How many people own a rice cooker?

[modhatter]

Well, I just ordered the rice cooker last night so I haven't gotten it yet, of course. I am going to make some of the rice tonight in a regular pot and see how it goes. After I get the rice cooker and use it, I will report my findings.

What it is supposed to do is cook all types of rice including brown rices, steel oats for morning cereal, puddings, steam vegetables at the same time, and can also serve as a slow cooker if you choose. You can also program it up to 15 hours ahead to have your rice done by a particular time, so you can put it together in the morning before you go to work. Also, other benefit is that it keeps the rice warm for a long time, so you don't have to worry about having everything else done at the same time the rice is done. You can even keep for following day in the better units.

Yes, the idea of the fuzzy logic system is that it compensates for your screw ups with water or other liquids. We'll see. Buy the way, I did order that book you mentioned. Looking forward to reading it and trying some new stuff!

[zinger1457]

I have the Sanyo 5.5 cup rice cooker, it's also great for steaming vegetables.

[tmm99]

It's true, you can cook rice in pots over stove, etc. I remember this huge round bottomed rice cooking pot (In Japan, everyone used to have a pot specially made to cook rice in) with a huge blocky wooden lid, kind of like this..
Rakuten - Constant boiler house design] [Shin Minoru rice cooker rice cooking in three case of Nambu ironware
which allows just the right amount of steam to escape when cooking. The newer rice cookers have a very thick pan inside that simulates this kind of traditional cookware, with the steam escape lid on top (steam escape is nothing new).

Personally, I can't tell the difference when I cook long grain rice using stovetop from the rice cooker. I think there is a bigger margin of error embedded in long grain rice cooking. Short grain is definitely much harder to cook. Using the rice cooker is the only way I can get the shiny polished look on top of the rice with the right amount of stickiness without overcooking the grain surface or undercooking the core. BTW, I can never seemed to get my basmati rice to come out of my rice cooker like the basmati rice I get at Indian resturants. Maybe japanese rice cooker works best on short/medium grains...

[clifp]

I live Hawaii, I own a rice cooker. Actually I have no clue how you make rice without a rice cooker. I am guessing it isn't hard, but a rice cooker makes it easy.

[Nova]

My electric cooker is a Black & Decker. It wasn't expensive. A friend who doesn't eat rice received it as a gift. She passed it on to me. I make rice once or twice a week.

I make the food I feed to our dog and rice is a mainstay in his diet. To my animal loving friends, his vet suggested we try people food (specific ratio of carbs to protein) when he was a puppy, extremely sick, and wouldn't eat anything. We have never been able to get him back to eating dog food.

DH and I like most any kind of rice, but the dog really likes basmati rice. You guessed it, most of the time we have basmati rice (it really is good).

The rice cooker is terrific. I put the rice on when I start cooking dinner. If it finishes before dinner is ready, it has a keep warm setting. I have learned that if I want the rice to be light and fluffy, I need to unplug the cooker when it finishes cooking. The rice will still stay nice and warm. If I use the built in keep warm setting, it tends to brown the bottom of the rice...nice for some meals, not so much for others. I like that I don't have to worry with the rice cooker. The rice cooker is no harder to clean up than a sauce pan...especially if the liquid spilled over the pan and onto the burner (electric range doesn't reduce to simmer all that well).

I hope you enjoy your rice cooker as much as I enjoy mine.

[FIREd]

I cook rice in my pressure cooker, probably one of my most versatile piece of cooking equipment I own (I use mine every day).

1 cup of dry rice + 1.5 cup of water. Heat until the cooker is pressurized. Turn off the heat. And let the cooker depressurize on its own. Done. Works for white or brown rice.

[Moemg]

Years ago I took a Chinese cooking class and the instructor said the way to cook rice is to put in the ingredients and ignore it . Well I've been doing that for thirty years and my rice is always perfect .

[Lisa99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FD I cook rice in my pressure cooker, probably one of my most versatile piece of cooking equipment I own (I use mine every day). 1 cup of dry rice + 1.5 cup of water. Heat until the cooker is pressurized. Turn off the heat. And let the cooker depressurize on its own. Done. Works for white or brown rice.

Awesome method...thanks!

Going to try it right now.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LightningDawg Most important is the choice of rice. My favorite is Kokuho Rose, a korean rice. It's a little sticky, and never dry.

+1
Yes, I should have mentioned that. This is my favorite white rice, too. In fact, it's the only one I use now.

[FreeAtLast]

I took a Politic Science course in college as an elective in the mid 70's and the professor would often ramble on about things in his personal life. He rice cooker was one of his favorite stories.

I never really understood why he did this at the time, however, now thinking about it he probably had tenure and was thinking about retirement and not about teaching.

[harley]

I've cooked rice both ways. I've screwed it up in a pot on occasion, usually through poor measuring or overcooking. The rice cooker has never messed up the rice. Adding to that, I don't know a single Asian born American who doesn't own one. I won't eat in an Indian restaurant that doesn't have Indian customers. Same with any other ethnic restaurant. If they don't have customers of the same ethnicity I assume they aren't very good. So I'm a believer in the rice cooker concept.

[audreyh1]

I have a little Panasonic rice cooker - 3.3 cup. Does brown rice great. Depending on the rice - last time I did 2.5 cups water to 1.5 cups long grain brown rice and it came out perfect.

I have used a rice cooker for years. It's just so brainless.

Audrey

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley ...I don't know a single Asian born American who doesn't own one.....

DD's Japanese MIL gave her a rice cooker for a wedding gift. Her MIL has cooked sticky rice in an electric rice cooker every single day for at least 40 years. I can understand why they are popular in Asian kitchens.

[Dimsumkid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LightningDawg We have used rice cookers for decades. The best one out there is Zojirushi. We like the smaller ones, as they seem to cook faster, yet make plenty for our family. Most important is the choice of rice. My favorite is Kokuho Rose, a korean rice. It's a little sticky, and never dry.

Hate to break this to you, but Kokuho Rose is grown in the US, in Ca! The owner isn't Korean, he's Japanese! I've been using this brand for almost 30 years. I have a cheap 5 or 6 cup cooker. I use 1c:1.5c water ratio. With brown rice I use 2c water. Here's the website, they have a history page on the company and family:

Www.kodafarms.com

[JJPIES60]

In the Chinese cooking class I took, I was told to soak the rice for a least a half hour, then rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then measure the water, and follow the usual cooking directions. It helps.

[veremchuka]

rice cooker? i've used a pressure cooker for 25 years. 4 cups short grain brown rice : 6 cups of water. bring it up to pressure and turn down to low, cook for 30 minutes. i never heard of a rice cooker, i need to get out more. i've never used the pressure cooker for anything but rice and i must have used it thousands of times.

[GregLee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 I'm hard pressed to understand how any fuzzy-logic is going to help make rice any better.

In classical logic, to the question "Is the rice done?", we must either answer "Yes" or "No". Fuzzily, though, we might answer: "It might very well be done, but I'm not taking a definite position." With this additional flexibility, will the rice be better cooked? It might very well be.

[WM]

We have a $13 rice cooker that I use maybe once per month or so. Also good for quinoa. I never perfected rice on the stove - my attention always lapses and I end up with a mess. Rice cooker is great every time.

That said, I am thinking about replacing my old-style pressure cooker (with the weight that sits on top) with a newer model. At that point, I'd probably just use the pressure cooker and get rid of the rice cooker.

[WhoDaresWins]

Yup, I do have a rice cooker, much to my dismay. I had previously cooked rice on the stove top with perfectly good results. However, this method bugged my son when he visited so he sent me a 5 cup Zojirushi which I use about once a week as I am trying to get a goodly amount of whole grains in my diet.
It does cook rice very well. Perfectly in truth, and it plays a cute little tune when finished.
My favorite rice is a mix of brown and wild rice from Lundberg farms.

[photoguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by modhatter I just ordered a $110 Sanyo 5 1/2 cup rice cooker from Amazon.

What does a $110 rice cooker do better than a less expensive one?