Rice is sticking to my non-stick pot?

[NisAznMonk]

I have a Sanyo ECJ-HC55H that I use to cook my rice and chicken every other night. Well it is supposed to come with 2 non-stick pots, but one of them seems to have rice stick all over it. Did I do something to make it loose its non-stick properties? Anything I can do before I cook rice to make sure that it doesn't stick to the pot?

 

[Michael in FtW]

Are both the rice and slow cooker pots nonstick?

Washing could cause a pot to lose it's non-stick quality ... such as washing in a dishwasher, using a harsh deterdent, abrasive scrubber or cleaner, etc.

Don't know how you do your rice - so this may be redundant ... but here are suggestions of things to try (per my rice cooker instruction manual):

1) Wash the rice well to remove surface starch - which will reduce sticking.

2) Spray the pot with a non-stick cooking spray - or pour in a couple of tablespoons of oil and smear it around on the surface of the pot with a paper towel - before adding the washed rice and water.

I've been making rice without a problem in a saucepan (not non-stick) with a tight fitting lid for years without a problem ... unless I had the heat too high or over-cooked it (didn't pay attention to the time). I basically did what the rice cooker manual suggested - I washed the rice, then added some oil to the pot and sautéed the rice for a couple of minutes (like you would for a pilaf) so the grains of rice were well coated with oil before I added the water.

Oh, my rice cooker - just a cheap Aroma 8-cup rice cooker/steamer (ARC-978) ... just got it at WalMart Friday night (2 days ago) and haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Finally decided to break down and give one a try since everyone has always talked about how perfect the rice always comes out without the need to pay attention to it.

 

[wysiwyg]

NizAznMonk,
Michael's advise is very sound, I'd also check the type of rice you used.
Perhaps was short grain suitable for risotto (more starchy)?, if I where you I'd also check the thermostat on the appliance.

I prepare rice the same way as Michael does, using a Stainless Steel pan, the rice never sitcks even when I prepare risotto and don't wash the rice. The only thing I must do is heat up the pan thoroughly, add the oil and swirl the pan to get an even coating on all surfaces. I don't use a rice cooker.

Since you said there are two pots, have you check with your roomate? Perhaps one of the pots was used incorrectly? Perhaps one of the pots has a manufacturing flaw?