Every Asian kitchen has at least one rice cooker. On the other hand, the West has yet to catch up – And boy, do I think people are missing a trick! Many kitchen appliances could be considered “optional. However, If I had to pick only one kitchen appliance to keep. Without a shadow of a doubt, it would be the mighty rice cooker.
Rice cookers are relatively cheap and worth the investment if you intend to cook rice regularly. Rice cookers are usually small in footprint and energy efficient. If you cook at home regularly, Rice cookers can also be used to cook grains, beans, pasta, and soups.
The short answer is YES! Rice cookers are of great value and can be used for many foods. Rice cookers tend to be an appliance you will use far more often than you would think due to the ease of use and the ability to deliver perfectly cooked rice. Every time!
Like most kitchen appliances, there are budget appliances and high-end appliances. The beauty of rice cookers is that all units you can purchase will do the same thing – with pretty much the same results. That’s delivering you soft, fluffy rice.
On this basis, and the fact that the results will be the same, whether you have an expensive unit – or a cheap one.
$757.99 Rice Cooker
I recommend buying the cheapest rice cooker possible.
Rice cookers can come with a hundred different functions. Some of them can steam, some can do a triple pressure steaming vapor rice cooking – guess what? You will get a bowl of rice at the end of the cycle.
There are some kitchen appliances that I do recommend upgrading on the basis that they have multiple functions. An instant pot is a great example!
$29.92 Rice Cooker
When sifting the internet, you will probably find recipes for almost anything in the rice cooker. If they are good or not, that’s a different story!
I have tried and tested my rice cooker for the following:
Rice
Surprise! Rice cookers make the best rice – and not just Jasmine rice.
Rice cookers can cook all types of rice. Brown Rice, Glutenous Rice, Basmati Rice, Sticky Rice, Short Grain Rice, Sushi Rice, Italian Rice… The list goes on and on.
If you haven’t tried different grains of rice, get to the store now, and buy a small bag of each. Other grains can change a meal completely!
Beans
Once soaked overnight. (I have a whole guide HERE) You can also cook up beans in a rice cooker.
Beans have fallen out of favor with the public recently, and unfairly so! Added to any bean, a good portion of beans can be a great source of fiber and a filler for everyone. I even cook beans up for a great snack when I have the urge to put something in my mouth without actually being hungry!
Rice Cooker Favourite Beans Include Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Blackeyed Peas, Pinto Beans, and even Fava Beans!
Soups
Here in Shanghai, Soup must be the second most cooked meal in a rice cooker (second to cooking rice, of course). Most rice cookers have a soup setting for boiling the most delicious soups.
Of course, similar to an instant pot or a slow cooker, making soup is as simple as popping your ingredients in the pot and hitting the “soup” button. If your rice cooker doesn’t have a soup setting, you can run rice cycles and keep running as many times as you like. The more you run, the deeper the flavors!
If you haven’t tried a traditional Chinese Hot Pot, you must. Stock, seasoning, and meat and delicious. Adding noodles at the very end.
You can also cook some mean western soups and stews, from roasted tomato soup to a hearty vegetable soup. Set and Forget. Come back in a few hours for a meal!
Meats
Surprisingly, you can cook some pretty incredible meats in a rice cooker. There are so many fantastic ways to cook meats, from “slow cooking” meats, to whipping up some pretty excellent paella. Anything that would usually take a fair bit of time can be put in a rice cooker and “set and forget.”
I have never tried ribs in the rice cooker. I come across some great-looking rice cooker rib recipes once every couple of weeks, but by the time I get the ribs in cooking (usually in my instapot), I have forgotten – yet again – to try rice cooker ribs.
Another (hack) I don’t see people talking about is making stock. Throw in some water, bones, and seasoning, and leave it for a couple of hours.
I run a complete rice cycle, which brings everything up to a boil and leave it on “keep warm” this way, you don’t get the slightly bitter taste of over-boiled bones, instead some gently cooking broth.
Cake
CAKE? Yes – I said Rice Cooker Cake!
I can share the best secret Rice cookers make the most fantastic, fluffy Japanese cheesecake.
Unlike western cheesecake, a Japanese cheesecake is more cake than cheesecake with a hit on cheese. Which I suppose makes it a cakecheese, not a cheesecake!
The irony is that Japanese cheesecake is the “trendy” of the moment and pretty challenging to make unless you use an instapot or a rice cooker. You can bag yourself a tremendous Japanese Cheesecake for a fraction of the price of the trendy bakeries.
You can also make fluffy chocolate cake and a great sponge. The best part is that it takes about half an hour instead of the hours you would regularly take.
Oatmeal
This one I stumbled across, and I use it at least once a week. Now let’s be honest, Oatmeal is Oatmeal. However, the beauty behind rice cooker oatmeal is the “Set and Forget” nature of rice cookers make the perfect Oatmeal.
I like to throw everything in the rice cooker, pop it on a 20-minute cook – Walk the dog and come back to breakfast.
Anything to make mornings more straightforward is a winner for me!
To summarise. Are Rice Cookers Worth It? YES!
What are you waiting for if you don’t have a rice cooker?
Do not buy expensive rice cookers -They do the same as affordable rice cookers – They cook rice. Suppose you are after a kitchen appliance that does multiple functions, such as steaming, slow cooking, and the like. Invest in an instant pot as well as a rice cooker.
Walmart has a very popular $29.92 Rice Cooker. HERE Give it a look!
