elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Messages
- 6,180
I have 2 rice cookers - a larger expensive "Asian" rice cooker and a cheap small Walmart special. These days, we use the Walmart special most of the time. It doesn't cook quite as well as the big one. For some weird reason, my MIL insists we have to buy a 2nd small appliance because the one we have is "Too big". And yet, we must keep the big one around for when we have company. I think it bugs her to see a rice cooker only half full. Or it's probably an energy savings thing.
Anyway major differences I have noticed:
- more expensive cooker cooks a wee bit better. Rice is fluffier. I'm not too picky though as long as it is Jasmine rice from my preferred brand lol!
- The nonstick pot in the more expensive cooker is way better. Rice always sticks to the bottom of my cheap pot (the energy savings might be outweighed by the wasted rice?)
Otherwise, both work the same. Basic on, off, warm. I don't have the fancier settings.
As for rinsing the rice, I was taught to rinse until the water runs clear to clean the rice. I grew up in an Asian country and was always warned the rice was "dirty" and must be washed thoroughly before cooking. The rice I buy here in Canada has much fewer pieces of sediment or dirt and while I still rinse out of habit, there have been many times where I will toss it right in and it tastes the same.
A few years ago, I discovered I could use a large mesh strainer to rinse the rice. Sooooo much easier than rinsing in the pot (always hated how small grains of rice would escape through my fingers into the sink). Now I just toss the rice into the mesh strainer and toss under running water.
For amount of water, all the rice cookers I have every had has always had markings within the pot. If I am cooking 1 cup of rice, I fill until level 1, 2 cups, level 2, 3 cups, level 3, and so on. Takes out all the guesswork or other measurements.
Anyway major differences I have noticed:
- more expensive cooker cooks a wee bit better. Rice is fluffier. I'm not too picky though as long as it is Jasmine rice from my preferred brand lol!
- The nonstick pot in the more expensive cooker is way better. Rice always sticks to the bottom of my cheap pot (the energy savings might be outweighed by the wasted rice?)
Otherwise, both work the same. Basic on, off, warm. I don't have the fancier settings.
As for rinsing the rice, I was taught to rinse until the water runs clear to clean the rice. I grew up in an Asian country and was always warned the rice was "dirty" and must be washed thoroughly before cooking. The rice I buy here in Canada has much fewer pieces of sediment or dirt and while I still rinse out of habit, there have been many times where I will toss it right in and it tastes the same.
A few years ago, I discovered I could use a large mesh strainer to rinse the rice. Sooooo much easier than rinsing in the pot (always hated how small grains of rice would escape through my fingers into the sink). Now I just toss the rice into the mesh strainer and toss under running water.
For amount of water, all the rice cookers I have every had has always had markings within the pot. If I am cooking 1 cup of rice, I fill until level 1, 2 cups, level 2, 3 cups, level 3, and so on. Takes out all the guesswork or other measurements.
what am I doing wrong?!
