Choosing a Rice Cooker
By Renee Shelton

I'll be the first to admit that I scoffed at a rice cooker. Although my chef husband swears by them in professional kitchens, I thought to myself - rice is easy enough to prepare already and, do I actually need another kitchen appliance? Well, a few months after we purchased ours, I'm a rice cooker convert. It's convenient, and there is no boiling-over to clean up afterwards, either. We cook all types of rice, including long grain and brown rice. And since we make a lot of sushi at home with the kids (they love to roll it up), making a big batch of sushi rice is effortless and the grains turn out perfect everytime I've used the machine for it. But before I went out and picked up the cheapest or fanciest model on the shelf, I thought about what I really needed and wanted in a rice cooker. Since there are so many models out there, here are some things to look for and think about before purchasing your new rice cooker, or to replace the one you've got.

We have a Tatung TRC-6STW that we picked up at our favorite Asian supermarket. It was about 40 bucks, so it wasn't' expensive. It has a stainless steel inner rice bowl, called the pot, (really, the only thing I wanted from a rice cooker), and some of the features below. Knowing how much I actually use and like mine, I think our next model I'll splurge and choose one with the capability to prepare the many different porridge-type foods listed below, but for now, ours fits our family well.

• Capacity:
  Is your household numbering two or a half a dozen? It's important to choose one for the amount of rice you will actually consume. We have a 6 cup capacity rice cooker which will cook up to 6 cups of raw rice (which is a lot), and it fits us well. But if you were a single person at home, or making rice for just two, then a smaller one would be better as some larger models (like ours) has a recommended minumum amount of rice that can be cooked in the appliance. A 1-1/2 cup capacity rice cooker will end up making about 3 cups of finished rice which may make it better for single persons.
• Rice Inner Pot:
  I was specifically looking for a stainless steel bowl for a number of reasons: no flaking of the nonstick finish, no reaction of the inner pot onto the food, and easy cleaning. But, since there are many different rice inner pots available from the different manufacturers, here are the pros/cons of each:
  • Aluminum: Pros: inexpensive. Cons: may have a chemical reaction if cooking an acid with the rice, or put an off taste on foods.
  • Stainless steel: Pros: inert material. Cons: may make the models more expensive.
  • Nonstick: Pros: makes clean up super easy. Cons: finish may peel if cheaply made or if scratched. Special tools recommended (like nylon or wood).
• Steamer Tray:
  Some models have a steamer tray, which fits over the rice as it cooks, to steam food above it. Not necessary, but handy if it already comes with the model you've got.
• Special Functions, Optional or Standard with Certain Models:
  These may or may not be needed, but check some of these features out from the available ones on the market.
  • Warming funtion: Keeps the rice warm after cooking. Handy if you are preparing meal and need the rice to be hot if finished before the main course is done.
  • Quick cooking cycles: This cooks the rice faster for quick meals.
  • Timer: This will allow you to program the rice ahead of time.
  • Other Foods: Some models will only allow rice to be cooked, but some models will make soups and porridge-type foods like grits, polenta, and hot breakfast cereals like oatmeal.
  • Steam water colletor: A little contraption on the side that collects excess condensation.
  • Steam valve: A circular contraption that snaps in the lid to regulate steam. Clean it out after each use for best results.

If you're interested in a range of models, here are several to look at.

Image of rice in rice cooker courtesy of morguefile.com.