Zojirushi NS-LAQ05 Review: The 3-Cup Micom Rice Cooker for One or Two

Last updated: 27 October 2026

The Zojirushi NS-LAQ05 is the smallest rice cooker we sell: three cups, about 23 by 30 centimetres on the bench, and the full Zojirushi micom system inside. Small rice cookers usually cut corners on cooking quality; this one does not, and that is the reason it exists in our range.

This review works through what the cooker does, how long each menu takes, what micom control gives you at this size, and who should buy the NS-LAQ05. Every figure below comes from the Zojirushi operating manual supplied with the Australian model.

1. Who the NS-LAQ05 is for

The LAQ05 is a micom cooker — Zojirushi's term for microcomputer control, where the cooker senses temperature through the cycle and adjusts heating and timing on its own — heating from a plate under the pot. It cooks from half a cup, a single bowl of rice, up to 3 cups, enough for one person or a couple.

It is the cooker for someone who lives alone, cooks for two, or eats rice a few times a week and does not want a 5.5-cup cooker taking up the bench. If you cook for three or more, or want to steam a side over the rice, the NL-GAQ is the next Zojirushi up. A premium 3-cup Japanese rice cooker is a rare thing in Australia; we worked with Zojirushi to bring this one in as an official Australian model.

2. Functions and cooking times

Five menus. Times are Zojirushi's estimates; a full pot runs toward the top of each range.

Two things to read from the table. First, the LAQ05 is not slower than its bigger siblings — 40 to 55 minutes for white rice is in line with the 5.5-cup micom models, and the Quick menu is one of the faster in the range. Second, there is no steam, slow cook or cake menu; it is a rice cooker. For how the LAQ05 compares with every other model we stock, see the full cooking time table.

3. How it cooks rice

Micom control is what separates a small Zojirushi from a small budget cooker. The cooker soaks the rice, brings it to the boil, holds it and steams it in stages, adjusting each stage to the amount of rice it senses, so half a cup cooks as well as three. A budget 3-cup cooker is usually a conventional one — a plate and a switch — and produces a firmer, drier grain.

The measuring cup is 180 ml, not a metric cup, and one level cup cooks about two restaurant-sized bowls. Water lines inside the pot are numbered for the cup and for each menu; fill to the line for the menu you chose, on a flat surface, and adjust to taste. The manual says rice can be cooked immediately after rinsing; soaking beforehand softens it.

4. Keep Warm and the timer

The cooker switches to Keep Warm automatically when rice finishes. White rice keeps well; porridge and brown rice should be served soon after cooking. Our own habit, and the manual's advice: keep warm as briefly as you can, fluff the rice when it finishes, and refrigerate what you will not eat — a small pot dries out faster than a large one.

A preset timer lets you set rice to finish at a given time, so breakfast rice can be set the night before.

5. Drawbacks — who should not buy it

• Three cups is three cups. About six bowls. A family of four eating rice every night will fill it; a couple will not.
• Rice only. No steaming basket, no slow cook, no cake.
• Made in China, in a Zojirushi-owned factory, like the NS-TSQ and NS-ZAQ.
• Brown rice is slow at 80 to 100 minutes, as on every non-pressure cooker.

6. Size and specifications

Allow for the lid opening above the cooker and for steam at the vent.

7. Cleaning and parts

Wash the inner pot and the inner lid by hand with a soft sponge, and wipe the inside of the outer lid and the steam vent. The nonstick coating wears with use like any coating — the manual says this is harmless — and the pot (B250) is a replaceable part. The box also holds a spatula, a spatula holder and the 180 ml measuring cup.

8. Frequently asked questions

9. Verdict

Buy the NS-LAQ05 for the size. It is the only premium 3-cup Japanese-brand rice cooker we stock, it cooks half a cup properly, and it fits where a 5.5-cup cooker does not. For one person or a couple who eat rice a few times a week, it is the right cooker, and the micom control means the rice is not a compromise.

Skip it if you cook for three or more, or want to steam a side over the rice — the NL-GAQ does both. There is no larger LAQ; the next size in the Zojirushi range is 5.5 cups.

Zojirushi NS-LAQ05 — 3 cups

We're here to help

If you would like to discuss whether the NS-LAQ05 suits you, contact us any time, or visit us in Chatswood, Sydney to see it beside the other models.

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