Kitchen equipment · Rice cooker

Rice cooker

An electric pot that cooks rice automatically and switches to keep-warm when the water is absorbed.

Useful to have · Electric · 11 recipes

Photo: Quiet Hut, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

What it is

A heated base holding a removable non-stick bowl with a lid. It boils rice and water, then senses when the water has been absorbed (the temperature starts to rise) and switches to warm. Advanced models use fuzzy logic or induction and have settings for brown rice, sushi rice or porridge. Many include a steaming tray.

What it’s for: Consistent, hands-off rice and grain cooking.

How to use it

Rinse rice until the water runs nearly clear.
Add rice and water to the marked lines or the ratio for your rice.
Close the lid and start the cycle; do not lift the lid while cooking.
Let it rest on warm for 10 minutes, then fluff with a paddle.

Good to know

Tasks: cooking rice, cooking quinoa and other grains, making congee, steaming vegetables or dumplings
Cooking methods: Boiled, Steamed, Simmered
Materials: non-stick bowl, stainless steel bowl, plastic housing
Care and cleaning: Wash the inner bowl with a soft sponge; use the plastic paddle to protect the coating. Wipe the lid and steam vent.
Limitations: Mostly single-purpose and takes up counter space.

Safety

Cooked rice can carry spores that survive cooking: do not hold it warm for very long, cool leftovers quickly and eat within a day.

If you don’t have one

Saucepan — Use the absorption method with a tight-fitting lid.
Pressure cooker — Faster; rice texture is a little softer.

Equipment guide

How it works: A heating plate heats the pot until the water boils. Once all free water is absorbed or evaporated, the base temperature rises above 100 °C; a thermostat detects this and switches to keep-warm. Fuzzy-logic and induction models adjust heat through soaking, cooking and resting phases.

Material	Good	Watch out
Non-stick (PTFE or ceramic sol-gel coating on aluminium)	Eggs, fish and pancakes release with little fat; easy to clean; forgiving for beginners.	Coatings wear out (ceramic often faster than PTFE); PTFE should not be heated empty or above about 260 °C; poor at building fond; needs non-metal utensils.
Stainless steel	Durable, non-reactive, dishwasher-safe, does not hold smells.	Can scratch non-stick pans; conducts heat, so all-metal handles get hot.
Ceramic-coated or multi-layer pot	Even heating in premium models.	Coatings wear.

Basic on/off rice cooker: Simple and reliable.
Fuzzy-logic (microcomputer) cooker: Programmes for white, brown, sushi rice and porridge.
Induction rice cooker: Heats the whole pot for very even rice.

Buying guidance

Starting out: A basic 1-litre (about 5-cup) cooker with keep-warm.

Keen cook: A fuzzy-logic cooker if you cook several types of rice or porridge.