If you eat rice regularly, you need a rice cooker in your kitchen. This handy gadget can cook any type of rice and keep it warm too. However, if you’re just starting to use one, it might appear a bit complicated in the beginning. For that, we have curated a few tips that’ll help you master this gadget. In fact, we also tested six rice cookers in our test kitchen to find the best ones for you.
We picked six popular brands of rice cookers and put them to a six-week test by making rice multiple times. We cooked the rice according to the instructions on the appliances using the equipment we got along with the cookers. Apart from the functionality of cooking rice, we also looked at parameters such as sturdiness and price.
Related Reading:
How To Use A Rice Cooker: Basic Steps & 5 Things That You Can Cook In It
Instant Pot Rice Cooker
This rice cooker offers seven features in one. It has a 6 quartz capacity and a stainless steel body. The kitchen appliance is dishwasher-safe and comes with overheating protection. It also keeps the food warm after it is turned off. Additionally, the rice cooker comes with a sealing ring, a condensation collector, a steam rack, and a stainless steel pot.
Bajaj Rice Cooker
This rice cooker has a 1.8-L capacity. You can cook up to 1 kg of raw rice in one go. The outer body of this rice cooker is made of plastic while the inner pot is made of aluminum and has an anodized finish. The mentioned quantity is cooked to perfection in under 20 minutes.
Rice Cooker
This electric rice cooker has 11 functions and an intelligent six-step cooking process. This rice cooker has a 12 mm inner pot that has a honeycomb texture and a unique boiling angle that enlarges the heating area. In addition to this, this rice cooker has a food-grade non-stick coating too.
Mealthy Rice Cooker
This rice cooker offers nine different cooking functions like pressure cooking, slow cooking, sauteing, steaming, etc. It comes with four main components. The sturdy lid that precisely releases pressure, a 4-cm raised steam rack, steamer baskets for preparing two dishes at once, and a 3-quart stainless steel inner pot with the main body featuring an easy touch control panel.
Panasonic Rice Cooker
One of the best qualities of the Panasonic Rice Cooker is that it comes with an anodized aluminum cooking pan, in addition to a scoop holder and cooking plate. The rice was not only well cooked but also fluffy and not sticky at all. It kept the rice warm for quite some time, so if you wish to eat a little later, you wouldn’t have to reheat it. Moreover, it’s a lightweight product that makes it easily portable.
Geek Rice Cooker
This rice cooker has a 5-L capacity. It has a black and silver body and this rice cooker comes with a power cord, a rice scooper, a measuring cup, and a recipe book. This rice cooker has a pre-set menu with feather touch smoothness.
Table of Contents
How To Use A Rice Cooker?
Before we tell you how to use a rice cooker, you must note that the instructions provided on the packaging by the manufacturer are applicable for a specific cooker. We are jotting down some basic steps that you could follow to ensure hassle-free cooking.
1. Use Measuring Cups
Each rice cooker comes with a measuring cup. So the first step involves measuring quantities of both rice and water as per the instructions in the manual. This step is crucial for cooking perfectly fluffy rice.
2. Soak the Rice
Soaking the rice for some time is an important step, as it ensures better texture after cooking. Do remember to not soak the rice for more than 30 minutes.
3. Set Up The Cooker Properly
Setting up a rice cooker properly is the key. It has many components that need to be set up with the utmost care. Some may contain detachable cords that may need fixing. The components may contain a cooking bowl, a cooking plate, cord, spatula, measuring cup, etc. Read the manual properly to ensure setting up the cooker perfectly before switching it on.
4. Cooking the Rice
Here comes the easy part. Place the cooking plate in the cooking bowl and above that, add the soaked rice and measured water. Close the lid and turn the switch on. Typically rice cookers have two options: Cook and Warm. Some cookers will automatically stop when it is cooked, and some might keep warming the rice after the cooking is done.
5. Don’t Open The Lid Yet
While the cooking is done, you mustn’t open the lid immediately. Instead, allow it to sit for a bit so you get fluffier and aromatic rice.
6. Serve It Hot!
Open the lid and mix the grains well so as to see how perfectly your rice has been cooked. Now serve and enjoy with your choice of curry!
Rice Cookers are indeed amazing; they not only cook rice but also eggs, quinoa, oatmeal, vegetables, and hummus. So, you have more reasons to buy one.
