I pose this question to the gastronomically inclined among the Teeming Millions: How do you cook rice in a saucepan, or other cooking vessel, without some of it sticking to the pan? (the saucepan we usually use, and a rice cooker we also use, are not teflon- or Silverstone-coated.)
Does it stick even in the rice cooker?
Saute the rice in butter before you add the water. About 5 or so minutes on medium heat should do it. Just make sure you keep stirring the rice.
(I hate teflon pans myself so I know where you’re comming from.)
Sorry, I just reread your post. Some of it’s always going to stick. It’s just that doing what I suggested above will bring it down to a minimum. This will also keep the rice from sticking to itself. Rice cookers a terribly bad at this.
Heh? Rice cookers are idiot-proof, even for me… am I missing something in the OP question?
Cooking----aisle 5!
Seriously, you’ll get better results from Cafe Society.
moved by samclem GQ moderator
huh. I’ve never, ever had a problem with rice sticking. Yet I hear the lament as if it were a plague.
Is your heat really low? Really, really low? As low as you can get it before it disappears? If so and you’re still sticking, try a doohicky whose name is escaping me at the moment - it’s a metal plate of sorts that goes over your burner and diffuses the heat more evenly.
WhyNot’s Rice Recipe: 1 part rice, 2 parts water. Dash or more of salt. Pat of butter unless I want stickier rice. Throw it all in together, stir, bring to boil. Reduce heat as low as it’ll go and cover. Come back in 20 minutes and fluff.
Easy as…well, tons *easier *than pie! 
“bad at this?” But…but…rice is supposed to be sticky!!!
(I’ve lived in Japan for the past few years…you should see the looks of horror when I tell people how Americans like their rice)
(And, all of the electric rice-cookers I’ve seen were made by Japanese companies, who feel little need to make non-sticky rice. However, the newer models have non-stick coatings on the pots)
Hmm, this makes sense. I always wondered how they eat rice with chop-sticks. Guess that’s how.
::sight:: Okay, once again. You don’t need a rice cooker. Use Basmati rice and your problems are over. It’s nearly idiot-proof and has the best flavor of any rice on the market.
I love Basmati rice! I’ve just started learning how to cook, and rice is the first thing I mastered, thanks to a technique I picked up from lissener.
I rinse one cup Basmati rice in cold water, then put it in a bowl and cover it with water. I put it in the refrigerator, either overnight or at least for several hours. When I’m ready to use it, I drain, rinse again, then let it sit to drain more (I like for it to be fairly dry).
I put a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a small saucepan and when it’s warmed up I put in the rice. I saute it for a few minutes, then I add about 1 3/4 cup boiling water. I stir a bit more, then put the lid on and turn the fire way way way down low (as WhyNot said, as low as it’ll go without puffing out). I set the timer for 17 minutes, and that’s it. I used to hate home-cooked rice because I never could get it to taste or feel or look right. Now it comes out perfect for me every time. However, I’ve only ever made Basmati rice that way. We live in a Middle Eastern neighborhood so I can get big bags of it cheap.
Btw, from my experience, you can keep the rice soaking in the fridge for days. I’ve had rice in there as long as a week or so, and it’s still come out perfect for me. I’ve even had a too-cold fridge and the water formed ice, and it didn’t matter.