Some people prefer to make rice in pressure cooker but rice cooker is considered a more energy efficient way of cooking rice.Therefore rice cookers have become a common tool in many kitchens across the globe. Like other kitchen gadgets, there are many options when it comes to choosing a rice cooker.
There are even options that can cook a variety of foods such as a pressure cooker. So, what should buyers look for when they’re looking for a good rice cooker? At the end of the day, you want something that is going to deliver cooked rice with flavor, texture, and a good cook speed. Also, you’ll want to explore some of the following features when looking for a good rice cooker that suits your personal needs.
- Nonstock Inner Pots – An aluminium or stainless-steel inner pot makes clean up easier.
- Even Cooking – Rice can be easily over or undercooked. You want a rice cooker that will deliver fluffy rice from the center to the edges.
- Speed – Rice cookers can cook rice in approximately half the time of stovetop rice cooking. You want to look for a cooker that can deliver cooked rice in an efficient amount of time.
- Size- A good rice cooker capacity depends on the size you need for yourself or your family. When deciding on a cooker be mindful that the cup size on the package refers to uncooked grains. If a cooker’s capacity is 3 cups that means it can hold up to 6 cups of cooked rice. Most rice cookers have a 3-10 cup (uncooked) capacity.
- Texture – Look for a cooker that can deliver the rice textures you prefer. Making rice in a pressure cooker can deliver a softer, stickier version of cooked rice than that of stovetop cooked rice.
- Lid- To keep a steady temperature, you want to be sure the cooker has a tight-fitting lid to prevent steam from escaping. This will help the rice cook evenly and swiftly.
- Consistency- Look for a cooker that can deliver delicious rice regardless of the amount cooked.
- Cook and Keep Warm- This feature allows your cooked rice to stay warm until it is served. Heating elements around the side and bottom of the pot keep the rice warm and ensure even cooking.
- Grain Types – A good rice cooker can cook not just white rice but a variety of grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and long-grain white rice.
- Fuzzy Logic – This feature comes with a computer chip in the rice cooker that can adjust and sense cooking time and temperatures. This allows the cooker to make judgment calls that a person may make when cooking to ensure the rice is properly cooked. As opposed to basic cookers that are designed more mechanically and cannot take into consideration errors such as too much or too little water added by the user.
- Induction Heating – Some of the more advanced rice cookers use coils around the pot to pass an electric current. This produces a magnetic field that produces an electric current in the pot. This leads to more accurate temperature sensing and even cooking. When you make rice in a pressure cooker you are combining induction and pressure cooking to quickly cook rice with both good flavor and good texture.
