Do you want to cook the rice without burning it? Do you know about the gadget that turns down the heat when the rice is cooked and keep your rice warm without overcooking them. Yes, we are talking about the automatic rice cooker.
The principle is very simple; rice gently absorbs the water due to temperature rise. We will tell you a detailed guide about how does rice cookers work in this article.
Rice is a staple food in Asian countries. Hundreds of dishes are cooked with rice. To make it easy for the users an automatic rice cooker is manufactured in the late 19s.
Different types of rice cookers are available in the market including standard, digital, or multifunctional. All work on the same principle rather than the features they have.
Its working is simple but there is a lot more to learn about the rice cooker manual working. One must know how long rice takes to cook, and how they have to adjust the temperature. So, let’s straight dive into the article without wasting our time. In which we will learn how to cook rice without burning it?
How does the rice cooker work?
5 easy steps to cook rice in the rice cooker:
The Rice cooker mainly contains the main body, an inner cooking metal pan, Thermal sensing devices, and buttons to operate
. As we all know rice is mainly composed of starch. So, when rice and water are heated these starch molecule binds with the hydrogen of the water molecule and swells up through the process called gelatinization.
So the ratio of water and rice is important for making perfect rice. The thermostat maintains the heat source and controls the metal bowl’s temperature.
Measure the amount of Rice: The first thing you must do while cooking rice in any type of gadget is to take the right and measured amount of rice so that you can add water accordingly. There come various types of rice so choose the one accordingly and place them in the bowl.
Rinse the rice: This step is optional but recommended for some types of rice grains. As rice grains contain chemicals and pesticides so it is advised to rinse them thoroughly before cooking.
Place the rice in the metal bowl: Now it’s time to place the rice in the rice cooker. All Rice cookers have a metal bowl containing a heating element and a sensor. The metal bowl is made up of metal like aluminum for the good conduction of heat. Place the rice and water with a 2: 1 ratio.
Turn on the rice cooker: Close the lid of the pan. Now turn on the rice cooker. You will observe the light will turn on when the unit will start. The heater will heat the bowl and transfer heat to the water and rice.
The water will start to boil at 100°C. This will maintain the temperature of the bowl at the bottom. This phenomenon will help to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. The water will turn into steam and carry the heat from the bottom.
Rice is ready: Once the rice has absorbed all the water. The rice is done and entered into the resting stage.
When the unit will turn off the light automatically signals that the rice is ready. Let it rest at a warm temperature for 10 minutes to let the rice fully absorb the water and remove the excessive moisture. Then open the lid and serve hot.
Fuzzy Logic: Fuzzy logic brings more precision to the rice in the rice cooker. Rice cookers have fuzzy logic means, rice cookers have a built-in computerized Chip. The chip will make adjustments to the cooking duration when they are cooking. It is an alternative to the human approach to technology.
It will help cook different types of rice such as brown rice, short kernel rice, and long kernel rice at variant temperatures. The machine contains different features including keeping warm or a quick cycle that makes it premium from other rice cookers on the market. This appliance is a bit more expensive than the other basic cookers available on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is washing the rice before cooking is necessary?
This question is not related to the technique used to cook rice. It is necessary to rinse the rice with water as there may be some chemical or residue pesticides left on the grain. So, it is recommended to wash your grains to clean them as well as remove excess starch from them to give them a consistent weave.
Can I use a rice cooker for cooking other foods?
In a world when everyone wants a multipurpose gadget. You want to cook other foods with the same appliance. So get happy, the answer is yes. You can also cook other food grains that work with the same phenomenon. You can cook porridge, barley, oatmeal, soups, and stews, etc. Just keep in mind that you should have to add the exact water and grain ratio to get your product ready.
How can I cook my undercooked rice in the rice cooker?
If your rice is left undercooked and you want to fix it. Don’t worry, we will guide you. Just add a small amount of water to the rice cooker. Then place the cooking bowl back and then power on the button. And leave it for 3 minutes and let it heat off for 5 minutes.
Read about the best rice dispenser here.
Final Verdict:
A Rice cooker is a quick and convenient appliance used for cooking rice for making a large quantity of rice. Rice cookers are considered to be an ideal gadget for making rice. But using the exact amount and ideal ratio of water and grains is important.
Once you learn how a rice cooker works then cooking rice for you and your family is no more a big deal. This gadget is liked by many kitchen users and everyday rice-consuming lovers. As it is easy to clean, automatically cook the rice and keep the rice warm.
If you want to learn about other food appliances let us know in the comment section below. It will be highly appreciated.
References
Mahavar, S., et al. “Modeling and on-field testing of a Solar Rice Cooker.” Energy 49 (2013): 404-412.
Zhu, Ling, et al. “Comparative analysis of the texture and physicochemical properties of cooked rice based on adjustable rice cooker.” LWT 130 (2020): 109650.
Poritosh, Roy, et al. “Cooking properties of different forms of rice cooked with an automatic induction heating system rice cooker.” Asian Journal of Food and Agro-Industry 3.4 (2010): 373-388.
Lee, Eun-Young, et al. “Studies on optimum cooking conditions for commercial continuous rice cooker.” Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology 32.1 (2000): 90-96.