How to use a rice cooker

I have two rice cookers. Old trust that I’ve been using since college (and not recently) and a modern one digital from Toshiba. Judge me all you want, but I use both and the old one still works. Whether your device costs $200 with 30 settings or $15 with a single toggle switch, rice cookers all have the same basic principles. The best part is that they’re so easy to use that even the least confident cook can be happy with their rice. Here’s how to use a rice cooker for rice—and the many other non-rice foods you can cook in one.

How do rice cookers work?

Inside the rice cooker there is a circular heating plate and a smaller central spring-loaded plate.
Photo credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

(Please forgive the appearance of my older rice cooker in the photos; let’s just call it “seasoned,” right?)

A rice cooker uses heat and water to cook rice. If you’ve ever cooked rice in a pot on the stove, you know that heat and water aren’t hard to come by. The final step, keeping the rice from burning, is tricky. The rice cooker wins here. Unlike your pot on the stove, a rice cooker has a sensor that ensures your grains are cooked to perfection and fluffy stops cooking.

Rice cookers have a simple mechanism inside: a thin metal bowl to hold the rice, a heating plate inside with a Spring mechanism underneath and a thermostat. When you fill the metal bowl with water and rice and load it into the machine, the heating plate passes easily through the thin metal of the bowl. When boiling, the temperature only rises to the boiling point (212°F) because this is the maximum temperature of the water before it evaporates.

The steaming air slowly escapes through a hole in the lid or another opening in your rice cooker. This slow aeration allows condensation to drip back into the rice, extending the cooking time and giving the rice enough time to absorb enough water.

At the end of the cooking time, all of the water has been absorbed or escapes as steam. There is no longer a pool of water in the bowl, so the temperature begins to rise above 212°F. This change in temperature causes the thermostat in the device to switch from “cooking” to the “warm” setting and the spring pushes the bowl upwards away from the heating plate. The rice is cooked through without any grain burning.

How to use a rice cooker

1. Measure and rinse your rice

There are many types of rice, but I grew up with jasmine rice and we always rinsed it. Rinsing removes excess starch, ensuring the finished rice doesn’t become mushy. To do this, you can put the amount of rice in a mesh sieve, run water through the sieve and move it back and forth with your fingertips.

Photo credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Alternatively, I usually pour the rice into the metal cooking pot and then cover it with water. In the picture you can see that starch makes the water almost opaque. Simply swirl it around a little with your fingers and pour off the cloudy water. I do this twice. Note that the water you add to boil may become a little cloudy. That’s not a problem, it doesn’t have to be clear.

Photo credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

2. Add the cooking water

Add the water in which you want to cook the rice. A 1:2 rice to water ratio is very popular. This can vary depending on the type of rice used and the final texture desired. If you want drier grains, use about a quarter cup less water. If you like wetter rice, use a little more. If you want super soft rice to break down into congee, you’ll need even more water. Many rice packs come with suggestions so you can check the instructions if you’re unsure.

3. Load the stove

Place the metal bowl in the rice cooker and close the lid. Now comes the cooking part where you can press a button and walk away.

Models with multiple settings

Cooking with a rice cooker is meant to be a pleasant and easy experience. Even if you have a device with a digital screen and multiple settings, there should be a button for “Rice”. Some models have buttons for specific types of rice, such as: B. brown rice, sushi rice or jasmine rice. If you know what type of rice you have, click the button. That might be enough, or if there is a “Start” button, press it now.

Photo credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

If you don’t know what type of rice you have, that’s totally okay. Just click on “rice” or “white rice”. The amount of water added is actually more important than the clever little button options they give you. Sure, brown rice and white rice need different times, but remember what I said about the thermostat? A good machine can adjust the timing depending on the amount of water remaining in the tank.

Single-setting models

If you’re like me and have a rice cooker, you don’t have many options. Simply fill the bowl with rice and water, cover with the lid and press the lever to “cook”. Once it’s ready, the machine automatically switches to the warm setting.

With just a switch, there’s no more “fuss-free bells and whistles,” but boy, can it cook.
Photo credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Highly Rated Rice Cookers:

Use your rice cooker for much more

By all means use this handy device for perfect rice, but you can also place it permanently on the countertop because it can do so much more. Use it for One pot mealsHands off hot oatmealperfectly removable hard-boiled eggsFor seasoned rice, use chicken broth instead of water, or try it Mac and cheese that works. I could write a whole post about all the things you can make in a rice cooker, but we already have it so easy Read all about it here. Happy exploring and may your rice cooker cook delicious food for you for decades to come.