Showing posts with label rice cooker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rice cooker. Show all posts

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Presto 06006 Kitchen Kettle Electric Multi-Cooker and Fryer Review

Presto 06006 Kitchen Kettle Electric Multi-Cooker and Fryer
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This unit is similar to the one I have (old style 06000), so I have included my review here as well.
I bought one at Walmart last year. I use it pretty often, but mostly for making popcorn. Turn temp to 350, put a couple-three tablespoons of peanut oil in the bottom, and then when the oil heats up throw in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of popcorn. Put the cover on and keep the pot moving while the corn pops. When the corn has just about stopped popping, turn the heat off and pour the popcorn into a bowl. Butter, salt and eat. YUM!
I've deep-fried scallops in it, steamed vegetables, cooked rice, made soup and even baked potatoes. The thing works great! I wasn't going to write a review until I saw Alton Brown talk some trash about it on Good Eats. I got pretty defensive about my humble Presto cooker! He was doing a silly episode about "man food" like corn dogs and thin, square hamburgers. Well, when Mr. Brown was explaining how to fry the corn dogs he said (while holding a Presto mutlti-cooker) that a pot with an heating element on the outside of the bottom wasn't a good idea because first the element had to heat the pot and then it had to heat up the oil. Too slow. After that he displayed three home-use rectangular fryers with immersion type heating elements. He said they were also better because they each had cooking baskets and break-away magnetic cords. He picked the one with the digital controls, while implying that this was somehow better than the manual rotary temp control.
I don't know if A. B. gets paid for product placement on his show, but I really thought he was being disingenuous regarding the Presto "pot." First of all, about the heating element on the bottom of the Presto cooker: During the frying demonstration, Mr. Brown had some text placed over the screen that said that if you didn't have a special electric fryer, that a pot on the stove-top would work fine. Isn't that interesting? What the heck is a pot on the stove, but just a heating element on the outside of a pot that heats up the pot and then the oil inside? That's exactly what he was criticizing the Presto kettle about. What gives? Secondly, the Presto cooker DOES TOO have a magnetic break-away electric cord to keep the unit from tipping when the cord is yanked by accident. Also, the Presto cooker DOES TOO come with a frying-steaming basket, which Brown implied it didn't have. Nya, nya, nya! See, I can be just as immature as Alton Brown!
I don't know if the rectangular fryers are really better, but I'm sure they cost a lot more. My Presto cooker was $26.85 at Walmart. I keep it in a lower cabinet - it doesn't take up much space there. I pull it out when I need it. It's inexpensive, easy to use, and simple. When we go to Maine in August, I'm allowed to take only one of my counter-top appliances. So, I just take the Presto cooker with me. Normally, I cook steel cut oats in a small bowl, sitting in water, in a slow cooker (a bain marie - sort of - found the idea here [link deleted]) I can do the same thing with the Presto cooker. And I have a pot with me on vacation that I can do so much more with.
One last thing. With my slow cooker I use a plug-in timer called a Rival Smart-Part. But it's not rated to control the wattage of the Presto multi-cooker. I found a heavy-duty programmable digital timer that I use to turn the Presto cooker off and on automatically. This device really allows me to use the Presto cooker like a slow cooker, without over-cooking stews and such when I am out of the house all day. The Presto multi-cooker is a terrific appliance! Buy one now, and don't believe everything you see on TV!
Flash Update! Here is another reason to buy a Presto multi-cooker: I'm making a beef stew with red wine tonight. What a mess browning the stew beef! I have a 3 quart Wagner cast-iron chicken fryer, and this is what I used to brown the beef chuck cubes. These days the meat hasn't been aged much, and so it is very difficult to brown properly. I managed to do it in batches, but the stove-top got pretty messy by the time I was done. I put the browned meat, vegetables, and garlic into the Presto cooker ( I made sure to deglaze the chicken fryer with wine and include all the tasty bits) and continued to cook the stew. And then I could proceed to clean up the stove-top while the beef stew simmered away in a different part of the kitchen. I am very pleased not to have to clean up all that oil splatter after dinner!

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Monday, July 23, 2012

Krups FDH212 10-Cup Automatic Rice Cooker with Slow Cooker and Steamer Review

Krups FDH212 10-Cup Automatic Rice Cooker with Slow Cooker and Steamer
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We went on the new Weight Watcher Core Food plan which encourages you to eat whole grains. Sounds great but how do you cook those tough shelled, long cooking, starchy, sticking, burning foods.
THIS RICE COOKER IS IT!! We have thrown every type of oats, grits, brown rice, brown rice/lentil medley, non-gluten cereal, Wheatena in this pot with the right amount of water from the package directions on the rice setting. It makes a perfect porridge every time without burning. You can even set it to have it ready for breakfast when you wake up in the morning.
It puts the warmth in our tummies.

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Prepare healthy and nutritious meals with this 3.2 L/10 cup capacity cooker. Cook up to 20 cups of exotic rice and pasta dishes. Slow cook or steam vegetables, meats and fish while preserving all their vitamins and minerals.

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

KRUPS RK7011 4-in-1 10-Cup Rice Cooker and Steamer Review

KRUPS RK7011 4-in-1 10-Cup Rice Cooker and Steamer
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Has worked with cooking rice and steaming vegetables. Only issue is it takes a long time to steam vegetables. Found that if I started the steamer at 15 minutes, waited till I saw steamer to put the vegetables in and restarted the steamer, it worked great. Have not tried to slow cooker part.

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Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5-1/2-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer, Premium White Review

Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5-1/2-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer, Premium White
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I finally convinced my wife to replace the old but still functional single switch rice cooker I'd owned for about 10 years. I have longed for something with an off switch so rice doesn't burn to the bottom when I forget to unplug it. This guy was the ticket.
It seems like a fairly complex machine but its really easy to use once you understand the setup. Its well designed. The pot is easy to clean and the inner lid snaps off for easy cleaning as well.
I have to say the rice it produces is some of the best I have had. I did a side by side cookoff with the old and the new rice cookers. The same rice just seemed to have more consistant texture and better strong flavor. Definatley worth the upgrade since we do lots of rice.
The one drawback I found is with the somewhat misleading specifications. They say this is a "5 cup" rice cooker. So I'm thinking 5 cups=40oz. Plenty big enough for a family of 4. Well its not quite that much. It seems in Asia (on the metric system) their idea of a cup is a teacup. If you look at the picture and see the two little cups next to the machine, it will hold 5 of THOSE cups. Those cups are approximatley 6oz each. So really it is a 4 (American) cup rice cooker, not 5. Of course 3/4 of a cup is about how much rice you'll eat in a meal so one run of this machine should be able to produce rice for 5. If you need more that that consider the NS-ZAC18 10 cup (8 cup) model.
The trick to the machine is to use the little cups that come with it. You measure out a few "cups" of rice and dump it into the pot. Then you add water and fill it up to the graduated mark on the inside of the pot. So if you toss in 2 cups you add water until you hit the 2 cup mark. It has different markings for Brown, White and Sushi rice.
Before discovering the proper way of using the smaller "cups" I used a regular 8oz cup on some Jasmine rice (then filled it to the designated level). It still came out way better than my rice cooker. It was firm but not hard and full of flavor. So if you screw up or loose your little "cup" you can still get great rice as long as the stickness is not absolutely critical to the receipe.
The manual makes a huge deal out of its ability to handle some "no rinse" rice who's milling technology was proudly developed in Japan. They devote pages to the setting and cooking it, but actually its pretty similar to the regular rice, you just use the green cup instead of the clear cup.
All in all this is a great little machine. If you want the best and are willing to pay the bucks this is the one to get. You will not feel your money is wasted.
Update:
Its now 6 years later and countless batches of rice and this little thing is still going strong. The pot has a few scratches from years of continous daily use but its holding up.
We expanded our use of this little gem. I've learned not to think of it as just a rice producing device but as a rice cooker + modified crock pot. My wife started using it to produce porriage and then later soup. She'll pour the ingredients in the night before, set the timer and her breakfast is ready 30 minutes before she wakes up. You can use it for grain soups, porriage, oatmeal and more. We buy packs of Thai flavored rice that say were supposed to cook on the stove. We dump the stuff in and hit go. They come out plenty tastey.
There is a quick cooking cycle that we use a lot. Shaves about 20 minutes off the cook time. Flavor suffers a little (though its still great) but when your in a rush...
Perhaps the most amazing thing however is what it does to brown rice. As a kid I was never fond of brown rice. Too hard and crunch and I was never that big on bran flavor. We got some brown rice and started cooking it in this thing and it was a whole new world. I don't know how it did it but it came out soft, a little chewey and decent tasting. Brown rice was now something worth eating vs avoiding.
So if for whatever reason you are looking to switch to brown rice but not thrilled with the flavor do yourself a favor and get one of these units. It makes it a whole new experience.
We haven't tried steaming anything yet. Maybe when our steamer breaks..

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

Wolfgang Puck WPPCR005 5-Quart Electronic Pressure Cooker Review

Wolfgang Puck WPPCR005 5-Quart Electronic Pressure Cooker
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Bought one. Worked great for about a year. Then started flashing an error message "F2". No troubleshooting in the manual, no support available. Just broke and no help to be found.

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Sanyo ECJ-HC55S 5-1/2-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker, White Review

Sanyo ECJ-HC55S 5-1/2-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker, White
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Purchased this rice cooker for my wife. We are both enjoying it a lot. The parts are solid and simply feel like high quality. There are two bowls. The rice cooking bowl has a better non-stick coating on it. The other bowl for non-rice cooking is easy enough to clean, but might take a little soaking for those challenging situations.
Selection is easy to understand. The slow-cook options are partially what sold me on this unit. You can cook so many things in this cooker, because you can manually cook instead of always having to follow a programmed option.
Rice can be kept warm up to 12 hours. It has a great sealing system, so it does stay fresh.
The unit looks very nice on the counter. The battery runs the clock, unless you keep the unit plugged into the outlet. The battery is suppose to run for 4 years or so.
Quality of rice cooked -- The rice has been PERFECT every time we have cooked rice. We are using a Jasmine rice bought from a local asian market. We simply wash the rice twice, put in the required amount of water, and set it to cook. So far it has been perfect each time.
I ended up buying this over the Zojirushi based on price and couldn't be happier. I saved maybe a $100 and am 100% happy with the product. We've been using this for 3 weeks now.
Cleaning is easy and fast. The removable lid/seal is great and easy to clean. It is not possible to latch the cover if the removable cover is not in place -- a nice feature and great engineering.
The steam collector works well. Be careful not to put your hand close to the exit hole as steam is not fully condensed coming out and could burn you. This is not really a safety concern for me and my wife. Cleaning the collector is not a problem so far. Simply remove and shake out the water. Any water dripping down is caught in a silicon seal. You can easily take a towl and soak up the very small amount of water that might drip out. It is only water and doesn't mess anything up.
I would buy this over again based on my experience so far. Can't speak about reliability yet. I can only hope Sanyo brand will be good. I don't usually buy their products.

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Sunday, March 18, 2012

VersaChef VC-100 All-In-One 4-Liter Programmable Multi-Cooker Review

VersaChef VC-100 All-In-One 4-Liter Programmable Multi-Cooker
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This multicooker is easy to use, doesn't take up a lot of space, and has a good non-stick pan. It makes cooking much faster, and since it only uses one pan (and sometimes the steam rack), there isn't much dish-washing to do afterward. The Rapid rice cook setting can overcook the rice a bit, but so far that's the only flaw in the cooker that I've found.
This product is great for people who don't have much free time, but want to eat homemade, healthy food. Great for a college student, especially.

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Friday, March 16, 2012

Fagor 670040230 Stainless-Steel 3-in-1 6-Quart Multi-Cooker Review

Fagor 670040230 Stainless-Steel 3-in-1 6-Quart Multi-Cooker
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I purchased this to replace five slow cookers (Yes, I really had five), a rice cooker, and a Nesco roaster. When it arrived, I ran a water test which worked perfectly. The cooker heats quickly and then cooks on pressure and beeps when done. If not turned off, it goes to a warm cycle to hold the dish until you are ready. The next dish I tried was rice on the rice cycle. It is set for white rice and I was cooking brown rice so I just repeated the cycle twice after the first cycle. The rice turned out perfectly in 18 minutes. The removable pan is easy to clean since it is Teflon. I then put in the ingredients for black beans and set the timer for 27 minutes on the high pressure cycle. I punched start and walked away. The beans were done, tender and delicious! It used to take me 12 hours to cook beans in the crock pot! There is a brown cycle which heats up fast and can be used for sauteing items. I made a Mexican chicken soup and sauteed the onions and celery, threw in cubed raw chicken breast and browned, then added the rest of the ingredients for the soup except for the avocado which I added after the soup was done and cooked it on high pressure for 8 minutes. It sure didn't take me long to cook lunch that day! There is also a low pressure cycle for vegetables which I haven't tried yet. I can see that I am going to get lots of use out of this cooker. I think it is wonderful!

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Rival RC61 3-Cup Rice Cooker, Red Review

Rival RC61 3-Cup Rice Cooker, Red
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Several hours of my life were wasted pondering what rice cooker to purchase. There are dozen options available and I too was originally getting sucked into the though larger price tag =better rice, how wrong I was. Simple, easy to use, affordable and perfect brown rice on the first try (no easy task). Save your money for Vegas, this is all you need.

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

VitaClay - Pro Goumet Rice N' Slow Cooker - Vita Clay Review

VitaClay - Pro Goumet Rice N' Slow Cooker - Vita Clay
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This is really the only option I know of that allow you to cook rice easily and safely, no nonstick BS. I have had this about 6 months and use it alot. Brown Rice comes out very well, def have to wash it 4 times at least, best to soak for awhile, sometimes I will let it soak from morn until eve, then cook it, let it stay on warm cycle. I also add a pinch of salt and olive oil. This can be used to make stews/soups.

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Aroma ARC-930SB 10-Cup Sensor Logic Rice Cooker & Food Steamer Review

Aroma ARC-930SB 10-Cup Sensor Logic Rice Cooker and Food Steamer
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I am always skeptical of Rice cookers,I have not been satisfied with the ones I have purchased in the past. This Rice cooker surprised me, it was very quick and cooked the rice to almost perfection. It keeps the Rice warm as well. I deliberately left it for up to six hours after cooking. The rice stayed warm, although it became a little sticky. It is easy to clean and stores easily. I wish on the digital display it had a timer that would be better than a red line with no readout.

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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Presto 06003 Options Electric Multi-Cooker/Steamer Review

Presto 06003 Options Electric Multi-Cooker/Steamer
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I bought this EXACT model in 2001, and along with steaming, blanching, roasting, etc., it clearly advertises itself as a "deep fryer" of which it does an excellent job. The manual even includes full frying instructions!
If Presto has decided to now say "don't fry in this", it is strictly a legal move. The problem is that Presto's "fry daddy" line has no temperature control, and it's preset low enough so that you can't set any frying liquid on fire. But these also have no versatility.
The multi-cooker can do so much more, because you can set the temperature from "warm" to 400 degrees. This is higher than the smoke point of some frying mediums (lard and shortening in particular) and therefore IF you don't know the smoke point of what you're using, you can get in trouble. This is probably why Presto's lawyers decided to say it's not a fryer anymore, although it clearly is. I, however, will happily continue to use my multi-cooker to make great fries, fried shrimp and chicken, donuts, etc. in addition to steaming and blanching vegetables, as well as braising. It's the most versatile appliance I own!

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

VitaClay VM7900-6 Smart 6-Cup Programmable Multi-Cooker Review

VitaClay VM7900-6 Smart 6-Cup Programmable Multi-Cooker
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I could not be more pleased with the VitaClay rice cooker! It is everything I hoped it would be.
I probably invested about $1000 of my time researching rice cookers before making this purchase. I was very concerned about the VitaClay due to prior reviews I read here. I called VitaClay's manufacturer twice and I also did research at a lot of other sites. Ultimately, I decided to take a chance on the VitaClay, but I also planned to order a purely stainless steel model too.
However, now that I have used the VitaClay for a week (cooking with it every day), I know this is the rice cooker for me. I do not need to look any further.
It cooks perfect brown rice. I have also cooked rice + mung dal in it many times. The food doesn't stick to the clay pot. The flavors are great.
I am satisfied that the quality of the clay pot is good. It passes California's tough regulations. These days I hesitate to purchase anything from China, but I'm comfortable that this product is safe.
The rice cooker does not give off any unusual smells. My concerns about potential toxic materials in the cooker have disappeared after inspecting and using it. The construction quality is very high. It is super easy to clean. The controls are easy to use. The design looks nice. I feel I got a lot of value for my money.
UPDATE:
I have had my VitaClay rice cooker for almost two years now. i like it more than ever. It has held up well. It still looks like new even though I use it almost every day. I have had zero problems with it.
BTW, the heating element does not come into contact with the food. The heating element is outside of the clay pot. The food only touches the clay. And, at the time I purchased mine, the owner of the company told me they do not use a non-stick coating on the heating element.
Is there a better and safer rice cooker on the market anywhere? I have not found one. I think the VitaClay rice cookers are the best available - and the price is incredibly low too. If I ever find myself in a position to give a rice cooker as a gift, I will only give a VitaClay. And I will not cook with anything else myself.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Aroma ARC-733-1NGR 6-Cup Rice Cooker & Food Steamer Review

Aroma ARC-733-1NGR 6-Cup Rice Cooker and Food Steamer
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We have owned this for over 3 months now. It is our first rice cooker and I have only praise for it. But make sure that this fits your needs, otherwise you might be disappointed.
1. We use it pretty much only when we are traveling.
2. For two people, the quantity is just right. (If there are more members, a bigger volume cooker might be a better option.)
3. We read the earlier reviews and we switch off the cooker once the switch turns to warm after the rice is done.
4. We have made noodles and attempted a few Indian dishes (upma) which turned out quite fine.
5. If you wash the rice in the pot, it is a good idea to wipe the outside of the pot with a dry cloth before placing it in the cooker. That way the water won't ruin anything inside.
Just a couple of drawback:
** The amount of water needed varies slightly with each brand of rice. So I pretty much ignored their instructions and got it right after varying the water amount for 2-3 experiments.
** The etched measurement levels and water level markings in the dark background are pretty much impossible to read.
Overall, for the price, it is a great product. I think we recovered our money in the first 2 weeks itself.


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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

TIGER NFAB800 COOKER 8 LITER THERMAL MAGIC Review

TIGER NFAB800 COOKER 8 LITER THERMAL MAGIC
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My mother has happily used her Tiger Thermal Magic Cooker (the 4.5-liter size) for several years now, and I found myself using it whenever I visited her house, so I finally caved and bought two: the 8-liter and the 4.5-liter. I am very pleased with these. I make everything from chilis, goulash, and other stews and braises to simple chicken soup, baked beans, and even rice pudding, to name just a few. I just bring the foods in the covered inner pot to a boil on the stovetop, place the pot in the outer container, close the lid, and leave it. It cooks solely with the heat in the pot, so there's no other energy-use -- very economical and ecological. I can leave the house, even, and safely be cooking; I love the freedom. Unlike a slowcooker, there's no heating element to burn the bottom of the pot, to draw electricity, to worry about. And I can't believe how long foods stay safely warm in these cookers; it's still warm the next day! Clean-up is simple, too. The initial cost is not low, but you'll easily recoup the cost in energy-savings.

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Sanyo ECJ-HC100S 10-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker Review

Sanyo ECJ-HC100S 10-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker
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I come from south India, which means that I grew up eating rice every day. This also means that for me, rice is not just an important food, but a way of life. At any given time, you can expect to find five different kinds of rice in my pantry at all times (10 kg long grain white rice, 10 kg white sushi rice, 5 kg Basmati, 1 kg brown sushi, 5 kg long grain brown). I still eat rice every day, although the noodles, pasta, and bread are easy to find.
When I was young, my mother would by the typical rice cookers, where it would have a flimsy aluminium pot, a cheap electric part, and a cheap glass lid that didn't actually keep the moisture in. Measuring the water was a game of roulette, because although the rice always got cooked, variations in the moisture levels inside the cooking pot were bound to get wonky rather quickly. Furthermore, they never lasted too terribly long if you weren't extremely careful with them.
When I moved out on my own, I continued the tradition of getting the standard, cheap rice cookers. I was unwilling to spend this sort of money on a rice cooker. Until my third one fried out on me.
This model keeps rice piping hot, and tender, and fluffy, for three days. It cooks up the following rices perfectly (as in, I've tested it myself): Jasmine, White Basmati, Parboiled Basmati, Haiga-Mai, White Koshihikari, Brown Koshihikari, long grain Brown, and long grain White.
When using the slow cooker pot, I can churn out a pot of lentil soup quickly or slowly, depending on how much time I have on my hands. The tofu cycle works for the Indian dish known as idli. You end up with rather a large idli, but it's easy enough to cut up into four pieces. It makes steel cut oats in one hour flat, but makes sure that they're tender but not mushy. The minimum capacity is 2 cups, and the maximum is 10. It comes with a steaming basket to steam vegetables, however, I doubt that I'll be using it any time soon for steaming vegetables. What that basket is good for is a no-fuss Chinese dim sum steaming, without having to turn on the stove. Just set your buns down on the little steaming tray, and set your rice cooker to do the work for you. No poking around and watching the water levels for you!
The instructions are easy to follow: measure the dry rice with the provided cup, and then fill water to the line indicated on the inside of the pot, depending on the type of rice (or porridge, as needed). Also, get used to measuring the rice out exactly, because that will get you more consistent pots of rice, especially when you're working with unknown rices. There is no guesswork.
You will be cooking with less water, because the steam is contained inside the chamber, and not flying out into the air. In the last few minutes of cooking, you will notice a bit of steam being vented from the top, but that's minimal in comparison to how much steam is produced from a conventional rice cooker.
The rice pot is EXTREMELY nonstick. For easy cleanup, wait for the rice and the starch and the rest to dry out. Then wipe down the inside with your hand, and watch everything fall away like magic. Then, go ahead and wash as normal.
The plastic chassis is easy to clean with a soft cloth and a bit of water. Give it a wipe down after every use, and it'll look sparkling clean and beautiful there on your counter top.
Go buy this now if you're considering it. You won't regret it.
UPDATE: It's now January of 2011, and I bought this in September 2008. The rice cooker is still a work horse, and we've been using it if not every single day, pretty close to every single day. Pot after pot of perfect rice. Nonstick surface is still going strong.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Aroma ARC-838TC 8-Cup Digital Rice Cooker & Food Steamer Review

Aroma ARC-838TC 8-Cup Digital Rice Cooker and Food Steamer
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This is the fourth rice cooker I have owned and it is by far and away the best. The rice cooks right every time. The manual does give a guide of how much water to add for different types of rice but I have found that even when I screw up and do not use the right amount of water the rice has turned out pretty good.
I enjoy the fact that the device has a sealed top which really seems to help the rice be more consistent and also makes me feel better having this unit used with three small children in the house running around. The rice receptacle inside is a delightful non-stick surface that is more then easy to clean. The steam feature for other items works wonderful as well. I have left rice in the device for over two hours after cooking and it is still moist, tasty and not burnt. The one touch button cooking is a breeze and for me it takes about 30 minutes or so in most instances for the quantity I cook.
The only thing I learned I had to do is not place the device under anything when cooking. There is a starchy steam that is released during cooking that can coat wood and other surfaces. On wood this starch coating can be a pain to remove.
This is a great device to cook an entire meal or side in quick mindless ease. I can't think of a feature I would change on this unit. A great device that actually has increased the amount of rice and vegetables I and my family consume. Unless you need larger quantities of rice then this device is capable of I really can't see why anyone would need anything else. This is a great product at a great price. Wonderful!

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