Is a rice cooker worth it?
Can they do more than cook rice?
Do you need one to make perfect rice?
Alison Bickel
How do they work?
Were on the answers!
Alison Bickel
People cooked rice for ages without the aid of a specialized appliance.
Alison Bickel
Who needs yet another unitasking equipment in their over-kitted kitchen?
Maybe…you.Making rice shouldnt be hard, but it can be for some people.
Rice cookers make it easyeven for people who can legit cook rice without an assist.
Alison Bickel
However, your desire or need to make these things in a rice cooker might not be high.
Take our rice cooker compatibility quiz and see how well you are suited for each other!
Should You Buy a Rice Cooker?
Alison Bickel
How Rice Cookers Work
The functionality of rice cookers is simultaneously simple and mysterious.
You add water and riceany kind of rice, with as much water as neededand press ON.
Then, however many minutes later, the rice is perfectly cooked…and the cooker magically knows it.
Alison Bickel
Pretty cool, huh?
While the happy juju of rice cookers certainly has its appeal, it all happens throughingenious technology.
The rice cookers we use today have been around for decades and were first developed in Japan.
Alison Bickel
If that makes no sense, dont fret.
How this works does not matter.
What does matter is howyouwork it, and that part is easy.
Every rice cooker can make perfect rice and more, so whats the need for juiced-up ones?
Heres a quick summary of kinds youll see out there.
They are quietly dependable and can last for years despite their modest price tag.
Common brands here areAromaandZojirushi, shown in these photos.
Fuzzy logic/smart rice cookers:If on/off rice cookers are flip phones, these are iPhone 14s.
Its the artificial intelligence the unit is equipped with.
It helps it detect the volume of liquid and rice and make adjustments accordingly.
These also have dedicated tweaks for porridge, sweet or sticky rice, brown rice, and beans.
They cost quite a bit more than on/off cookers and have many more bells and whistles.
If just reading that makes you feel confused and freak out, relax!
Just dont get that kind.
Capacity Counts
When selecting a rice cookeranykind of rice cookercapacity is a biggie.
Read the manufacturer’s descriptions carefully before buying.
Small rice cookers dont do well with large amounts of rice, because they can overflow.
Not all large cookers do well with small amounts of rice, either.
Smaller households would do better with a three-cup cooker.
How to Use a Rice Cooker to Make Rice
Hot Tips!
Other Foods you’re free to Cook With Rice Cookers
Its true.
it’s possible for you to cook entire meals in a rice cooker if you want.
Here are my favorite other foods to cook in a rice cooker.
Even though these are not rice, its not a problem.
The happy juju of the rice cooker gets it.
Steel Cut Oatmeal
My favorite non-rice thing to make in a rice cooker is steel-cut oatmeal.
That may seem like a long time, but you dont have to attend to them.
Seeking More Info?
Kicked-up rice cookers come with directions and recipe booklets that outline non-rice cookery in greater depth.
Two books that might help, no matter what sort of cooker you have:
So!
Have you decided if you want a rice cooker or not?
Are you jazzed about taking the new one you have out of the box for a spin?
Ready to rekindle a long-forgotten appliance romance?
With or without a cooker, this is just the beginning of your journey.
