Originally posted by BatElite
Not exactly the usual but I suck at cooking rice, so thinking about getting a rice cooker despite dwindling kitchen space
Anyone know if there's anything I should keep in mind (aside from the obvious) when looking for one or are they basically all as good at doing their job?
i've used rice cookers my entire life, from cheap ones to really fancy japanese luxury market ones. for the most part, they are all capable of what you need. i spent the greater part of the last 3 years using a really tiny €20 rice cooker i got at a chinese discount store in The Hague. it made so little rice that i had to cook rice every other day. so i'd suggest, if you're cooking for yourself, get one that advertises at least `3 cups' of rice (~0.65L of rice). this way you have enough for a week, which you can freeze.
the cheap, low-capacity rice cooker i used. i've since upgraded and given this one away to a friend.
if you are willing to spend some money on something nicer, i suggest getting ones with clamshell-like designs and look for ones that advertise `fuzzy logic'. these use computer chips to regulate the temperature, which prevents burning. sometimes ones like these turn up for really cheap at thrift stores. i got mine when i had one for $25, which was a really good deal since they're usually like $200 new, but i've seen them go for as low as half of that sometimes. brands to look out for include `Zojirushi', `Panasonic', `Tiger', and `National' (which is actually a sub-brand of Panasonic). korean brands like `Cuckoo' should be fine too, although i just don't like how they look as much… personal taste.
example of a high end rice cooker you may come across
most importantly, make sure to take good care of all the parts. the worst thing is having your rice get stuck to the pot and creating a cleaning hassle for yourself. so make sure you put the rice away when you're done for the day, clean the pot gently without damaging the non-stick surface, and so on.
hope this helps! 🍚
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sofi