Rice Cookers Make A DifferenceWhat are rice cookers? Simply put, "rice cookers" are basically devices to cook rice more speedily and perfectly than the traditional stove top pots. The main advantage of a rice cooker is that once the rice has been put inside and the cooking process started, it can be left alone without constant monitoring. The rice cooks by itself and one can carry on with some other work. Rice cookers come in many varieties ranging from electric ones to microwave and gas ones. They have come as a boon to busy people as the traditional method of cooking rice properly was time-consuming and required constant attention. Rice cookers have made things much easier as they automatically conduct heat and can be pre-set to desired timings. The involvement of the cook in making rice in a rice cooker is simply limited to adding the correct amount of water and setting it to cook instead of hovering over the stove constantly to check whether the rice has been cooked properly or not. Different types of rice like wild rice, saffron rice, sticky rice can be cooked to perfection in a rice cooker. For saffron rice, the saffron should be pre-soaked and then added to avoid clumps while cooking the rice. Sticky rice cannot be cooked well in an electric rice cooker and has to be steamed in a special type of cooker. A special bamboo basket is required to steam sticky rice which has been soaked over a pot of boiling water in the rice steamer pot. The nightmare of turning out the perfect risotto in a stove-top pot is eliminated in a rice cooker. These cookers comprise of an outer container which is insulated and has a heating element. An inner detachable container which can be non-stick is fitted inside this bowl. The cheap ones use the normal electrical and thermal elements but the expensive ones use fuzzy logic to give you the fluffiest of rice. Cookers using fuzzy logic 'think' for themselves and automatically know what type of rice grain requires what type of power to cook them and they adjust the heat accordingly. Rizo "rice cookers" are extremely user-friendly and even novices can cook rice very well without fear of burning it in these cookers. Many "rice cookers" are designed to keep the cooked rice warm for up to twenty-four hours safely. This eliminates the risk of food poisoning and can be safely served without any qualms. They are also very handy when it comes to entertaining as the rice can be cooked well in advance without fear of it getting spoiled. Restaurants, especially the ones which specialize in Asian cuisine, tend to keep those large industrial cookers to churn out copious amounts of rice at short notice. Undoubtedly, "rice cookers" have simplified the cooking process to a large extent and are invaluable in today's busy lifestyle. |