With any kitchen appliance, safety should, and usually is, the first concern people have when purchasing (or considering purchasing) units, especially with “set and leave” devices where you may leave the units unattended to work their magic for extended periods. Thankfully – as we will find out, rice cooker users have very little to worry about.
Modern rice cookers, unlike kitchen appliances of the past, are considered safe kitchen appliances. Many rice cookers have various safety mechanisms, such as Steam valves, thermal fuses, and thermostats, to ensure that modern rice cookers can be safely used with little worry to end users.
With that said – if you suspect your rice cooker is malfunctioning or have safety concerns. You should stop using your rice cooker immediately and consult the manufacturer. If you are still on the fence about whether you should purchase a rice cooker or not, we can explore the safety safeguards – and if a new rice cooker is for you and your home.
Short Power Cords
A short power cord doesn’t sound like a safety feature – However, it will have saved many accidents. A short power cord (however annoying) stops trips and spillages by keeping the cables close to the outlets, with as little excess cord as possible. Save the inevitable tugs, or even worse – A little one pulling on the hot unit from lower down!
Polarized Plug
Like most electrical appliances (if you are in the USA), Rice cookers come with Polarised plugs. Polarized plugs have one prong slightly wider than the other (often called a “Hot Pin.”
Polarized plugs (in simple terms) ensure different currents flow through specific pins. Having one end of the plug bigger than the other provides the “big end” will only plug into the “big slot”, which carries the hot current. This means the currents can’t get mixed up, minimizing the danger of electrical faults and fire.
Automatic Shut-Off
Most modern rice cookers have a “keep warm” feature. Once the rice has finished cooking, the rice cooker will move to a lower heat and a lower power delivery to keep the rice warm. The usual stay warm setting runs for up to 12 hours, but you can change the settings to remove the keep warm setting or change the amount of time the unit keeps warm.
Internal Thermostats
Modern rice cookers have built-in thermostats as a standard. Thermostats are predominately used to regulate the unit’s temperature and tell the heating element when to heat up and cool down. Another great feature of having a thermostat inside the rice cooker – is if the heater malfunctions and overheats, the thermostat will register the temperature and turn the heating element off.
Steam Valves
Rice cookers work in a way that steams and pressurizes rice – a great practical way of cooking rice. Anyone who steamed a vegetable (or anything) will know that steam is deceptively hot. Older and traditional rice cookers would sometimes have a manual valve, allowing users to either press or pull a knob to release excess steam so the unit didn’t “over pressurize” and explode.
Thankfully modern rice cookers have auto pressure valves, so units can automatically dispel the pressure and steam without users intervening. This is sometimes one of the moves overlooked safety features of rice cookers, as you often won’t realize your rice cooker is “de-pressurizing”, however.
Thermal Fuses
Rice cookers use heat, and electricity creates heat, so rice cookers need protection from the double heat whammy each unit gets. Every rice cooker comes equipped with fuses, one, in particular, to protect against heat, called a thermal fuse. Fuses work slightly different from a regular thermal switch you may be used to. Thermal fuses activate when units – specifically wiring – overheat. The fuse will break and stop any power going to the unit.
The one benefit of a fuse VS a switch is that the unit will not be able to be powered on again without replacing a fuse. In contrast, a thermal switch will allow users to bypass the safety feature and immediately deliver electricity to the unit.
Thermal fuses are usually located inside the power cable and are invisible to the eye. This sadly means you will usually have to call an electrician or deliver your unit to a repair centre to get the fuse replaced. However, having the added hassle of seeking someone to repair the machine is worth it. Without the thermal fuse, an overheated unit could result in unit melting or even being set on fire.
Rice cookers mix two things which are dangerous together. Water, and electricity. Although rice cookers have more than enough safety features, you should still take the most care when using units.
Usually, when you (or I) get a new appliance, you will read the safety instructions and take utmost care when using your beautiful new appliance. As time goes on, people naturally get used to operating their unit and get a little “less careful”, leading to accidents. We should constantly remind ourselves to be careful and stick to these crucial.
Safety tips for using rice cookers:
Technology is fantastic. Not only does it make our lives so much easier. It can now do it in a way which also looks after our wellbeing and safety while using them (often in silence)
Safety features are the unsung heroes of cooking appliances, mechanisms you only realize are working when they have saved you from something potentially unfortunate. In reality, safety features work around the clock, carrying multiple checks per second.
Even though rice cookers have some great safety features built in, we should always treat appliances with the care and respect they deserve, and in turn, we will get a safer, longer-lasting appliance!
