Focus in the Kitchen: 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.
Due to many varying factors, including a new emergence of healthy eating and an ever-increasing price of food, rice is rapidly gaining popularity as a household staple. The use of a rice cooker greatly simplifies the act of making rice for any meal, it’s easy to use and all but mistake-proof.
In addition to their simplicity, rice cookers make near-perfect rice, every single time, all you have to do is put in the correct amount of water. For those individuals and families that make rice a regular part of their meals, buying a rice cooker will save you an incredible amount of time and hassle.
But before you go out and buy your new rice cooker there are a few things that you need to keep in mind:
1) The rice cooker’s cost is the big factor for many people
Rice cookers vary in price from as little as $15 to as much as $200 or more. And generally speaking, the more you pay, they more you get. For many people, a simple rice cooker that turns on, cooks the rice and turns off is sufficient. And for them the most basic of rice cookers is all they neeed. The basic cookers tend to have a glass lid and an inner pot, usually non-stick. You have to properly measure out the amount of water depending on the type of rice you’ll be cooking, however, since most rice cookers are made for standard white rice, if you use other types such as brown you may not get the quality you’re looking for.
If you are willing to spend a little more you can usually get a rice cooker that can keep your rice warm after it’s finished cooking and has a couple different settings. Some of the settings for the middle-range rice cookers provide the ability to properly cook a few different types of rice, this allows those brown rice lovers to get a higher quality product. Some of these also come with timers. Timers work wonders for busy people or those that need their rice ready when they get up in the morning or get home in the evening. Some of the better ones will allow you to set the time that you want the rice to be finished!
2) How big of a rice cooker do you need?
Rice cookers come in many different sizes, from 1 cup to well over 10 cups. Anything smaller than 3 cups isn’t recommended as you shouldn’t ever want to cook less than two cups at a time. Cooking only one cup can make the rice come out a little dry or even slightly burned.
For a single person I normally recommend a rice cooker that holds 3-5 cups, 5 cups is great in case of company or if you want to make a lot extra for fried rice or other dishes that call for day-old rice. Small families shouldn’t go smaller than 5 cups and the 10 cup sizes are great for larger families.
3) Other options
Some other options that you might want to consider when buying a rice cooker include:
A removable inner-lid for sanitation purposes
A non-stick bowl (very important)
Support for different types of rice, including brown, mixed, sushi, etc…
Measuring lines on the inside of the cooking bowl, this allows you to always add the perfect amount of water, even after having washed or rinsed your rice
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.