Hi there!
I’ll start with the complaint because I sick of cooking rice in a pot. I really hate this… Rice always clumps together, or vice-versa, it’s not soft enough and dry. Ok, to the point. I decided to buy a rice cooker and I’ll be glad to hear some recommendations from you before I buy it. What should I put my attention on? Thanks in advance!
We use a rice cooker at home but at times, I cook small portions using a small pot. Using the correct level of water for cooking rice is important, and after the water boils (with the rice) for about 3mins, I would put the pot to low heat to simmer for another 2mins and then turn off the heat to let the rice finish cooking in its contained heat.
But if that's too much of a trial, a rice cooker is handy. There are many brands of rice cookers in the market.
Your choice would depend on:
1. capacity - how large (or portions of cooked rice) do you need the cooker to be? size equates to price.
2. features - some rice cookers have settings for porridge or have an added steamer. If you don't need these, the simple rice cooker will be lower in price.
3. non-stick quality of pot - some brands have better non-stick quality than others. However, you should never use a metal spoon or scoop on non-stick pots - you need plastic or wood. The scoop usually comes with the rice cooker.
4. if you like to have lower-carb cooked rice, you might find the new cookers with an inbuilt water 'drainer'. After the rice is cooked, most pots 'retain' some water to let the rice absorb and be fluffy (or sticky). These new cookers separate the cooked rice with the balance of water so that the rice will not be fluffy (or overcooked) - this reduces carbs in the cooked rice.
5. Japanese rice cookers are renowned for better quality
I hope you can find the rice cooker within your budget, and capacity, and with the features you need.
.png){kind=icon}
