Rice cooker = slow cooker?

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xelsoo
xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
in Recipes
Hi everyone! I've recently moved into a new flat which came with a couple of rice cookers (a big one and a small one with a missing lid). I've never had one before and I've only used them for cooking rice.

I am curious as to if I can use them as a slow cooker (which again, I've never owned). I keep seeing amazing one-pot slow cooker recipes and thought it might work, plus I'd love to hear about your fave recipes! They wouldn't be one-pot with the large one and the small one's missing the lid, so I'm not sure... I don't even know if this post makes sense at all :blush:

Any thoughts on technicalities and recipes are welcome!

Replies

  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,022 Member
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    I have a rice cooker and a slow cooker and they are 2 different things.

    I couldnt use my rice cooker as a slow cooker - it turns itself off once rice is cooked. usually in about 15 - 20 minutes.
    I think it does this by sensing there is no more steam - ie all the water is absorbed into the rice.

    The slow cooker cooks things like soups all day or overnight.
  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    I have a rice cooker and a slow cooker and they are 2 different things.

    I couldnt use my rice cooker as a slow cooker - it turns itself off once rice is cooked. usually in about 15 - 20 minutes.
    I think it does this by sensing there is no more steam - ie all the water is absorbed into the rice.

    The slow cooker cooks things like soups all day or overnight.

    Thank you! You can tell I have no idea on this matter lol. Slow cooker recipes usually need longer cooking time than 20 minutes, agreed. :D
  • mbauer013
    mbauer013 Posts: 34 Member
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    You can use it to steam veggies, I use mine for that sometimes.
  • andreaen
    andreaen Posts: 365 Member
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    It never even ocurred to me that you could cook anything but rice in a rice cooker. I'll definitely try the veggies the next time I come across one
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    They are indeed two different things but you could purchase an Instant Pot (IP). An IP is a rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer and pressure cooker combined in one.

    @andreaen I use my rice cooker to make steel cut oatmeal. It works great. I also steam vegetables and salmon in it.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    I doubt it.
  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
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    mbauer013 wrote: »
    You can use it to steam veggies, I use mine for that sometimes.

    That's a great idea, I'm definitely trying to steam veggies in there.
    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    They are indeed two different things but you could purchase an Instant Pot (IP). An IP is a rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer and pressure cooker combined in one.

    @andreaen I use my rice cooker to make steel cut oatmeal. It works great. I also steam vegetables and salmon in it.

    Steel cut oatmeal is a favorite, I'm trying that as well.

    Thanks for all the feedback!
  • macybean
    macybean Posts: 258 Member
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    You can use slow cooker recipes in the oven. Use a large dutch oven or similar covered pot and set the oven around 200 for the low setting and 300 for the high setting. Slow cookers are nice in that you can set them and leave, plus you don't have to use your oven (especially nice on hot days), but for me, I almost never pull mine out of storage anymore.
  • catherineg3
    catherineg3 Posts: 127 Member
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    on high, the rice cooker is hot enough to boil water and cook rice or other grains. this may or may not be similar to the high setting on slow cooker, but I would think it might be a little hotter. it will auto shut down as soon as the heat rises above boiling point - for rice this is the correct time due to all the water boiling off. if you are cooking white rice, that's about 20 minutes, but if you are cooking brown rice, about 45 minutes. remember it's not on a timer, it's run by a heat senser.

    if you have a slow cooker recipe that has a lot of liquid and can cook for a shorter time (1-2 hours) on the high setting - something soupy like coq au vin (chicken in red wine), it might work, but you would have to set your timer and check it for being done because the auto-shut-off won't work as long as there is still liquid. Be cautious, because we have tried using a rice cooker for a thick pea soup and they did stick and burn on the bottom.

    I would not want to try to use it for "all day on low" typical slow cooker recipes with large pieces of cheap cuts of meat that really need low heat and 8 hours to get tender.
  • RenaTX
    RenaTX Posts: 345 Member
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    If you can afford it, get an Instant Pot. You will have a rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker (though I don't like it for that) etc all in one device. It saves space.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    Totally different things. The rice cooker can do more than just cook rice, but it's pretty limited to things that involve steaming or simmering for a short time, usually an hour or less. It wouldn't work for things that need to be cooked for many hours, which is what a slow cooker does.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    Here is a link to The Bearded Hiker's blog for a couple of versions of Opelousas, a rice cooker recipe that sounds good. I have yet to try it though.

    https://thebeardedhiker.com/opelousas/
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,022 Member
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    catherineg3 wrote: »
    on high, the rice cooker is hot enough to boil water and cook rice or other grains. this may or may not be similar to the high setting on slow cooker, but I would think it might be a little hotter. i.

    No - I have a slow cooker and I cook soups for hours - ie I put the raw veggies and liquid in and leave it overnight to mash in the morning - it never reaches anywhere near boiling, even on the high setting.

  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
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    mockchoc wrote: »
    Here is a link to The Bearded Hiker's blog for a couple of versions of Opelousas, a rice cooker recipe that sounds good. I have yet to try it though.

    https://thebeardedhiker.com/opelousas/

    This looks delish, I think this can be my first tryout with the rice cooker.

    Thanks everyone for the feedback and tips :#
  • AudreyJDuke
    AudreyJDuke Posts: 1,092 Member
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    This is really good info, thanks!

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