Posts Tagged ‘rice cookers’

Rice cookers are, in my opinion, just about the most useful device anybody could have in their kitchen.  However, there are still many people who have never used a rice cooker, nor do they see why they should ever start.  But on the opposite side of that coin there are many others who have used rice cookers and swear that they will never go back to the pot-on-the-stove technique. Or, if you like rice but don’t know how to make it, all you need to do is pick up a rice cooker and you’ll never need to think about learning how to cook rice.

With ever-rising fuel costs equating to rising costs of food, and with healthier eating habits becoming a larger part of many households these days, rice is rapidly becoming a larger part of many people’s diets.  Using a rice cooker makes the act of cooking rice incredibly simple, easy and practically mistake-proof.

When you cook your rice in a rice cooker, not only is it easy, but it comes out perfect each and every time.  Once you start cooking with rice cookers you will save a lot of time and energy in the kitchen, allowing you to do more important stuff, like taking a nap.

There are a number of important things to consider when searching around for that perfect rice cooker:

1) The rice cooker’s cost is the big factor for many people

There is a huge difference in price between the low-end, basic rice cookers and the premium ones.  In fact the cheaper rice cookers tend to cost right around $15-$30 whereas the high-end cookers will run you $150-$200 or even more.  For those who are simply interested in cooking plain rice and that’s it, generally speaking the less expensive rice cookers will suffice.  But for those who need to be able to cook a wide variety of types of rice, and cook them well, and who want all the different options available, only the higher priced ones will do.

Spending a bit more on your rice cooker will get you a lot of extra options.  Many more expensive rice cookers come with extras such as a timer, the ability to cook various types of rice, all to perfection, or a warmer to keep your rice hot long after it’s finished cooking, without drying it out.

2) How much rice you’re planning on cooking

Rice cookers’ prices vary as much as their prices, from small bowls that can cook up to 3 cups of rice at a time all the way up to the largest commercial bowls that can cook 50 cups or more.

I will typically not recommend anything less than a 5 cup rice cooker, even for single people as the price difference is negligible and you never know when you’ll need a couple extra cups.  I would never buy anything less than a 3 cup rice cooker as cooking only one cup of rice at a time can over cook it.

3) Other options

There are other options that should be paid attention to when you’re looking around for a new rice cooker, some include:
A non-stick bowl (I would never buy a rice cooker without one)
A removable inner lid for sanitation reasons (this only applies to rice cookers with flip-top lids)
Ability to cook multiple types of rice properly
Measuring lines on the bowl itself (this allows for the proper amount of water even if the rice is wet or has been soaking)

Rice cookers make a wonderful addition to any kitchen that rice is cooked in.  Definitely pick one up if you don’t already own one, it’ll be one of the best kitchen item purchases you’ll ever make.