Toshiba's 95-year journey of developing rice cookers: Preserving the taste of home-cooked rice

(Dan Tri) - Launching its first home appliances in 1930, Toshiba has always been dedicated to bringing technology to serve life. The past 95 years have been shaped by continuous improvements, each product and each small detail reflects the philosophy of "Details Matter".

In 2025, Toshiba entered its 95th year of conquering the home appliance industry. From its starting point in Japan, the brand stands out for its meticulousness and precision, faithful to the philosophy of “DetailsMatter” - perfection from the smallest details.

That philosophy is clearly demonstrated through the product line of rice cookers, a household product that has been associated with the meals of millions of families for nearly a century.

Milestones in Toshiba's 95 years of development (Photo: Toshiba).

In 1955, Toshiba marked a milestone in the history of the world's home appliance industry when it introduced the first automatic rice cooker, the ER-4. This device was quickly accepted in cooking culture, helping Japanese housewives at that time to be "liberated" from the time-consuming manual process of cooking rice.

Since the first rice cooker, Toshiba's journey of innovation has never stopped. In 1978, the company continued to launch a new generation of automatic rice cookers, providing higher precision in temperature control.

By 1982, the electronic rice cooker appeared, opening the stage of applying technology to family cooking. High frequency technology (Induction Heating - IH) was introduced in 1994, marking a major step forward in the heat transfer mechanism: the pot is heated directly by magnetic field, helping rice cook more deeply and evenly.

A decade later, Toshiba continued to push the limits of technology with the IH Pressure rice cooker, which combines temperature and optimized pressure to make the rice grains round, soft and retain all their natural flavor.

By 2023, the company announced a vacuum pressure rice cooker, which uses a mechanism to suck air out of the rice core to increase water absorption, helping the rice to be soft and retain its freshness for a long time.

Celebrating its 95th anniversary, Toshiba introduces the Umami Series rice cooker collection, the crystallization of nearly a century of research and development. The product line ranges from mid-range to high-end, of which the RC-18DR5UVN and RC-18VXWVN(W) are two typical representatives.

RC-18DR5UVN is positioned in the popular segment but possesses Umami Enzyme technology, which is also the factor that makes the difference of this product line.

The technology's operating mechanism is based on activating enzymes in rice at 70 degrees Celsius, then maintaining a stable temperature of 60 degrees Celsius, helping to release the natural sweetness of the rice grains, increasing the flavor intensity by 30% compared to conventional cooking.

In addition, the pot is equipped with 3D heating technology, transmitting heat simultaneously from the bottom, body and lid of the pot. The heat spreads evenly, helping each grain of rice to be cooked fluffy, soft and still retain its characteristic stickiness.

Product RC-18DR5UVN (Photo: Toshiba).

In the high-end segment, RC-18VXWVN(W) is assembled in Japan, integrating vacuum technology (Vacuum Pressure), allowing rice to retain its freshness, softness and natural flavor for up to 40 hours after cooking.

The mechanism of this technology is based on removing air from the rice core before cooking, helping the rice grains absorb water faster, shortening the soaking and cooking time. This process also promotes the enzymatic reaction, helping each grain of rice to expand evenly, become sticky and retain its original texture after cooking.

Instead of indirect heating through the heating plate, the pot is heated directly using high frequency (IH) technology, combined with 3D heat transfer from three directions: bottom, body and lid. This structure helps heat spread evenly, limits heat loss and ensures that each grain of rice is cooked evenly from the inside out.

The pot is cast in one piece, coated with high-quality Japanese activated carbon Binchotan non-stick layer, with good heat retention and anti-stick ability. The bottom of the pot is designed up to 7mm thick, helping to stabilize the temperature throughout the cooking process, increase heat transfer efficiency and maintain the stickiness and aroma of the rice.

Both product lines feature a minimalist Japandi design style, blending Japanese spirit and Nordic elegance, suitable for many modern kitchen spaces.

95 years is a milestone for Toshiba to look back on its legacy of innovation, and at the same time, it is a launching pad for the next steps in the journey of “cherishing every family meal”. With the Umami Series, Toshiba continues to bring technological advances to serve daily life with a focus on quality, sophistication and simple happiness in every home meal.

Interested readers can refer to Toshiba's high-end home appliances here.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/hanh-trinh-95-nam-phat-trien-noi-com-dien-cua-toshiba-giu-tron-vi-com-nha-20251108082838592.htm