FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Shipping & Payment

Shipping is included to the contiguous United States. For orders shipped to Alaska or Hawaii, there will be a $50 shipping fee.

Typically, it takes us 2-3 business days to process orders. Then depending on where your order is being sent, your product may take a longer or shorter period of time to be delivered. If your product has not arrived after 10 business days of placing your order, please contact our customer support team by phone at (213) 228-5330 or by emailing info@cuckooamerica.com.

Returns & Refunds

If you're not completely satisfied with your purchase, you can return eligible items by mail within 90 days of the delivery date. Items must be returned in their original packaging and with all accessories that came with the unit. We will provide a prepaid shipping label for you to ship your items back to our Returns Center. 

We can only process returns and refunds for orders placed on costco.cuckooamerica.com.

To begin the return process, fill out this form. 

Some form of proof of purchase is always necessary while filing a warranty claim.

We can either initiate a full refund or an exchange for the same item after you return the damaged product to us within 90 days of the delivery date.

Our customer support team will be happy to assist in processing your warranty claim and answering any additional warranty questions you may have.

To begin filing a warranty claim, visit this page.

Customer Service

Founded in 1978 under the name Sungkwang Electronics, customer satisfaction, innovation, and premium quality have always been our top priorities. Over 40 years and one rebranding later, we remain dedicated to those same core values in order to provide the best home and kitchen products to customers like you around the globe.

To learn more about who we are, be sure to visit our About Us page.

Our headquarters and customer support team are located in Southern California with operating business hours Monday - Friday, 9:00AM to 6:00PM PST (excluding national holidays). Our customer support team can be reached by phone at (213) 228-5330 or by emailing info@cuckooamerica.com.

If you've misplaced your product manual, you will first need to locate your unit's model number. Once you have your model number, visit our Product Manuals page and type it into the textbox to find an online copy of your manual to download, print out or bookmark!

If your product's 1-year warranty period has expired, you may contact us at (213) 228-5330 or info@cuckooamerica.com for further assistance.

Rice Cookers

Our quick and convenient turbo mode is featured on many of our rice cooker and pressure cooker models and perfect for any time you need rice in a pinch. While using turbo mode, your rice is guarnateed to cook up to 50% faster than the traditional rice function(s) as it shaves extraneous time off of the soaking process at the beginning of the cooking cycle and the steaming process at the end of it. 

Most other pressure cookers require you to flip the pressure weight/steam cap to a different position to release all of the pressure that was created while cooking, making you more susceptible to scalding or other heat-related injuries. 

Automatic steam release means that you do not need to manually release pressure from the cooker at the end of its cooking process by adjusting the pressure weight—the cooker automatically releases all pent up steam and pressure from the cooker at the end of cooking cycle or throughout the last few minutes of the cycle (depending on the function that was initiated). This feature was crafted with the intention of making the pressure release process more safe and more convenient!

GABA rice is germinated brown rice (or unpolished brown rice) that has a ton of nutrients that can help with stress relief, improving hormonal imbalances, and boosting your immune system. The most notable nutrient found in this type of brown rice is the grain's namesake: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This amino acid is believed to specifically help lower your blood pressure, improve kidney function, and provide stress relief while also providing a sweeter and softer texture than traditional brown rice.

GABA is not necessarily a new variety of brown rice, but features a different way of cooking the brown rice in order to "activate" its amino acids and nutrients. This is done by firstly soaking the grain in purified water for 16 hours. When you're ready to begin cooking, place the soaked rice into the rice cooker and select our preset GABA rice menu option. Once the function is initiated, the cycle will begin by soaking the rice at exactly 104°F for an additional 2-3 hours. Then, allow the cooker to do all of the work as it cooks your GABA rice to perfection!

How is your rice cooked to perfection use after use? The answer is our patented Smart Algorithm also known as Fuzzy Logic technology. This smart technology found in most of our rice cooker models is optimized to automatically sense and control the internal temperature throughout the cooking cycle for delicious texture and flavor. 

The cooking cycle will begin by preheating the rice and liquid to optimal low soaking temperatures in order to break down any starch or bran layers—preventing your cooked rice from becoming too mushy or moist. The cooker will then soak the grains at this temperature to continue the breakdown process and to allow each grain to absorb moisture.                                                                                              

Once sufficiently soaked, the cooker will maintain a steady heat at around boiling temperature to cook the grains, but will automatically fluctuate depending on how much liquid or moisture the technology senses—effectively preventing overcooked rice.

Reaching the end of the cooking cycle, the cooker will output a final heat surge to remove any and all excess moisture from the rice. 

When the rice has finished cooking, keep-warm mode will then be automatically initiated to keep your rice and grains at perfect serving temperatures!

While a standard U.S. cup measure is 240 milliliters, a rice measuring cup according to rice industry standards is much smaller at 180 milliliters. All of our models come with a complimentary rice measuring cup and should be used when measuring ingredients in your rice cooker.Our product manuals will always provide cooking guides based on rice measuring cup measurements.

We recommend rinsing rice under cool water before beginning to cook it. Rinsing makes a huge difference in results, especially in long-grain varieties, because it removes the surface starch that otherwise causes the rice to clump together or become gummy as it cooks. This short added step will be the difference between a good pot of rice and a great one!

TIP: Do not rinse rice under warm water. The warm water could begin to prematurely cook the rice and can lead to it being overcooked. 

If your inner pot is peeling or has visible scratch marks on its interior, this could be due to using unrecommend utensils to stir or serve your grains. Be sure to only use wooden, heat-safe plastic, heat-safe rubber utensils or the provided rice spatula that came with your unit—do not use metal or stainless steel utensils. 

The preset timer is a feature that can be used for prepping rice hours in advance or overnight so that you can have rice ready right when you need it! Most of our models offer a 13-hour or 24-hour preset timer, meaning you can place your ingredients in the inner pot up to 13 or 24 hours in advance and set the preset timer. Once the input time elapses, your rice will automatically begin cooking for you! 

Our 3-Cup (Uncooked) capacity models are designed with individuals and couples in mind. 6-Cup (Uncooked) capacity models are the most commonly bought size for small families of 2-4 people, and 10-Cup (Uncooked) cookers are most common amongst a bit larger families of 6+ people and can even be used for catering or entertaining!

Your rice cooker will automatically switch to keep-warm mode once it's finished cooking and all liquid has been absorbed into the grain. Some of our rice cooker models feature a voice guide to verbally let you know exactly when your rice is ready to be served!

We're confident your rice will come out perfectly cooked if you ensure to select the correct function that coincides with the grain added to the inner pot and if you precisely measure your ingredients with the rice measuring cup. However if your rice is a bit too dry for your tastes, add ½ to 1 rice measuring cup of water (depending on how dry it is) and stir thoroughly. Close the lid and initiate the respective menu option once more. When the cooker switches to keep-warm, open the lid and stir the rice to check its consistency. Repeat as necessary until rice is the desired texture.

If your rice is too moist/soggy, use the serving spatula to stir the rice to redistribute the bottom (moist) part of the rice and to release excess moisture. Close the lid and allow the cooker to remain on keep-warm for 10-30 minutes as needed, opening the lid and stirring periodically to release excess moisture.

All the tools you need to make and serve perfectly cooked rice conveniently come with your unit—an inner pot, a rice measuring cup and a rice spatula. Using accessories sold by third party sellers is not recommended anmd could cause damage to your cooker. 

This is dependent on the type of grain being cooked, the amount, and the rice cooker/multicooker model being used, the total amount of cooking time will vary. The average amount of time it takes to cook 1 cup of white rice in one of standard rice cooker models is about 25 minutes. 

1) Be sure you're using the correct amount of liquid/water for every cup of uncooked rice added to the inner pot. Accurate amounts and ratios can be found in your product manual for reference.

2) Rinse your rice thoroughly before cooking to reduce the amount of bran and starch on the grain. Excess starch may cause the water to bubble up and produce a sticky residue.

3) Adding a thin layer of nonstick cooking spray or oil to the rice/liquid prior to cooking may help to prevent bubbling. 

If you misplaced your product manual, go to our Product Manuals page to find an online copy of the manual. 

Traditional rice cookers have a single heating plate at the bottom of the unit beneath the inner pot. Induction cookers feature a 360° heat output so that the temperature is consistent throughout the entire inner pot, rather than only producing heat on the bottom! This technology makes for even more dependable and delicious results, quicker cooking times, even cooking, and less of a chance of your rice sticking to the bottom of your inner pot. Our induction cookers also feature a premium inner pot that is designed to optimally cook your rice with even heat distribution and high temperature retention.

We do not recommend putting your inner pot in varying environments that undergo rapid temperature change (i.e. going from high cooking temperature straight to freezer). If your inner pot is at room temperature, putting your inner pot in the refrigerator should not cause damage to the material. However, we do not recommend leaving the inner pot in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours. 

The inner pot should never be placed on the stovetop or in the oven to cook its contents. Our inner pots are designed to only be used in our rice cookers and their respective heating base and will become warped or damaged if used on/in any other type of heating element. 

To automatically steam clean the interior of your unit, simply add about 2 cups of water to the inner pot then initiate the auto-clean function. The steam will then run through all parts that are typically used during the cooking process (for example: the inner pot, the inner lid, and the steam cap) to effectively steam them clean for your next use. 

We do not recommend leaving your cooked rice in the inner pot on keep-warm mode for longer than 12 hours. 

Changing the unit's language will vary slightly from unit to unit but generally the steps below can be followed: 

1) Ensure your cooker is in standby mode (no cooking cycles running), then press the MODE button 11 times. A different setting will be selected with each press until you reach the voice guide setting. 

NOTE: If nothing appears to be happening when you press the MODE button, try pressing it for a longer period of time—we recommend about 2 seconds. 

2) The VOICE button will be illuminated and a flashing “1” will appear on the display to signify the language is set to its default of Korean.  

3) Use the > button to cycle through the three different languages until your desired language is selected (1 is Korean, 2 is English, and 3 is Chinese).

4) Once selected, press the SET button to confirm and set the voice guide’s language.

For additional notes and instructions regarding your cooker's voice guide, please refer to your product manual. If you've misplaced your product manual, visit this page for an online copy.

Our traditional inner pots are not dishwasher safe due to their coating—if you attempt to clean your inner pot in a dishwasher, you will run the risk of causing irreversible damage to the inner pot's coating (chipping, peeling, etc.). 

Multi-Cookers

We recommend using wooden, heat-safe plastic, heat-safe rubber utensils or the provided rice spatula that came with your unit to stir and serve food from your inner pot—do not use metal or stainless steel utensils as this can cause scratches or damage to the inner pot. 

We recommend using wooden, heat-safe plastic, heat-safe rubber utensils or the provided rice spatula that came with your unit to stir and serve food from your inner pot—do not use metal or stainless steel utensils as this can cause scratches or damage to the inner pot. 

How is your rice cooked to perfection use after use? The answer is our patented Smart Algorithm also known as Fuzzy Logic technology. This smart technology found in most of our rice cooker models is optimized to automatically sense and control the internal temperature throughout the cooking cycle for delicious texture and flavor. 

The cooking cycle will begin by preheating the rice and liquid to optimal low soaking temperatures in order to break down any starch or bran layers—preventing your cooked rice from becoming too mushy or moist. The cooker will then soak the grains at this temperature to continue the breakdown process and to allow each grain to absorb moisture.                                                                                              

Once sufficiently soaked, the cooker will maintain a steady heat at around boiling temperature to cook the grains, but will automatically fluctuate depending on how much liquid or moisture the technology senses—effectively preventing overcooked rice.

Reaching the end of the cooking cycle, the cooker will output a final heat surge to remove any and all excess moisture from the rice. 

When the rice has finished cooking, keep-warm mode will then be automatically initiated to keep your rice and grains at perfect serving temperatures!

The preset timer is a feature that can be used for prepping meals hours in advance or overnight so that you can have rice ready right when you need it! Most of our models offer a 24-hour preset timer, meaning you can place your ingredients in the inner pot up to 24 hours in advance and set the preset timer. Once the input time elapses, your food will automatically begin cooking for you! 

We do not recommend leaving your cooked foods in the inner pot on keep-warm mode for longer than 12 hours. 

We do not recommend cooking food using the reheat function on your multi-cooker. The reheat option is designed to heat up pre-cooked food to optimal serving temperatures without overcooking or burning it. 

We do not recommend putting your inner pot in varying environments that undergo rapid temperature change (i.e. going from high cooking temperature straight to freezer). If your inner pot is at room temperature, putting your inner pot in the refrigerator should not cause damage to the material. However, we do not recommend leaving the inner pot in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours. 

The inner pot should never be placed on the stovetop or in the oven to cook its contents. Our inner pots are designed to only be used in our rice cookers and their respective heating base and will become warped or damaged if used on/in any other type of heating element. 

Changing the unit's language will vary slightly from unit to unit but generally the steps below can be followed: 

1) Ensure your cooker is in standby mode (no cooking cycles running), then press the MODE button 11 times. A different setting will be selected with each press until you reach the voice guide setting. 

NOTE: If nothing appears to be happening when you press the MODE button, try pressing it for a longer period of time—we recommend about 2 seconds. 

2) The VOICE button will be illuminated and a flashing “1” will appear on the display to signify the language is set to its default of Korean.  

3) Use the > button to cycle through the three different languages until your desired language is selected (1 is Korean, 2 is English, and 3 is Chinese).

4) Once selected, press the SET button to confirm and set the voice guide’s language.

For additional notes and instructions regarding your cooker's voice guide, please refer to your product manual. If you've misplaced your product manual, visit this page for an online copy.

Our traditional inner pots are not dishwasher safe due to their coating—if you attempt to clean your inner pot in a dishwasher, you will run the risk of causing irreversible damage to the inner pot's coating (chipping, peeling, etc.). 

However, the inner pot that is included with the model CMC-ZSN601F is completely dishwasher safe due to its stainless steel construction. 

Air Purifiers

To achieve fully purified air in your space, we recommend running the purifier as much as possible. On average, our air purifiers will completely replace the air in your space twice per hour.

CUCKOO's air purifiers are intended to only be used in the country it was initally purchased in. This is because the product follows any and all local regulations according to the selling location. 

“HEPA” stands for “high-efficiency particulate air” (filter). To be labeled a True HEPA filter, it must be able to trap 99.97 percent of particles that are 0.3 microns.

What are microns? Commonly referred as MPPS by scientists, microns are the the most penetrating particle size that are often difficult for other air purifiers to filter out. For your reference, here is a list of common indoor pollutants and their sizes:

* Dust Mite Debris: 0.5 to 50 microns

* Household Dust: .05 to 100 microns

* Human Hair: 70 to 100 microns

* Spores from plants: 6 to 100 microns

* Smoke: .01 to 1 microns

The UV-C light featured on a select few of our air purifier models is used to detect and remove tiny particles such as germs and bacteria that would otherwise go undetected. 

Air purifiers will still work while windows are open in your space, however, the purifier will greatly reduce its efficiency because outside elements will be repeatedly pulled in. 

If your windows are closed, the room's own air will be repeatedly circulated meaning any present contaminants will quickly be removed. 

Generally, you can increase the efficiency of the air purifier by up to 20% if you correctly place it. If you put the purifier in a corner or behind a television, you can lose more than 50% of the overall airflow.

We also recommend placing it about 3-5 feet off the ground to capture any vertical air movement that would otherwise be lost if the purifier was placed on the ground. 

Avoid placing it in areas with high humitidy like bathrooms or cooking areas--humid air is heavier air which can cause your purifier to have work twice as hard while filtering and reduce the effectiveness of the air filters. 

Lastly, avoid placing the purifier near (about 5 feet from) electronic devices like televisions, microwaves, or large computers.

Our filters have an average lifespan of 3-6 months (about 2,200 hours) with regular use. Some of our models feature a convenient and smart filter change indicator that will alert you exactly when the filters need to be changed.

Turning your air purifier on the highest mode it features and letting it run for about 1 hour can effectively and efficiently rid of smoke particles from wildfires. Our air purifers come with HEPA filters which have been proven by the EPA to be the most effective for removing smoke particulates. Many of our purifiers also feature a carbon filter which will absorb the unpleasant odors from smoke.

Sleep mode is optimally designed for your air to still be purified even as you sleep. This mode will dim all lights on the purifier and the fans will run at a slower, quieter speed so that your sleep is never interrupted. 

Auto mode, along with our real-time air quality sensor, will automatically purify your air according to the surrounding air quality. For example, if the purifier detects the surrounding air quality as "Poor" (as indicated by the LED lights), the purifier will automatically set its fans to run at a high speed to purify the air quickly until the quality is "Excellent."

Used air filters should not be recycled. To dispose of your used air filters, place them in a sealable plastic bag then throw away in an outdoor trash bin to ensure any harmful contaminants do not make their way back into your home. 

Store unused replacement filters in a dry room where the temperature will not be too hot or too cold. If you've accidentally opened a new filter before needing to replace it in your air purifier, be sure to store it in a sealable plastic bag. 

"The filter indicator alerts you when filters need changing. (red light blinks)

Please add  How to reset the filter change indicator

(Press and hold the filter button for 7 seconds to reset the filter replacement alert)"