Cuisinart Rice Cooker... CRC-400

[srm]

Hey gang. I got one for christmas (Cuisinart Rice Cooker CRC-400) I used it today to make brown rice (dont eat white). I put in 1/2 cup of brown rice, and about 1 cup of chicken broth. In the end, when it was done the rice was still a bit hard, and it was even starting to burn at the bottom. Luckily i checked it when i did! Is this just a case where i should have added more fluid? Anyone have any recommended rice to fluid ratios i should be using? Seems the one in the manual isnt quite right. Thanks.

-S

 

[Corey123]

This is the first time that I ever heard of rice burning in a rice cooker.

 

[srm]

lol... ****, i'm good

 

[Michael in FtW]

This is the first time that I ever heard of rice burning in a rice cooker.

Ditto what Corey said! A rice cooker basically works this way ... it heats up to a max of 212ºF (the boiling point of water) - and as long as there is water in the cooker the temp will not go any higher ... but once the water is absorbed THEN the temp can increase - at which point it shuts off, or goes to the keep warm mode.

RTFM - Read The Furnished Manual! Brown rice may need a pre-soak - or a liquid increase of about 25% (according to the Tips on Page 3). Also, there is the measuring differences between the cup supplied with the rice cooker vs a standard measuring cup - these are noted in the manual as "Rice Cooker" and "Standard Liquid Measure".

Another problem ... DON'T LIFT THE LID during cooking! When you do - it releases steam and heat - and throws the thermostat off.

Hope this is of some help.

 

[Caine]

When I make brown rice in a rice cooker I always add 1/2 again as much liquid as for white rice, i.e. 1 cup white rice plus 2 cups water, 1 cup brown rice plus 3 cups water.

 

[GB]

Did you use the little plastic measuring cup that came with the cooker? Do not use a regular cup measure. The little plastic cup is not a normal measured cup. I think it is 6 oz instead of 8, but I am not positive.

 

[Corey123]

Ditto what Corey said! A rice cooker basically works this way ... it heats up to a max of 212ºF (the boiling point of water) - and as long as there is water in the cooker the temp will not go any higher ... but once the water is absorbed THEN the temp can increase - at which point it shuts off, or goes to the keep warm mode.

RTFM - Read The Furnished Manual! Brown rice may need a pre-soak - or a liquid increase of about 25% (according to the Tips on Page 3). Also, there is the measuring differences between the cup supplied with the rice cooker vs a standard measuring cup - these are noted in the manual as "Rice Cooker" and "Standard Liquid Measure".

Another problem ... DON'T LIFT THE LID during cooking! When you do - it releases steam and heat - and throws the thermostat off.

Hope this is of some help.

Thank you.

And yes, brown IS supposed to be pre-soaked first before doing it in the cooker.

 

[Zereh]

I have never soaked my brown rice before cooking.

The only thing to remember is that it is a two-to-one liquid to rice measure for brown (i.e. one cup rice, two cups liquid) rice. It takes a bit longer to cook than white, even in the cooker.


Z

 

[srm]

Thanks all. First thing's first, i was using a regular measuring cup, not the one it came with. I'm going to make another batch today, i'll post my results!. Thanks again.
S

 

[Corey123]

You're welcome!

Are the water levels for whichever rice you're coooking marked inside the bowl?

 

[GB]

I can promise you that what the cause of the problem. You ended up using more rice than the rice cooker thought you were using so there was not enough water. Rice cookers are amazing machines. They will cook rice perfectly every time if you use the right amount of rice and water.

Like Michael said, do not open the lid until it is done. As a matter of fact, if you have the kind with just one button operation, once it shuts off you should wait another 15 minutes to let it steam and finish. This is not necessary, but will give you a better result.

 

[Corey123]

Yes!

I once had too much water and not enough rice. Come to find out that the rice ended up being way too soft, no taste at all and gummy! I later realised that I DID NOT put enough rice into the cooker. I was off by 1/2 a cup.

Like you said, the machines are amazing, and will make perfectly-cooked rice. But if things aren't followed to the letter, the rice will then be RUINED! I had to start all over again, to which I had no problem doing.

And the ruined rice? Well, the trash barrel ended up getting that. Haha!!

 

[srm]

I'm at a loss. I made my second batch, same thing happened. This time i used the measuring cup it came with, and even put a bit more fluid (broth) than it called for. Once it popped to warm i let it sit there for about 10 min, i never once lifted the lid. When it was finally time to eat, i opened it up the top of it all looked great, moist, i was thrilled. then as i scooped, the bottom was a bit burnt... not burnt black, but brown / crispy type burnt. I'm sure had i let it sit another 10 min it would have started to turn black. The rice was still firm, some grains even had a bit of a crunch to it..

Is this because i'm using brown rice? should i only be cooking white rice in it?

 

[GB]

Is this a new rice cooker or have you had it for a while? Do you still have the instruction manual that came with it? How old is the rice that you were using?

 

[srm]

Yep, i have the manual and have gone back into it several times. The rice cooker is brand new (christmas gift) and the rice i'm using i just bought today, so it should be fresh! I'm thinking i should just try adding more fluid until it starts working... maybe a 3.5:1 or 4:1 fluid ratio?

 

[Andy M.]

Try it with white rice if you have some, following the directions in the manual. If it doesn't work right, return it as defective and get a replacement.

 

[GB]

Does the manual talk about brown rice at all?

I would do as you are thinking and try adding a little more water at a time. I would start with a tablespoon or two more and up it until you get it to work right.

Have you tried it with white rice yet? You might want to try that first. If it does not cook the white rice well then it is possible you have a defective unit and might need to exchange it.

 

[GB]

I guess I type too much Andy. You beat me to the punch

 

[Corey123]

You might be right, srm.

When cooking Uncle Ben's or a similar parboiled rice, I use the full 2 to 1 ratio - 2 cups of water to one cup of rice.

However, with River, Carolina, Jasmine and Basmati rice, I have to use slightly less water, or otherwise, those brands of rice will be way too soft, tasteless and gummy.

 

[Michael in FtW]

LOL - GB ... yes the manual does talk about brown rice. The link to the manual is in my previous post where I said, "RTFM - Read The Furnished Manual!"

The rice cooker "cup" = 3/4 standard mesuring cup (page 4).

The rice might need to be rinsed before cooking (page 3).

"If the rice is too wet, allow it to remain on Warm for 15 to 20 minutes
before serving. If it is too chewy, add up to ¼ cup more liquid and let stay on Warm until liquid is absorbed (about 15 to 20 minutes)." (page 4)​

The brown rice directions are on page 6:​

(2-4 servings): 1 "rice cooker cup" brown rice and 1-3/4 "standard liquid measuring cup" liquid.​

(3-5 servings): 1-1/2 "rice cooker cup" brown rice and 2-1/2 "standard liquid measuring cup" liquid.​

srm - try measuring out 1 "rice cooker meauring cup" of rice, then wash it (see page 3) and add to the pot along with 1-3/4 "standard liquid mesuring cup" water - then follow the rest of the instructions and see how that goes. And, pay attention to the instructions at the top of that page:​

"For grains or brown and specialty rices, use the chart provided below. Note that you should not prepare these in amounts smaller or larger than stated in the chart.

All rice/grain is measured in the rice cooker cup. All water/liquid is measured in a standard liquid measuring cup."​

If that doesn't work - try making white rice ... if that still doesn't work then you may have a bad thermostat in your cooker.​