Perfect Rice Every Time! Grandma Would Be Proud.

I have the fondest memories growing up in my grandma's kitchen as I watched her washing rice in her big black pot, and then carefully measuring how much water to add by using her finger tips. I mastered this trick, which eliminates the need of a measuring cup, and often draws ooooos and ahhhhhhs out of anyone who watches me cook; HOWEVER, being the busy woman I am present day, I don't always have enough time to tackle this process with such grace that my grandmother lived and breathed. As we all know, haste makes waste and in my rushes to make dinner, I have thoroughly destroyed pots of rice by not watching it carefully enough and burning it. My father must have picked up on this because he recently surprised me with this rice cooker as a gift. Bless his heart because I absolutely adore this product.

SPECIFICATIONS

This rice cooker can hold up to 4 cups of raw rice which yields 6 to 8 cups cooked rice. It comes with a one year warranty that grants free repair or replacement if it breaks down. Each cooker comes with two free accessories: a rice spoon that fits neatly to an external holder, and a measuring cup for those of you who aren't Masters like myself.

The inner rice pot is non-stick which makes for super easy clean up; no more pre-soaks needed. The inner lid is detachable which allows you to wipe off all the dried condensation without worrying about getting water and soap inside the cooker.

The outside of the cooker is very simple, yet ingenious at the same time. A small steam collector lies directly below the lid to catch all the water droplets that would otherwise fall on your countertop. The collector removes easily by sliding it straight down. Depending on how often you cook rice, will determine how often to empty the collector. I cook rice anywhere from 3 to 6 days a week and even then I only need to empty it once per week.

A holder for the rice spoon is also attached to the outside which eliminates the need for a table top spoon holder.

There are two lights which indicate what stage the rice is in: Rice Cook and Keep Warm. The "on" switch lies directly beneath these two lights.

The cooker plugs directly into an outlet and has a medium length power supply cord. The cooker does not have an option to be battery operated.

DIRECTIONS

For those of you who have never used a rice cooker, I have provided quick instructions and tips below:

Step 1: Measure out desired amount of raw rice into the inner pot and wash thoroughly.
My grandma taught me to wash the rice till the water runs clear; however, I say 2 rinses is good enough unless you have the time. Well rinsed rice definitely tastes better though.

Step 2: Add the correct amount of water proportional to the amount of rice.
The rule of thumb is double the amount of water to raw rice. So, 2 cups of raw rice needs 4 cups of water. Honestly, there is no right or wrong amount of water. I personally prefer to use less water to avoid mushy rice and to achieve a firmer texture.

Brown Rice lover? Use about a quarter cup extra water.

Step 3: Wipe off excess water all around and underneath the inner pot, place pot inside cooker, close lid and press the switch.
The instructions tell users to wash the rice and add water in a different container than the inner pot, but I find this to be useless and more time consuming. If you make sure the inner pot gets dried off before you place it inside the cooker, it will not ruin anything internal.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I have been using this rice cooker for about three months and I love it! I have no idea why I didn't give in earlier and buy it for myself. My rice is consistently cooked perfect and clean up is hassle free and quick. One really great bonus is that the cooker will keep rice warm up until 12 hours! I always get the rice going before I start on the main dish because I know that even an hour later, it will remain fresh and hot. This is a great starter cooker for any rice lovers. I will eventually splurge for the expensive ones with timers, but for now this is superb.