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Panasonic Unveils AI Rice Cooker

TOKYO, Aug 05 (News On Japan) - Panasonic has unveiled a new high-end rice cooker priced at around 100,000 yen, featuring AI technology that makes even older or emergency stockpile rice taste sweet and fluffy.

The latest model, revealed on August 5th, features a system that uses sensors to detect moisture levels in the rice. The AI then automatically adjusts the pressure and heat settings to produce a soft, fluffy texture comparable to that of freshly harvested rice.

In tests using rice harvested two years ago, the AI-assisted cooker improved sweetness by 9% and reduced hardness by 8%. Even with older rice, the taste becomes noticeably softer and sweeter.

Despite the premium price of 99,000 yen including tax, demand for high-end rice cookers is on the rise. Between April and June, total shipment value of rice cookers reached approximately 27.2 billion yen, a 9% increase compared to the same period last year.

As concerns over rice quality continue to attract attention, competition among manufacturers in the premium rice cooker market is intensifying.

Source: TBS

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