rice cookers that arent $100 (or anywhere close)

[murphy55d]

My wife wanted to get a rice cooker, but decided against it because she wasnt sure if it would make rice taste like "chinese restaurant rice". Thats the only way she really likes plain white rice. i dont really eat it so i dont know what it even tastes like or why its different. my personal theory is that it tastes better because someone made it FOR her, not necessarily the preparation or whatever.

anyway, can the same rice be made in a normal, 20-30 dollar rice cooker? i am not spending $100 or whatever on a zojirushi so please dont suggest that. i dont want to spend more than 30 dollars or so.

tia.

 

[intogamer]

Asian supermarket > *

 

[purbeast0]

rice cookers suck.

rice made in pots is 1000x better than rice made in rice cookers.

 

[Kaido]

Amazon would have some crockpot-style cookers...no fuzzy logic though

 

[murphy55d]

we dont have an asian supermarket.

 

[Gibson486]

It taste like that becase they make it in such big amounts. After, it just sits there being steamed by its own heat. Doing that with a $30 rice cooker would be tough.

 

[murphy55d]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Amazon would have some crockpot-style cookers...no fuzzy logic though

yeah, they do. even a zojirushi under 40 bucks.

my question though stands, does this appliance make rice that tastes like chinese restaurant rice?

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirush...5/ref=pd_sbs_e_title_9

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
rice cookers suck.

rice made in pots is 1000x better than rice made in rice cookers.

Speak for yourself! I use my rice cooker 3 - 4 times a week and it makes rice MUCH better than a pot...it cooks the entire bowl consistently. Then again maybe I should stir my rice on the stove more :Q

 

[JulesMaximus]

Rice cooked in a rice cooker doesn't taste any different than rice cooked on a stovetop assuming it is cooked properly (which isn't hard to do).

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Rice cooked in a rice cooker doesn't taste any different than rice cooked on a stovetop assuming it is cooked properly (which isn't hard to do).

lazy > effort

 

[sonambulo]

I bought my zoji for $50 at the cooking store down the street (no fuzzy logic). Makes great rice. Wired had a rice cooker roundup recently.

Bastard editry: and then there was this

edit: 30 bucks? Get a Walmart banger for $20 and if you really eat rice that much then invest in a zoji. Or...just buy like the smallest zoji. Good luck!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Rice cooked in a rice cooker doesn't taste any different than rice cooked on a stovetop assuming it is cooked properly (which isn't hard to do).

lazy > effort

Cooking rice in a rice cooker:

Measure water, pour in cooker
Measure rice, pour in cooker
Turn cooker on and wait until light goes off

Cooking rice on a stovetop:

Measure water, pour in pot and heat until it is just to boiling point
Measure rice, pour in water
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until done

I don't see much difference in effort quite frankly.

 

[sdifox]

key to cooking rice properly is to avoid cooking the minimum amount a cooker is designed for. Cook more than that and it should come out more or less ok. You have to play with how much water depending on the rice you have.

 

[sonambulo]

Originally posted by: murphy55d
yeah, they do. even a zojirushi under 40 bucks.

my question though stands, does this appliance make rice that tastes like chinese restaurant rice?

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirush...5/ref=pd_sbs_e_title_9

I have the six cup model of that. It makes damn good rice but it doesn't taste like the rice in a chinese restaurant. It has to sit around steaming ALL DAMN DAY if you want it to taste like that.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Rice cooked in a rice cooker doesn't taste any different than rice cooked on a stovetop assuming it is cooked properly (which isn't hard to do).

lazy > effort

Cooking rice in a rice cooker:

Measure water, pour in cooker
Measure rice, pour in cooker
Turn cooker on and wait until light goes off

Cooking rice on a stovetop:

Measure water, pour in pot and heat until it is just to boiling point
Measure rice, pour in water
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until done

I don't see much difference in effort quite frankly.

It's cooler to have a rice cooker? I'm running out of arguments lol.

 

[murphy55d]

Originally posted by: sonambulo

Originally posted by: murphy55d
yeah, they do. even a zojirushi under 40 bucks.

my question though stands, does this appliance make rice that tastes like chinese restaurant rice?

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirush...5/ref=pd_sbs_e_title_9

I have the six cup model of that. It makes damn good rice but it doesn't taste like the rice in a chinese restaurant. It has to sit around steaming ALL DAMN DAY if you want it to taste like that.

so in theory, if this appliance was used say, 4 hours in advance of eating, so the rice could sit there and stay warm, would it then taste similar?

or is this just a lost cause?

maybe ill just get that little one and see how it works. worse comes to worse i can always return it. target sells them online so i could return to store if need be.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: purbeast0
rice cookers suck.

rice made in pots is 1000x better than rice made in rice cookers.

Speak for yourself! I use my rice cooker 3 - 4 times a week and it makes rice MUCH better than a pot...it cooks the entire bowl consistently. Then again maybe I should stir my rice on the stove more :Q

then you aren't making it right

and i don't stir rice at all. but then again it's not just plane white rice + water in mine either. its that + a little oil and onions.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: purbeast0
rice cookers suck.

rice made in pots is 1000x better than rice made in rice cookers.

Speak for yourself! I use my rice cooker 3 - 4 times a week and it makes rice MUCH better than a pot...it cooks the entire bowl consistently. Then again maybe I should stir my rice on the stove more :Q

then you aren't making it right

and i don't stir rice at all.

Hence the reason I have a rice cooker :laugh:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Rice cooked in a rice cooker doesn't taste any different than rice cooked on a stovetop assuming it is cooked properly (which isn't hard to do).

lazy > effort

Cooking rice in a rice cooker:

Measure water, pour in cooker
Measure rice, pour in cooker
Turn cooker on and wait until light goes off

Cooking rice on a stovetop:

Measure water, pour in pot and heat until it is just to boiling point
Measure rice, pour in water
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until done

I don't see much difference in effort quite frankly.

It's cooler to have a rice cooker? I'm running out of arguments lol.

:laugh::beer: I had one we got as a wedding gift years ago. I think we used it 3 times and I just recently gave it away. I just use the stovetop method, it has worked well for me for years.

 

[sonambulo]

Originally posted by: murphy55d
so in theory, if this appliance was used say, 4 hours in advance of eating, so the rice could sit there and stay warm, would it then taste similar?

or is this just a lost cause?

maybe ill just get that little one and see how it works. worse comes to worse i can always return it. target sells them online so i could return to store if need be.

Marinate on that until tonight. When I get back to my place I'll make a batch and let it sit all day (evening?) and post around 10 or 11 pm.

 

[randay]

i dont understand what you mean by "taste like chinese restaraunt rice" but perhaps it has more with the brand/type of rice as opposed to the method of cooking. unless you mean texture, in which case it would all be determined by how much water you use?

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Maybe try medium grain rice instead of long grain. So much better.

I have a rice cooker that was something like $40, works great and is very easy. Keeps rice nice and warm while you serve too.

 

[oogabooga]

Originally posted by: randay
i dont understand what you mean by "taste like chinese restaraunt rice" but perhaps it has more with the brand/type of rice as opposed to the method of cooking. unless you mean texture, in which case it would all be determined by how much water you use?

and the style of rice too. I didn't think the cooker made that big of a difference

 

[xboxist]

Silly question perhaps, but do rice cookers handle brown rice well? Do they have separate water/timer settings?

This thread reminds me that I want a rice cooker, but I don't care for plain steamed white rice at all.

 

[Modelworks]

I never knew people were so passionate about how their rice was cooked.
I'm the , boil water, throw bag in water, 10 minutes later done, kind of rice cooker