Elevate Your Service with the Zojirushi Air Pot® Beverage Dispenser AAPE-22/25

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Zojirushi America Corporation

In the fast-paced hospitality and service industry, the efficiency and reliability of your equipment play a crucial role in the guest experience. The Zojirushi Air Pot® Beverage Dispenser AAPE-22/25, designed to cater to the varied needs of cafes, restaurants, and catering services, ensures that every hot and cold beverage you serve delivers satisfaction in every sip. Join us as we dive into the distinctive features that make our Air Pot® a favorite among industry professionals.

Designed for Service Excellence

Our Air Pot® Beverage Dispensers AAPE-22/25 are available in two sizes, each featuring a premium stainless steel finish that offers functionality and elegance for your service needs.

Meet the two models:

The AAPE-22 holds a capacity of 74 oz. or 2.2 liters and measures 15-1/4 inches in height, it boasts heat retention* of 169°F after 10 hours and 145°F after 24 hours. Its stainless color and replaceable inner glass liner make it versatile and durable.

The AAPE-25 offers a slightly larger capacity than the AAPE-22, holding 83 oz. or 2.45 liters. This product measures 15-3/4 inches in height. This model ensures heat retention* of 172°F after 10 hours and 147°F after 24 hours, slightly higher than the AAPE-22 because of it’s larger capacity. The glass liner will preserve the coffee’s fresh taste while also boasting the best vacuum insulation. Replacement liners are available if needed through our Customer Service.

Functions & Features

The Air Pot® Beverage Dispenser comes packed with dynamic features and functions specifically designed to meet the needs of today’s hospitality services. Each model features Zojirushi’s signature high-quality vacuum insulated glass liner, ensuring contents stay hot or cold for hours. Furthermore, Zojirushi’s patented Brew-Thru® stem stopper and a removable lid, which opens a full 125°, allow for direct brewing under most commercial brewers, enhancing functionality and convenience. Take a closer look:

●Brew-Thru® Stem Stopper: The innovative Brew-Thru® stem stopper allows for direct brewing, making operation seamless and maintaining the integrity and flavor of your beverage.

●High-Quality Vacuum Insulation: Keep beverages hot or cold for hours without electricity. This feature is crucial for maintaining your beverages’ optimal temperature and taste, ensuring guest satisfaction with every cup.

●Easy-to-Use Smooth Pump Mechanism: The smooth pump mechanism on the Air Pot® Beverage Dispenser ensures simple dispensing, allowing guests or staff to serve themselves effortlessly, enhancing the overall user experience.

●Removable Lid for Easy Filling and Cleaning: A detachable lid facilitates easy filling and simplifies the cleaning process, ensuring that hygiene and convenience are always prioritized.

●Swivel Base for Easy Access: Including a swivel base allows for effortless rotation, offering convenient access from any direction and enhancing the service efficiency and guest experience.

●NSF Certified: Meeting the highest safety and sanitation standards, the Air Pot® Beverage Dispenser is NSF certified, assuring compliance with critical health regulations.

Commitment to the Commercial Sector

Zojirushi Commercial Products are crafted with an unwavering commitment to durability and performance and are designed to endure rigorous daily use in an industrial setting. Our supply backs our reputation as a top-quality food service equipment manufacturer to various industry-leading brewer manufacturers, coffee roasters, hotels, restaurants, and other chains.

We’d love to hear from our professional culinary community. How have our commercial Air Pot® Beverage Dispensers impacted your business or beverage program? Share your experiences and thoughts with us on Facebook and Instagram. #Zojirushi #ZoFan

*Heat retention ratings are based on water at a starting temperature of 203°F (95°C) at a room temperature of 68°F (20°C).

Bert-san’s Kitchen Hacks

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Bert Tanimoto

What are these? They’re miso balls! Huh? Did you know you could pre-make these little guys and store them in the fridge for a week, or freeze them even longer than that? Wrap them in plastic wrap and yes, miso keeps very well.

To make these, get your ingredients together (dehydrated ones work best) and mix together. Here the ingredients you see are dried wakame (seaweed), fu (a dried wheat gluten) and freeze dried green onions, plus some fresh green onion. BTW, that dried mixture came in a bag that you can buy at a Japanese market! (I never knew dehydrated miso soup ingredients like this existed)Form the miso ball in 1 Tbsp sizes. If you freeze the miso mix for about 10 minutes to firm it up, it might help to make it easier to shape. Then use plastic wrap to store in your fridge for a week, or even better, store in your freezer and it’ll keep for up to three months. One thing about miso, it doesn’t freeze solid so you don’t have to thaw it ahead of time to use it. This makes these miso balls perfect for meal prepping for a week of lunches.

To use your miso ball, just add 200ml (little over 3/4 cup) of hot water, which is just about one full soup bowl. Boom! One serving of REAL miso soup instantly.

It also happens to be the exact capacity of the soup container that comes with your Zojirushi Lunch Jar, if you have one. So instead of bringing the hot soup with you (even though I know you can, in your Lunch Jar), why not add hot water to your miso ball and have it super-fresh?

Just in case you didn’t already know it, you should be aware that leftover rice makes the best fried rice, and leftover rice can be frozen and stored for a month. If you already plan to put away some of your rice after you’ve made a fresh pot, it’s best to put it in an airtight container immediately when it’s still hot, so the steam and moisture gets trapped inside and be there when you’re ready to thaw it in the microwave. No worries if you don’t though, just sprinkle some water on it before microwaving to bring back the moisture. At our house we simply use plastic bags to save space in the freezer.

What’s the best kind of fried rice? Bacon Fried Rice, of course!

Don’t use fresh rice to make fried rice. It’ll tend to get clumpy and not separate as well as it should, leaving areas of the rice not completely covered in the flavor you want. Plop a fried egg on it to make it Bacon Fried Rice á la Tanimoto.

Wait, ice cold drinks next to my Water Boiler? What’s up with that? Just bad photo composition?

Somebody’s got some ’splaining to do…

I know, we missed April Fools—but if you want to fake out your kids or even your adult friends with a clever gelatin trick, try these out. I just thought they were hilarious; plus, who doesn’t like gelatin desserts? (And yes, the ice cream is real)

Just use clear gelatin to get the “ice” for the tropical drink. An ice cube tray works for the mold and all you do is scoop it out. You’re going to have to “float” them and the fruits by partially hardening the gelatin halfway in the glass, then add more of the liquid on top and refrigerate again until the whole drink hardens. Be sure to let the new liquid cool before adding it—you don’t want to melt what’s already in the glass. I used pineapple gelatin mix. By the way, it’s much easier to make something like this if you have a water boiler; the hot water is always ready.

OK, that seems easy. And the orange juice is just gelatin mixed into real O.J.; yeah, I get it. But how did he make those beers?? And the foam?

1. Make apple juice gelatin first, then whip it up to get the foam to appear.

2. Pour the juice carefully into a glass or cup and leave the foam.

3. Spoon the foam onto the top of your “beer” gelatin, then refrigerate.

4. After it hardens, your beer gelatin is ready to fool your friends!

Be sure to account for added sweetener when making gelatin from natural apple or orange juice. You can sweeten the gelatin ice cubes as well, if you want.

Cheers! ¡Salud! Kampai! Serve with a spoon!

Products used in this post: Gourmet d’ Expert® Electric Skillet EP-PBC10, Micom Water Boiler & Warmer CD-LFC30, Mr. Bento® Stainless Lunch Jar SL-JBE14

Please note that these recipes were not tested by Zojirushi America.

A Pivotal Moment in Zojirushi History: The Hanagumo Electric Rice Warmer

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Zojirushi’s long history of innovating dates back to our founding in Japan in 1918 with the manufacturing of glass-lined vacuum bottles – a breakthrough technology at the time. From that point forward, we were dedicated to creating new products and home appliances that make life more comfortable and convenient. And as Zo fans of today know, our approach to rice cooking is no exception.

The Evolution of Rice Warmth: A Historical Perspective Pre-Zojirushi
Before the advent of Zojirushi’s innovative solutions, warm rice was a luxury, often a challenge to keep fresh unless freshly cooked. People traditionally relied on “ohitsu” or straw baskets, and in the sweltering summer heat, a bamboo container called “meshi-ikaki” was essential to preserve the rice without spoilage.

The revolutionary Zojirushi elephant jar, however, changed everything. It addressed the common struggle of keeping rice warm, especially for families where late working hours were the norm. This breakthrough marked a significant shift in Japanese household convenience, setting the stage for the iconic Hanagumo Electric Rice Warmer.

Introducing Hanagumo: the world’s first electric rice warmer

After years of working to perfect how rice is warmed and cooled through the thoughtful design of odor-eliminating vacuum-insulated rice jars, Zojirushi turned its attention to how electricity could make extended rice warming possible, without sacrificing taste. And thus, the world’s first electric rice warmer was invented.

The Hanagumo electric rice warmer hit the market in 1970, revolutionary for its ability to keep rice to 68°C to prevent the spread of bacteria. Its name, meaning flower cloud, and floral pattern quickly became recognizable across Japan – a symbol of life in “danchi” apartment buildings, where dining rooms and kitchens are integrated.

Powering a movement in history

The Zojirushi rice warmer’s popularity boomed throughout the mid 1970s, as industrialization and urbanization made dual-income households a societal mainstay. With more married couples headed to work, technology that could deliver added convenience and reduce household chores were in high demand, and the electric rice warmer joined the ranks of vacuums, washing machines, and refrigerators as home appliances making a new way of life possible.

By making at-home food preparation easier and less time consuming for working families, the rice warmer found itself at the center of a pivotal time in history. The UN declared 1975 the International Women’s Year, and the decade that followed represented a global movement for gender equality. During this period, women across the globe pursued opportunities for academic, social and career advancement outside the home, fueled by innovation that empowered then to use their time more freely than ever before.

Thus, home appliances like the Hanagumo Electric Rice Warmer that reduced the burden of domestic labor remained in high demand during this period, and ultimately inspired Zojirushi’s next great innovation: the electric rice cooker.

Becoming Japan’s leading electric kitchen appliance manufacturer

Looking back at this pivotal chapter in our history, the Hanagumo marks an important milestone. It was the debut and popularity of this groundbreaking rice warmer that earned Zojirushi its place as one of Japan’s leading electric kitchen appliance manufacturers – a position we are proud to maintain today.

Where is the Hanagumo today?

Zojirushi will never stop innovating when it comes to rice cooking, with a lineup of electric rice cookers and warmers that takes inspiration from our very first model. Does your family have a vintage Hanagumo, or a story to share about your first Zojirushi rice warmer? Share with us on social media and help us celebrate where our journey began #ZojirushiHistory

Precision Meets Performance: Transform Your Kitchen with the Zojirushi Commercial Rice Cooker

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Preparing the perfect bowl of rice can require time, care, and precision, which can be a challenge for those working in busy restaurant kitchens.

Enter the Zojirushi Commercial Rice Cooker NYC-36, a culinary marvel that makes the process easy at the flip of a switch. Designed for maximum performance and durability, it is the rice cooker of choice for cooks and chefs working in kitchens today.

A trusted tool of culinary experts.

A 20-cup powerhouse designed to flawlessly cook and keep your rice warm until ready to serve, Zojirushi’s Commercial Rice Cooker and Warmer elevates culinary creations to improve diner satisfaction.

The “keep warm” feature maintains your rice at the perfect serving temperature, ensuring your guests have a delightful experience with every bite. This feature complements a variety of menu items and global cuisines.

This commercial electric rice cooker stands the test of even the most bustling of kitchens. Crafted with a durable stainless-steel exterior, the Zojirushi Commercial Rice Cooker promises longevity and resilience. The nonstick inner cooking pan adds a touch of convenience. Engraved with a rice water measure lines, both works together to make cooking and cleaning a breeze.

Ease and versatility at your fingertips

The Zojirushi Commercial Rice Cooker & Warmer is more than an appliance; it’s a culinary ally. From crafting perfect sushi rice to preparing flavorful rice bowls, this industrial rice cooker effortlessly adapts to any demand. With it being able to prepare 40 servings at a time, it is a must-have for your restaurant or catering business.

Whether you’re running a busy restaurant or catering an event, this commercial rice cooker is the most reliable choice for any kitchen or service setting where rice is the star of the dish.

When preparing your rice in this restaurant rice cooker, you will experience ease like never before as the side condensation collector manages excess moisture efficiently.

The detachable and washable inner lid further ensure that the highest standards of cleanliness are never compromised. Furthermore, the inclusion of an extra-large rice spatula adds even more convenience to your kitchen routine.

Zojirushi’s signature quality and safety standard

Proudly bearing the ETLus and NSF certifications, the Commercial Rice Cooker ensures your commitment to the highest safety and sanitation standards in keeping with Zojirushi’s long standing dedication to quality.

Explore more on YouTube and social media

Want to see it up close? Visit Zojirushi’s YouTube channel for a detailed look at the Commercial Rice Cooker & Warmer and discover more about Zojirushi’s range of commercial products.

And, if you are already using a Zojirushi commercial electric rice cooker in your restaurant or business, share your experience with us on Instagram and Facebook using #Zojirushi or #ZoFan to join our worldwide Zo family!

Do the Spring Thing

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Bert Tanimoto

Is everyone ready for Daylight Savings Time? Don’t forget it’s “spring foward” on March 10th. Even though some people say to ease into the time change by sleeping earlier by 15 minutes a day because you’re going to lose an hour, I say do it cold turkey and deal with it, ha-ha! There are only two states that do not follow DST—Arizona and Hawaii, and they both have their reasons. Arizona because it’s a desert state and nobody wants more scorching sunlight than they already have throughout the year. The exception is the Navajo Nation part of Arizona which extends into New Mexico and Utah; they wanted to be able to be on the same time schedule as the rest of their reservation, so they follow DST. Hawaii on the other hand, is so close to the equator that the amount of sunlight doesn’t vary that much throughout the year anyway. Interesting, huh?

St. Patrick’s Day is coming too, so I wanted to take a shot at brewing an Irish Coffee using my new coffee maker. Since I didn’t have any bourbon or whiskey lying around I used rum and it came out pretty good—I didn’t really put in that much anyway.

There are multiple recipes online so take your pick. The four leaf clover is fairly easy—it’s just a stencil that you can cut out and mount to a skewer. Almost lay it right on top of the whipped cream and sprinkle cocoa power on top. Very carefully remove your clover stencil to leave the design intact. Try not to put the whipped cream on while the coffee is too hot; it’ll melt real quick. If you make homemade whipped cream, be sure to whip it till it gets pretty thick. You can use Cool Whip from the store too, that’ll work just as good.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

At our house one of our favorite soups is Matzo Ball Soup. The chicken broth is so homey good and I really like how the matzo meal soaks up the soup and gets all the flavor. It’s a fun kind of soup to eat I think, and perfect for Spring weather when it can still get chilly sometimes.

I still had my food jars out from last month so I decided to fill them up to see what it looked like. The matzo balls look so good popping up, don’t they? Try it and bring some to work for lunch next time.

For those who are interested, this is a traditional Jewish soup that is often served during the holiday of Passover, which commemorates the Biblical story of the Israelite’s escape from slavery in Egypt. During this major Jewish holiday that lasts a week, leavened foods like pasta, bread or cookies are abstained and matzo meal is substituted as kosher. Fun fact: did you know the famous hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut once ate 78 matzo balls, each weighing 3.5 ounces (99 grams) in a span of 8 minutes, for charity? Wow! And yeah, he holds the world record.

The last time I tried a steamed fish dish was when I reviewed my Zojirushi NL-GAC 10/18 Rice Cooker and used the steamer basket to make a Chinese style black cod. It was such a success that I took another crack at it, this time using fresh salmon. Fish is always a good Spring food because it’s so light tasting.

If you want to try this, here’s a valuable lesson I learned about Zojirushi rice cookers. When I did the black cod I cooked 2 cups of rice and was able to steam the rice and the fish at the same time, all in the rice cooker. Fantastic all-in-one convenience right? The total cooking time was 30 minutes, which was perfect for the fish. For the salmon I made a mistake and cooked 3 cups of rice, which immediately set the cooking time to 49 minutes. Duh! The cooker is smart enough to recognize it needs the extra time to cook 3 cups vs. 2 cups. I wasn’t smart enough to realize that until I switched it on! That was too long; I didn’t want a tough piece of salmon.

No big deal—I still wanted 3 cups of rice so I made it separately and still used the steamer function to do the fish. 30 minutes and it came out perfect.

Steaming in foil is a great way to prepare fish and it’s easy as heck. Think about it—you’ve already got the rice cooker out anyway. Less things to wash.

Looks like Spring? If you want to try more foil packet recipes here’s a Mushroom and Tofu one from Zojirushi for you.

Hey, before i go, just in case you missed my Shamrock Bread from last year, check it out! It’s easy and fun and you can pair it with the Irish Coffee.

Products used in this post: Umami® Micom Rice Cooker NL-GAC10/18, Dome Brew Programmable Coffee Maker EC-ESC120, Stainless Steel Food Jars SW-KA40 and SW-KA52H

Please note that these recipes were not tested by Zojirushi America.