Last Updated on June 19, 2020 by MakeThingsReal
Almost every kitchen can boast of a good rice cooker, even the tiny kitchen in your studio apartment probably has some long grain white rice steaming in the rice cooker. It’s no surprise as this little kitchen appliance will save you the time, energy and gas you will otherwise spend on cooking your rice in a pot.
Rice cookers on the market are a dime a dozen and the prices range from your twenty Dollar rice cooker to two hundred dollars high-end cooker. A budget-friendly good rice cooker and the high-end cookers will have their range of unique features with more features on the high-end cookers.
If, however, you do not have a rice cooker and you are wondering why you should get one, there are a host of reasons to own a good rice cooker.
When you cook rice in a pot on the stove, there are so many ways you can mess it up. Your rice could end up too soggy or mushy, it could end up burnt and maybe even half cooked. But with a rice maker, you can be sure of perfectly cooked rice all the time, and you only have to do the barest minimum. Just add the rice, water, and hit the start button.
The way a rice cooker works is that the thermostat measures the temperature of the device and when it hits a particular temperature, the heat reduces, and the goes off or switches modes.
If you make rice often or for a lot of people, you will want to buy yourself a good rice cooker to save some energy and effort. Another great thing about the rice cooker is that you can make tons of other stuff with it, you make noodles or pasta, boiled eggs, oatmeal and frittatas, vegetables and steamed meats, mac and cheese, pork roast, beans and even a pancake. Who doesn’t want something so versatile and stress-free in their kitchen?
Japanese rice cookers are often very pricey; you won’t find a Japanese cooker on the lower end of the price scale.
But why should you shell out a hefty sum for a rice cooker when the twenty dollar cooker makes your rice just the way you want it?
Its the technology. Even if you are not a fan of fancy gadgets and gizmos, you are sure to be swayed by a rice cooker with a few extra cool features no matter the price tag.
Your fancy Japanese rice cooker will determine the type of grain that’s in it, the age of the rice, the hardness of the rice and the best consistency, so you won’t be expecting regular cooked rice when it’s done.
It’s also quite handy if you cook more than regular rice, in fact, it is programmed to prepare each grain according to the way it should be done. So if you plan to make quinoa, basmati rice, brown long grain rice or whole grain rice, Jasmine rice, aromatic rice, regular long grain white rice, parboiled rice, or japonica rice, your Japanese rice cooker is up to the task. You can also make sushi and porridge with a good rice cooker, the microchip in the rice cooker adjusts the cooking temperature and times accordingly.
A favourite brand of Japanese rice cooker is Tiger Corporation. The Micom cooker has a synchronised cooking function that enables you to make two dishes at the same time. It also has an automatic cooking logic system that monitors the temperature to cook perfectly. The cooking plate is BPA free which makes the texture and flavour of the food untainted.
A good rice cooker can make five and a half cups of rice, and it comes with a food steamer and a slow cooker. It has four cooking settings, and the settings include; plain rice, brown rice, synchro cook and steam/slow cook. The cooker also has an automatic warm function that can keep your rice warm for more than twelve hours. The cooker has a detachable inner steam cap, and the inner pot is non-stick. It also comes with a cooking plate, measuring cup, a non-stick spatula and a cookbook.
There are several other brands of Japanese rice cookers with even more functions to offer. These functions work as promised; they cook every food item to perfection. Even if you make mistakes when you add the ingredients to a good rice cooker, for instance, putting too little water or too much water, the cooker’s temperature adjusts accordingly and cooks consistent rice.
If you don’t cook a lot of rice or different grains, a Japanese rice cooker may not be necessary, however, if you do, It is something that you will want to invest in.
Picking the right Japanese cooker does not have to be a difficult task either, you should buy it according to how often you cook rice and the quantity of rice that you cook.
A small Japanese rice cooker will cook three to four cups of rice, a medium sized good rice cooker will cook five to six cups of rice, a large rice cooker will cook eight to ten cups of rice and a jumbo-sized Japanese rice cooker will make over fourteen cups of rice.
The jumbo size is probably only necessary for commercial use, and the large size will be useful for a large family.
Every model of Japanese rice cooker, no matter the price, will come with a few fundamental features such as a “warm” button, a one-touch operation, a detachable non-stick inner pot, and a steamer for vegetables and probably steamed meats. Some of them will also come with a cookbook, a timer, separate settings for grains and a paddle.
Some extra features may include high cup capacity, reheating cycle, and brown rice settings. The additional features may set you back a few Dollars, but if you need it, you will find that it is worth the price.