Author Topic: Rice Cookers?  (Read 119384 times)

Alchemisst

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Rice Cookers?
« on: May 13, 2022, 07:02:27 AM »
Any recommendation on rice cookers? Are the $300+ Tiger ones worth it? I heard that the induction/ pressure cooking ones cook and taste a lot better and are faster?

svosavvy

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2022, 07:14:38 AM »
Never owned a rice cooker.  I always cooked on the stovetop with mixed results at best.  Then we got an instant pot for xmas.  Rice is my favorite thing to cook in it.  It is foolproof great every time.  I cook 4 cups of dry standard brown rice at a go.  This will feed the family that evening and have 2 meals worth of leftovers.  Once rice in the pot has cooled after the meal I put plastic wrap over the metal insert and put it in the fridge.  Just my two cents.

Freedomin5

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2022, 07:15:30 AM »
A rice cooker is so unnecessary. I grew up in a family that ate rice every day. We had a rice cooker. Now, I've replaced it with an electric pressure cooker, which I use to make rice, as well as many other things. It is so much more versatile than a rice cooker.

FIRE Artist

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2022, 07:47:31 AM »
I have a pressure cooker, and while it can make rice, as a household of one I just find the little Black and Decker 3 cup to be perfect, it gives me rice for 4 meals for one person, or if you were a couple, rice for two meals (North American use of rice as a side, not the main part of the dish).  I think that unit is about $20.  They are not a buy it for life item, I am on my third unit in 20 years.  Think of it more like a hot pot than a fancy bit of kit.   

I didn’t think that pressure cooked rice was all that, and the cleanup afterwards is much easier with the non stick pot and light glass lid of the rice cooker vs. The stainless steel instant pot pot and the big clunky lid with gasket and valves etc.  Sure, you can buy a non stick insert for your instant pot, but that is likely more than the cost of the rice cooker. 

GuitarStv

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2022, 07:58:43 AM »
My wife bought a small Betty Crocker rice cooker for 20$ about fifteen years ago, and we've been using it regularly ever since.  They're not necessary at all (totally possible to make rice in a pot on the stove), but I'd say it's handy if you eat a lot of the stuff.  You just throw the rice and water in, hit the lever, and about 15 minutes later you've got rice.

Tigerpine

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2022, 08:04:20 AM »
I've owned a number of rice cookers through the years, and I love them.  Tiger is a good brand, although ours currently is a Zojirushi.

I've never had an IH rice cooker, but I did have an IH burner some years ago.  The speed that they provide probably derives from the quickness at which they boil water.

If you eat rice every day, I think a rice cooker is worthwhile to have, although I personally wouldn't bother paying extra for IH.  If you can plan ahead just a little, the extra time needed for a "regular" rice cooker is at worst a minor inconvenience.

I do have a stovetop pressure cooker, but I've never tried to cook rice in it, as I've always had a rice cooker on hand.  The advantage to me to using a rice cooker is that the rice comes out the same every time you use it.  Oh, and you don't have to babysit it as much as the stovetop pressure cooker.  I have a bad habit of occasionally getting preoccupied and forgetting about the stove.

NorCal

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2022, 08:13:14 AM »
I still have the cheap $20 rice cooker I bought in college. Works fine, and not sure what a fancier one would add to the process.

JLee

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2022, 08:16:41 AM »
I use my Instant Pot for rice. It's awesome.

HipGnosis

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2022, 08:25:50 AM »
Quite a few variables that you don't provide make suggestions limited to broad ones.
I thought I hated rice when I got transfer orders in the Air Force to Japan.  Once I was I Japan, I learned of all the varieties of rice and realized all I had had before was minute-rice (which I abhor!).
I came back from Japan with 2 rice cookers (big and medium).
I am now single and eating brown rice, which I cook on the stove. 
New rice cookers have a setting for brown rice, but don't do well with small amounts.
I still have the two rice cookers - their 'warm' setting is great for taking food to pot-luck type gatherings.

YttriumNitrate

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2022, 08:46:36 AM »
About 15 years ago I was living with some college guys, and one of them had a Tiger rice cooker that used to be his Vietnamese mother's. Anyways, he wasn't much of a cooker and when he left, along with some other items, he left his rice cooker. To this day, I still use it at least two times a week.

It's basically an older version of this one:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tiger+rice+cooker&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjfidCc2tz3AhWpCDQIHR3PAVsQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1232&bih=633&dpr=1.36#spd=9279600124789339098

bacchi

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2022, 09:36:57 AM »
I have a $35 "multicooker" that I've used 2x/week for years. It has a mode for white rice, brown rice (works for lentils), veggie steaming, and a few other things.

A pressure cooker will get you rice faster but I'm in no hurry. I set it and forget it.

Sandi_k

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2022, 10:23:35 AM »
As a couple who makes rice bowls once a week or so, we've been happy with a microwave rice cooker. Personally, I hate appliances on the counter, except for the toaster and the coffee pot.

Advantages: add water and rice, and cook; no stirring or burning. Plus, the ceramic pot and lid can be thrown in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.

Just search for ceramic rice pot microwave on Amazon; you'll find both Korean and Japanese versions, and varying sizes as well, for ~ $40.

chemistk

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2022, 11:51:48 AM »
Take this with a grain of...rice, as we pretty much don't eat rice in my house. My kids won't touch it, at all, except if it's in sushi or if it's in a 'not looking like rice' form. I've tried to get them to like it, hard, to no avail. No sense in making a bunch of rice only for basically me to eat it.

So that being said when I do make rice, it's *gasp* instant or stovetop in a 2qt pan.

But specifically for rice cookers, not only have I heard excellent reviews of the Zojirushi line of rice cookers, but I also happened to be looking at a review article for one yesterday:

https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/zojirushi-neuro-fuzzy-rice-cooker

jeninco

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2022, 03:12:09 PM »
We also have (and recommend!) the zojirushi neuro fuzzy rice cooker (a gift from a japanese-american family member). It's not that heavy, so it lives in a cabinet and comes out once/week or so when we have rice.

I will say, it's super-easy to use, and I cook a LOT. Starting off the rice and being able to walk away frees up a little brain space for making whatever else we're having with it.

I'm curious to hear folks' opinions about using an IP (or similar) for cooking rice -- I'm mildly interested in getting rid of the rice cooker, the pressure cooker, and at least one crock-pot if we can genuinely do all those things in one appliance.

JLee

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2022, 04:07:52 PM »
We also have (and recommend!) the zojirushi neuro fuzzy rice cooker (a gift from a japanese-american family member). It's not that heavy, so it lives in a cabinet and comes out once/week or so when we have rice.

I will say, it's super-easy to use, and I cook a LOT. Starting off the rice and being able to walk away frees up a little brain space for making whatever else we're having with it.

I'm curious to hear folks' opinions about using an IP (or similar) for cooking rice -- I'm mildly interested in getting rid of the rice cooker, the pressure cooker, and at least one crock-pot if we can genuinely do all those things in one appliance.

I primarily use my Instant Pot for rice.  It does other stuff of course, but I've found rice is most often why I use it.

GreenSheep

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2022, 08:22:03 AM »
I love my Zojirushi rice cooker. It's nice that I can throw the rice and water in there when I think of it, press "Start," and have rice ready and waiting when I'm ready to eat later. I don't have to think about what time I plan to eat and make sure I start the rice 90 minutes before that.

I also use it almost daily (well, nightly) for steel cut oatmeal. I put the oats and water in the night before, set it to be ready when I get up in the morning, and then have hot, fresh, perfectly cooked oatmeal first thing in the morning.

windytrail

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2022, 12:56:01 PM »
Another recommendation for the instant pot because it does so many other tasks besides rice: cook dry beans in less than 90 minutes, steam potatoes, make yogurt, soups, slow cooker, etc.

Freedomin5

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #17 on: May 16, 2022, 05:35:50 AM »
My electric pressure cooker has a "rice" function. I use it in exactly the same manner as I did my rice cooker. Put the rice and water in, put the lid on, press the button, and it beeps when the rice is done. The rice also cooks a lot faster in a pressure cooker than in a rice cooker.

JLee

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #18 on: May 16, 2022, 06:14:06 AM »
Another recommendation for the instant pot because it does so many other tasks besides rice: cook dry beans in less than 90 minutes, steam potatoes, make yogurt, soups, slow cooker, etc.

Beans is a great point - I made baked beans yesterday immediately after making a batch of split pea soup. Without a pressure cooker that would probably have been a multi-day endeavor instead of a few hours all-in.

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #19 on: May 16, 2022, 06:52:02 AM »
I have a cheap rice cooker that I've used at least weekly for about 12 years now, it was probably $15-20 dollars. It works fine, and I think it's a lot simpler and less likely to burn than cooking on the stove. I did get an instant pot more recently, which I love for many other reasons, but I held on to the rice cooker because it's so easy and doesn't take up much space, and sometimes I want to use the ip for the meal and make rice too.

Moonwaves

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #20 on: May 16, 2022, 07:19:22 AM »
I bought a cheap Russell Hobbs rice cooker last year and I love it and hate it in about equal parts. It does not have a brown rice setting and so it has been a bit of a faff trying to figure out quantities of water and time to get something decent. Which means I've only actually used it about three times. I can see the potential though. Either I'll switch to white rice for a while once all I currently have is gone, or (more likely) I'll just reclaim the counter space.

Dave1442397

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #21 on: May 16, 2022, 03:03:13 PM »
My Filipina wife has always used a rice cooker, and I find it quick and easy to use. Pour in a cup or two of rice. Add water until it reaches the first knuckle of your finger when touching the rice. Flip the switch and off it goes. Ours switches to warming mode once the rice is done.

All of the big Asian markets around here sell them, and I don't think ours cost more than $15 (we've had it at least 20 years).

Rubic

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #22 on: May 16, 2022, 03:58:30 PM »
Another recommendation for the Zojirushi rice cooker!

I had foreign students from China and India live with me and they were seriously impressed with the quality, consistency, and ease of rice cooking.

Something I learned along the way ... I would cook about 3x amount of rice that I needed then store the excess in ziplock freezer bags for quick reheating on a later date.  Useful for when you're in a hurry for a hot meal.

Adventine

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #23 on: May 16, 2022, 05:44:42 PM »
My Filipina wife has always used a rice cooker, and I find it quick and easy to use. Pour in a cup or two of rice. Add water until it reaches the first knuckle of your finger when touching the rice. Flip the switch and off it goes. Ours switches to warming mode once the rice is done.

All of the big Asian markets around here sell them, and I don't think ours cost more than $15 (we've had it at least 20 years).


The good old Filipino knuckle method of cooking rice :D That's the way I did it for 30 years.


Now that I'm in the States, I don't have a rice cooker. Haven't really needed one because we have an Instant Pot at home. Most of the time, though, my husband prefers to cook rice on the stovetop.

myrrh

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #24 on: May 17, 2022, 08:55:52 AM »
The knuckle method is what my Japanese mother taught me as well. :D

I have no recommendations on rice cookers except the instant pot. Every cheap rice cooker I've tried has burned the rice on the bottom and I don't like that you can't buy one without the autowarm (aka burn more) feature. I'm too cheap to try a $300 rice cooker, especially since the instant pot works fine!

lucenzo11

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #25 on: May 17, 2022, 09:13:10 AM »
I have a fancy rice cooker with induction heat and I love it. Zojirushi NP-GBC05. Great rice cooker, but not for everyone. I received it as a gift so I didn't have to personally justify the pricetag, but that's definitely a consideration.

I really like rice and usually make it once or twice a week. Previously I would usually make stove top, 15 minute white rice. It usually came out okay, but about a third of the time I would over or undercook it if I was distracted with other cooking. I would also make brown rice but that had a higher failure rate. The rice cooker pretty much simplifies it down to a very basic task with little thought. Pretty much set it and forget it. Not a fan of a unitasker in my kitchen especially one that takes up counter space, but the quality and convenience of it is what allows me to make the exception.

White rice takes about 45 minutes, there is also a quick cook that does it in about 30. Brown rice is over 90 minutes, but comes out perfect.

As for whether you need a fancy rice cooker or even a rice cooker at all, I would ask yourself these questions:
1. How often do you make rice? If it's less than once per week then you do not need a rice cooker or you should got with the cheap $20 cooker.
2. What type of rice are you making? If you just make white rice, you do not need a fancy rice cooker and can get a very simple one. If you are making brown rice, I would suggest getting a rice cooker with a dedicated brown rice setting. IMO, it does make a difference. You can still do it with a regular setting, but you may have to practice it a bit with the ratios of water and rice to get the desired result.
3. Can you measure out water and rice accurately? If so, then you probably don't need induction heat. The best benefit of induction heat is that it can make very small adjustments to heat and compensate for variations, like if there is too much water. With my rice cooker, I could add half a cup too much water and get the same result as if I measured perfectly. Kind of idiot proof and not something that everyone needs.
4. Do you need any timer system? When I was going to work everyday, the timer was really great. I could set my rice before I left for work and program it to be ready at 6. I'd come home at 5:30 and my place would smell amazing. Then I could focus on cooking the rest of dinner. Now that I'm working from home, this doesn't matter as much to me, but it's still nice that I can set it in advance in case I have a call that will take up most of my afternoon. The warming setting is also nice because if I got stuck at work, the rice would still be warm when I got home.

I can't speak to an InstaPot or pressure cooker but would think that most of them could produce good results in a quick time.

Hope this helps!

Sandi_k

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #26 on: May 17, 2022, 11:06:25 AM »
The knuckle method is what my Japanese mother taught me as well. :D

I have no recommendations on rice cookers except the instant pot. Every cheap rice cooker I've tried has burned the rice on the bottom and I don't like that you can't buy one without the autowarm (aka burn more) feature. I'm too cheap to try a $300 rice cooker, especially since the instant pot works fine!

And that's why the microwave rice cooker is so excellent. No burning, and we get to dump in water + rice and walk away. I hate standing at the stove for 20+ minutes.

patchyfacialhair

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #27 on: May 17, 2022, 11:18:36 AM »
I'm at higher altitude (approx 6700 ft) and always had mixed results with stove top method. My wife got me an instant pot a few years ago and it's a game changer. It's now used 2-3 times a week for rice/beans, and it's perfect every time. I've used it a few other times for tough meats like pork shoulder, chuck roast, etc., but mostly beans/rice and now the instant pot is a requirement for me going forward to always have on hand.

GreenSheep

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #28 on: May 17, 2022, 12:45:15 PM »
And that's why the microwave rice cooker is so excellent. No burning, and we get to dump in water + rice and walk away. I hate standing at the stove for 20+ minutes.

Why do you have to stand at the stove? Even before I had a rice cooker, I'd just put the rice and water in a pot, bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer until done. I only had to keep an eye on it until it boiled, and even then, I wasn't standing at the stove. I was putting away clean dishes, working on another part of the meal, etc. You can hear when it starts to get close to boiling.

AccidentialMustache

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #29 on: May 17, 2022, 04:38:18 PM »
+1 zojirushi neuro fuzzy! The "have my rice ready at X" timer feature is super. Put the rice and water in at noon, ready at 5pm sharp along with dinner. It also makes a mean oatmeal, hot and ready as you wake up. Would replace it with another identical model if it broke.

Sandi_k

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #30 on: May 17, 2022, 11:17:26 PM »
And that's why the microwave rice cooker is so excellent. No burning, and we get to dump in water + rice and walk away. I hate standing at the stove for 20+ minutes.

Why do you have to stand at the stove? Even before I had a rice cooker, I'd just put the rice and water in a pot, bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer until done. I only had to keep an eye on it until it boiled, and even then, I wasn't standing at the stove. I was putting away clean dishes, working on another part of the meal, etc. You can hear when it starts to get close to boiling.

Too many experiences with getting distracted and leaving the kitchen to later finding it scorched. Both DH and I are distractable cooks.

GreenSheep

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #31 on: May 18, 2022, 05:20:46 AM »
And that's why the microwave rice cooker is so excellent. No burning, and we get to dump in water + rice and walk away. I hate standing at the stove for 20+ minutes.

Why do you have to stand at the stove? Even before I had a rice cooker, I'd just put the rice and water in a pot, bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer until done. I only had to keep an eye on it until it boiled, and even then, I wasn't standing at the stove. I was putting away clean dishes, working on another part of the meal, etc. You can hear when it starts to get close to boiling.

Too many experiences with getting distracted and leaving the kitchen to later finding it scorched. Both DH and I are distractable cooks.

So set a timer! :-) You can even use your phone timer (if you're a person who always has your phone in your pocket) if you're afraid you'll be too far from the kitchen to hear a kitchen timer.

Sandi_k

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #32 on: May 18, 2022, 10:42:43 AM »
And that's why the microwave rice cooker is so excellent. No burning, and we get to dump in water + rice and walk away. I hate standing at the stove for 20+ minutes.

Why do you have to stand at the stove? Even before I had a rice cooker, I'd just put the rice and water in a pot, bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer until done. I only had to keep an eye on it until it boiled, and even then, I wasn't standing at the stove. I was putting away clean dishes, working on another part of the meal, etc. You can hear when it starts to get close to boiling.

Too many experiences with getting distracted and leaving the kitchen to later finding it scorched. Both DH and I are distractable cooks.

So set a timer! :-) You can even use your phone timer (if you're a person who always has your phone in your pocket) if you're afraid you'll be too far from the kitchen to hear a kitchen timer.

Nah, we already have the problem solved with the microwave rice cooker. ;)

OtherJen

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #33 on: May 25, 2022, 06:13:37 AM »
We also have (and recommend!) the zojirushi neuro fuzzy rice cooker (a gift from a japanese-american family member). It's not that heavy, so it lives in a cabinet and comes out once/week or so when we have rice.

I will say, it's super-easy to use, and I cook a LOT. Starting off the rice and being able to walk away frees up a little brain space for making whatever else we're having with it.

I'm curious to hear folks' opinions about using an IP (or similar) for cooking rice -- I'm mildly interested in getting rid of the rice cooker, the pressure cooker, and at least one crock-pot if we can genuinely do all those things in one appliance.

We use our IP almost exclusively for cooking beans and rice (separately, of course). I like short-grain brown rice or white basmati or jasmine rice, and the IP cooks all of them perfectly.

Watchmaker

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #34 on: May 26, 2022, 08:40:42 AM »
We use a Japanese Iga clay rice cooker (like this: https://toirokitchen.com/collections/iga-yaki-donabe-cookware-from-iga-japan) on the stovetop. SO is Filipino so rice is serious business in our house and she says it's the best way she's found to make Filipino style rice.





PDXTabs

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #35 on: May 27, 2022, 06:12:03 PM »
I think that the most mustachian rice cooker is the Zojirushi NHS-10. I inherited my first one from my father. Eventually (after decades of use) it stopped working and I purchased a brand new one.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2022, 06:16:03 PM by PDXTabs »

Northern gal

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #36 on: May 30, 2022, 11:09:18 AM »
I'm a Panasonic kind of gal, they are A$120 new and go for A$20-50 on gumtree/market place.

My family is constantly on the go, so this thing is indispensable - set in the morning and forget! And it really reduces dining out. Whenever someone says "can we just go to x" on the way home from an outing, I can counter with "but I already started the rice cooker!"

That thing has paid for itself 10x over.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 11:11:22 AM by Northern gal »

SquarePeg

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #37 on: June 06, 2022, 05:52:59 PM »
I have one of the smaller Zojorushi cookers and really like it, although I have two beefs with it:

The latch for the lid is kind of sticky so it doesn't reliably keep the lid closed. I wrap a rubber band around the whole unit to make sure the lid doesn't pop open when cooking.

The timer function is great, but it relies on a battery-powered clock to work, and of course the battery has a finite lifespan. The battery is a lithium coin cell and should be an easy replacement, but instead is welded into the unit! I have a YouTube vid bookmarked that shows a process to replace it, but it looks like kind of a pain, with possibility for messing things up, so I just live with having to set the clock every time I plug the cooker in (if I want to use the timer).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuGIEnwyau8

moof

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #38 on: June 06, 2022, 11:57:11 PM »
For brown rice we switched to the boil method.  4:1 boiling water to brown rice, 27 minutes at a simmer.  Drain and return to the warm pot, best brown rice I’ve had.  YMMV.

4tify

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #39 on: June 07, 2022, 11:38:50 AM »
Took me a couple years but I can now make perfect rice stove top anytime. YMMV.

BlueHouse

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #40 on: June 26, 2022, 05:38:14 PM »
I have the Aroma Rice Cooker and I love it.  I make quinoa in it all the time too.  I just can't get either right on the stovetop (and I don't like having to watch them).    I do think the secret to great rice and quinoa is to wash the rice.  I did not know rice had to be washed until I was looking for a quinoa rinser and then found all the reviews about washing rice -- what a difference!!

https://www.amazon.com/Aroma-Housewares-ARC-914SBD-Cool-Touch-Stainless/dp/B007WQ9YNO/ref=asc_df_B007WQ9YNO/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167155690034&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9783387465393179747&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9010542&hvtargid=pla-308446476130&psc=1

Metalcat

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #41 on: June 27, 2022, 05:58:56 AM »
And that's why the microwave rice cooker is so excellent. No burning, and we get to dump in water + rice and walk away. I hate standing at the stove for 20+ minutes.

Why do you have to stand at the stove? Even before I had a rice cooker, I'd just put the rice and water in a pot, bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer until done. I only had to keep an eye on it until it boiled, and even then, I wasn't standing at the stove. I was putting away clean dishes, working on another part of the meal, etc. You can hear when it starts to get close to boiling.

Too many experiences with getting distracted and leaving the kitchen to later finding it scorched. Both DH and I are distractable cooks.

So set a timer! :-) You can even use your phone timer (if you're a person who always has your phone in your pocket) if you're afraid you'll be too far from the kitchen to hear a kitchen timer.

Nah, we already have the problem solved with the microwave rice cooker. ;)

Microwave rice cookers are the best.

Samuel

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #42 on: June 27, 2022, 12:47:19 PM »
For brown rice we switched to the boil method.  4:1 boiling water to brown rice, 27 minutes at a simmer.  Drain and return to the warm pot, best brown rice I’ve had.  YMMV.

This is my preferred method for brown rice too. Super consistent with no measuring.

I boil for 30 minutes, drain, add rice back to the still hot pot, cover tightly (off heat), and let sit undisturbed for 15 minutes (where the residual heat and water steam into the rice).

NorthernFire

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #43 on: July 06, 2022, 07:23:30 PM »
Another recommendation for the Zojirushi rice cooker. We have used ours for at least 15 years, maybe longer. We eat rice about 5 or 6 nights a week. Easy to use and clean.

JupiterGreen

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #44 on: September 20, 2022, 02:09:28 PM »
Another recommendation for the Zojirushi rice cooker. We have used ours for at least 15 years, maybe longer. We eat rice about 5 or 6 nights a week. Easy to use and clean.

If I ever buy one again, I'll look at the Zojirushi. The first one I bought was a small cheap one that lasted about 15 years. Then I saw a full sized one at a silent auction fundraiser. The brand is 3squares it is fairly inexpensive but it works fine. I think we paid about what it goes for ($50), but in our case it was a donation for a cause so it was a two-for.

Alchemisst

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #45 on: October 20, 2022, 06:20:30 AM »
Only problem I have with rice cookers is they can be hard to clean, not the removable part itself but the rice/ residue seems to get into crevices and is hard to get it all out, possibly creates mold/ bacteria?

GilesMM

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #46 on: October 20, 2022, 07:04:04 AM »
The big difference between a machine that will cook rice and one over $100 is the ability to 1) cook different types of rice perfectly to your taste and 2) keep it hot and moist for many days.

We have a rice cooker running with hot ready-to-eat rice on the counter top 24/7.  We clean it and make a fresh batch every 4-5 days.  It uses fuzzy logic and is adjustable for wetter or dryer rice.  We normally cook brown sushi rice with beans in it.  The machine cooks and stores rice flawlessly.  It is probably our third or fourth one. We even have a mini version for trips.

If you just want an easy way to cook rice, get a cheap one.  Or cook it on the stove.

Alchemisst

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #47 on: October 23, 2022, 05:34:16 AM »
The big difference between a machine that will cook rice and one over $100 is the ability to 1) cook different types of rice perfectly to your taste and 2) keep it hot and moist for many days.

We have a rice cooker running with hot ready-to-eat rice on the counter top 24/7.  We clean it and make a fresh batch every 4-5 days.  It uses fuzzy logic and is adjustable for wetter or dryer rice.  We normally cook brown sushi rice with beans in it.  The machine cooks and stores rice flawlessly.  It is probably our third or fourth one. We even have a mini version for trips.

If you just want an easy way to cook rice, get a cheap one.  Or cook it on the stove.

I have heard of others doing it this way, but how safe is it to leave for a few days? Also how long is too long? Is mold/ bacteria an issue? What about the extra electricity cost by leaving it on, probably negligible?

GilesMM

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #48 on: October 23, 2022, 06:38:04 AM »
The big difference between a machine that will cook rice and one over $100 is the ability to 1) cook different types of rice perfectly to your taste and 2) keep it hot and moist for many days.

We have a rice cooker running with hot ready-to-eat rice on the counter top 24/7.  We clean it and make a fresh batch every 4-5 days.  It uses fuzzy logic and is adjustable for wetter or dryer rice.  We normally cook brown sushi rice with beans in it.  The machine cooks and stores rice flawlessly.  It is probably our third or fourth one. We even have a mini version for trips.

If you just want an easy way to cook rice, get a cheap one.  Or cook it on the stove.

I have heard of others doing it this way, but how safe is it to leave for a few days? Also how long is too long? Is mold/ bacteria an issue? What about the extra electricity cost by leaving it on, probably negligible?

We've never had a problem.  YMMV.

GuitarStv

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Re: Rice Cookers?
« Reply #49 on: October 24, 2022, 10:11:37 AM »
The big difference between a machine that will cook rice and one over $100 is the ability to 1) cook different types of rice perfectly to your taste and 2) keep it hot and moist for many days.

We have a rice cooker running with hot ready-to-eat rice on the counter top 24/7.  We clean it and make a fresh batch every 4-5 days.  It uses fuzzy logic and is adjustable for wetter or dryer rice.  We normally cook brown sushi rice with beans in it.  The machine cooks and stores rice flawlessly.  It is probably our third or fourth one. We even have a mini version for trips.

If you just want an easy way to cook rice, get a cheap one.  Or cook it on the stove.

I have heard of others doing it this way, but how safe is it to leave for a few days? Also how long is too long? Is mold/ bacteria an issue? What about the extra electricity cost by leaving it on, probably negligible?

We've never had a problem.  YMMV.

You're probably OK on the bacteria front if you keep it hot enough . . . but given that making rice from scratch takes no more than what, 15 minutes?  It seems like kinda a waste of power to have a heater running non-stop for that purpose.