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Short answer: The “5.5 cups” on a Japanese rice cooker means 5.5 of its included rice cups of raw short-grain white rice. Each rice cup is about 180 mL, roughly 3/4 of a US cup. Zojirushi says raw rice doubles once cooked, so a full batch makes about 11 rice-cups’ worth of cooked rice.
How we compare: every spec in this article comes from official manufacturer specifications and manuals (starting with Zojirushi’s official product page), all listed under Sources below. We don’t run hands-on tests, and if a spec isn’t published, we say so. Last updated: October 2026.
I live in Japan, where the rice cup is a unit of its own. It’s called a gō (合), and a “5.5-gō” cooker is the standard family size here. That’s where the odd “5.5” comes from.
I haven’t weighed or cooked test batches for this article. It uses Zojirushi’s and Tiger’s official specs and FAQ, linked at the end.
Quick Reference Table
| Item | Official figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Zojirushi rice cup | Approx. 180 mL / 6.1 fl. oz. | Zojirushi product pages |
| Zojirushi rice cup in US terms | “About 3/4 of a U.S. measuring cup” | Zojirushi FAQ |
| What capacity is measured in | Raw short-grain white rice | Zojirushi FAQ |
| Volume change when cooked | Raw rice “will double in volume” | Zojirushi FAQ |
| 5.5-cup model capacity | Up to 5.5 cups / 1.0 liter | Zojirushi NS-TSC10 page |
| 10-cup model capacity | Up to 10 cups / 1.8 liters | Zojirushi NS-TSC18 page |
| Tiger rice cup | About 0.18 L, about 150 g | Tiger JAX-T manual |
| Minimum white rice, NS-ZCC10 | 1 cup | Zojirushi grains guide |
| Maximum brown rice, NS-ZCC10 | 4 cups | Zojirushi grains guide |
| Cooked rice per person | Not listed | — |
The Cup Is Not a US Cup
Every Zojirushi cooker comes with a plastic measuring cup. Zojirushi’s FAQ describes it as about 6 ounces, or about 3/4 of a US measuring cup, based on the traditional Japanese measure called “masu.” Product pages give it as approx. 180 mL (6.1 fl. oz.).
Tiger uses the same idea. The JAX-T manual lists the measuring cup as about 0.18 L, about 150 g of rice.
So if you measure rice with a US 1-cup measure and fill to the “3” water line, you’ll have more rice than the cooker expects. Always use the cup that came in the box.
So How Much Does 5.5 Cups Make?
Using Zojirushi’s own numbers:
| Raw rice (rice cups) | Raw volume (approx.) | Cooked volume (approx., doubled) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 180 mL | 360 mL |
| 3 cups | 540 mL | 1,080 mL |
| 5.5 cups | 990 mL | 1,980 mL |
That cooked column is just the official “doubles in volume” rule applied to 180 mL. It’s an approximation, and different rice varieties and water amounts will change it.
How many people does that feed? Zojirushi’s FAQ doesn’t define a serving, so I’m not going to claim a number of servings. What I can say is that in Japan, the 5.5-gō size is the usual pick for a family home, while 3-gō models are aimed at people living alone. I compared two 3-cup models in NS-LGC05 vs NL-BAC05.
Brown Rice and Other Grains Hold Less
The 5.5-cup capacity applies to white rice. Zojirushi says “other grains may vary,” and its grains guide for the NS-ZCC10 shows the difference: white rice from 1 to 5.5 cups, but brown rice from 1 to 4 cups, and some mixed settings to 3 cups.
If you mostly cook brown rice, check the manual for your exact model before picking a size. A 5.5-cup cooker won’t take 5.5 cups of brown rice.
Who Should Pick Which Size?
A 3-cup cooker may suit you if you:
- Cook for one or two
- Want the smallest footprint
A 5.5-cup cooker may suit you if you:
- Cook for a small family, or cook once and keep leftovers
- Want the widest choice of models, like the NS-TSC10, NL-AAC10, and Tiger JAX-T10U
A 10-cup cooker may suit you if you:
- Regularly cook more than about 5 rice cups of raw rice
- Cook a lot of brown rice and want headroom
For a direct size comparison within one model line, see NS-TSC10 vs NS-TSC18.
The Cup, Explained from Japan
The odd 180 mL “cup” makes sense once you know the Japanese unit behind it: the go (合). Japanese rice cookers are sized in go, so a 5.5-cup cooker is a 5.5-go (5.5合) model, and the 10-cup size is 1 shō (1升), which is 10 go. Zojirushi Japan rates the 5.5-go class at 0.09–1.0 L and the 1-shō class at 0.18–1.8 L of white rice. Tiger Japan uses the same naming for its 5.5-go JBH-B100. Many Japanese recipes and rice bags use go, too, so the measuring cup that comes with the cooker is the one to use.
On Kakaku.com, Japanese reviewers of Zojirushi’s 3-go NL-BE05 often mention its compact size, simple controls and easy cleaning (just the inner pot and lid); complaints include a side-mounted cord and, in one review, coating that peeled within a year. (Third-party reviews, not our own testing.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a rice cooker cup the same as a US cup?
No. Zojirushi’s cup is about 180 mL, or about 3/4 of a US cup.
Why is it 5.5 cups instead of 5 or 6?
The size comes from the Japanese gō unit. The 5.5-gō size is a common Japanese standard; the manufacturers’ US pages simply state “up to 5.5 cups.”
Does the 5.5 refer to cooked or uncooked rice?
Uncooked. Zojirushi states capacity is measured in raw short-grain white rice.
How much cooked rice does one cup make?
Zojirushi says raw rice doubles in volume once cooked, so roughly 360 mL from one 180 mL cup.
Can I cook just one cup?
On the NS-ZCC10, Zojirushi’s grains guide lists a minimum of 1 cup for white rice. Minimums vary by model.
Can I use any measuring cup?
Use the one included. Water lines in the inner pan are designed around it.
Related comparisons
- Zojirushi NS-TSC10 vs NS-TSC18: 5.5 or 10 Cups?
- Zojirushi NS-LGC05 vs NL-BAC05: Best 3-Cup for One Person?
- Zojirushi NS-TSC10 vs NL-AAC10: Which Rice Cooker to Buy?
- Tiger JAX-T10U vs Zojirushi NL-AAC10: Which to Buy?
Sources
- Zojirushi, FAQ Rice Cookers (“How is rice measured?”): https://www.zojirushi.com/app/faq/rice-cookers
- Zojirushi, Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-TSC10/18 (official product page): https://www.zojirushi.com/app/product/nstsc
- Zojirushi, Know Your Rice (NS-ZCC10 grains guide): https://www.zojirushi.com/grains/nszcc10.html
- Tiger Corporation, JAX-T Series Instruction Manual (PDF): https://tiger2419.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5033657989263-JAX-T-Series-Instruction-Manual
- Zojirushi Japan: NW-FB pressure IH specs (zojirushi.co.jp): https://www.zojirushi.co.jp/syohin/rice/ricecooker/nw-fb/spec.html
- Tiger Japan: JBH-B micom rice cooker specs (tiger-corporation.com): https://www.tiger-corporation.com/ja/jpn/product/rice-cooker/jbh-b/
- Kakaku.com user reviews: Zojirushi NL-BE05 (Japanese): https://review.kakaku.com/review/K0001491483/
Specs checked October 2026. Prices and availability change, so check the current listing before buying.
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