this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 132 points 1 year ago (14 children)

One I didn't see mentioned yet: a rice cooker.

Put in rice, add water, push start button, and you get perfect rice every time. I'm usually against single-purpose kitchen tools but a rice cooker is soo worth it.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Really only if you eat a lot of rice. For once a year or so, a pot on the stove works just fine. The actual benefit I've see for ricecookers is how well they can hold the rice for hours ready to go, but that's more of a commercial benefit I think.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

[...] but that’s more of a commercial benefit I think

For me, this is the primary benefit of a rice cooker. Having warm, cheap, filling food on demand at any time is fantastic. I am so lazy and my little rice buddies are always ready to go when I can't be bothered.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago

"Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something"

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I eat a lot of ice and I still just make it in a pot.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I like to imagine you huddled over an ice field, stirring water in a pot until it turns to the perfect slushy consistency for your fresh homemade ice.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Artesan ice. $17.99/litre

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Shit this comment made me so thirsty good lord I need some water

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

A rice cooker can serve as a cheaper instapot tho. I can steam rice and veggies without having to babysit a pot.

I also have kitchen anxiety, and in a roommate situation can keep a rice cooker in my room.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Living in Japan, this almost didn't register to me. I have literally never met anybody that didn't have one. When you move out, you use your family's old one until you can buy a newer one.

Everyone should have one, absolutely.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

When I did a homestay in Japan, my host dad was shocked my family didn't have one. I do now though!

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I know this will be a popular response, but I don’t get it.

I just use a pot and the rice is always perfect? Not hard at all? Am I just good?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I used to do that for years, but rice cookers really do some magic to get perfectly fluffy rice. I thought my technique was good, until I tried rice from a rice cooker.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Meanwhile, I've been disappointed by rice cooker rice and make it better the old fashioned way. :shrug:

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

You should look into Zojirushi. They make the best rice cookers

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah just add however many cups of rice and then add water to the specified line. Don’t need to do any of that finger bullshit to check water levels

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We sold our rice cooker on eBay after finding out the microwave rice cooker addon for 10€ is just as good, if not faster.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Lol TIL people are buying used rice cookers on eBay

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

So much this. I’m usually responsible for cooking for the week, and prepping rice was so much of a hassle in the middle of cooking everything else that most of the time I didn’t even bother and went for pasta insteadβ€” way easier to cook, but easily 3x the calories.

After I got a rice cooker, I just pop like 4 cups in that mfer and we got enough rice to last through like 2 days worth of dinner + bentos for lunch the day after.

Get a rice cooker y’all.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

what's the difference with cooking rice the normal way?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It’s great for quinoa, farro and couscous too. Love our tiger rice cooker, it’s a work horse!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Speaking of, be careful about consuming too much rice because of arsenic. There are plenty of other grains that don't soak up arsenic so readily and have a better nutritional profile. It's fine to eat rice, just switch it out throughout the week.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Love mine.

When I make chicken or beef stock I put it in I've cube trays. On some mornings I add the rice, a stock ice cube, and maybe some miso. I let it ride while I get ready and then crack an egg on the cooked rice and add some avocado, tamari and rice seasoning (nori and sesame)

Best breakfast and super easy

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My husband got us a Zojirushi rice cooker for my birthday one year, and I love it so much! We had an old $15 Oster one previously, which was also pretty nice to have, but oh boy. I'm spoiled by Zojirushi now. We could make a cake in it! I haven't yet.... But I could! Lol.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I've always wanted to try one of those, nice.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

For anyone who doesn't want a rice cooker but can't find a good basic white rice recipe: Put rice and water in a pot (1 cup rice to 1.5 cup water. People will tell you 2 cups water, punch them, or ignore them, your choice.) Turn it on high until it boils, stirring lightly occasionally to stop it from sticking. As soon as it starts boiling (not simmering) cover it with a lid and turn on low. Keep covered until it's done (just taste it to test if it's done.)

P.S. You can add whatever seasonings you want if you find something good online or something. It's not important to actually cooking the rice.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

ok this might sound heretical but a "hack" i learned from cooking youtube is to just boil rice like pasta then drain. I do this for about ~12 mins with white rice and it comes out perfect every time with no risk of messing up. Downside is you need to drain it.

unsure the validity of this claim? but apparently there can be a non-insignificant amount of arsenic in american grown rice, and boiling can help leech it out into the water.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is it different from a pressure cooker? Because pressure cooker is similar (add water, rice, start cooking, wait for X whistles) and has multiple use cases.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Rice cookers are not sealed for high pressure (they are in fact not sealed at all, just like regular pots and lids, because they need to lose excess moisture) and they are configured for this one particular thing: every rice cooker is calibrated for a fixed serving of rice (or couple different settings) with fixed amount of water. All it really does is turn off at the perfect moment, ~~which is determines by weight.~~ which is determined by a thermostat

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Ah okay. Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh, I have a pressure sealed rice cooker, but it's the top of the line Zojuroshi and is more like $600. It's also not fast, takes like an hour, but the rice is divine. Sadly, I rarely cook rice. I got it for my sister, who lived in China for a while and used to eat rice all the time, but then moved into a tiny house and gave it back to me... I can't really bear to throw it out - but I only use it if I'm making a huge amount of rice randomly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It takes longer because it soaks the rice, which makes it more consistent.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The high end rice cookers use sensors and will vent excess moisture or hold in moisture as need and can adjust cook time.

Zojirushi calls their sensors "micom"