time in 15 years," with many noting that deterioration is hard to feel even after 40 hours of keeping warm.review.kakaku.com



5. Reasons for the Popularity of Home Rice Milling Machines and How to Choose

Since spring 2025, the rice milling machine sections in major electronics stores like Yamada Denki have expanded to more than double the previous year. Popular models include Tiger's "RSF-A100," which reduces broken rice with a small DC motor, and Iris Ohyama's machines featuring a "soft brown rice course" that retains the nutrition of brown rice.

The top reasons for purchase are "freshly milled rice tastes sweeter" and "reduces old rice odor," with growing support among younger generations with a "zero-waste" mindset who use rice bran for homemade pickles.yamada-denkiweb.com



6. Market Trends and User Profiles Through Data

IndicatorFirst Half of 2024First Half of 2025Growth Rate
Domestic Shipments of High-End Rice Cookers (Over 100,000 yen)310,000 units420,000 units+35%
Domestic Shipments of Home Rice Milling Machines120,000 units240,000 units+100%
SNS Posts "#OldRiceChallenge"280,000 posts1,170,000 posts+320%


*Shipment numbers are estimates based on JEMA voluntary statistics and sales reports from major electronics retailers.

58% of buyers responded that they "rotate consumption of old rice as part of disaster preparedness stockpiling," with a notable demand for price measures among households with an annual income of less than 6 million yen.



7. "Making Old Rice Delicious" Cooking Techniques Practical Edition

  1. Wash Rice Within 30 Seconds - Over-washing causes umami components to wash out.

  2. Soak in Ice Water for 15 Minutes - Promotes water absorption of β-starch at low temperatures.

  3. Activate Amylase - Adding a teaspoon of sake lees increases sweetness.

  4. Additional Soaking - Add 10mL of hot water immediately after cooking and steam for 5 minutes to increase softness.

These methods are more effective when used in conjunction with the "Old Rice Mode" of high-function rice cookers.



8. The Intersection of Food Loss, Disaster Stockpiling, and SDGs

What became apparent with the release of stockpiled rice is the "old rice loss" that results from rice that cannot be preserved and is discarded. Rice cooker manufacturers are clearly advocating "delicious even with old rice," prominently committing to SDG Goal 12: "Responsible Consumption and Production." The spread of home milling encourages the reuse of rice bran, contributing to compost and feed circulation and supplying raw materials for ethical cosmetics.edenred.jp



9. Manufacturer Strategies and Future Outlook

  • Panasonic: Developing a "Stockpiled Rice Subscription" feature for the 2026 model.

  • Tiger: Conducting proof-of-concept for a new algorithm where AI acquires rice price data to automatically optimize water temperature and pressure.

  • ZOJIRUSHI: Expanding Enbu Daki overseas, aiming to develop export routes for Japanese old rice.

  • Venture Alliance: Planning to release the IoT rice milling sharing service "RiceHub" in beta in fall 2025.

The era is arriving where technology and services merge to design the entire "rice experience."



10. Conclusion: A New Lifestyle Expanding Around Rice

The era where even old rice can be cooked deliciously is beginning to fundamentally change the Japanese perspective on dining and disaster preparedness, beyond mere advancements in home appliances. The "old rice utilization" that takes advantage of the period of price surges is likely to be the key to realizing a sustainable food culture through the fusion of food loss reduction and technology. Why not enjoy a "stockpiled rice life" in your home with the latest rice cookers and milling machines?

Thank you. Below is a list of **clickable links to reference articles (external links, in chronological order)**.



🔗Reference Article List (External Links, Chronological Order)

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