Black & Decker Rice Cooker - Perfect Rice Made Easy

I never thought I would ever buy a rice cooker. When friends of mine talked to me about theirs, I would always chime in with “I have a rice cooker already - it’s called a pot!” But times change and with my life being busier than ever sometimes it’s nice to just put rice and water in a pot and not having to worry about losing track of time. I make a lot of dishes in my slow cooker which goes nicely over rice and I want real rice, not the minute version.

I finally broke down a few weeks back and purchased a Black & Decker Rice Cooker at our local Wal-Mart. The price was right and it was a good size for may family with the ability to make up to 16 cups of cooked rice.

The Black & Decker Rice Cooker came with a heavy-duty tempered glass cover with a steam vent built right in. The removable cooking bowl has a non-stick coating which allows for easy clean-up. It is also marked along the sides indicating the water level for the various measurements of rice. The main part of the rice cooker is made of metal. Although this should not be submerged for cleaning, it does clean up easy with a damp cloth. Two cool-touch handles allow me to move the rice cooker any time I want. This is good because I like to move it to the table and serve right from it. The power cord can be unplugged from the main part of the cooker.

Operating the Black & Decker Rice Cooker is really easy. A measuring scoop comes with the rice cooker. With the directions is a Cooking Guide which tells me how many scoops I use and what line to fill the water up to for how many servings of rice I desire. For instance, 4 scoops of rice go in the cooker. I then fill it with water to the 4 mark and cook for 28-29 minutes to make 8 to 8 1/2 cups of white long or medium grain rice. There are also cooking guides for brown rice and white parboiled (converted) rice. It’s important to get the water measurement right or there’s a danger of it boiling over. It is okay, however, to add a bit more water for fluffier rice or a little less for crunchier rice, depending on your tastes.

Once the measured rice and water is in the cooker, simply place the lid on the Black & Decker Rice Cooker and plug it in. The WARM light comes on. By pushing the switch on the front of the rice cooker down, it’s switched to the COOK function. I didn’t realize this the first time I did it and cooked my rice although it was somewhat mushy. When the cooking time is over, the rice cooker senses it and automatically switches to the WARM setting. This is why I can put it on and not have to worry about if I get distracted. The rice can be kept warm for several hours this way. Once you are ready to serve, simply fluff the rice with the plastic serving scoop included. I don’t recommend using metal serving utensils in the rice cooker as it could scratch the non-stick interior.

None of the pieces of the Black & Decker Rice Cooker should be washed in a dishwasher. The cooking bowl, measuring cup, and serving spoon all should be washed in warm, soapy water. Always make sure there is no rice in between the main part of the rice cooker and the cooking bowl.

So how does the rice cooked in the Black & Decker Rice Cooker come out? I’ve only tried long-grain rice in it and with the exception of the first time I used it when, as I previously mentioned, I accidentally cooked the rice on WARM, the rice has come out perfect. I’ve noticed that when I cook larger quantities of rice sometimes a chewy crust forms on the bottom. It hasn’t happened every time and when it does happen it seems to only be with the larger quantities. Some people like it, but my family usually doesn’t and I end up eating it with the leftovers the next day.

The Black & Decker Rice Cooker is covered by a one year limited warranty.

I’m really glad I gave in and finally purchased a rice cooker. It makes cooking a lot easier as I don’t have to worry about overcooking my rice when I make dishes. It’s another appliance that really is handy to have around.


© 2006 Patti Aliventi