Rice cookers

[CanucksTraveller]

Up until now I've always cooked rice in a pot over a gas flame, like some kind of savage. And actually it doesn't turn out bad, I've used Ken Hom's absorption method since about 1991 and no complaints from the family so far, barring some discarded rice occasionally when the quantities / temperature were maybe a bit off. But I am hearing really good things from other home cooks about rice cookers. Namely that you get guaranteed perfection every time no matter the quantity, that you can even prepare ahead of time and have it ready and hot for when the main meal is ready (or when you get in from work), that they have other uses (porage, soups, slow cook dishes), and that the rice texture is always better than you can do in a pan, even for a competent cook.

Do any CycleChatters use a rice cooker? Any thoughts on what brand, features etc? The main one I'm considering is Yum Asia's "Sakura" but I'm interested to hear about others.

https://www.yumasia.co.uk/conventio...a-multifunction-rice-cooker-with-ceramic-bowl

 

[T4tomo]

Very popular in Asia, so they must be ding something right. staff we always happy to receive one if they won one in the year end party raffle at my old works Vietnam operations.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Oh hell no. Im Chinese, Ive been eatin rice since i was old enough to be out of nappies and we've used the same old beaten up rice cooker that has probably been in the family for about 5 generations.

While the new rice cookers are more fancy and can be used to cook other things. some of the older rice cookers can be used for slow cooking too if you know what youre doing...

The kind of rice cooker we use is something like this -- its cheap, its simple, its straightforward. all you need to worry about is getting the rice to water ratios correct. Give yourself about 40-60m for the rice to cook though this might do it quicker.

Any one of these from argos will serve you just fine without the need to pay over the top for a cooker with features you wont need or use -- Also because these are analogue devices rather than the newer digital ones. there is less to go wrong. Thats why old rice cookers last so many generations.

 

[Cycleops]

As above, any will do. The simpler the better, the ones with a switch on the side you just push down.

 

[AndyRM]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14WGd7PWIrs

 

[Arrowfoot]

Walk into any store that sells them and walk out with the cheapest for the size you want. The Asians have been at it for decades and got it down pat. These things can last.

I know of vegans that get a small one and bring it along on their travel holidays.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14WGd7PWIrs

I don't know whether to haiiiyaah, or fuyoh!

 

[bitsandbobs]

I got one a couple of months ago. It's fantastic! I'll never go back to a pan on the stove. Whatever rice I've put into it, it's always come out perfect, although I've only tried water in it so far as the liquid.

 

[Blue Hills]

I just put double the water of the rice by volume and cook slowly on the gas until there's no water left.
Is there anything wrong with this?
I know next to nothing about cookery but have always been as puzzled by rice cookers as those dedicated things for boiling eggs.
Are they really for serving up lots of rice to big groups as part of a major feast?

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I just put double the water of the rice by volume and cook slowly on the gas until there's no water left.
Is there anything wrong with this?
I know next to nothing about cookery but have always been as puzzled by rice cookers as those dedicated things for boiling eggs.
Are they really for serving up lots of rice to big groups as part of a major feast?

Asians generally say rice is always better from a rice cooker than from a pan, so I was just interested to find out. You use probably 25% more water than I do so that's interesting! One of my work pals is Singaporean and he's been chiding me for cooking rice in a pan like I'm some kind of freak. So here I am.
And yes I cook a fair bit of rice, and I like to have plenty leftover to make nasi goreng the next day, so I think a cooker will get good use in my house. Dedicated cookers for one thing, I'm generally with you on though. We've all had a Breville toastie maker hiding in our cupboards at some point.

 

[Kajjal]

We have had a rice cooker for a long time now and the results are much better and more consistent. Also many can be used as a slow cooker as well.

 

[bitsandbobs]

Asians generally say rice is always better from a rice cooker than from a pan, so I was just interested to find out. You use probably 25% more water than I do so that's interesting! One of my work pals is Singaporean and he's been chiding me for cooking rice in a pan like I'm some kind of freak. So here I am.
And yes I cook a fair bit of rice, and I like to have plenty leftover to make nasi goreng the next day, so I think a cooker will get good use in my house. Dedicated cookers for one thing, I'm generally with you on though. We've all had a Breville toastie maker hiding in our cupboards at some point.

We have a "one in, two out" rule when it comes to kitchen gadgets, so the ice cream maker and juicer made way for the rice cooker. In a couple of months we've already used the rice cooker more than the other two put together which we had for 20 years!

The second most used gadget is the toastie maker (used by the kids on an almost daily basis).

 

[Arrowfoot]

And yes I cook a fair bit of rice, and I like to have plenty leftover to make nasi goreng the next day, so I think a cooker will get good use in my house. cupboards at some point.

Now you made me hungry 😛

 

[Blue Hills]

Asians generally say rice is always better from a rice cooker than from a pan, so I was just interested to find out.

Yes, I will follow with interest, and of course @RoubaixCube 's input is particularly valuable.

The other thing that somewhat puzzles me - fair to assume that asian folk have been cooking rice from way before the arrival of electricity?

Or were they keeping that secret from us for centuries/millenia?

 

[Randomnerd]

No need for a rice cooker. Just another bit of clutter you could live without. Easier and better for the world to just keep using your method, if it works. I find heating the pan first helps too - can't recall if Kenny boy mentions that, but I still have his wok and cleaver from his first time round. Knowing your water:rice proportion for rice varieties is key. I've never had any trouble making lovely, fluffy or sticky or wild or jasmine or brown rice with a simple pan.