Invest in rice maker?

BodyFreak

Hey I just wanted to know if I should invest in a rice maker? I currently make minute rice but I find it's to dry when I take it out for work. Any opinions?

_Timmeh_

Yes absolutely, we use ours all the time. Very easy to use and you may end up saving money in the long run.

BassesGirl

Definitely! My fiance and I use ours all the time (we like to make sushi), the rice comes out nice and moist

lorac321

LOVE my rice cooker! You'll never do minute rice again.

pmich08

Totally do it.
I've never had minute rice because it creeps me out, but I cook normal rice in a pot all the time and miss the rice cooker that my dad had when I lived there.
Best, investment, ever!

Maryjaneshoes

Yes! Love mine! Brand is Aroma,never sticks, perfect rice every time. And it's relatively inexpensive. :-)

BobbyClerici

I throw some brown rice in my maker and forget it.

PERFECT - every time. One is just about as good as another.
Go to WalMart - $20

Danahimself

I want one! Must be nice to just put it in and let go, I have to make a batch then store in tupperware!

_Timmeh_

Some can be used to steam vegetables. Win Win.....

gdsbt1

I agree with the Aroma brand..........doesn't spit hot rice water all over the kitchen like my previous rice cooker. I bought mine at Walmart.

pixiesx3

I love my rice maker. When I lived in Hawai`i, I got hooked. I like sticky rice rather than fluffy so it works better for me!

sister_bear

I have a really cheap one that I'll probably throw away when we move. Yes, you can do more than cook rice with one, but they're worth having and you'll save some $ in the long run.

BodyFreak

Wow thanx for the feedback :-) Minute rice became unbearable to eat even if it was only a few hours after making it! NEVER AGAIN

hperowl

YES, YES, YES!!!! I cook mine with chicken or veggie stock to add good flavor. Can eat this stuff for breakfast it's so good:bigsmile:

paeli

Definitely get one! Get the kind with a little steamer bit you can put at the top so you can steam veg in there while the rice cooks. Super convenient if you like rice. And they come pretty cheap!

xMedullaOblongatax

Haha, the rice maker is a cook's best friend. I bought mine almost ten years ago back when I was in college. BEST investment I ever made!

sassylilmama

Yes! I have an Aroma with steam basket so I can cook veggies at the same time. Fairly inexpensive too.

gregpack

Just left my local walgreens drug store. They had a small 6 cup rice cooker/steamer on sale for $10! That might be a great starter cooker.

BodyFreak

Lmao! Deffently made my decision to go and buy one. As long as it keeps my rice moist thoughout the day. Think I'm gonna puke if I eat anymore min rice.

Thanx for the feedback!

JPDad

I would strongly suggest using a pressure cooker instead. You can cook rice in it through the "pot in a pot method". I just bought a cheap $5 stainless steel pot and chopped off the handle so it fits inside and is raised off the bottom. This site has all the info and recipes.

http://fastcooking.ca/pressure_cookers/how_to_cook_rice_in_a_pressure_cooker.php


Pros:
- Cooks rice much faster - It's the way some restaurants do it
- Cooks other foods faster - Perfect for families!
- You don't get that crispy rice on the sides of the pot
- You can use it for more than rice! 30min Chicken Broth, quick cook lentils, basically any slow cooker recipe supercharged.
- No Teflon to worry about
- Never boils over like a rice cooker does.

Cons:
- Cost. It's an investment, but should last a lifetime unlike the heating element of a cheap made in china cooker.
- Space, as they are a little bigger
- Takes a little practice to get the timing right. You need a kitchen timer as 30-60 seconds sometimes makes a difference between soupy rice and cooked rice

FYI. I bought my wife the pressure cooker for Christmas 2 years ago after our traditional rice cooker stopped working. We use it at least once a week. Just make sure that's not the only gift you get her as she may hit you with it.

MostlyWater

Now THIS is a subject that I can get behind.

My mom never could make good rice and I grew up on Minute Rice, which isn't very tasty or nutritious.

When I got married, I made our rice in the microwave. 20 minutes in Corningwear and it's done.

Then, we moved to an apt that did not have updated enough electricity for us to nuke for 20 minutes at a time. I then graduated to an $8 white 3 cup steamer from Target....which we quickly outgrew and had to upgrade to a 5 cup. Now that steamer made goooooood rice. But at some point, the Teflon coating started wearing off and I would insert a crockpot bag to cook the rice in, in the steamer. DS felt eating from hot plastic was unhealthy and it didn't make brown rice so ...

I invested in a Panasonic 5 cup programmable rice steamer, from ebay. You program it for rice mixtures, white or brown. It has a timer, too. And note that it can make jam, quinoa, porridge, and other stuff too. I don't remember how much it was, maybe $60 or $80 ? I paid more for a black and silver one that doesn't show dirt, and I also paid more because most steamers are much larger than 3 or 5 cups and I didn't want a huge one.

Does any of that help you ?

mrshmiller9

We got one for a wedding gift, and I thought "I'll never use this". I grew up on min rice. And now I think it's the most used thing aside from our can opener lol. I love it- perfect brown rice every time.

mysteria_

I love my rice cooker it's so easy to use!!

fiberartist219

I use mine quite a bit. I thought they were appliances that take up space and don't get used until I was in college. I had some Indonesian roommates that had one, and I was kind of impressed. Some of my friends had them too.

I tried cooking rice on the stove, but I could never tell when it was done, and I didn't have the patience to not lift the lid and check. Lifting the lid is the worst thing when cooking rice. Now, with my rice cooker, it flips a switch when it's done, kind of like a toaster. I also cook veggies in it.

I like to eat brown rice with a little bit of wild rice mixed in. There is so much fiber in it and you would miss out on that if you ate instant rice.

You can cook up a huge batch and ration it out over the week like you want to do.

I also love throwing veggies in the top tray to let them steam.

FitnessBarbie99

I got one for Christmas last year and use it about once a week.

I have all kinds of rice -- basmati, white short, brown, wild, red. It also cooks lentils, couscous to perfection.

You will lOVE it!


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Susan_Marie67

I would definitely suggest you get a rice cooker. I got one a couple months ago and love mine. I've eaten more rice in the past couple months than I've eaten in my life. It's so easy to use. You won't be sorry.

andrejjorje

Depends how many people are in the household and how many eat rice. Rice is good but is carb condensed food so if it is only for you I'll stay only with minute rice because you need small quantities right?

Minnie_Moo

Definately get one.......

I bought a Zojirushi one from QVC years back and it gets the most use out of all the electric gadgets in our kitchen. We especially love jasmine rice in it and I haven't used Minute Rice since I bought it. We make brown rice in it as well but my family doesn't like the brown rice in it as much as they like the jasmine or white rice.

If you want, here's a recipe I've been using lately for brown rice from Alton Brown and it's made in the oven. It comes out so good and my family loves it.

1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the rice into an 8 inch square glass baking dish.
Bring water, butter and salt to just a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine and cover the dish tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

tigersword

I have a rice cooker... It's called a pot. :laugh:

I'm not a fan of (insert food here) makers. I keep my kitchen equipment simple.