Rice Cookers

dfnewcombe

Does anyone have recommendations on rice cookers? I am thinking a smaller one that would not take up a ton of room and make up to 4 servings at a time? Also, I prefer brown rice over white rice if that makes a difference in what you would buy. Thanks!

rmlrobl

Check the thrift stores, I just found a 7 or 8 cup that also had a steamer built into it for veggies that is great. I think I paid 5 bucks for it if that. I can cook my rice and also some onions garlic bell peppers and other things to put in my rice with maybe some boneless skinless chicken breast makes a great meal. If you get the chance try black rice.

lynn_glenmont

Or you could just cook it in a pot you already have.

livingleanlivingclean

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

Or you could just cook it in a pot you already have.

Yup. My saucepans work just fine!

Mslmesq

I have a cheap small rice cooker that works fine. Go to target or bbb and buy one.

augustremulous

Even the cheapest most basic one will make better rice than rice made in a pot. You can get one for around $10-$15.

That said, if you really want the best, I'm a big fan of zojirushi. Only seems worth it if you regularly eat rice and have a large family that eats it too.

OldHobo

dfnewcombe wrote: »

Does anyone have recommendations on rice cookers? I am thinking a smaller one that would not take up a ton of room and make up to 4 servings at a time? Also, I prefer brown rice over white rice if that makes a difference in what you would buy. Thanks!

I can make rice in a pot on the stove or in the oven but I actually make it in a small rice cooker bought a few years ago in the grocery store. Not tempted to upgrade.
I can make toast on a gas burner too. Don't do that either.

DX2JX2

augustremulous wrote: »

Even the cheapest most basic one will make better rice than rice made in a pot. You can get one for around $10-$15.

Not really true about quality, but a rice cooker is definitely more convenient than cooking rice via stove top, especially if you need to hold it at temperature for a while.

lucerorojo

I have a cheap one that makes about 2-3 servings. I love it. I am a really good cook but one thing that was a pain was making rice in a pot. And it was variable depending on the pot. I agree that my cheap one makes better rice every time. And it is always good. I also use it to make my oatmeal in the morning--it is less adept at that because I have to watch it. The rice cooks automatically and the machine turns itself from cooking to warming. It will not stop automatically for oatmeal.

OldHobo

Oatmeal is porridge and has to much water content to get hot enough to trigger the thermostat that turns off a rice cooker. I've used it for other grains like buckwheat and millet. It turns off when they get to pilaf type consistency.

ktekc

i had a small rice cooker it burned the rice everytime. I now use a casserole dish in the microwave or my instant pot.

DX2JX2

crazyravr wrote: »

Legit question, not trolling.
Can you make anything else in the rice cooker beside rice? Thinking other grains and such? Thoughts? Also are rice cookers set it and forget it type of a deal? Better, worse or the same as an Instantpot?

Not the same as instapot as rice cookers are not a pressure cookers, nor do rice cookers manage slow cooking duties.

Rice cookers are pretty much just convenience items for most rice-like grains (quinoa, farro, etc.), both white and brown versions. They let you fire and forget the cooking of such items without having to worry about heat management or timing and they'll hold the rice at temp for a few hours without too much worry about scorching.

They're most helpful if you have rice all the time or tend to make rice in quantity with any kind of frequency.

You can also use rice cookers as a steamer but I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually done this since it's just as easy to set up a steaming rig with a pot and a colander.

MostlyWater

I got a reconditioned Panasonic rice steamer with fuzzy logic on ebay a few years back for abound $50. I think it's a 3 cup size. The larger ones cost less but I knew we weren't going to fill it up so I didn't want the rice to be overcooked - like when you don't fill up a crockpot enough.

dfnewcombe

Thanks all. I tend to have only about a 50% success rate with brown rice when I cook it on the stove- either underdone or total mush. Not sure why- as I don’t have the same problem with white rice. My son prefers brown rice so i generally try to make it rather than white. I understand that some will cook other grains- I might try quinoa as well. My kids are offering to get one for Christmas so I am hoping for better luck with one.

ljmorgi

dfnewcombe wrote: »

Does anyone have recommendations on rice cookers? I am thinking a smaller one that would not take up a ton of room and make up to 4 servings at a time? Also, I prefer brown rice over white rice if that makes a difference in what you would buy. Thanks!

I have the smaller version of this Aroma cooker that we got cheap at Meijer; it comes with a little steamer try for the top if you want to steam vegetables while cooking rice. I do brown or white rice in it, as well as quinoa, and it's great--no need to monitor it, and it flips over to "warm" once the rice is cooked.

cwolfman13

augustremulous wrote: »

Even the cheapest most basic one will make better rice than rice made in a pot. You can get one for around $10-$15.

That said, if you really want the best, I'm a big fan of zojirushi. Only seems worth it if you regularly eat rice and have a large family that eats it too.

A rice cooker is about convenience...I cook better rice in a pot than anything that ever came out of my rice cooker that I ended up donating because it sucked.

veganfanatic

I have a larger 12 cup rice cooker as I make full batches for refrigeration. Then i can eat fried rice as a fast meal anytime.