Rice Cooker October 8th, 2007
If you do not know how to cook especially how to cook rice, your only solution is to use a rice cooker. Rice cooker is the best alternative and convenient way to prepare steamed rice. With its additional feature where you can keep the cooked rice warm even after cooking makes every meal an enjoyable one.
In general, all rice cookers have the same specifications. A rice cooker has an insulated body where a removable cooking pot is placed inside. The removable cooking pot is where you directly place your rice with water. The cooking pot is quality calibrated. This makes sure that the rice and the water is in proper proportions. It also has a thermostat controller located between the insulated case and the removable pot, which serves as a heating element.
How to cook the rice
If you are a first timer in using a rice cooker, all you need to do is to pour the water and rice in the cooking pot of the rice cooker. Make sure that the amount of water is enough to cook your rice. Close the lid of the rice cooker and set the timer or on the rice cooker. Once the rice is cook, the rice cooker will automatically adjust its thermostat to “keep warm†mode. There are also some rice cookers that automatically shut down its thermostat once the rice is cooked.
Types of rice cookers
Basic Rice Cookers
Basic rice cookers are the on and off rice cookers. They basically shut off their thermostat once the rice is cooked. Basic rice cookers do not have any light indicator. Their cooking pot is made from a regular aluminum, which is a non-stick pot compared to other types of rice cookers. Since they do not have other functionalities, they are the cheapest type of rice cookers.
Cook and Keep Warm Rice Cookers
These types of rice cookers are the upgraded version of the basic rice cookers. They have the functionality of lowering its temperature after cooking. When rice is cooked they will not shut the thermostat off, instead, they lower the temperature keeping the cooked rice warm. Aside from rice, cook and keep warm rice cookers have extra room steaming vegetables and other foods. A steamer comes along inside its cooking pot.
Fuzzy Logic Rice Cookers
These rice cookers have an additional functionalities like cooking different types and textures of rice such us brown rice, porridge, sushi, and other hard and soft types of rice grains. They also have the warm mode functionality but also have a bigger streamer and automatic timers.
Induction Heating Rice Cooker
This type of rice cooker has the functionality to conducting the heat from the bottom going up. This functionality compensates for water measuring errors and still be able to cook rice in perfect texture.
So, when you buy a rice cooker, it is important that you also need to check the material or what it is made of. Check if the cooking pot is made of non-stick material or Teflon coated. Check the indicator light and its other functionalities that is indicated in the package. If you want to monitor your rice while it is being cooked, you might as well get a clear glass lid rice cooker. You also need to remember that copper, stainless, and aluminum pots are not suitable for induction cookers.