The Ultimate Rice Cooker (3 page)

This machine is the most basic (it is designed to make only white rice, although it does a credible job with brown rice, too, if you follow our instructions) and is very inexpensive. It is fitted with a plain aluminum cooking pot and a tempered glass or metal lid. There is no indicator light to tell you when the rice is done; if you don’t hear the click as it shuts itself off, you can tell by examining the position of the switch. This is the only model that comes in a mini-size of 1 cup, for the single rice eater. You can find small models for $15 to $20.

Cook-and-Reduce-Heat Rice Cooker
The cook-and-reduce-heat rice cooker (also known as the keep warm cooker), automatically adjusts the heating element to low when the thermostat senses that the water has boiled off and the rice is done. The two heat settings are On/Off and Keep Warm, which is basically very low heat. This type of machine will keep the rice warm for up to four hours before forming a thick crust on the bottom of the pan. There is an indicator light to let you know if the cooker is cooking or in keep warm mode. To turn off this rice cooker, you must unplug it.

Top-of-the-line models designed for the steaming option have one or two clear plastic steaming baskets with slatted tiers, which imitate the Chinese bamboo steamer baskets; this is a wonderful option that does a superior job. There is a tight-fitting, see-through tempered glass lid, which we consider essential. Less expensive models are fitted with plain aluminum cooking pots and metal lids, the more expensive (still comparatively inexpensive) ones have a Teflon nonstick rice bowl coating and glass lid. This machine usually comes with a perforated metal steamer tray that fits into the top of the rice bowl, allowing for other foods to be steamed as the rice is cooking. The cheaper models have a small tray that fits into the bottom of the bowl so that steaming is done only an inch above the element.

These are very reasonably priced machines; models sell for $40 to $75. A great deal and a good first machine.

Deluxe Electronic Rice Cooker
The electronic machine, designed in the 1980s, was the next big jump in rice cooker technology-it cooks and keeps the rice warm and moist for up to 12 hours. The temperature is controlled by a thermal-read switch (note that the fuzzy logic machine senses by weight rather than by temperature). This is the type of cooker to get if you want to hold large quantities of rice for extended periods. The heating elements are located not only on the bottom, but on the sides as well, so the rice stays an even consistency and you won’t get a thick crust or dry spots on the bottom of the pan. These machines are great if your family eats lots of rice and they do it at different times (for instance, if you want to make rice once a day and eat it all day long, as is done in many Asian households). You lift the lid, scoop some rice, and walk away, knowing that the next person will have access to warm, moist rice. There is an indicator light to let you know if the cooker is cooking or on the Keep Warm cycle.

These machines usually cost $100 to $150; they do a great job and normally come with a Teflon nonstick rice bowl coating. Many of the deluxe electronic machines are portable.

Fuzzy Logic Rice Cookers

The fuzzy logic rice cookers̵the basic fuzzy logic and the induction heating machine—are immediately recognizable by their digital face, multiple-choice function buttons, and elongated housing shape that Beth has dubbed “Queen Mum’s Hatbox. ” Note that these machines are not usually set up for steaming (you could use an expandable steamer basket, but it might scratch the bowl lining).

Basic Fuzzy Logic Cooker
The fuzzy logic cooker (also called neuro fuzzy), which hit the market in the early 1990s, is the next step up from the electronic models. Fuzzy logic technology enables the rice cooker to judge and calculate the amount of rice by weight, automatically adjusting the cooking time. Fuzzy logic rice crican food community and for good reason: They make fantastic rice. If you can afford the price and eat rice regularly, this is the machine to invest in; they are great. The first ones on the market were designed to handle white rice, especially the medium- and short-grain white rice preferred in Japan. They have evolved to incorporate multiple menus, choice of what texture you want your rice to have (soft or hard), a Porridge (or Soup) setting, and a Brown Rice setting. At this writing, Williams-Sonoma carried a lovely medium-size National brand fuzzy logic rice cooker complete with a Sushi cycle (signaling a machine made for the Japanese market), which is a nice touch, though not essential if you want to make sushi at home.

With a bit offiddling, we got long-grain white rice and brown rice to turn out as well as the medium-grain rices in fuzzy logic machines without special cycles. The beautiful spherical DuPont SilverStone coated cooker bowl that is made from a combination of stainless steel and high-grade aluminum (the shape is a fantastic heat conductor) is so easy to clean you will wish every pan you own was just like it. There is a hinged cover. There are various settings, like the Quick Cook cycle (reduces the cooking time by 20 minutes by eliminating the soak rest at the beginning) and the gentle Porridge cycle. The cooking process includes brief soaking at the beginning and steaming at the end. The digital 24-hour clock with timer brings freedom to the cooking process, so you can program the time you want the rice to start or finish cooking. Place the ingredients in the pot, set the timer, and the rice or meal is ready when you are. After the food is cooked, the unit automatically switches to the Keep Warm function, which keeps foods moister than in conventional models, warming it for up to 12 hours.

The prices on these machines range from $170 to $200 and up. You can’t have everything, though, and these models are not designed for steaming.

Induction Heating Rice Cooker
The induction heating cooker is fitted with state-ofthe-art microm technology designed for sensitive sensor timing and temperature detection. It does everything the earlier model offuzzy logic machine does, plus it delivers a finished product that is the most evenly cooked of any method available because of the accuracy of the microm technology controlled by a microcomputer (think micro chip). Also known as the microm rice cooker, these models have been introduced into the mainstream appliance market during the last seven years in Japan. This machine is described as “the thinker.” The technology in the sensor unit can compensate for improper measuring since it judges the temperature and detects moisture proportions, allowing for multiple functions, especially important in rices other than white, such as wild rice and brown rices. The induction heating rice cooker uses the highest amount of wattage of all the machines.

These are the most expensive machines, though the price is coming down; they start at about $200, with the top models at about $400.

TIPS FOR BUYING A RICE COOKER ABROAD

Planning a trip? If you are traveling to or through many of the major airports in Asia, you’ll find a large selection of high-end rice cookers in the duty-free electronics shops. Julie’s beloved Sanyo fuzzy logic rice cooker came from the Tokyo airport. At the time, there were about 15 rice cookers to choose from, priced from $80 to more than $400 for the large fuzzy logic models. Obviously these are not the under-$20 models found in many American variety stores, but serious machines for serious cooks.

important note:
Before you buy abroad, double-check to make sure the machine runs on U.S. current, has a U.S.-style plug, and comes with English- language instructions and English-language buttons (Julie’s is labeled in English and Chinese). Generally speaking, if you’re visiting Asia, you’ll be better off shopping for your rice cooker at the airport instead of in town. The airport is the best place to find rice cookers meant for the English-speaking consumer.

HOW THE RICE COOKER WORKS (THE SCIENTIFIC SCOOP)

The rice cooker has taken all the guess work out of cooking rice. Well, sort of. First you have to figure out how to use it and what it does. While you don’t have to know what and when, you most certainly have to know the recipe, the proportions of rice to water, and the parameters of what the machine can or cannot do to get the best possible results. Then it is automatic. This is a machine that will grow on you as you use it (be prepared; each machine has its own personality) and the steps involved will become second nature. We guarantee it.

The best rice is achieved by the following steps: washing or rinsing, soaking, boiling, and steaming. It is a variation of stovetop cooking, a boil-steam method known as the Canton style.

Washing or Rinsing the Rice

The washing or rinsing (depending on what type of rice you have) is done by hand before you place the rice in the cooker. Almost all serious consumers of rice rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking, but it is a step that is purely optional. There are good reasons to do so. Cooking instructions in the United States instruct you not to rinse the rice because, by law, rice meant for the American consumer has been fortified with powdered vitamins that are removed during rinsing. If you want the vitamins (which are not necessary if you have a well-balanced diet), then do not wash or rinse. If you want the best quality cooked rice, then washing helps by removing much of the loose surface starch, and will reduce excess stickiness. The difference is subtle, but a real rice eater can tell the difference: The flavor is cleaner, the whiteness improves, and the rice is less sticky when cooked. (This is preferred even for sticky-type
japonica
rices.) And, of course, the subtle flavors of the vitamins are removed. See our section on how to wash rice.

The exception to this is that Arborio and other risotto-style rices are never washed before using, because the starch is what makes the risotto creamy.

A new type of processing technology developed in Japan and just beginning to be used in the United States may put an end to the washing of Japanese-style rice. This rice, which is sold under several brand names, is labeled “Musenmai” and “Rinse-free rice.” It takes just a bit more water to cook than regular rice, because rice absorbs some water during washing. This rice tastes delicious, but some cooks we know still can’t resist giving it a quick rinse anyway. Old habits die hard.

Soaking the Rice

Soaking white rice for about an hour before cooking allows moisture to get to the center of the kernel, reduces cooking time, and improves the final texture. During the boiling phase, the heat will transfer quicker to the center and the rice will be done six to eight minutes faster, causing the least amount of damage to the outside of the delicate kernels. Soaking can be done outside the cooker, or in the rice cooker bowl with the cover closed before turning on the machine. In fuzzy logic machines, a short soak period is automatically timed in all but the Quick Cook cycle.

Boiling the Rice

Rice needs to cook in hot water in order to get additional moisture into the rice and transfer the heat necessary to gelatinize the starch in rice. When you turn on your rice cooker, it begins to slowly heat the contents of the rice bowl. Soon the water boils and the grains of rice begin absorbing water; you will hear the rice and water start to bubble in the machine. (In fuzzy logic rice cookers, there is a built-in Soak cycle for the rice, designed to help it absorb water better. In that case, it may appear to take a long time for the water to boil. Don’t worry. When the time is right, the cooker will kick into high gear and boil the water.)

It takes about 15 minutes in boiling water to get water and heat absorbed into the center of the rice kernel. If you look inside the cooker during this period, you will see semi-cooked rice with steam holes over the surface. These are caused by pockets of water vapor that were formed on the pan bottom and have risen to the surface. The water bubbles in the cooker until the temperature exceeds 212ºF, then the cooker shuts off. The temperature of water cannot exceed 212ºF, so the cooker knows all the water is gone when the temperature hits a few degrees higher. (This is the secret to how the cooker knows the rice is ready.) Do not remove the cover at this time.

Steaming the Rice

In the new on/off and fuzzy logic cookers, the steaming period is built into the regular cooking cycle, and the Keep Warm cycle is an extended low-heat steaming period. In simpler models, you set a timer or note the time. The rice cooker switches from the cooking cycle to the Keep Warm cycle (or, in simple on/off machines, simply shuts off). But your rice isn’t finished yet. Now is when the steaming process takes place.

Steaming is a key part of the cooking process. It allows further cooking of the rice without any swelling damage to the starch inside the grain. Ten minutes of steaming is adequate for most models of rice cooker and most rices; if your rice still seems wet at the end of 10 minutes, wait and check at 5-minute intervals. When the steaming period ends, uncover the rice cooker and stir or fluff the rice thoroughly but gently with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. Replace the cover if you are not serving the rice immediately. Rice is not done until the center of each grain is completely cooked, which is achieved during the final steaming period. The result: perfectly cooked rice. Most rice is perfectly cooked when its moisture content is between 58 and 64 percent, though the final moisture content is a matter of preference and differs with every type of rice. Some fuzzy logic machines have a setting for regular, soft, and firm textures, varying the amount of moisture in the rice. The more water per cup of rice, the longer the machine will cook the rice.