Rice Cooker
Rice cookers make cooking rice very easy and ensure that your rice will come out tasting perfect without any hassles. This site will explain how rice cookers work, what to look for when considering a rice cooker, and where to purchase one.
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Rice Cooker - Basics
A rice cooker is an electrical appliances used for cooking rice without the requiered timing of preparation and the tradional errors for undercooking or burn the rice. A rice cooker do not speed the process for cooking rice but it reduce and simplify the cooking involvement.
This appliance is used in kitchens around the world but specially in Asian countries.
How do Rice Cookers Work
Rice cookers consist on a removable bowl which beneath lies a thermostat.In the rice cooker there is a measure for the rice and water to avoid any type of mistakes. The temperature in the Rice Cooker cannot go above the boiling point of water, so it constinusly heated but never to the point of boil. As in the normal process the water evaporates or gets absorved by the rice. At the end of the process the cooker just turn off by itself.
Window of the Past
In the past women use to cook rice by hand, but due to women started to enter the work force they stop spending so much time cooking. The rice cooker was invented in Japan to meet these domestic needs. By 1950, about 48% of the women were in the work force. In 1956, the first effective rice cooker was sold.
The success of the rice cooker as a household appliance was due to the importance of rice in Asian countries. Rice was usually the staple diet in these countries & in Hawaii.
Features
Desirable Features
Glass lid – so you can see how is the rice getting cooked. Lid with a hole for steam to escape. Removable cord to storage it easier. Steamer tray – for steaming veggies and other foods. Non-stick pan – otherwise the rice will stick. Measuring lines – lines on the inside of the rice cooker pan that tell let you add water without using a measuring cup.
Electronic Features
Reheat Function – Warms the rice back to proper temperature. Porridge Cycle – Designed for making Asian breakfast rice. Quick Cook function- Made specially to cook rice in a hurry. Texture Setting – Allows you to selelect the rice texture such as regular, softer or firmer.
Types of Rice Cooker
On/Off Cookers
Cook and turn off - The rice cooks and the unit shuts off automatically.
Cook and keep warm - The rice cooks, reduces the heat when the rice is done then maintains it at a "warm" temperature (duration varies).
Electronic Cook and Keep Warm - A sensor in the unit keeps rice warm for up to 12 hours.
Fuzzy Logic Cookers
Basic Fuzzy Logic - A very sophisticated machine with some great features like settings for soup or porridge, brown rice, rice texture (hard or soft) and even a sushi rice setting.
Induction Heating - The most state of the art machine available. The induction system can actually compensate for you measuring errors and still deliver evenly, properly cooked rice.
How to choose a Rice cooker
Choose one with a non-stick pan
Measuring lines in the pan would is helpful.
Clear glass lid isn't necessary. Plastic lid is preferable because it's light and safe.
If a rice cooker has an inner lid, make sure it's easy to remove it to clean.
Keep warm setting is useful if you and your family eat rice a couple times a day.
Timer is a helpful feature to have.
Usage & Safety Features
Who needs rice cookers?
College students People who want to cook without heating their homes in the summer People who want to save money and eat nutritious, home made fast food Busy parents who would like to teach their children to cook Senior citizens in small apartments who might forget to turn a burner off
Basic Safety Features
Fuse protector - the fuse will trip and prevent possible fires. This is important for an appliance you may leave on unattended. Auto cord reel - keeps the cord out of the way so you or your pet or child does not accidentally yank the unit off the counter.
Rice Cooker techniques
Make sure to wash rice well before cooking. Let washed rice soak in water at least 30 min. Let cooked rice steam before you open the lid.
To cook white rice, the rice is measured and added to the inner bowl. Cold water is measured and added in the inner bowl. Sometimes there are separate scales for brown rice or for cooking other foods in the appliance. Once the lid is closed and the cooking cycle has been activated, the rice cooker does the rest.
Another dish that can be made in a rice cooker is a beef stew. By simply adding ingredients and setting it to "warm", a rice cooker would cook that at about 65°C (150°F). In few hours, the stew is fully cooked and ready to eat.
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