Arrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! My rice cooker is not doing its job!!!

[shopbruin]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
It may scorch if you don't babysit it. And even if you do, it's impossible to know when it absorbs all the water exactly, without opening the lid and stirring it. And you're not supposed to open the lid when you're cooking it. So a good rice cooker will reliably give you perfectly (or at least really well) cooked rice. Also, rice cookers keep rice warm without ruining it.

I cook rice on the stove exclusively, but would love a rice cooker so I could concentrate on cooking everything else.

Ever hear of a timer? Put it on the back burner on simmer and check it 20 minutes later. Simple enough?

i have. but i grew up in an asian family where we ate rice everyday and having a rice cooker on my countertop is a staple in my life. it keeps rice warm, and often my mom would heat up leftovers by putting the dish inside the cooker during the "keep warm" setting.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I do all the cooking in my home and I have no shortage of gadgets. I hardly ever use most of them though. Food processor, I probably use that a few times a year. Popcorn popper, I haven't used that in probably 10 years. Blender, I use that a few times a year also, probably slightly more than the food processor. I even have a rice cooker but I never use it. It is far easier, in my kitchen anyway, to find a pot with a lid or a knife or whatever tool we used before we had rice cookers or food processors. Most of these gadgets were wedding gifts (I've been married for 12 years in September).

I like the Japanese rices like sushi rice. Short and fat and sticky. 2 cups water to 1 cup rice and simmer for 20 minutes. Perfect every time. I've been enjoying Jasmine rice lately also. Yummy.

 

[Fritzo]

You people actually eat enough rice to justify a rice cooker?

I always used the 2 cups boiling water - 2 cups rice method in a pot and it seems to work fine.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: SampSon
You should know how hot your stove is and how your pans react. Unless you're a complete noob there is no excuse.
Also, cooking IS babysitting.

I'm actually a very good cook. I've been cooking since I was six years old. I'd just love to have another kitchen gadget that would make cooking, and keeping warm, brown (or even white) rice less tedious. I cook all the fvcking time, for a family of four, and practically never go out or bring home premade foods.

Some cooks like gadgets.

Blasphemy! Since you were 6, comon, microwave bagel pizzas don't count.

I'm not kidding. I was cooking full dinners at that age. Oven, stove, knives and all. Girls generally develop their fine motor skills at a very early age and can be trusted not to fvck around and get hurt.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: NuclearFusi0n

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I assume you have a pot with a lid and a working stove?

WTF do you need a rice cooker for? It's a heated pot with a lid and a timer. Complete waste of money if you ask me.

Actually, water boils at 212 degrees F at sea level, normal pressure. When rice is fully cooked and has absorbed all the water, the temperture will start rising beyond the boiling point. At this point, the rice cooker will detect that the rice is "cooked" and will shut off. You get perfectly cooked rice every single time, no hassle. You just can't work that precise on a stovetop. It's especially handy for brown rice, which is impossible to cook on a stovetop without a heavy pan and a well-fitted lid. Most "consumer" pans will scorch your rice. I personally cook brown rice in a pyrex pan in the oven, following the instructions in the May/June 2004 (I think) issue of Cook's Illustrated.

You can't work that precise on a stovetop? What a load of bs.

You can, if you like fiddling with thermometers and tight fitting lids. Besides, your pan has to be top notch or you'll get hot and cold spots. The oven helps with that.

here's the brown rice recipe:

1.5 cups brown rice
2 1/3 cups boiling water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp butter or oil

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.
Put rice, salt, and butter in an 8x8 inch pyrex dish, pour in the boiling water.
Seal with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil for the tightest seal you can manage.
Cook at 375 for 1 hour.

You can double the recipe and cook it in an 9x13 inch pyrex pan with no change to cooking time.

 

[Fritzo]

I'm not kidding. I was cooking full dinners at that age. Oven, stove, knives and all. Girls generally develop their fine motor skills at a very early age and can be trusted not to fvck around and get hurt.

This also explains your nickname of "Stubby"...

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

^^don't forget to rinse, although it's not as important with brown rice as with white rice. With brown rice, you are just rinsing to get off the dust and whatnot, but with white rice, you need to rice to take off surface starch. Some even give their rice a quick soak. This helps seperate the rice into distinct grains.

 

[Deadtrees]

Rice cooker vs. pot on a stove
=
sex with gorgeous lady vs. sex with a fungly lady(if not shemale)

Do I need to add more?

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: Deadtrees
Rice cooker vs. pot on a stove
=
sex with gorgeous lady vs. sex with a fungly lady(if not shemale)

Do I need to add more?

:sun:

 

[HonkeyDonk]

Originally posted by: luvya
:| Rice is still as hard as rock!! Sh!t!

was this your first time cooking rice w/ a rice cooker?

 

[dethman]

Originally posted by: neutralizer
Add more water. DUH.

 

[Pliablemoose]

You need to buy a fuzzy logic Zojirushi for $200...

 

[glen]

~$160 for the larger 10 cup model
Neuro Fuzzy® Rice Cooker & Warmer
NS-ZAC10/18
Advanced neuro fuzzy® logic technology; multi-menu settings--brown rice, semi-brown rice, sweet rice, mixed rice, porridge and sushi rice; pre-washed rice (rinse free rice) cooking function; easy-to-read wide colored LCD; detachable and washable inner lid; start & completion melody signal; reheating cycle; extended keep warm cycle; stay-cool side handles makes removal of inner cooking pan quick and easy.
Capacity: 5.5 cups/1.0 liter (NS-ZAC10), 10 cups/1.8 liters (NS-ZAC18)
Color: White Gray









~$100
Micom Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer
NS-MYC10/18
Micro computerized Fuzzy logic technology; spherical inner cooking pan and heating system; reheating cycle; menu settings--white, quick, porridge, mixed, sweet; LCD timer; nonstick coating inner cooking pan.
Capacity: 5 cups/1.0 liter (NS-MYC10), 10 cups/1.8 liters (NS-MYC18)
Color: Herb White

 

[Rudee]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
You people actually eat enough rice to justify a rice cooker?

I always used the 2 cups boiling water - 2 cups rice method in a pot and it seems to work fine.

That's why I got rid of my regular size rice cooker and got one of those mini's.

 

[glen]

or this one:
National / Panasonic SR-MM18NW 10 Cup Neuro Fuzzy Electronic Rice Cooker

 

[suklee]

Originally posted by: neutralizer
Add more water. DUH.

 

[LikeLinus]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
It may scorch if you don't babysit it. And even if you do, it's impossible to know when it absorbs all the water exactly, without opening the lid and stirring it. And you're not supposed to open the lid when you're cooking it. So a good rice cooker will reliably give you perfectly (or at least really well) cooked rice. Also, rice cookers keep rice warm without ruining it.

I cook rice on the stove exclusively, but would love a rice cooker so I could concentrate on cooking everything else.

Ever hear of a timer? Put it on the back burner on simmer and check it 20 minutes later. Simple enough?

I dunno but honestly I love my rice cooker. It's been great. While you might think you're some uber chef and everyone who does it different is wrong, the rice cooker has some great value.

The time I save from watching the rice allows me prep time for getting the sushi rice vinegar ready, getting my shrimp battered, cutting up crab meat, salmon and getting tempura crunchies ready while the rice cooks.

Not to mention it leaves me a free eye open on the stove. All for $20? Call me lazy, bad chef, or whatever you want.

Rice Cooker > Stove.

Also I might add that I have a 7 year old son and a wife. It's quite convenient for us to be able to throw on some rice and not have to hawk it to make sure it's not overcooking. This gives more time for family.

But I guess I'm just a bad person for liking my Rice Cooker!!!

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: NuclearFusi0n

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I assume you have a pot with a lid and a working stove?

WTF do you need a rice cooker for? It's a heated pot with a lid and a timer. Complete waste of money if you ask me.

Actually, water boils at 212 degrees F at sea level, normal pressure. When rice is fully cooked and has absorbed all the water, the temperture will start rising beyond the boiling point. At this point, the rice cooker will detect that the rice is "cooked" and will shut off. You get perfectly cooked rice every single time, no hassle. You just can't work that precise on a stovetop. It's especially handy for brown rice, which is impossible to cook on a stovetop without a heavy pan and a well-fitted lid. Most "consumer" pans will scorch your rice. I personally cook brown rice in a pyrex pan in the oven, following the instructions in the May/June 2004 (I think) issue of Cook's Illustrated.

You can't work that precise on a stovetop? What a load of bs.

It may scorch if you don't babysit it. And even if you do, it's impossible to know when it absorbs all the water exactly, without opening the lid and stirring it. And you're not supposed to open the lid when you're cooking it. So a good rice cooker will reliably give you perfectly (or at least really well) cooked rice. Also, rice cookers keep rice warm without ruining it.

I cook rice on the stove exclusively, but would love a rice cooker so I could concentrate on cooking everything else.

You should know how hot your stove is and how your pans react. Unless you're a complete noob there is no excuse.
Also, cooking IS babysitting.

bah bull, why make work when you don't have to. rice cookers are proven tech that aren't that expensive, and cook perfect rice every time with zero babysitting. and yes, spending your time guessing and checking, and opening the lid(bad) on cooking rice to check is unecessary.

 

[Kenazo]

so where does one find these Rice Cookers? Would Sears have them?

 

[Zee]

that usually means there's a hole in the bottom of the bin. If all of a sudden, you find yourself needing to add more water. Unless you can replace the bin, you have to get a new rice cooker. asian supermarkets charge like 100. Target charges like.... 30