Best Rice Cooker

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busydude

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2010
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People spend hundreds on knives and other kitchen equipment. $150 for rice cooker is cheap if you use it everyday and the unit last 10+ years. I have $800 coffee machine that only makes coffee. I could get the same result with $20 French press. But if my coffee machine broke tomorrow I would go out buy another $1,000 coffee machine without hesitation. I also have $100 thermometer I occasionally use to measure cooking temperature. Is it necessary to have $100 thermometer? No, but it's nice luxury to have. Nice rice cooker is a luxury if you eat lot of rice. Of course if you think 10lb rice bag is lot of rice, you probably don't need one. 10lb bag would last about a week with some Asian families.


There is no need to justify your purchases. I am south Indian and I eat rice every damn day. It is your money and you are entitled to use it as you please.
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,667
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img_144007_helen-chen-episode-7-perfect-rice-cooker-demo-helen-s-asian-kitchen-with-bigkitchen-com.jpg
 

etrigan420

Golden Member
Oct 30, 2007
1,723
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All of the Filipino ladies I work with swear by the Zojirushi's.

My wife wants one, but $150(ish) seems like a lot of money for what you get.

She's usually got 4 or 5 other things going on the stove at a time, and our kids *love* rice, so I'm sure I'll eventually break down. :|
 

quikah

Diamond Member
Apr 7, 2003
4,068
649
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We have tried the fuzzy logic ones, but my wife cannot stand the extra 10-20 minutes it takes to cook the rice, so we just have a normal single button cooker.
 

mvbighead

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2009
3,793
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Well, I caved. Costco has the Aroma Rice Cooker with 'SensorLogic' technology (I assume their own version of fuzzy logic) and I cooked some up last night. Like an idiot, I used my own measuring cup instead of their 3/4 one, so I had more rice than I was supposed to for that quantity of water. When it beeped indicating it was done, it was just lightly firm, but looked perfect. After 5-10 minutes on the warmer mode, it was great. It was by far better than any rice I had cooked in a pan, and I had gotten close to good some times with the standard pot method.

Easily, the best $30 I've spent on an appliance.
 

Imported

Lifer
Sep 2, 2000
14,679
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We have tried the fuzzy logic ones, but my wife cannot stand the extra 10-20 minutes it takes to cook the rice, so we just have a normal single button cooker.

Why not start the rice cooker an hour or two before and keep it on the warming mode?
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,033
545
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We have tried the fuzzy logic ones, but my wife cannot stand the extra 10-20 minutes it takes to cook the rice, so we just have a normal single button cooker.
Yeah. Never did understand that. I've heard the same complaint from others.
 

yuchai

Senior member
Aug 24, 2004
980
2
76
People who say there's no need for a good rice cooker - do you own a microwave oven or a dishwasher? You don't really need those appliances either, but obviously many people value them quite a bit and have them anyway.

I personally have never used a dishwasher, and probably use my rice cooker just as often as I use the microwave. Heck, even if I had to choose between an oven and a rice cooker I would probably still pick the rice cooker.
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
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People who say there's no need for a good rice cooker - do you own a microwave oven or a dishwasher? You don't really need those appliances either, but obviously many people value them quite a bit and have them anyway.

I personally have never used a dishwasher, and probably use my rice cooker just as often as I use the microwave. Heck, even if I had to choose between an oven and a rice cooker I would probably still pick the rice cooker.

Dishwasher and Microwave also save a fair amount of time and labour, a rice cooker does not. I just don't see the value added; like I said I make all of my rice in a saucepan with no issues whatsoever. Of course I am a kitchen gadget guy, so buy whatever floats your boat, I just don't see the need for that particular device.

KT
 

shopbruin

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2000
5,817
0
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You know what... I really can't fault anyone for owning a rice cooker. I've gone to brewing coffee manually but I had a coffee maker for years so knock yourselves out with your thermally controlled electronic water boiling devices. :p

Say what?

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-CV-D...i+water+boiler

I have a rice cooker. I can't live with out. I've grown up with them. Just don't buy cheap ones or the ones with the glass lid.
 

Zeze

Lifer
Mar 4, 2011
11,074
995
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I'll chime in as a Korean who grew up eating rice and still do.

Yes, rice is so easy to make. All you need is a pot. But there's a reason almost all Korean families have a professional grade rice cooker ($100-200+), not the cheap $20 American ones. Why?

rice-cooker.jpg


-These 'expensive' ones are pressure cookers (top shelf), as you can see the big turning knobs. The rice is cooked in a pressure which results in an undeniably moist, chewier, and tastier rice.

-These come with a 'keep warm' setting. As Koreans who eat rice in almost every meal, they always have a cooker with rice in it at all times. Unlike 'white' people, we don't just make rice as one occasion in a pot and be done with it. Having a dedicated cooker & warmer is a HUGE convenience and that's why everyone has them.

-Just like you westerners take out deli from fridge and make a sandwich with the bread lying around, Koreans take out their side dishes from fridge and grab cooked rice from the cooker and eat it in seconds.

- As a personal example now, I have rice ready in the cooker now. All I have to do is heat up the Korean BBQ my GF marinated, take out kimchi from fridge, and scoop rice from the cooker and eat. Dinner done in 3 minutes. Without the cooker, I would either: a) wait 18-22 mins for rice to cook b) eat crappy rice made from pot that's crappier because it's gone cold and heated up again
 
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Zeze

Lifer
Mar 4, 2011
11,074
995
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Dishwasher and Microwave also save a fair amount of time and labour, a rice cooker does not. I just don't see the value added; like I said I make all of my rice in a saucepan with no issues whatsoever. Of course I am a kitchen gadget guy, so buy whatever floats your boat, I just don't see the need for that particular device.

KT

See my post above. There's a reason why all Koreans in Korea (and here) have a cooker at home.

You can be all the kitchen gadget you want, but your staple diet for every meal isn't rice. There's your disconnect.
 
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Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,547
651
126
Dishwasher and Microwave also save a fair amount of time and labour, a rice cooker does not. I just don't see the value added; like I said I make all of my rice in a saucepan with no issues whatsoever. Of course I am a kitchen gadget guy, so buy whatever floats your boat, I just don't see the need for that particular device.

KT

We get home from work. I start the rice cooker. After running/taking the dogs to the park, we pick-up Indian food and come home to a warm batch of basmati rice.

Should we have gotten home first, one of us starts cooking rice and the other goes to pick-up dinner? Time saver, yes.
 

TXHokie

Platinum Member
Nov 16, 1999
2,557
173
106
I'll bite. I spent $200 on a rice cooker, makes perfect rice everytime with zero effort.

brown/white/sushi/whatever.

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NP-H...ref=pd_sbs_k_5

I'm asian too. AMA

I bought a similar model 11 yrs ago (Zojirushi 10 cups induction) and it seemed nuts at the time. Over the years it's more than paid for itself and the unit is still going strong even after working several times a week all this time. It still cooks perfect rice every time and consistent whether I cook 2 cups or 10 cups and keeps it for a few days - this is where the cheap units fail. I'm glad I did since we eat lots of rice and makes it all worthwhile. I'm cheap but there are things worth splurging on.
 
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