Rice Cooker Questions

[bam1021]

I am looking at purchasing a new rice cooker. I want the ability to cook different types of rice or other items, and to avoid the dry crust on the bottom that we get with the traditional rice cooker. Steaming would be a nice but not necessary option. I am interested in a cooker with fuzzy logic, and perhaps with the new induction heating. I have a few questions:

1. If a cooker lists a capacity of, say, 6 cups, is that pre-cooked dry rice, or the finished, cooked rice?

2. Does anyone have a recommendation? I have a large family and want a larger capacity cooker. I know that Zojirushi, Tiger, and National are quality brands, but at the top end price-wise. What about some of the others, like Sanyo, Fujitronics, Aroma, or Sunpentown, etc?

3. Is there a big difference between the normal fuzzy logic cooker and the new induction heat cookers?

Any advice would be very helpful.

-bill

 

[Katie H]

First...welcome, Bill. We're glad you've found DC.

As for your rice cooker question, I have no clue but, believe me, you will receive plenty of answers from those who have experience.

Hope you will stay with us a nice long time.

 

[Green Lady]

Hi Bill,

Welcome to DC! The good folks here helped me to decide on which brand of range to purchase so I'm happy to help you in your selection of a rice cooker.

I have a 10 c. Aroma rice cooker. I bought it at Sam's Club for about $25. It has an insert for steaming. I can cook rice and steam pot stickers at the same time in it. I also cook different types of rice in it. A few times the bottom was a little crusty, but I think I needed to add more water than I did. Most times I got perfect rice out of it. It can also be used for making soup but I haven't used it that way yet.

In addition, it cooks the rice quickly. Much quicker than it would on the stove, plus it has a keep warm feature that kicks in automatically when the cooking in completed.

 

[kitchenelf]

I believe the 6 cups is cooked rice, not raw.

 

[Ms. Roxie]

I am the world's worst rice cook. However, I was lucky to receive a steamer as a gift. I don't have a lick of problems with quick rice (5 min instant) in the steamer. Right b4 serving I add whichever spices or vegie or meat I desire. Don't get me wrong, I wish I had the knowledge to make perfect rice. But, until I do, quick and simple is quite delicious.

The steamer also can steam fresh vegies and chicken or fish all together. Great for rice meals!

 

[Caine]

I used to have a 6 cup Aroma rice cooker, which I gave to my son when I bought my new Krups rice cooker/steamer/slow cooker. Aroma is an excellent brand, endorsed by Martin Yan, and he doesn't lend his name or his reputation to just anyone.

However, I abso-friggin-lutely LOVE my Krups! 10 cup capacity (yes, that's finished product), I can steam veggies while I cook rice, orif I am not cooking rice, with an extra steamer basket I can steam two vegetables at the same time. I haven't tried the slow cooker fuction yet, but I already have a crock pot that I haven't taken out of the cupboard in years.

 

[Corey123]

I am looking at purchasing a new rice cooker. I want the ability to cook different types of rice or other items, and to avoid the dry crust on the bottom that we get with the traditional rice cooker. Steaming would be a nice but not necessary option. I am interested in a cooker with fuzzy logic, and perhaps with the new induction heating. I have a few questions:

1. If a cooker lists a capacity of, say, 6 cups, is that pre-cooked dry rice, or the finished, cooked rice?

2. Does anyone have a recommendation? I have a large family and want a larger capacity cooker. I know that Zojirushi, Tiger, and National are quality brands, but at the top end price-wise. What about some of the others, like Sanyo, Fujitronics, Aroma, or Sunpentown, etc?

3. Is there a big difference between the normal fuzzy logic cooker and the new induction heat cookers?

Any advice would be very helpful.

-bill

Six cups of rice for a six-cup cooker is the FINISHED product.

You start off with 3 cups of rice and 6 cups of water. And for long grain or short grain, or most other rice, use slightly less water to avoid too-soft or gummy rice.

Zojirushi, I think, is the best one to get. I own a small one. And it WON'T overcook or undercook the rice either.

 

[legend_018]

The less devices I have the better "lol". I begged for a rice cooker for Christmas because I couldn't make rice. I made it in there once and it seemed like it took a long time. It was ok. But recently I have learned how to make rice better on the stove and I like it. So I'm going to get rid of the rice cooker.

 

[ScruffyAsh]

One tip that may help avoid the "rice crust" is when the cooker clicks to the warm setting, give the rice a fluff with the rice paddle, let it sit with power on for at least 10 - 15 minutes and the crust should be eliminated. Also, with the non-stick cookers crusts are hard to come by, but I still let the rice sit after cooking.

 

[obiwan9962]

most of the brands you have listed are reputable and good brands although i have never heard of superpentown

 

[Corey123]

The less devices I have the better "lol". I begged for a rice cooker for Christmas because I couldn't make rice. I made it in there once and it seemed like it took a long time. It was ok. But recently I have learned how to make rice better on the stove and I like it. So I'm going to get rid of the rice cooker.

Don't get rid of it!

You may want to use it again some day. But I AM going to get rid of my much older appliances though, since they were replaced with newer ones. All but the stand mixer, that is.

 

[GotGarlic]

I'm with legend - I don't have a lot of counter space for a bunch of appliances, so I use a microwave-safe bowl with a lid to microwave rice. There's only two of us (three when we have an exchange student), so I put in 1 cup of rice, 1-1/2 cups of chicken stock with 1 tbsp. of oil and some seasonings, then cook it on regular (high) power for 7 minutes, open it and stir, then cook on high for 8 more minutes. I get perfect rice every time. I learned that if I don't stir, it can be a bit crunchy at the end

For a larger amount of rice, just use a larger bowl and increase the rice and liquid accordingly.

 

[Corey123]

I've often read and heared that there was no time saved between cooking rice in the microwave or on the stove.

 

[Caine]

Of course there isn't. Water takes the same amount of time to boil, no matter how you heat it, unless you change your elevation or the atomspheric pressure.

I use a rice cooker because it frees up a burner on the stove and the miocrowave for other things, and IT never screws up the rice!

When I'm done with the rice cooker, the pot, the paddle, and the steamer basket if I used it, get washed in the dishwasher, the dew collector gets emptied, and it gets put into the cupboard with all my other labor saving devices. The only appliances I keep on the counter are the can opener, toaster oven, and the blender.

 

[riker1384]

I like the basic Panasonic nonstick models.

 

[GotGarlic]

I've often read and heared that there was no time saved between cooking rice in the microwave or on the stove.

It takes 15 minutes in the microwave, plus the time to take it out and stir it part-way through. But when it's done - it stops by itself. I don't have to remember to turn off the burner and it just sits there, staying hot till I'm ready for it. I don't have another appliance taking up space and, as someone said, it frees up a burner for something else. Works great for me

 

[Corey123]

Well, the same can be said for the rice cooker. It frees up a burner on the stove for something else that's needed to be cooked.

The other day, I cooked a dinner and the stove top was full, so in order to get the rice done, I just used the rice cooker to do it. I mainly like to use it because there is absolutely no way that you can burn or scorch the rice!

I used to forget to turn off the stovetop burner and the rice would end up scorched or burned. Now that I have my cute little rice cooker, that problem is a thing of the past in MY house!

 

[GotGarlic]

Well, the same can be said for the rice cooker. It frees up a burner on the stove for something else that's needed to be cooked.

And takes up more space on the counter that I don't have. I'll have a microwave no matter what, so for me, a rice cooker is an extra single-tasker, as Alton Brown would say.

The other day, I cooked a dinner and the stove top was full, so in order to get the rice done, I just used the rice cooker to do it. I mainly like to use it because there is absolutely no way that you can burn or scorch the rice!

I used to forget to turn off the stovetop burner and the rice would end up scorched or burned. Now that I have my cute little rice cooker, that problem is a thing of the past in MY house!

Yup, the same is true of using the microwave. As with many things, YMMV.

 

[legend_018]

sometimes the gadgets even take up room in my cabinets...when I could be using it to store other things. And than there are gadgets you never use or use 1ce a year and there still taking up room. For me, rice cooker and juicer are two. However, I would like to learn how to use my juicer. It was just a $60/$70 one I got for Christmas last year and I never ended up using it.

 

[Katie H]

We have a rice cooker/steamer. It's a Salton I bought at a thrift store for $2 and I love it. I use it to do rice, cook potatoes for potato salad, other veggies, etc. It's a great tool and, even though I have essentially NO counter space, I've found a place to keep it in our pantry.

I never thought I'd ever have/buy a rice cooker, but when one presented itself at such a low price, I decided $2 was a minimal "stupid" tax to pay for something I might or might not use. Turns out I use it more than I ever imagined.