What is a rice cooker, its differences from a multicooker

In Asian countries, a rice cooker is considered an essential kitchen appliance. What about Russian houses? Do our housewives need a rice cooker when there is a more advanced analogue? As it turns out, a multicooker is not always able to replace its ancestor in the kitchen: its settings and programs are inferior to a rice cooker.

How is a rice cooker different from a multicooker?

Despite the fact that the rice cooker is a close relative of the multicooker, these two household appliances still have a number of differences:

1. The multicooker is multifunctional and suitable for preparing many dishes and in many ways. It stews, bakes, fries, cooks, including soups, steams; most models in the middle and higher price segments are equipped with a “yogurt” function, etc. The rice cooker is specialized in preparing cereals.
2. Unlike its cousin, the rice cooker can cook different types of rice and grains. For example, sticky for sushi, crumbly for pilaf, harder, fully cooked, etc. At the same time, the grains do not burn or stick, and without any effort on the part of the housewife.
3. It’s easy to find multicookers on the Internet that are much cheaper than the simplest rice cookers. This is due both to the low prevalence of the latter in Russia and the world, and to the quality of the body, bowl, durability of electronics and precision in preparation. The magazine purity-en.htgetrid.com recommends that its readers focus not only on cost, but also on consumer reviews and equipment characteristics.A good multicooker usually costs at least 4 thousand rubles (as of 2019), high-quality rice cookers are a little more expensive.
4. Rice cookers can be very compact, for example, for one load of rice for a set of rolls, or for a family of two or three people. Multicookers are usually large, at least 2 liters, and most - 3.

What can a rice cooker do?

Externally, the rice cooker resembles a multicooker - the same saucepan with buttons. The small, “camping” model holds only half a liter, the medium one reaches 3-5 liters, and the large professional model – up to 8.

Principle of operation

The basic cooking mechanism is no different from the traditional one: water covers the rice and is partially absorbed by it under heat, and partially released as steam. The rice cooker keeps the finished dish warm for up to 12 hours.

Advice
Choose a rice cooker with a removable inner lid and a non-stick coating. This will make it easier to care for the device later.

How to use the unit

If the device was purchased in Russia and in a reliable store, then instructions in Russian are attached to it. Following the instructions in the guide, food is added, water and other ingredients are measured.

The simplest models have only two functions: Cook And Warm, i.e. “Cooking” and “Reheating”. In them, the consistency of the dish depends entirely on the proportions of the products.

General rules:

1. If you need to get crumbly rice, be sure to wash it until it is clean with water, and only then put it in a rice cooker. Buckwheat of the highest category does not need to be washed. It is recommended to soak legumes in water at room temperature for 3-12 hours, depending on the type and variety.
2. The ideal proportions for crumbly rice and buckwheat are 1 to 2. To get baby porridge, “smudge”, take 0.5-1.5 parts of water in excess of the norm.
3. The general recipe for a rice cooker is to add cereal, water and 1-2 tbsp. l.oil (for side dishes) and turn on the appliance.
4. Stirring only makes sense if you want a homogeneous structure. It is strictly not recommended to mix pilaf.
5. Rice cookers are also great at steaming. To do this, fill the bowl a little more than halfway with water, install the grill insert (included in the kit), grease it with oil, lay out the food and start cooking.

You can also cook barley, millet, barley and wheat cereals in a rice cooker. They are all quite capricious, and the device will cook them perfectly.

A short review

Author of the resource purity-en.htgetrid.comHaving studied the model range, I chose several of the most successful devices.

Korean brand Cuckoo has proven itself quite well in the market and produces large-capacity professional rice cookers. The main advantage is keeping the food warm (at 40°C) using 3D heating.

Chinese Xiaomi  controlled mechanically and remotely - from a smartphone, equipped with simple and touch buttons, capable of maintaining the desired temperature for up to 24 hours.

Japanese model Indokor, in addition to the usual functions, it has one more: it provides for steam removal and condensate intake into a measuring container included in the kit. This miracle pan also has a cooking indicator.

A rice cooker is not necessary in your kitchen arsenal, but it makes it much easier to prepare the perfect rice for sushi and rolls, Uzbek pilaf, paella, Biryani rice and other wonderful cereal dishes. In addition, in tandem with a multicooker, the device will allow you to cook both the first and the second at the same time while you go about your business.