Rice cooker question

[JuliaK]

Can someone please explain what makes a rice cooker different (better than?) a regular pot. It's seems easy enough to make rice in a pot (now that I've had lots of practice) but if a rice cooker makes it fool-proof or you can set a timer or something it might be worth the investment.

[alisong]

Oh, rice cookers are vastly superior to regular pots. They sense when the rice is done (how, I don't know. Magic? Steam?) and switch off. There's virtually no chance of burning the rice.

[endymion411]

Oh, rice cookers are vastly superior to regular pots. They sense when the rice is done (how, I don't know. Magic? Steam?) and switch off. There's virtually no chance of burning the rice.

every time i push down that little handle and wait for it to pop back up when the rice is perfectly cooked---i like to think it's magic :)

[thechick79]

I don't even know how to make rice in a pot :D DH and I have one but it's not a good one and spits out water and dries out the bottom layer of the rice.

[Mrs. M.]

I love my rice cooker. I know how to make good rice on an electric stove, but since we have gas now, I can't get the rice right. The rice cooker is wonderful, perfect every time :)

[KarenS]

A rice cooker measures the amount of moisture in the bottom of the pan and automatically shuts off when there's no water (or liquid) left. So if your measurements are accurate, then the rice is always perfectly cooked.

I personally have always made rice in a pot and see no need to have another appliance that only has one use in my cabinets! :)

It's really very easy to make rice in a pot. I learned from our Chinese Amah when we lived in Singapore and I've never had a bad pot of rice, ever. I don't even measure any more. Pour your rice into a pan and rinse in running water. Rinse about three times and then add enough water to cover the rice plus a depth of about 1/2" to 3/4" of an inch (I measure using the first knuckle of my forefinger). Cover the pot and bring to a full boil. As soon as the rice comes to a boil, turn the heat down to it's lowest setting (on some stoves you may need to notch it up slightly, but I do mean very slightly) and set the timer for 15 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE POT. At the end of 15 minutes, remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.

Karen

[karlatta]

My DH grew up in Bangkok, so we eat rice several times a week. It's something the wants with pretty much every meal.

I use a rice cooker, and I never have a problem getting perfectly cooked rice. It's not terribly dificult to cook rice in a pot, but when I'm cooking a main dish and a couple of other sides, it's easier just to not worry about the rice.

[mayiko]

I use a clay pot to cook my rice as per Karen's directions. But with a pot you have to "watch" the rice. With a rice cooker you can set it and forget it. I like using my pot because it's faster. My mom gave me one of those fuzzy logic rice cookers and it takes forever to cook but it does have a timer so you can set it in the morning and come home to perfectly cooked rice.

[jenjunum]

I know how to cook rice in a pot (similar to Karen's "recipe") but I have a rice cooker and use that exclusively. It's just easier and completely thoughtless. I do usually get a stuck on layer on the bottom but since a whole batch of rice only costs pennies probably I don't worry about it.

[kimbyj]

MY SIL is Japanese and she lives by the rice cooker. My mother and I prefer to cook the rice in the microwave. It's easy enough and takes 15 minutes.

[kimbyj]

MY SIL is Japanese and she lives by the rice cooker. My mother and I prefer to cook the rice in the microwave. It's easy enough and takes 15 minutes.

[JuliaK]

After reading these replies, yesterday I thought I could live without one, today, I want to run out and get one. I usually make a perfect batch of rice in the pot without any problems at all. Boil 2 cups of water, add one cup of Uncle Bens, simmer for 20 minutes, voila. Today, I had some chops cooking in the crock-pot and I wanted to take the kids to the park so in order to have dinner ready early enough, the kids had to wait 25 minutes for me to cook the rice before we left. I so could have used a rice cooker today.

Any brand recommendations?

[polarama]

I also use my rice cooker as a steamer, and sometimes as a pseudo-crock pot.

If you have chinese/asian grocery stores in your town that carry appliances, head over there--chances are, they will be cheaper than if you got it at a regular home store. I have 2, a Ta-Tung brand that is the most basic type, and a Zoriushi (I know I have that spelling wrong, but it starts with a Z and has an elephant on it) one that allows pre-programming, quick-cooking, and some other fun features.

[la_bride_2004]

I have a Japanese husband. I have to be honest- we eat brown rice and California Japanese rice, but I have never eaten Uncle Ben's, so I am wondering if it cooks differently in the rice cooker.

We have a Zojirushi. I love it because the inside pan is nonstick and goes into the dishwasher. Also it has a "keep warm" function so I can make the rice in advance and not have to wait for it.

[Mrs. M.]

Mine is from Ikea. Non-stick interior and keep-warm feature included and it cost under 20 Euro :)

[lawyergirl25]

This discussion is making me hungry for rice. Yum.