Tell me why I want a rice cooker

[Parrothead]

I've seen so many threads over the last two days about rice cookers. I still can't imagine why I need one. We are half southern so rice is a staple here eaten several times a week.

 

There has been talk about one pot meals made in the rice cooker. I do my own version of those on the stove with a regular pot. I make plain white rice, brown rice, jambalaya, dirty rice, red beans and rice, chicken and rice, etc., with no problem.

 

So why would I want a rice cooker. Someone talk me into it.

[Daisy]

Well, you may not need one.

 

I finally broke down and bought one because I have a gas stove. I could never get my gas burner down low enough to simmer the rice without it cooking too fast (and still crunchy). For a long time I cooked rice in the oven as an alternative.

 

My hubby bought me a rice cooker that cooks brown rice (all we eat) to perfection and it is easy enough to use that I can have the kids make it.

 

I also love that it will keep the rice warm and ready to go for dinner.

[Parrothead]

Well, you may not need one.

 

 

But...but....but, I don't want to be left out of the rice cooker movement. I don't want to be the last person without one. Whaaaa.....

 

 

:D

 

Maybe I don't need one.

[cermincantik]

I prefer to cook rice in rice cooker rather than using pot. :) The result is better...at least for me ..:)

[Tullia]

You need a rice cooker because you have plenty of room for more stuff on your counter top :D! I resisted getting a rice cooker for a long time, but my family loves brown rice and I avoided making it because I always made a terrible mess using the range (probably due to living at a high altitude) and I could never get the rice to turn out like we wanted (burner won't turn down enough). So, I bought an inexpensive Black and Decker to see if I'd like it--thinking that I'd get a more sophisticated version later on. I love it and will keep it as long as it works. The pan and lid swish clean quickly, and the rice is never over or under done. I like the keep warm feature too. I always make the full amount so that we have leftovers for fried rice, rice pudding, or soup.

[jenn&charles]

I love my rice cooker. It's sooo easy to deal with. You put the stuff in, forget about it, wait for the light to change color and then you know it's done. It never sticks to the inner pan, is super easy to clean and is cooked to the perfect consistency. I wouldn't want to cook rice any other way!!

It's so simple that Otter does it for me all of the time when we have rice for dinner.

[Parrothead]

I love it and will keep it as long as it works. The pan and lid swish clean quickly, and the rice is never over or under done. I like the keep warm feature too. I always make the full amount so that we have leftovers for fried rice, rice pudding, or soup.

That might be reason enough right there.

 

I have (in this house so it isn't permanent) 6 feet of counter space broken up into three sections.:glare:

[Mama Geek]

We bought ours when dh and I were both working crazy hours (before we had dd). I could put rice in the cooker at night and set the timer to have it ready for breakfast. It would keep rice good and hot for 2 days. After that it tended to dry out. Rice is pretty important to us since dh can't eat bread due to gluten problems. We bought an expensive one and have used it a bunch.

[milovany]

I've seen so many threads over the last two days about rice cookers. I still can't imagine why I need one. We are half southern so rice is a staple here eaten several times a week.

 

There has been talk about one pot meals made in the rice cooker. I do my own version of those on the stove with a regular pot. I make plain white rice, brown rice, jambalaya, dirty rice, red beans and rice, chicken and rice, etc., with no problem.

 

So why would I want a rice cooker. Someone talk me into it.

 

Because you set it and walk away and it doesn't matter when you come back. You don't have to be there before it burns -- when it's done it will shut off and wait nicely and quietly for you, keeping the rice warm. It. Can't. Burn. With stove top and baking the rice can easily burn if you're not there when you're supposed to be. And even if it doesn't burn can leave the pan with a crusty edge that's harder to clean. Not so with steamed rice. No burning, no crispy pan to clean. Just hot, fresh rice ready when you are.

 

This is the one I use.

 

Didja buy one yet?! :D

[Mejane]

If you can make good rice, you probably don't. My rice was mushy no matter what I did until I got one.

[specialmama]

We love our rice cooker. But I'm an anomaly: I can cook a great cornish hen with raspberry glaze and any kind of cheesecake known to man, but cannot cook rice. Or coffee. :glare: Sooo, we asked for one for our wedding 13 yrs ago. It's a Black & Decker and is still working perfectly. I honestly can't cook rice any other way, so I really don't think you need one. However, if you truly don't want to miss out, then consider this: for those days where you're juggling several kitchen tasks all it once, it is zero-hassle (no stirring, checking, etc.) and it frees up a burner on your stove. :D

[Parrothead]

 

This is the one I use.

 

Didja buy one yet?! :D

Not yet. Now yours looks interesting since it is a steamer also. Are all rice cookers steamers?

[secular_mom]

Most come with steamer tray inserts, you put the rice and water in as usual, put the steamer tray on top with the items you want to steam, close the lid and turn it on.

[DawnM]

Mine is a dedicated rice cooker (no steamer) but I LOVE it!

 

I have had it now for 10 years and it works perfectly.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NS-ZCC10-Cooker-Warmer-Premium/dp/B00007J5U7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290556773&sr=8-1

 

Mine is an older version of the above and I know I paid half of that. Don't remember if it was a special or what.

 

Dawn

[Cedarmom]

Because all the cool people own them:001_smile: You want to be cool right?

 

 

And all the other reasons people have said. Also, mine has a delay buttton. I can set it to start/end at a certain time. So if I'm out of the house I can have terriyaki chicken in my crockpot and rice in the cooker. Then when I can home dinner is all ready.

[Ellie]

So why would I want a rice cooker. Someone talk me into it.

Because you truly walk away. It cuts itself off when the rice is done, and keeps it warm. You get perfect rice (or other food) every single time. It never, ever burns, whether you remember to get back to it or not. And because it doesn't cook on the stove (or in the oven), you have that appliance free for something else.

[Parrothead]

Because all the cool people own them:001_smile: You want to be cool right?

 

 

:D This is what I'm afraid of. Dh simply had to have one of those expensive single cup coffee makers. Just before the economy crashed. It just isn't cool anymore to spend so much on a cup of coffee.

[Ellie]

Not yet. Now yours looks interesting since it is a steamer also. Are all rice cookers steamers?

 

Yes and no.

 

Example of a Rice cooker which might also steam.

 

Example of a Food steamer which might also cook rice.

 

You can cook more rice in the rice cooker. I like rice cooked in a food steamer, but for a big crowd, there just wouldn't be enough.

[jcgonczi]

So how long does it take to cook rice in a rice cooker?

[dm379]

I got one because I'm an airhead and have a bad habit of forgetting about things on the stove. Actually I have two. One I use only as a steamer and the other for rice. Love both of them.

[Cedarmom]

:D This is what I'm afraid of. Dh simply had to have one of those expensive single cup coffee makers. Just before the economy crashed. It just isn't cool anymore to spend so much on a cup of coffee.

 

Yea, I guess buying all the lastest cool gadgets could waste money you could be spending on books:001_smile:

[secular_mom]

So how long does it take to cook rice in a rice cooker?

Mine takes 20-25 minutes for white rice (I add more water than the directions say to add, because I don't like having crispy rice in the bottom when I let it sit in the cooker on warm). Brown seems to take longer, but I haven't measure the time.

[AlaskaGrownFamily]

The Pampered Chef Rice cooker is pretty stinkin' cool.

I made it a molten lava cake in it for a show last week. :)

Besides that, it makes fabulous rice, easy peasy, in the microwave.

 

Yeah, I'm a consultant, so I'm biased! :lol:

[TrixieB]

Mine is a dedicated rice cooker (no steamer) but I LOVE it!

 

I have had it now for 10 years and it works perfectly.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NS-ZCC10-Cooker-Warmer-Premium/dp/B00007J5U7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290556773&sr=8-1

 

Mine is an older version of the above and I know I paid half of that. Don't remember if it was a special or what.

 

Dawn

Mine looks like that but is 10 cup capacity. BIL bought it, then gave it to me and bought a smaller capacity model for himself. I love it! It cooks brown rice -- and white rice too -- to perfection. I can set the timer and the rice is ready whenever I want. It keeps cooked rice warm for hours, so I sometimes make rice for the kids & me for lunch, then dh has rice ready for him when he gets home in the afternoon.

 

If it ever breaks, I will buy another one immediately.

[angela in ohio]

I bought a plain old rice cooker for $20, and it is the most used appliance in our kitchen. It makes the most fabulous brown rice, and it is easy for dc. I didn't want to get one, because I knew I could just make it on the stove, but I do use it almost daily.

[anneofalamo]

as an owner of a cheap wal-mart rice cooker, I can not believe I have finally achieved a coolness level.

I have lived my whole life in nerd level, and thought I was raising my children to take that route.

Never in all my days did I realize my way out to become cool was a rice cooker.

:tongue_smilie: