What is so great about a rice cooker

Page 7 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
JulesMaximus in 3...2...1...

Oh wait, I'm me. :p

Why spend a couple hundred dollars on a device that basically does the exact same thing as a $5 pot with a lid on the stovetop?

The one I bought only cost $10, works fine, and you just turn it on and walk away. It goes into warm mode when it's done.

yea, dont have to babysit it or worry about burning the rice.
 

moshquerade

No Lifer
Nov 1, 2001
61,504
12
56
sorry to burst some bubbles, but minute rice is basically junk food along with instant oatmeal. go for whole grains.
 

Chryso

Diamond Member
Nov 23, 2004
4,039
13
81
Originally posted by: konakona
yes I was speculating, with a fair bit of exaggeration.

the moral of the story was, leaving rice cookers on is not going to break your piggy bank, but having a car running 24/7 most certainly will.
If you must be an irritable super-techincal prick, please be my guest and feel free to do some rudimentary calcuations and prove me wrong. I would give you a :cookie: for that :)

btw, I am glad you noticed the "probably" bit and bolded it out in the quote. by no means I would defend that position like my life depended on it. if someone can provide me with solid, plausible argument in the other direction, I would readily acknowledge my misjudgement. wanna try? :)

That sounds too much like work to me.
I actually have a rice cooker. I can't get the Mrs to use it though. She says it is too hard to clean. I was hoping to find an argument that would sway her.
 

konakona

Diamond Member
May 6, 2004
6,285
1
0
Originally posted by: Chryso
Originally posted by: konakona
yes I was speculating, with a fair bit of exaggeration.

the moral of the story was, leaving rice cookers on is not going to break your piggy bank, but having a car running 24/7 most certainly will.
If you must be an irritable super-techincal prick, please be my guest and feel free to do some rudimentary calcuations and prove me wrong. I would give you a :cookie: for that :)

btw, I am glad you noticed the "probably" bit and bolded it out in the quote. by no means I would defend that position like my life depended on it. if someone can provide me with solid, plausible argument in the other direction, I would readily acknowledge my misjudgement. wanna try? :)

That sounds too much like work to me.
I actually have a rice cooker. I can't get the Mrs to use it though. She says it is too hard to clean. I was hoping to find an argument that would sway her.

hmm, I am not really a rice cooker buff by any measure, but the three different rice cookers I have gone through were very eash to clean. which brand and model is it? I guess I could tell my friends to stay away from that if anything...
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
Originally posted by: slag
Originally posted by: konakona
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
JulesMaximus in 3...2...1...

Oh wait, I'm me. :p

Why spend a couple hundred dollars on a device that basically does the exact same thing as a $5 pot with a lid on the stovetop?

exact same thing? I beg you to differ.. do you cook rice often? (or have you ever? :p)

1)I would pay extra $5 just for the non-stick factor

2)You can keep rice warmed, stays good for at least a day! this is THE KEY idea. try that with a pot.

3)Then of course, ALL the rice cookers in existence do turn off automatically after rice inside is fully cooked. I dunno about you, but I sure don't feel like sitting and waiting till rice is done. Since we tend to eat a good amount of rice, our batches are big which means you are guaranteed to wait 40+ minutes on it. the thing is though, if you let it sit just a tad bit longer, things will start burning and sticking to the pot..

4)the actual pot inside rice cookers is usually light, detachable and very easy to wash.

Granted, I have used both an exquisite zojirushi that retails over $100 (of course, I got mine used for much cheaper ;) but it broke after a while :() and el cheapo rival that gets the job done. personally, I dont think there is a day and night difference... perfectly happy with the cheaper one I have now.


Ok, I just have to respond to this..
1. Minute rice. Boil 3 cups of water, add 3 cups of rice, remove from heat.. fluff with fork. Stays warm for a good 10-15 mins which is just the length of time needed to eat it with your choice of chinese food. If it gets cold, throw it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

2. Why would i want to keep rice warm for hours on end? eat it, put it in the fridge, reheat in microwave when needed. Add a teaspooon of water to the bowl if it gets dry.

3. No need. Minute rice cooks after the heat is turned off and removed.

4. Pot is easy to clean and rice doesn't stick to it.

To all you haters who say minute rice isnt real rice, its the same thing and tastes just like every other rice out there. Besides, its not like you eat rice for the flavor. Rice is something you put under or next to a main course as a filler.

You obviously haven't tried other types of rice if you think minute rice tastes the same. And sorry to bust your bubble, but rice does have flavor. Try going beyond minute rice and you'd learn.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
Originally posted by: Chryso
Originally posted by: konakona
yes I was speculating, with a fair bit of exaggeration.

the moral of the story was, leaving rice cookers on is not going to break your piggy bank, but having a car running 24/7 most certainly will.
If you must be an irritable super-techincal prick, please be my guest and feel free to do some rudimentary calcuations and prove me wrong. I would give you a :cookie: for that :)

btw, I am glad you noticed the "probably" bit and bolded it out in the quote. by no means I would defend that position like my life depended on it. if someone can provide me with solid, plausible argument in the other direction, I would readily acknowledge my misjudgement. wanna try? :)

That sounds too much like work to me.
I actually have a rice cooker. I can't get the Mrs to use it though. She says it is too hard to clean. I was hoping to find an argument that would sway her.

I have a non-stick rice cooker. I can clean it in a minute or two.
 

Chryso

Diamond Member
Nov 23, 2004
4,039
13
81
Originally posted by: konakona
Originally posted by: Chryso
Originally posted by: konakona
yes I was speculating, with a fair bit of exaggeration.

the moral of the story was, leaving rice cookers on is not going to break your piggy bank, but having a car running 24/7 most certainly will.
If you must be an irritable super-techincal prick, please be my guest and feel free to do some rudimentary calcuations and prove me wrong. I would give you a :cookie: for that :)

btw, I am glad you noticed the "probably" bit and bolded it out in the quote. by no means I would defend that position like my life depended on it. if someone can provide me with solid, plausible argument in the other direction, I would readily acknowledge my misjudgement. wanna try? :)

That sounds too much like work to me.
I actually have a rice cooker. I can't get the Mrs to use it though. She says it is too hard to clean. I was hoping to find an argument that would sway her.

hmm, I am not really a rice cooker buff by any measure, but the three different rice cookers I have gone through were very eash to clean. which brand and model is it? I guess I could tell my friends to stay away from that if anything...

The thing is that it is no harder to clean than a pot. It is all in her head.
 

TecHNooB

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
7,458
1
76
Do you put the rice directly inside the rice cooker? There should be a seperate pot for you to put the rice in. You put THAT into the rice cooker. 1 cup of water on the outside, 1 cup per cup of rice on the inside plus 1 more or less depending on what kind of consistency you want.
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
19,579
17
81
Originally posted by: torpid
Originally posted by: dabuddha
I'm using http://www.amazon.com/Zojirush...Premium/dp/B00007J5U7/ (paid about half that price) and I love it. We eat rice at least 5 times a week and my wife loves it because she can put the rice + extras/water in the morning and set the timer for when she wants the rice finished. Last time my wife went to India, I used it to make rice and I would leave it in there 2-3 days on the warming cycle and the rice was still tasty and fluffy on the 3rd day.

Doesn't it turn yellow after a few days?

After 5-6 days it does in this cooker. For what it's worth, I normally cook either Basmati or Brown Basmati rice in it.
 

jiggahertz

Golden Member
Apr 7, 2005
1,532
0
76
This is better than an emacs vs. vi debate. I have never used a rice maker, or even knew they existed before having a Filipino roommate. I rarely eat rice, but will probably buy a $25 rice maker if I start eating more rice or to use as a vegetable steamer. I get it's a convenience thing, but some of the pro-rice maker people make it sound like cooking rice in a pot is such a difficult task. Pretty much any dish you are cooking to put on top of the rice requires more attention than cooking rice on the stove. If I had more counter space I'd probably already have one though.
 

dakels

Platinum Member
Nov 20, 2002
2,809
2
0
OK wow I had to stop reading the debate. All I want to know is what do you recommend for a person who wants to make everything from a creamy risotto (which I can't imagine doing in a rice steamer even though it says so on the descriptions, but the key to a good risotto is stirring... so... idk) to plain rice, to wild rice, to congee. Fuzzy logic model? I admit I do not eat rice often, mostly pasta and potatoes (all kinds of usually off beat potatoes, purple, baby yukons, etc) are my primary starches. I want to eat more rice though and I figure a rice cooker will be an easy way to do it. I hate spending 40+ minutes making long grain rice when I can stir fry something in 10 minutes. I'm the worst plain rice maker too lol. Too much, burnt, too much water. Attention needing rice like Risotto I do well but those require constant action and attention. $50-100 range, but I'll go a little higher if it is REALLY worth it. By 10 cups they mean 10 cups cooked right? Not dry lol... That would be like 30 cups cooked or something rediculous. I can't see myself needing more then enough for 5-6 people ever, usually 1-2. Probably 1 cup per person is an average serving? I can't figure stuff like that out till I see in on a plate. I'm a cook not a baker, I don't measure a damn thing :p

1: Can you make grits in there?
2: What's the Indian (as in India... duh) rice dish that, from what I am told, is eaten often for breakfast. It is a starchy rice paste not unlike the consistency of grits and thicker then congee. I had a great one the other day in a nice indian restaurant. It was savory, not sweet and it was not Idli.
 

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
Originally posted by: dakels
OK wow I had to stop reading the debate. All I want to know is what do you recommend for a person who wants to make everything from a creamy risotto (which I can't imagine doing in a rice steamer even though it says so on the descriptions, but the key to a good risotto is stirring... so... idk) to plain rice, to wild rice, to congee. Fuzzy logic model? I admit I do not eat rice often, mostly pasta and potatoes (all kinds of usually off beat potatoes, purple, baby yukons, etc) are my primary starches. I want to eat more rice though and I figure a rice cooker will be an easy way to do it. I hate spending 40+ minutes making long grain rice when I can stir fry something in 10 minutes. I'm the worst plain rice maker too lol. Too much, burnt, too much water. Attention needing rice like Risotto I do well but those require constant action and attention. $50-100 range, but I'll go a little higher if it is REALLY worth it. By 10 cups they mean 10 cups cooked right? Not dry lol... That would be like 30 cups cooked or something rediculous. I can't see myself needing more then enough for 5-6 people ever, usually 1-2. Probably 1 cup per person is an average serving? I can't figure stuff like that out till I see in on a plate. I'm a cook not a baker, I don't measure a damn thing :p

1: Can you make grits in there?
2: What's the Indian (as in India... duh) rice dish that, from what I am told, is eaten often for breakfast. It is a starchy rice paste not unlike the consistency of grits and thicker then congee. I had a great one the other day in a nice indian restaurant. It was savory, not sweet and it was not Idli.

I've never tried making polenta with it but I've used my zojirushi fuzzy logic rice maker to make grits, oatmeal, chili, porridge, and numerous types of rice with no problem. The grits came out a little mushy though.

I wonder if you are thinking of Upma

 

dakels

Platinum Member
Nov 20, 2002
2,809
2
0
Originally posted by: torpid

I wonder if you are thinking of Upma

I am! Wow this very intelligent (doc) Indian person I was with told me it was made from rice... heh no wonder why it really tasted like grits.

Chili in the rice cooker? Now I am even more interested... Thanks
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,084
456
136
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Originally posted by: torpid
Originally posted by: dabuddha
I'm using http://www.amazon.com/Zojirush...Premium/dp/B00007J5U7/ (paid about half that price) and I love it. We eat rice at least 5 times a week and my wife loves it because she can put the rice + extras/water in the morning and set the timer for when she wants the rice finished. Last time my wife went to India, I used it to make rice and I would leave it in there 2-3 days on the warming cycle and the rice was still tasty and fluffy on the 3rd day.

Doesn't it turn yellow after a few days?

After 5-6 days it does in this cooker. For what it's worth, I normally cook either Basmati or Brown Basmati rice in it.

Why did you buy that particular model?

Is cooking brown rice different than cooking white (short grain) rice?
 

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
35,461
4
81
Originally posted by: Jhill
Originally posted by: Nitemare
Originally posted by: shortylickens
I have found that boiling Minute Rice is a lot easier than a proper rice cooker.
I guess if I made a pound of rice everyday I would make an effort to use my special little rice pot.

Minute Rice is like referring to Mickey D's cheeseburgers when asking where to get a good cheeseburger.

Yes, but minute rice cooked in a 300.00 rice cooker tastes WAY better than regular rice cooked in a pot.

Who in their right mind would buy a 300 rice cooker and use shitty rice-wannabe in there?

Originally posted by: RossMAN


Why did you buy that particular model?

Is cooking brown rice different than cooking white (short grain) rice?

Yeah 90 bucks for a fuzzy logic cooker would be mighty tempting
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
19,579
17
81
Originally posted by: RossMAN
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Originally posted by: torpid
Originally posted by: dabuddha
I'm using http://www.amazon.com/Zojirush...Premium/dp/B00007J5U7/ (paid about half that price) and I love it. We eat rice at least 5 times a week and my wife loves it because she can put the rice + extras/water in the morning and set the timer for when she wants the rice finished. Last time my wife went to India, I used it to make rice and I would leave it in there 2-3 days on the warming cycle and the rice was still tasty and fluffy on the 3rd day.

Doesn't it turn yellow after a few days?

After 5-6 days it does in this cooker. For what it's worth, I normally cook either Basmati or Brown Basmati rice in it.

Why did you buy that particular model?

Is cooking brown rice different than cooking white (short grain) rice?

Well I got the 5 cup model because we normally cook about 1-2 cups each time. As for that particular model, I think I bought it after posting a thread about it in these forums over a year ago asking for a recommendation. That particular model seemed to get the most recommendations so I bit the bullet and got it. Been very satisfied with it :)

EDIT: And brown rice does take longer to cook. We had a $10 microwave rice cooker which worked wonders but it never seemed to cook the brown rice properly. It'd either be undercooked or dried out.

Our old one was like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Maxi-Aid...-Cooker/dp/B00011R41Q/
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,084
456
136
WTF no one answered my second question:

"Is cooking brown rice different than cooking white (short grain) rice?"
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
19,579
17
81
Originally posted by: RossMAN
WTF no one answered my second question:

"Is cooking brown rice different than cooking white (short grain) rice?"

I did in my edit :D
 

LS21

Banned
Nov 27, 2007
3,745
1
0
Originally posted by: RossMAN
WTF no one answered my second question:

"Is cooking brown rice different than cooking white (short grain) rice?"

you didnt real the whole thread

large grained (round) brown rice turned out terrible on my machine.. im sticking to jasmine
 

Jhill

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2001
5,187
3
0
Who in their right mind would buy a 300 rice cooker and use shitty rice-wannabe in there?

You obviously haven't had minute rice cooked in a $300.00 rice cooker.
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,368
12,857
136
Originally posted by: RossMAN
WTF no one answered my second question:

"Is cooking brown rice different than cooking white (short grain) rice?"
yes, it is different. My rice cooker can do it, but I haven't tried it either.