reice cooker recommendation

[$tevie]

Great -- thanks to both of you for the input!

[graylocks]

[quote TLB]Please pardon my ignorance, but why a rice cooker rather than the stove top? Will it shorten the cooking time for my brown rice? It seems like just one more thing to clutter my limited counter space.
i feel the same way. cooking rice is so simple. the only reason i've ever seen that sort of made sense is having a timer. for folks that work outside the home, having the rice fresh cooked when you get home would be a small plus. sometimes i don't bother making rice because of the 30 minutes or so it takes to cook. some folks also use rice cookers to steam veggies - another stove top no brainer but...

that being said, i don't have the counter top real estate for one.

[ka jowct]

My SO got a rice cooker. He also gets good rice. It turns out really well in the cooker. It says "Aroma" on it: I think it's this one.

[dmann]

I eat rice 1-2x per week and I do notice that the texture and flavor is different between rice cooked in a steamer and rice cooked on the stovetop.

Rice cooked in the steamer is fluffier and has a better taste. Brown rice is nuttier, jasmine rice is a bit "sweeter" for lack of a better term, etc.

If you don't eat rice often, skip the special appliance. I have a really small galley kitchen so none of my appliances sit out (except the coffeemaker). In my old place we would use the rice cooker on the kitchen table. This kept the counters free while we cooked other things and was easy to move once the rice was done and we were ready to eat.

DM

[Schpark]

http://www.amazon.com/RiceSelect-Grain-T...05?ie=UTF8&s=gourmet-food

This rice ruined me for anything else (at least anything store bought).

[kap]

Ok, tuqqer, I will try your 1 part rice 2 parts water for the brown rice tonight with my aunt's family. Thanks!

Kap

[Drew]

[quote $tevie]My husband likes to saute bits of pepper and things and add that to the rice when he cooks it. And he uses chicken stock, not water. Is it possible to use a rice cooker when one cooks rice like that? Because I like the idea that he won't have to be concerned about the rice and can think about other things while he is cooking. Seems like it would make life a tad easier. I know my brother loves his, but I keep forgetting to ask him about whether you can doctor up the rice or not.
In Japan, they sometimes add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and other vegetables to the rice. Of course, every household has a rice cooker. Key points are even heating, not just on the bottom (the composition of the inside bowl is also important for this), and a good sealing lid. The fuzzy logic ones are great for keeping the rice warm for a while.

[elmo3]

[quote Drew]In Japan, they sometimes add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and other vegetables to the rice. Of course, every household has a rice cooker.
Not "of course" at all. I bet you'd be surprised at the number of Japanese households without such a device.

They've been eating rice for a LOT longer than these cookers have been around. Are you implying that all of the sudden they NEED rice cookers?

They may be enamored of gadgets, but of all people the Japanese don't need rice cookers. Nor is the entire country inundated with them.

[Drew]

Where in Japan do you live Elmo? I've never seen a household without one. There are several to choose in every electronics store and new models come out every year.

[davemchine]

My wife bought me a Proctor Silex 37533 which is an inexpensive $20 model. Not exactly what I wanted but I'm going to give it a try. At $20 what have I got to loose?

Dave