# Tell me about your rice cooker. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2004, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764 "2004-05-12T11:15:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/21 "2004-05-12T19:21:48Z")
What’s the smallest amount of rice you can make in a rice cooker? I like to make single portions, so I prepare 4oz. in a pot on the stove. Can I make that little in a rice cooker? ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/22 "2004-05-12T19:47:13Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > What’s the smallest amount of rice you can make in a rice cooker? I like to make single portions, so I prepare 4oz. in a pot on the stove. Can I make that little in a rice cooker? Depends on the size of your rice cooker. Mine’s a small 3 cup affair, so I can do a portion (.75 - 1 cup) for myself if I REALLY wanted to. In a bigger rice cooker, though, I’d guess more rice would be left stuck to the sides than you’d actually be eating. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/23 "2004-05-13T00:19:11Z")
The one we use if for the microwave. It works fairly well, and you have rice after a mere 15 minutes. We actually have three of them, two that have never been used that are put away for the inevitable demise of the current one (it’s been 3 years, so far, though), but I’ve never seen another anywhere. Hey, the ones that don’t use a microwave, do they have two lids too? I think that’s the only reason the microwave one works. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/24 "2004-05-13T01:32:24Z")
I make a lot of Stir frys, so I eat rice almost everyother day. I splurged and got a Zojirushi as well. It is great. [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004S57C/qid=1084411287/br=2-2/ref=br\_ts\_slwth\_th\_2/103-0983455-1488643?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=297805](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004S57C/qid=1084411287/br=2-2/ref=br_ts_slwth_th_2/103-0983455-1488643?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=297805) it has setting for all kinds of cool stuff like Jumbalaya, porridge, all differet types of rice perfecty. I love the thing. It’s have the little three cup version, but it’s perfect for me living alone. For a whole family it would be way too small. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/25 "2004-05-13T01:32:57Z")
Here’s the microwave rice cooker. We’ve used it the last couple of years and absolutely love it. Apparently you can make pasta and popcorn in it too. Who knew? The rice, though, has always come out great. -Lil [http://www.kitchenetc.com/Products.cfm?sku=000093829&trackingid=frgl](http://www.kitchenetc.com/Products.cfm?sku=000093829&trackingid=frgl) ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/26 "2004-05-13T01:34:57Z")
Sorry, just noticed that one’s not available anymore. Here’s what it looks like now. [http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=125670](http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=125670) ---
**Author:** ![so\_da\_ne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@so\_da\_ne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/so_da_ne)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/27 "2004-05-13T01:53:38Z")
I have a National rice maker and I love it! Make sure when you are choosing yours that you get one with even heating like a National or a Zojirushi. Cheaper ones will sometimes have a hotspot over the single element and the rice will burn. ---
**Author:** ![BoringDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@BoringDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoringDad)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/28 "2004-05-13T02:00:14Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > We have 2 Hitachi Chime-O-Matics. (My husband and I each had one when we met.) They are pretty lousy. The rice always gets burned at the bottom and they’re hard to clean. So, I’d recommend against that model. Second the no vote on the Hitachi. And here I thought ours was just broken. I suppose now I have to get my wife a new rice cooker AND a compost bin for her birthday! ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/29 "2004-05-13T02:50:58Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > She’s about 5’5" tall, 120 lbs, 32 years old, dark brown hair and dark eyes. > 😛 Mine’s a little shorter and twice the age, but like **Jovan** said: > [@](#): > > \*\* I can’t imagine living without one.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Anaptyxis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anaptyxis/32/3171_2.png) [@Anaptyxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaptyxis)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/30 "2004-05-13T03:08:07Z")
I’m with **Ginger** on this one - I bought the Black and Decker Flavor Scenter Steamer (the smaller one) in January and I love using it for rice. Unlike **Chefguy** , I prefer to use the steamer to cook rice because I can put the rice and water in, turn the thing on, and ignore it while I do other things to get dinner ready. When I cook rice on the stove, there always is a risk that it will foam up and boil over, and I have to watch the pot carefully. Not so w/the steamer. Plus I’m more likely to cook brown rice if I can get it started way before dinner and not have to watch a pot for 45 min. straight. It’s also pretty small, so you could use it for single servings, as **Dewey Finn** wanted. Wish I’d had rice for dinner, now. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/31 "2004-05-13T03:24:51Z")
One other thing I forgot. One of the main reasons I finally got the fancy schmancy programmable one is that I live in Denver at a mile high. And I used to have the simpler rice cookers, but they wern’t set up for the lower boiling point of water, and didn’t come out quite right. Lowland folks might not find the same benefit for the expensive one as I did ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/32 "2004-05-13T04:30:59Z")
> [@Drizzt Do'Urden](#): > > I have been using my **Zojirushi** rice-cooker for about two years now. All I can say is that it is (when properly combined with a slow cooker) THE SINGLE GREATES PIECE OF KITCHEN WARE IN EXISTENCE!!! Just imagine, being able to have perfectly cooked rice with NO EFFORT! Just pop in rice and water, turn it on, and BAM, you’ve got perfect rice. This is an awesome brand of rice cooker! It’s easy to make, the instructions are simple. Gooooood rice. I never cared for rice before cooking it in this cooker. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/33 "2004-05-13T04:40:16Z")
I’ve got a National that’s over 10 years old and still works perfectly. I hate to cook, but I love my rice cooker. I also use it to steam vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/34 "2004-05-13T04:43:25Z")
Ours is a LG (Goldstar) brand from Korea. I carried it home on the plane. When we got into LAX, somebody asked me if it was a hair dryer. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/35 "2004-05-13T05:01:22Z")
> [@Mama Zappa](#): > > We’ve got a Zojirushi 6-cup model. Works well but the steam hole in the lid tends to “spit” so we always set the steamer basket upside down over the top of the lid. We’ve never used the included measuring cup; instead, we measure rice, rinse thoroughly, and add the amount of water called for on the rice-package instructions. We also let it all soak for a few minutes before cooking (not critical for white rice, but _essential_ for brown). > > . I use the 6 cup model and have read about the “spitting”, but I’ve never had the problem as long as I rinse my rice well. I use the measuring cup it comes with, and just add the water up to the pot’s line, and get perfect rice every time. I use jasmine rice. Damn. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764/36 "2004-05-13T08:01:47Z")
I’ve got a Zojirushi neurofuzzy 5 cup model and I couldn’t do without it. It has multiple settings for white and brown rice as well as porridge. It also does other grains, prepackaged mixes, and beans. I’ve used it for farro, quinoa, spelt, and even some one pot meals such as fish and rice. It’s fabulous. I also heartily recommend the [Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook](http://www.ecookbooks.com/products.html?ref=286386562&sid=90529920040513035155&action=det_29990&searchvalues=rice%20%3DAND%3Bcooker&searchlogic=simplesearch). It’s got some great recipes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-rice-cooker/244764.md?page=1)