Rice cookers

[RoubaixCube]

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?

What you are referring to is most likely clay pot rice.

 

[mistyoptic]

There is a school of thought which states you shouldn’t cook rice like that anyway. To do with arsenic. Better use lots of water and drain. Works for us. Basmati, 10mins in boiling water, drain, rest for 5 mins in saucepan. Perfect!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38910848

 

[FrankCrank]

Rice cookers are ubiquitous over here - unlikely to see anyone using the open saucepan method.
Trick to getting it just right is to switch the cooker off after the rice is cooked, and not leave it in 'keep warm' mode.
One cup of rice and two of water and you're good to go. I always rinse the rice first, but may be OK to skip this step.
Uneaten rice - put in a bag and leave in the fridge - keeps for many days.
When I do a quick stir fry, I like to add the rice into the mix as I cook, and cold rice from the fridge seems to work best.
I expect there's many ways to skin a cat with this one, so will leave to the riceologists to debate further

 

[vickster]

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.

I use mine at least once a week probably

 

[bitsandbobs]

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.

A rice cooker uses energy more efficiently, although how a rice cooker would compare with a pan on a stove over a full LCA I don't know.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I use mine at least once a week probably

Oh I still make maybe one toastie a week, but I cook it on a frying pan these days. I occasionally get a nostalgic urge to buy a toastie machine for that full on molten cheese lava burn, but memories of my old one sitting dusty in the cupboard usually snap me back to my senses.

 

[vickster]

Mine makes a right mess 😂 have to scrape cheese off it after use

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Mine makes a right mess 😂 have to scrape cheese off it after use

Fold a sheet of baking paper in half and use it to "line" the toastie machine. Put the raw toastie in the middle. Much easier to clean.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

But... but... picking the old burnt bits of cheese off the machine is the cleaner's perk, isn't it?

 

[vickster]

But... but... picking the old burnt bits of cheese off the machine is the cleaner's perk, isn't it?

Indeed and I live alone so it’s always my perk (and won’t you lose the crispiness and retro pattern of lining with paper, better for environment without too)

 

[Reynard]

I use a rice cooker.

I consider myself to be extremely competent in the kitchen, but cooking rice in a pan on the hob has always been where I've fallen flat on my face. For some reason, I've never had the knack. Unless I'm making congee, but that's a totally different kettle of fish.

My rice cooker was gifted to me some 30 years ago by a family friend who was a nun at a convent that had strong ties to Hong Kong and Singapore. They got sent a new one after their old one broke, but it was too small and hence it was gifted to me. It's just one of those really basic jobbies with the cook / keep warm switch on the side, but it's just the tichet.

Perfect rice every time. Although I've noticed that different rice varieties do want the water quantity tweaking slightly.

 

[Blue Hills]

There is a school of thought which states you shouldn’t cook rice like that anyway. To do with arsenic. Better use lots of water and drain. Works for us. Basmati, 10mins in boiling water, drain, rest for 5 mins in saucepan. Perfect!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38910848

I tend to rinse the rice before using the stove-top system. Should make things OK?

 

[Reynard]

I should add that I only have a 9ft x 6ft galley kitchen, so I have to choose carefully what gadgets I have. Along with my toaster, kettle, crock pot and George Foreman mini grill, my rice cooker is something I can't do without.

 

[bitsandbobs]

I tend to rinse the rice before using the stove-top system. Should make things OK?

Rinsing does reduce arsenic, but only minimally. White rice has less arsenic than brown rice.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Rinsing does reduce arsenic, but only minimally. White rice has less arsenic than brown rice.

We wash the rice to get rid of the excess starch