| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/5/2008 9:50:38 PM | Once in a while, a product delivers more than expected- I have recently aquired an Aroma rice cooker from Target for $30. I have had two rice cookers in the past, one was about $90, the other $130. This one is far superior in performance to either of those. Doesn't have all the hoots, honks, buzzers, and so forth, but hey, I don't want a spacecraft, I just want good rice. This one also does a fine job of steaming veggies.
If any fellow chefs/healthy eaters are looking for a rice cooker, check this one out, easy to use, easy to clean, and actually does what its meant to do- imagine that!  | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/5/2008 11:36:09 PM | | I have a $15 rice cooker with two settings, cook and warm. Seems to work for me. The only "trick" to rice cookers is making sure you put the right amount of water in. A rice cooker automatically shuts off once the water is absorbed. | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/6/2008 12:31:44 AM | I was married to a Chinese fella for 12 years, and I cooked A LOT of rice during that time. Best cooker I *ever* found was a big microwave safe bowl, and a microwave. Depending on your microwave takes about 25 minutes (experiment). Makes totally perfect rice, and only a bowl to clean.
Chinese rule of thumb: no matter what size bowl/pan you use, the water should be one thumb over the top of the rice.
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/6/2008 6:04:07 AM | | Wooby: (great screen name by the way!) The growing body of research on microwave radiation used for cooking might be of interest if you haven't looked into it already. Or maybe not, everyone has their own preferences; I use a microwave only to heat non drinking water. Great rule of the thumb tip! | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/7/2008 5:34:04 PM | kewl ~~ thanks. Just did a short read on the subject. (The hard part of the research was *not* typing in the google window: The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds) Since rice was the last/only thing I used the sucker for, think I can part with it without tears. Good riddance to bad rubbish, lol!
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/12/2008 11:35:10 PM | Chinese rule of thumb: no matter what size bowl/pan you use, the water should be one thumb over the top of the rice.
That's what my grandma taught me too (I'm Chinese). But that's only true for Asian rice. I find I have to use double the water for rice grown in the States to get the same softness as I get for Asian rice. Your tastes may differ though, I generally like my rice soft like cookie dough. | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/12/2008 11:44:15 PM | That's what my mother taught me too... and I am of South Asian ancestry... (Indian).
My first rice cooker was 26 years ago... mom went to Chinatown and bought me one just like hers. A warm cycle is important I think. Early on I used it to bowl pasta and steam veggies.
hate to admit it...but I use the microwave now too!.... so much easier and faster...yes I will glow.  | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/13/2008 7:24:39 AM | Mine has a rice button so that is the easiest.
Yet I still prefer to do it on the stove. I especially love if I can get that little bit of crust at the bottom. I like to use 2.5 cups water for every 1 cup rice... I feel it gets more tender that way and if I fudge the heat a little high I have a little margin for error.
Once it boils I add the rice, bring it to a boil again, then turn the heat to the lowest setting, bump it up exactly two smidges, cover it, and it comes out perfectly. Yes, smidges IS a highly technical term.
Then I set the timer.
22 minutes and its done perfectly. | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/13/2008 5:22:33 PM | When I was looking for a rice cooker years ago, I sort of look forward to getting a Zojirushi I had seen at an outlet store. $25 or so at the time. It was very simple. Press a button and it cooked the rice.
Along came that Christmas and my brother and his wife got me a Panasonic. Couldn't be happier. Same principle: one button to operate. I don't know how much rice I go through in a year but I usually buy it in a seven pound bag but recently started buying it in a ten pound bag (and it' 2/3 empyt right now).
An ex-gf of mine was japanese-american and the way she showed me, as taught to her by her mother, was put your fingers pointing down on the top of the rice and if the water comes up to the first knuckle on your middle finger, that's what you need. I've stuck with that method and it works for me. | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/13/2008 5:49:32 PM | slashdot ~~ I wouldn't know, lol! I still get mine in 25lb bags at Chinese grocery stores. Jasmine, only. Worth every penny.
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/14/2008 12:30:37 AM | I bought one of the Aroma ones from Costco for my parents. They wore out the non-stick coating in less than a year. I don't recommend it for people who eat lots of rice.
I bought one of the fancy Zojirushi ones for about $120 and it makes perfect rice every time. I liked it so much I bought one for my folks. They've been using it for 4 or 5 years now. If you eat lots of rice, stick to the ones where the pot is made of teflon/silverstone type of material. It will last longer. | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 8:27:33 AM | I'm in heaven! There are other rice cooker lovers in the world! When I extol the virtues of my ($10 @ Walmart) rice cooker to friends and family they look at me like it might be time to call the loony bin (okay, that might be a coincidence...)!! I love adding seasonings too--from a mix if I'm in a hurry, or experiment with whatever's on the shelf...I've even tossed a small can of mixed beans in there with seasoning and called it a meal.
Stopping now before it starts to sound too much like true confessions... | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 9:29:55 AM | I'm half-asian, and will likely always love eating rice.
That said, I've also turned into some sort of health nut.
I live on my own, and can't allow myself to make rice using rice cookers anymore.
It's a no-win situation, imo, when the lining of the cooker is either going to be teflon or aluminum.
IF I prepare rice nowaways, I do it the non rice-cooker way:
on the stovetop, using a clear glass pot or one made of stainless steel.
I'm trying to cut down on my brown rice intake b/c it takes about 45 min. to prepare.
Instead, I'm trying to choose quinoa/other whole grains, as a substitute. | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 10:30:39 AM | I quit using the rice cookers with aluminum pots when I found out aluminum in your diet is one of the main causes of Alzheimer's disease. There are some cookers on the market that don't have aluminum pots; I'm just not sure what brands they are; I went back to the old method of cooking on the stove with an enameled pot. The best way I have found to determine if the rice is done is to take a small glass, turn it upside down, and place it on top of the lid. Put your ear to it and when you can no longer hear bubbling sounds, the rice is done, no matter what kind of rice it is. Also, use a little alkaline water to cook the rice in to help neutralize the acidity of the rice for a healthier You. Alkalize your body to live longer and feel much better!
Bobbyboy | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 10:42:54 AM |
Chinese rule of thumb: no matter what size bowl/pan you use, the water should be one thumb over the top of the rice.
LOL!!! Just goes to show that cooking is a universal thing!
Spanish rule of thumb: no matter what size pot you use, the water should be one index finger joint over the top of the rice. Covered bring to full boil, then turn down to lowest heat. When done remove from the heat immediately, turn once and leave covered until ready to serve. This method was taught to me by my mother which was taught to her by Grandma. This always worked consistently for me. | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 11:19:56 AM | | I agree with aluminum being very bad to cook on/in. Glass and stainless steel is what I use. I dont use enamel though, because the enamel rubs off, visualize the old favorite in the cupboard. I cant help but think that the minutest of enamel particles are somehow being released into my food. Lol Im actually going to listen to my rice now because I actually think Bobbyboy 101 has a point! | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 4:45:53 PM | I've gone through lots of rice cookers ( the element always burns out ) . Random's idea of just cooking on the stove is the best , plus I don't trust anything cooked in the micro-smasher . other than water.  | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 4:53:02 PM | I practically cook all my meals with rice cookers. I push one button, come back in 30 minutes, and the magic box makes me a tasty meal! Best of all, there's only one utensil to wash!
I love putting pork in my rice cooker. The grease from the pork works to flavor the rice. Corn, chicken and beef also work good.
You have to change the water level in the cooker based on the food you place in the cooker. For example, if you put mushrooms in the cooker along with the rice, you gotta add alot more water.
Anyone else cook their entire meal with just the rice cooker? Recipes? | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 5:21:58 PM | I use a Black and Decker steamer as a rice cooker with great results and I can't remember the last time I boiled rice in a pan. It cost me around $20 I think.
A. | |
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Tyeee
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Joined: 7/6/2007
Msg: 20 | |
| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/15/2008 9:22:24 PM | I've been using a white & red plastic rice cooker for use in the microwave. It works great, perfect rice every time. . . when I use white rice. Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes and resulting diet change to more complex carbohydrates has me switching from white to brown rice and I find my trusty cooker doesn't work so well with brown rice.
So last year I purchased an electric Black & Decker "Rice Cooker Plus" from Wal-Mart. The only one control it features is a two-position switch for "Cook" & "Warm". Plug it in and it is on warm. Switch it up to Cook and as the water boils away and rice heats up it detects a temperature change it switches itself back to Warm.
I am disappointed with this cooker. I have to babysit it too much. When it has switched back to Warm it still is too hot and will dry out the rice. I add extra water too, about 2 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice trying to get it softer by having it cook longer. So far I have not been able get it nearly as soft as white rice.
I don't know if I have a defective model or not. Has anyone else had a similar experience with the Black & Decker "Rice Cooker Plus"?
Tyeee | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/16/2008 1:00:47 AM | I used to have a microwave rice cooker...
http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-64000-Rice-Cooker/dp/B0007M2BMQ that's the one
It did decently well, it was a matter of getting the water/rice ratio completely correct.
There are some Zojirushii cookers that employ some sort of fuzzy logic that are great for gadget-heads, but I think a cheap $20 with "warm" and "on" settings will do good enough for most purposes. | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/16/2008 8:41:28 PM | | I got a cheap $20 4 cup rice cooker from a Korean grocery store. It gets the job done, and cleaning is a breeze. It's a Panasonic. So far it's done everything I've wanted it to do. (Though you have to watch it closely if you cook sweet rice in fruit juice, 'cause the bottom layer will crisp. I like to have spicy chicken with pineapple rice.) | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/18/2008 8:10:27 AM | I have used both electtric and microwave cookers, yet I always cook it in a pot on top of the stove.
People make this more complicated than it is.
having been born in Cuba and grown up in Cajun country,
a meal is not a meal without rice.
Here is a simple way:
1) put a few drops of oil in your pot
2) put amount of rice to be cooked...add salt to taste
I sometiems use a "cajun" spice shaker instead of salt to minimize salt and still add flavor...don't overdo it, you can add more later.
3) put 1 and 1/2 times the water that you did rice.
4) bring to a quick hard boil (uncovered)
5) immediately, stir, cover, bring fire down as low as it goes.
6) LEAVE THE DAMN THING ALONE (LOL)
7)cook for 15 min.
8)Rice will be done. | |
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Tyeee
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Joined: 7/6/2007
Msg: 24 | |
| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/18/2008 1:07:35 PM | I think it would be especially helpful if some posters above would make the distinction between types of rice when sharing a recipe. When looking on the shelves of our supermarkets we are often overwhelmed by a bewildering array... white rice, brown rice, minute rice, long grain rice, ready rice, milled rice, parboiled rice, etc.
I'm confident amounts of rice and water and cooking times will vary for different rice types.
Tyeee | |
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| Rice Cookers
Posted: 3/18/2008 1:25:49 PM | ^ Actually, with most brands or rice the amount of rice to water is the same. Generally with any electric rice cooker it is double the amount of water to rice. Most rice cookers have an electric shut off that does the trick, so cooking time doesn't vary that much.
There's really no sense in getting "minute rice" if you've got a rice cooker-- it couldn't be easier. You don't need to go the "short cut" route if you're just going to steam it anyhow. Brown rice is healthier than white rice, but has less of a shelf life.
The only thing that I've noticed is that you have to pay a little more attention when making sticky rice, particularly if you are using fruit juice in place of water, as sometimes the rice on the bottom will crisp a little bit if you wait for the auto shutoff. (At least on my rice cooker.)
Other than that I haven't noticed any difference in various types. (In terms of how they cook in the electric cooker.) | |
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