Rice Cookers Steamers

First of all there is a huge difference between rice cooked on the stove top/microwave and a rice cooker! Each batch of rice you buy is different – different grain length, different starch content and these can significantly affect the cooked rice produced. Also when cooking rice on the stove top in a saucepan there is no one method that works for everyone as you have too many variables to take into account. For example what works for Marc Dominic may not work for someone else, as they have a different stove (gas and electric stove tops affect the cooking of rice as the control of temperature between the two different fuel types is different!) or the saucepan they are using is heavier than the one you have. 2 minute microwave rice never, ever tastes right – it tastes spongy!
Rice cookers are not a pointless invention – we lived in Asia for 3 years and every houshold we went into had a rice cooker in their kitchen. No-one in Asia cooks rice on the stove top or in a microwave, rice cookers are used. It also frees a burner up on your cooker.
Rice cookers make things so much easier, especially if they are a fuzzy logic one (like this one http://www.yumasia.co.uk/tgq10.html). Rice cookers are time saving appliances in the same way as people own microwaves or bread makers. You simply rinse your rice, put it in the inner bowl and fill the water up to the correct mark, close the lid and press cook. The fuzzy logic then ensures the rice is steamed rather than boiled and makes minute adjustments to the temperature to make sure that the rice produced is perfect, fluffy and dry everytime just like you get in a restaurant. You can even adjust the texture of the rice produced in a fuzzy logic rice cooker.
Some people say that rice cookers are single function appliances but you can actually cook many things (other than rice) in a fuzzy logic rice cooker including lentils and other pulses, porridge, risottos, rice puddings, the list goes on and there are cookbooks you can buy for recipes. There are timers on the rice cookers which you can set to have the rice ready for when you get in from work or to have your morning porridge waiting for you when you wake up which then give you more time to prepare the rest of your meal or do something else!
Some people will never see a point to owning a rice cooker, however a lot of people see a real benefit in the same way they see an advantage to owning a kettle rather than boiling water in a saucepan to make a cup of tea!

Hi S S,
No need for the rice cooker: here’s something I posted on uktvfood last February:
Perfect (Boiled) Rice
It takes only fifteen minutes (of relative inattention) to cook perfect rice – so why bother with the slow cooker?
Measure your rice (go for more than you’ll need, it’s great in the microwave the next day) in a jug – wash it if you wish, but Basmati, Thai and other fragrant rice are best left unwashed, depending on your supplier. I find these days that 10kg Indian or Pakistan bags supplied from Asian grocers do not need ‘picking over’ or washing at all – this may not be the case for other (Patna) long grain rice.
Heat some oil, olive oil, butter, ghee, whatever fat you like in a suitably sized pan. You may wish to add other flavourings, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, star anise, saffron etc., as you choose or simply leave plain.
When hot pour in the rice. Stir ‘till all grains are coated – like you’re making a risotto – the pan should get quite hot. Then add two times the measure of rice by volume, of cold water, add some salt and bring to the boil. Stir when boiling– very important! Place a tight fitting lid over the pan and cook on the lowest heat possible (use the smallest ring you have on your cooker even for a large quantity), for ten – twelve minutes (you’ll get used to the timing and it’s not really that important but don’t over do it), according to the rice version you’re using. After the cooking time is up, simply turn off the heat and leave for a further five minutes with the lid on – don’t peep!
Your attention in making the rice has taken a minute at the start plus the necessary stir after the water has boiled (to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan). Easy…
Finally, stir to fluff the grains and serve, or usefully, if you have more pressing things in the kitchen, such as the accompanying course, sort them first – the rice will keep good and hot for much more than twenty minutes with the lid on.
Just remember the golden rule is always two to one – water to rice, oh and you need that small amount of fat and salt to taste…

Hey S S
To put it plane and simple.. I have had trouble cooking rice for a long time
I did buy the 2min microwave rice but found it to be too expensive (especially when cooking for more than 2 people!)
Sometimes I aslo noticed that the grains would clump together in the packet rice.
For me THE best purchase I’ve ever made for the kitchen was my “cuisinart” rice cooker.
I got it at a great price from amazon and it cooks perfect fluffly rice every time!
Hope this helps

I wouldn’t spend money on something that only did one thing…. especially when it is so easy to make rice on the stove.
All you do is put 2 cups of water to 1 cup of uncooked rice. Heat the water on the stove, and when it begins to boil, stir in the rice, cover the pot completely, and turn the heat to low. Cook for 18-20 minutes… no more, no less. DO NOT OPEN THE LID!!!! Doing this lets the steam escape and will burn the bottom layer of rice.

Rice cooked over the stove (traditional method) ALWAYS going to taste way better than 2 minute microwave.

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