The author analytically proves that the simplest fuzzy controllers using different inference methods are different nonlinear proportional-integral (PI) controllers with proportional-gains and integral-gains changing with inputs of the controllers. The inference methods involved are Mamdani’s minimum inference method, Larsen’s product inference method, the drastic product inference method and the bounded product inference method. Configuration of the fuzzy controllers is minimal, which includes two input fuzzy sets, three output fuzzy sets, four control rules, Zadeh fuzzy logic AND, Lukasiewicz fuzzy logic OR and a center of gravity defuzzification algorithm. After analytically investigating properties of the nonlinear PI controllers, the author reveals that the bounded product inference method is inappropriate for the control purpose while the other three inference methods are appropriate. Dynamic and static control behaviors of the fuzzy controllers with the appropriate inference methods are analytically compared with each other, and are also compared with those of the linear PI controller. Finally, it is analytically proven that the fuzzy control systems have the same local stability at the equilibrium point as the corresponding linear PI control system does.