281424 Fri Dec 02 17:05:23 -0800 2005 13 31 Home Cooking 0 1497263 Help me, 'hounds! I want to give a rice cooker to my college-age son who's living in his own apt. and desperately trying to cook well for himself. In all my years of obsessive cooking, I've never used one before and am completely overwhelmed by the dizzying range of possibilities. I'd appreciate any and all suggestions on brand, size, options, what to avoid, etc. Thanks so much for any help. Fri Dec 02 17:05:23 -0800 2005 0 Noeldottir 1 1497269 In a similar situation, I received a National Rice Cooker/Steamer. I don't know the capacity, but it is small, cooks 2 cups of "raw" rice just fine. I guess its capacity is 6 or 7 cups of cooked rice. I still use that rice cooker, it is probably 25 years old. The cooker is about 8"x8". Has a top, cooker, pot, insert. Rinse rice in seperate bowl, drain. Put insert in pot, add rice, add water to ~3/4" above rice, cover, turn on, cooker turns itself off when done, let rest 20 minutes. I usually cook Koda Farms; Kokuho Rose, and have also cooked Hinoda Brown Rice in the cooker. Fri Dec 02 17:43:27 -0800 2005 1497263 0 Alan408 2 1497278 I have always read to wash the rice in a separate bowl too..do you know why it is important? thanks Fri Dec 02 18:14:51 -0800 2005 1497269 0 Zaheen 3 1497281 I wash the rice is a seperate bowl because of the insert in the pot. If I wash rice with the insert in the pot, rice kernels get under the insert. The insert prevents rice kernels from burning/sticking to the bottom of the pot. Fri Dec 02 18:24:46 -0800 2005 1497278 0 Alan408 3 1497297 I don't get it. Why dirty another bowl? I remove the inner pot, wash the rice in it, dry the outside then place it in the outer pot. As far as rice cooker brands, the Aroma brand is more than adequate. The 3 cup (actually their cup is 6 oz) cooker can be found for as low as $15.00. Fri Dec 02 19:09:13 -0800 2005 1497278 0 emmisme 3 1497338 The rice is abrasive and can damage the finish on the pot when you rub against it during washing. This is especially true of the nonstick ones. I successfully destroyed the pot of my National brand rice cooker, which made the perfect congee. When I inquired about a replacement pot, I could only find it on-line for more than the cost of a new rice cooker. Sat Dec 03 01:07:18 -0800 2005 1497278 0 Margret 3 1497437 Thanks for replying so quickly. As lazy as I am, I have always washed it in the insert and then put it back in the cooker itself, but as the cooker was a gift and much more expensive anywhere I've ever seen, I'll start washing it in a separate bowl. Thanks again!!! Zaheen Sat Dec 03 22:45:07 -0800 2005 1497278 0 Zaheen 1 1497280 The basic no frills National Brand that my mom gave me when I left for college 20 years ago is still working fine. Size would depend on how much and how often you think your son would eat rice. Fri Dec 02 18:20:32 -0800 2005 1497263 0 Jase 2 1497414 Just out of curiosity - can you not use a rice cooker for other things? Because if not, it seems like this might not be the most practical of gifts. A toaster oven, as one poster suggested, might be more useful... Sat Dec 03 19:29:13 -0800 2005 1497280 0 piccola 1 1497309 I know tha a three cup is just fine for one person. But I have found that a small cheap 10 cup cooker can be used for more things. You son can invite a friend for a meal, cook soup, jook (you do not need the fancy fuzzy logic to do this, we have been doing before fuzzy) and steaming vegetables. For whatever reason the 10 cup is cheaper that the 3 cup. It would be cool if the insert was a nonstick, then you have to be careful not to use metal spoons. One trick is to steam Chinese susage and some vegetables in a plate on top of the rice (before inserts were part of the setup). One complete meal that cooked while you are doing homework. I picked two rice cookers on sale for my sons to use in college but they stayed closed to home and I still have to cook for them. Fri Dec 02 20:29:23 -0800 2005 1497263 0 yimster 1 1497326 I have used this simple little rice cooker for over 20 years and it is wonderful. It has one setting - on and off. You measure in the water and the rice and it always comes out great no matter what kind of rice. I know there are rice cookers which do everything but I honestly wouldn't want one. This does one job and does it superbly. The best brands are Japanese. If you just wanted to give your son one small electric appliance, however, I'd probably advise a microwave or toaster oven. Fri Dec 02 23:21:54 -0800 2005 1497263 0 Niki Rothman 1 1497330 Cheapest one youv can get - the recipient doesn't need it to do tricks, he needs to cook some rice. That said, how much rice will he be cooking, usually? Cooking a small amount in a fullsize cooker is inefficient (some always sticks) - does he perhaps need a small one? Fri Dec 02 23:41:57 -0800 2005 1497263 0 Wayne Keyser 1 1497430 Thanks, everyone, for your responses. The giftee in question already has a microwave, toaster, etc but he's a real rice eater and can't quite conquer the stove-top method, hence the rice cooker idea. He cooks for himself and usually his girlfriend and likes to have some left over for fried rice in the morning, so I'm thinking the 5.5 cup size (that results in up to 11 cups cooked rice, right?). Does it work well just making 5 or 6 cups of cooked rice in a cooker that size? And I'll stick with the simple ones. Thanks! Sat Dec 03 21:32:32 -0800 2005 1497263 0 Noeldottir 1 1497619 For a dorm room situation, I'd look for versatility. Tatung has one with a removable stainless cooking pot, that'd allow cooking soups, stews, etc., with acidic ingredients. Mon Dec 05 10:37:21 -0800 2005 1497263 0 rexmo