A little help please.......
We are on our 3rd now and cannot get the flipping things to work!
they bubble over, rice sticks to the bottom etc.
Any tips on how to use the bloody things?
Cheers
only rice maker I need is a large saucepan full of boiling salted water few bay leaves and cardomon pods sling in a cup of well washed rice stir once when boiling again time for about 6 minutes then test a few grains, should have swelled up a bit but still have a little bite to it drain through a seive back in the empty pan to rest for a minute, easily enough for two portions with no mess.
Never had any of these issues with ours. Just follow the instructions on the rice and the lines/no. of cups on the cooker and all is good.
Not very helpful I know but the reason I reply is, which type do you have?
Our plug in one is nearing the end of it's days as we use it a lot. I was very impressed with the Mother in Laws one over Christmas. It is just a pot with 2 vented lids. You stick in the rice up to the line, boiling water up to the next line and then give it 5 minutes or so in the microwave, followed by a few more minutes ignoring it.
Rice came out perfect, and much easier to clean by sticking in the dishwasher as it has no electrics.
I'll be getting myself one for sure.
The wife is from the far east, she used a normal sauce pan. Wash the rice twice. If the rice in the bottom of the pan comes up to your first knuckle of your finger then cover it with water to the next knuckle depth. Boil the water, then simmer it with lid on. Give it a stir every 5 minutes after about 10 minutes give it a taste to test for done-ness. The wife cooks it for about 15-20 but she likes the hard rice that forms on the bottom of the pan, can't stand it myself. Also try to get the best quality rice you can
I got my rice cooker from a Singaporean friend went back home and didn't have luggage space for it.
This was 24.5 years ago. It still gets used twice or more a week.
Rice has never stuck to it when cooking and it's easy to clean. Rice is perfect every single time. It's impossible to get wrong.
It's numbered to 5 on the inside and you fill it with water to the same number as cups of rice you added. There is no stirring, sieving or draining. Just perfect rice.
There are lots of ways to cook rice but none as simple and consistent as a rice cooker. That's why almost every Asian has one.
My parents are Vietnamese and they’ve used rice cookers ever since I can remember. Equal volumes of rice and water and it always comes out perfect.
Me and the girlfriend have got a little one which cost £15 from Lidl. We use it around once a month and it still turns out perfect rice.
I have a plastic rice steamer from amazon that you put in the microwave. It's red, by some new Zealand brand that's pretty prolific on there (can't remember the name). I can't see a plug-in one doing a better job, it's fantastic.
I must be doing something seriously wrong then lads!
- I wash the rice
- 2 cups of rice
- 4 cups of water as per instrucrions
Result - gooey water spitting everywhere and burnt rice!
Me too, ( except its black ) apart from never judging quantities well, its very easy.Originally Posted by 200mwaterresistant
Cheers..
Jase
Likewise; it's pretty much impossible to screw it up with even the cheapest model.
The only time I've had even a minor issue is when I ended up with some crappy rice from the only shop that was open on a Sunday evening, and it boiled over a bit. Every other decent-grade grain comes out perfectly.
They're great to have in the kitchen, by the way. Mine was a gift; at first I thought it would end up being an unnecessary gadget I'd never use, but once I actually tried it, I quickly appreciated how fantastic the things are.
I got an Instant Pot from Amazon a while back. Turns out they have a bit of a cult following (videos on youtube, recipes all over the internet, etc.) I'd definitely recommend it, works really well as a rice cooker and from what I've found since then while reading up on how to make various rice-based things, I believe it's probably better than most rice cookers.
The main difference compared to most rice cookers (and especially using a saucepan) is that because it's also a pressure cooker (among other things), it has a completely airtight seal, which means the rice to water ratios are extremely consistent. It's pretty much 1:1 rice:water, but it will vary slightly depending on the type of rice and whether or not you rinse it first. I don't bother, which produces more of a "sticky rice" result. I like that and it's a lot less hassle than the rinsing, which is by far the most time-consuming part of the process. Of course some types of rice will give better or worse results with or without rinsing.
If you are using some sort of a cooker that doesn't produce a perfect seal then you need slightly more water than 1:1 because some of it will boil off. How much depends on the cooker. Also the amount that boils off is constant, so if you double the amount of rice, you don't actually double the amount of water. Say you need 1:1 + 1, then 1 cup of rice = 2 cups of water, but 2 cups of rice = 3 cups, not 4. The exact ratios will depend on your particular cooker, you may need to experiment a bit to find the right ratio.
Also, if you are rinsing then remember that the rice is going to be wet, so that adds to the water side of the equation.
From the sounds of the problem, I would try reducing the amount of water and (if you can adjust it) reducing the time accordingly. Rice can only absorb so much water, so if you start with too much, you're just going to be boiling off the rest and in the meantime the rice at the bottom of the pan is going to get burnt.
^
Quality post.
Also, a different type of rice could be worth trying; basmati seems particularly immune from bubbling over the lid, for example.
Absorption method. Two cups water to 1 cup of rice. Pour into a pan with a well-fitting lid (I use a poaching or saute pan). Add a pinch of salt, tsp of butter, cardamom/turmeric if required. Cover with lid and bring quickly to the boil then reduce to the lowest heat and leave to simmer for 11 minutes. Then turn off heat and leave to stand for a further 5 minutes without removing the lid at any point in the process. After 5 mins remove lid and fluff up the rice with a fork and serve. Guaranteed never fail simplest of all methods. I've a once-used rice cooker which is a total psychotic uncontrollable disaster of a machine. I always use Tilda rice.
You really don't need any other than a microwave and a microwaveable pot (plastic, pyrex anything will do) and 20mins.
I've been making perfect rice for the last 30 years, almost on a daily basis (I eat a lot of rice!).
I use this method too - and also find basmati is better/easier with the way rice absorbs water. I moved away from a rice cooker due to not getting mine working well, too starchy and sticky despite watching.
Also note - for brown rice its essential to use the Absorption method - with letting it stand for 12/15 minutes.
Me too, a method I read in a Nigel Slater book many years ago.
No washing, no rinsing after, no nothing.
Works best with good quality Basmati. No need to spend on Tilda, our local Sainsbury's does randome brand large sacks of Basmati in the "Manager's Special" section. Doesn't matter what brand it is, it is in large sacks, very cheap and always good quality.
This method works a treat.
Dave
I used to cook my rice using an excess of water, boiling until tender, then draining to serve. That worked, but I was always envious of people who could get the absorption method to work. I tried it and even bought a "red thing" (Sistema)...without too much success. Then I saw Ken Hom on Saturday Kitchen describe his method and decided to try it out. This is it, borrowed from one of his recipes on www.bbc.co.uk/food:
- put the rice into a saucepan and cover with water...the general rule of thumb is that the water should come up above the level of the rice by about 2.5 cm / 1" (Ken uses the top part of his thumb)
- bring the water to the boil and cook (boiling not simmering) until most of the surface liquid has evaporated...the surface of the rice should have small indentations like a pitted crater
- skim off any starchy solids from the surface
- cover the pan with a very tight-fitting lid, turn the heat as low as possible and let the rice cook
- remove from the heat and let it rest
My adaptions are:
- I cover the rice with boiling water from the kettle (to a lesser depth...< 1 cm when cooking one portion)
- my phase at low heat is much less that the 15 minutes in the recipe, generally only 5-6 minutes (this may be down to my rice ...plain supermarket basmati...and / or my portion size), any longer and the rice on the bottom dries out and may start to burn (apparently this is OK as some people...not including me...like it?)
- after resting I lift the lid and let out the steam for a minute or so before serving
I cook mine for two minutes in the microwave cut top of pouch and serve
My cousin has a zjorushi rice maker machine that must be 20 years old I’m always envious of her rice it’s absolutely superb but we don’t eat enough rice to justify yet another kitchen gadget, and now I’m googling an instant pot god help me
Here you go:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OP26T4K
They literally cannot make them quickly enough.
I’ve just been told (rather emphatically) we do not need one unless I build another extension lol I’m a sucker for gadgets of any description I’ll order one when they’re back in stock shhh although we do use the slow cooker I bought quite often
Cast iron enameled pot with lid - Le Creuset if you’re posh but the supermarket ones work just as well. Start it on a medium-high flame with the sautee in butter if that’s what you want, add water from boiled kettle plus salt, whole spices etc, and when it starts to bubble give a quick stir, pop the lid on and into a slow oven to finish by the absorption method. The most idiot proof way to get the best consistent result in my opinion.
Don't count on it.
There are people in this thread who can't use a rice cooker and that's no harder to use than a kettle.
Sounds good...who is it made by, please? And, does your cooker have a mark for 0.4 cups (80 g) of rice? That's how much I need to cook for my single serving.
It's made by National, and has a Malaysia sticker on it that's mostly faded. According to google, Panasonic bought National. It is the simplest thing and this is the closest I can find - https://www.panasonic.com/in/consume...-wa10-ge9.html
I just weighted the cup I used and it came out at 160 grams of rice. It doesn't do 0.5 increments, but you could do that by eye.
However, I think that cooking a half portion is less likely to be successful as it might be too hot and cause the rice to stick.
I usually cook a double portion for my wife and I then use the leftovers for frying the next day. "Overnight" rice is best for fried rice as it's dry.
Thanks for that. I think I would be better off with their baby model: SR-3NA. As that cooks up to 160 g rice my single portion shouldn't be a problem (or need any guesswork). I'll have to put one on my shopping list should I visit India or the Orient. It seems that they have a better range of simple devices for everyday use.
I can think of three things that might cause gooey sticky rice:
1. Not washing enough (wash till water stays clear)
2. Cooking too long (I drain shortly after boiling*)
3. Choice of rice (I buy 5kg bags of Kohinoor )
*I use an 8" pan, with a 8" sieve that sits on the top. The rice stays in the sieve after draining, with the lid on top of the sieve, over the cooling pan (heat off). The rice stays hot for at least 10 minutes, and the longer you leave it the fluffier it gets.
+ 1 on the Instant Pot. My go to equipment in the kitchen now; it is very versatile and rice always comes out perfectly. I rinse the rice first and then use 2 parts rice to 3 parts water by volume.
It produced a very good meat loaf at the weekend in 35 minutes :-)
Cheers,
Nigel
I use a pyrex bowl and the microwave, never fails.
Mug of basmati rice
Rinse and drain
Add 500 ml boiling water (I usually add a vegetable stock cube)
Cover with cling film and punch a couple of holes in it
Microwave on full for 13-14 minutes
Check at 11 minutes and add more water if necessary
When finished cooking, allow to stand for a couple of minutes and stir to separate
This makes generous portions for 2.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Apart from Eddie you're all doing it wrong....Microwave all the way for the win.
You really don't need any other than a microwave and a microwaveable pot (plastic, pyrex anything will do) and 20mins.
I've been making perfect rice for the last 30 years, almost on a daily basis (I eat a lot of rice!Early bird gets the (microwaved) rice! ;-)
What's wrong with just boiling it? If microwave takes 20 min it's just as quick.
Think it's been mentioned further up the thread, but the washing of the rice is important - if your water is bubbly and startchy then you aren't anywhere near clean enough!
Rinse over and over and over, I spend almost 5 minutes washing the rice, filling my container of rice and draining it probably 10-20 times over.
One of these if you eat rice often
https://www.yumasia.co.uk/sakura-mul...h-ceramic-bowl
Something we seem to have overlooked: Arsenic.
See also :
I always boil rice in an excess of water, drain the water off then wash with fresh boiling water from the kettle.
I don’t bother washng it, all that does is removes the starch from the surface. When white rice is boiled he starch leaches out and if there’s insufficient water it ends up going thick and goey. There are good reasons why the starch behaves this way, but it can be avoided if an excess of water is used.
Trying to cook by absortion of just the right amount of water is a different process, it’s fine if you wish to retain all the starch, but I much prefer doing it my way.
I rarely eat white rice thesedays, I prefer brown.........provided it’s cooked thoroughly for 20 mins.
Paul
uncle ben’s ready rice, job done
Nasty, nasty, nasty! One of those naff products from a bygone age...
BUFFALO Rice Cookers.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BUFFALO-R...EAAOSw8W5aVmbr
Job Done.
Regards
V
Saucepan.
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Saucepan. Or Panasonic.
I have a Sage Risotto Plus and it is excellent one of the best kitchen gadgets we have bought. Originally it replaced our cooking needs whilst our kitchen was out due to extension works. It sears, slow cooks, does rice, steams and makes risotto. We mainly use it for risotto and generally most weeks it is used.
I have this device from Xiaomi, it makes great rice.
https://youtu.be/lHqXOgJ8iEM
Apparently I can even control it from my phone. Not tried that!
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I just use a saucepan, boil the water , Add a bit of salt . Add rice , back to the boil , rolling boil for about 9 minutes , drain and rinse with boiling water from kettle in a seive , return to still hot pot to steam off excess moisture for a couple of minutes. Perfect fluffy rice. Don’t like the absorbtion method , rice is too glutinous.
Saucepan, low heat
Small nob of butter (or a drop of oil) melted.
One measure of rice (never rinse rice) in the pan amd coat with butter.
Two measures of boiling water.
Quick stir, lid on, lowest heat setting.
Leave for exactly 15 minutes and never take the lid off.
After 15 mins, remove from heat, check all water has been absorbed, job done.
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