Hi guys, I have had this tagged in Amazon for ages since reading a few here recommended it highly for microwaving rice. It had a big price drop this morning so sharing with you guys, for anyone who might be interested.
CamelCamelCamel.
I use it sometimes, but I find that for the 10 minutes I microwave it, I could have cooked it with a cooker. This is convenient though.
No chance theres a cooker out there that will cook rice in 10 min, unless its a $500 gizmo
I use it sometimes, but I find that for the 10 minutes I microwave it, I could have cooked it with a cooker.
My rice cooker probably takes 10 minutes just to heat the water up.
Just use a rice cooker please …
Last time I checked a rice cooker thread here, there was a lot said about not buying cheap because of sticking to pan and moisture leakage. And not about to spend 300+ for a good one. I have been making rice using a basic version of this for ages and it works great, but last time I saw it on special here a few here said get this one from Sistema as it is far better at cooking rice (hence why I tagged it on Amazon in first place)
I got this for $80something maybe 2 years ago I think, the guy at TGG made it even lower than what JB Hi-Fi had it for at the time. Works great imo https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/panasonic-10-cup-rice-cooker-…
I have this too, best rice cooker I've had and didn't break the bank. I used to use a tupperware one like on the OP but agree a proper rice cooker is just so much better quality of life. Don't have to worry about slightly too much or too little water, it deals with it. Can do a porridge etc. All with press of one button. Maintenance is just rinsing and wiping down the nonstick bowl after each use. Highly recommend the Panasonic if you are looking long term solution around $100
@carboncider: Exactly what I moved from too! (Also have to clean around the seal and get rid of the moisture too), easy maintenance regardless
It's 2021, even the lousiest rice cookers in the market these days should be non stick. I got a $30 from Big W years ago and it's been great for the once a week or so that I cook. This plastic microwave thing is probably even harder to clean.
It's 2021, even the lousiest rice cookers in the market these days should be non stick.
Cheap ones have excellent non-stick coatings. They're so good that they don't even stick to the pot for very long. ;)
This plastic microwave thing is probably even harder to clean.
I actually find it much easier. Since there's no non-stick coating to worry about, I can clean it with anything. I can also safely scoop out rice with a metal spoon and have one less thing to clean.
@eug: Agree. have had this small kambrook one for years and years, and got a spare one waiting.
The coatings remain in tact pretty well and can still use even if not perfect. They would be $15-25 at most.
Plastic isn't ideal but convenient for the microwave. Those thin sistemas are pretty average at best, more designed for lunch boxes.
I've literally had a $12 Kmart rice cooker for 8 years now and it still works fine. Can any of the rice cookers even break? Just add some oil if you dont want it to stick as well
After having 2 budget rice cookers (one kmart, one GVA) die, yes they do, just over a year when out of warranty.
Replaced with a Panasonic (https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/panasonic-10-cup-rice-cooker-…) which has been great for the past 2 years or so.
Better rice too (more fluffy) compared to the cheapies.
Got one of these don't waste your $10 you can only cook 1 cup of rice or it boils over .
keep the lid off, and switch to half power once the water reaches boiling temp (or start with boiled water)
How do you know the water has reached boiling?
once the water starts to rise, or just estimate e.g. do 6 mins at full power and 6 mins half power
Do you stagger the vents? The lid has vents and the mid lid has vents, you need to make them not overlap each other. It's in the instruction manual which I completely understand ignoring but its there.
Got one of these don't waste your $10 you can only cook 1 cup of rice or it boils over .
Perfect for singles and couples. Definitely not aimed at families.
I have this and it works well
Not the standard of a dedicated Japanese rice maker like a Tiger or Zujirushi, however for the convenience it’s greT
Rice takes about 12 to 13 minutes for me - I guess it depends on rice type. I use basmati. Great for stewing apples, to make an apple pie. 🍏
Thats the one I have too and it has been great. But as I said above, last time it was listed here a few raved that the Sistema was far better, which is why I listed it on Amazon hoping for a price drop.
Has been $5-$5.50 a bunch of times before, here's one example
Takes about 8-9 mins to cook medium grain. Good for those with limited bench space and I find it cooks macaroni in a similar time frame too (stirring in 2 min increments so it doesn't stick).
microwaving rice … the folks from the Yangtze River would be up in arms…
Rice laced with plastic is my kind of napalm in the morning…🤣
Smells like victory..
Haiyaa!!
haiya….. not rice cooker .. my ancestors are turning in their grave
3 minutes in a pressure cooker
3 minutes in a pressure cooker
How long does it take for the pressure cooker to build up pressure?
Just use a saucepan. This thing isn't any faster and is harder to clean..
False information.
This is faster than any saucepan absorption method and is much easier to clean.
any saucepan absorption method
I didn't mention absorption…
7 minutes in rapid boiling water is perfect for basmati.
No rice sticks to the pan and basically just needs a quick rinse…
This thing does a cup of basmati in 6 minutes from a standing start. No pre-boiling required…
@UncleRico: Water still needs to boil and cannot get hotter than 100C, so it is just crap that it can cook quicker than boiling in a saucepan…
Also, on the saucepan, you can test your rice and cook it to your preference… For some people, they might prefer 6 minutes on the saucepan…
@jv: I'm not sure who argued that water could get hotter than 100c. By your rationale, "it is just crap that" boiling in a saucepan could be quicker because of the same limitation.
Although I suppose it's possible that the 14,620 people who reviewed it as being faster and cleaner than your saucepan could be lying…
14,620 people who reviewed it as being faster and cleaner than your saucepan could be lying…
What about the 114,914,620 people who prefer to use saucepans? Are they lying?
@jv: I'm one of them. I'd use a saucepan over this rice steamer to cook sauce or soup or anything else that's predominantly liquid.
I've also found that my lawn mower is better at mowing my lawn than this steamer, which partially explains why I'm such a fan of using the right tool for the right job. And why I no longer have a lawn littered with long grain.
And after twenty years of boiling and cleaning rice off the bottom of a saucepan, I'm glad I took up the recommendation for this, having invariably found it to be faster and cleaner since actually trying it and being converted a year ago. YMMV…
@jv: Maybe they are not aware of this deal. :P
Many a time people do certain things cos that how they have been doing it for ages… then one day some one discovers this method and suddently there are only 114,914,619 people using saucepans for rice….
@jv: do you also avoid takeaway due to plastics? The reason I'm asking is - I would think rice cooking temp will not go over 100C and this will be designed / tested for higher temps so I would think the risk should be low, but in case of some oil fried/ roasted takeaways, the surface temp can easily go well over 100C, on top the takeaway containers tend to be low quality plastics (made to meet a pricepoint) with low melting point. and its almost impossible to avoid plastic containers with takeaway. The only takeaway that comes to mind that doent have plastic is pizza.
PS. I dont sell plastic containers or microwave ovens so I dont care what you/anyone uses. I do find the microwaving rice fast and convenient.
I have also tried cooking rice in glass bowl (big round one from Woolworths) and that works well too - takes same time and people who are concerned with plastics this might be good. YMMV
PS. I dont sell glass bowls either
do you also avoid takeaway due to plastics?
yes, hardy ever get takeaways apart from the odd pizza or fish n chips…
@Patman: Plastic leaches into food at much lower temperatures than 100c.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-plastic-a-…
We have freedom to do as we all want of course.
@bargainshooter: Yes but depends on which type - hence my question/concern around takeaway food and even more than that plastic bottled drinks - especially aeriated, dont know how plastic goes with acidity / weak acids.
Here we go, now I will be on Google, searching obsessively for next few hours…..
This is faster than any saucepan absorption method and is much easier to clean.
With a microwave cooker there is also no need to make sure you turn off the stove at the right time. Zero risk of burning anything if you get distracted with other tasks.
Thanks OP! Rice cookers may do a better job for just as long but this is good for making a small batch of rice for sushi bowls or other specialty rice.
Just get an electronic rice cooker, cheap enough.
Got a smaller version of these containers that are handy for steaming veg in microwave
it's all stuff you can do on the stove easily though.
I've got this and it's a guessing game on how long it'll take to cook properly. Tossed in the drawer.
If you cooked rice for too long or not long enough depending on your type of rice or microwave power, could you not just adjust your next preparation?
Works fine for perfectly fluffy rice for me and is anything but rocket science…
I like to use absorption method in a saucepan as it gives me a good 20min in the kitchen away from the kids.
or take up Golf, excuse to get away with the mates for a beer for half the day haha
Used to play weekly, now I'm lucky to get out twice a year.
These things are handy but here's a tip.
If you have one, just use a pyrex or other microwave proof vessel / casserole dish with a lid that can be opened to vent steam, place it on a dish to catch overflow. Does the same thing. No plastic if that's a concern. Can cook about 2 cups instead of the smaller quantities of these things. No non-stick surface like a dedicated cooker, if that's a concern. No burning like the stove top.
Here's another tip. Freeze left over rice straight away in small quantities. When you microwave it to reheat it, it just like freshly steamed rice. Left over rice stored in the fridge dehydrates and mummifies.
I have this. One cup of rice, two cups of water, 13 minutes. Perfect rice every time. Have also used it to steam greens and cook quinoa with varying success (haven't nailed it yet). Way easier than stovetop imo and easy to clean. A cheap rice cooker will stick and a good rice cooker is expensive. This takes up less space than a rice cooker too and can be chucked in the dishwasher.
Microwave is only good to heat up left over/next day foods and never……..meant for cooking as it zaps all the nutrients.
If you eat rice everyday/most days just buy a Japanese rice cooker that will last you for many years or maybe pass down to your children.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/does-microwaving-food-d….
Cooking, in general, destroys some vitamins. But not nearly as many as people think. Vitamin C, thiamine (B1), pantothenic acid (B5) and folate (B9) will all be denatured to varying degrees, but folate requires temperatures well beyond 100°C to destroy it, and pantothenic acid deficiency is virtually unheard of.
All the other main nutrients in food – carbs, fats, proteins, fibre and minerals – are either unaffected or made more digestible by heat. Cooking bursts open plant cells, which increases the amounts available to you. Your body will absorb a lot more of the antioxidants beta-carotene and phenolic acid from carrots, and the lycopene in tomatoes, when they’re cooked. There’s nothing about microwaves that damages food more than other cooking methods. In fact, microwaving can actually preserve nutrients.
So answers for healthy use is to
Only use microwave short for reheating meals,
take out frozen meats in advanced to defrost manually and
stove cook low heat for your everyday meals.
That's my current microwave ratings.
How hot is a 1000 watt microwave?
This would be like an “average” oven temperature of 350 degrees. 700 Watts in microwave >> like cooking at 350 degrees 800 Watts >> 450 degrees 900 Watts >> 525 degrees (Self clean) 1000 Watts >> 575 degrees 1100 Watts >> 625 degrees (Blow torch!!)
these are different factors
Heat travels in 3 ways - conduction, convection and radiation.
Oven heats with convection - so the air temperature needs to high for the surface will absorb and conduct/convey (via liquid) heat in the food. Inside the food, unless the water has boiled off, the temperature will always go upto 100c (at normal pressure, in pressure cooker at 15PSI, the boiling point of water is abt 105C). The higher the heat of air in oven, larger the temp differential and more heat - "Q" will be absorbed by food surface. Sometimes the convection in the food in the pot cannot keep up depending on the fluids- in that case we call it molten lava cake - thank you Raj in Big Bang Theory.
Pots and pans heat with conduction - the burner temp will need to be higher than 100c for pot surface to absorb the heat and conduct through the metal to the food and then the principle is similar. to above. Sometimes the convection in the food in the pot cannot keep up depending on the fluids and hence sometimes the bottom burns while food at top is uncooked.
Microwave radiates heat in food - same way as sun radiates heat to earth. Depending on absorption of this energy, the outside of the pot can be cool in somecase while food at the centre can be steaming. In this case the energy supplied to the oven (Wattage x time) is converted in elecromagnetic waves in the micro-meter wavelenghts - note Light is also electromagnetic wave between 300 - 800 nano-meter is visible spectrum for people.
Japanese rice cooker that will last you for many years
or maybe pass down to your children.
I can see the look on their faces at the reading of the will…
It would be priceless 🤣
there are very few nutrients in rice… lols
there is arsenic…
you live in California or something?
If rice is the worst thing you eat you are doing well.
just rinse it 3x.
just rinse it 3x.
won't help…
The FDA research also shows that rinsing rice before cooking has a minimal effect on the arsenic content of the cooked grain and will wash off iron, folate, thiamine and niacin from polished and parboiled rice.
https://www.fda.gov/food/metals-and-your-food/what-you-can-d…
there is arsenic…
Today we learn that jv worries about cooking rice in plastic but happily eats arsenic.
@eug: Probably eats red meat and processed meat instead, which is a group 2A carcinogen
Mobile phones emit radiation (5G is particularly bad with the tin foil hat brigade, haha)
Well it depends on the rices.
There are alot of different variety.
Our family usually mixed brown and short grain rice for daily consumption.
Got it last time. I always use it for rice now, super convenient, saved me from having to buy a separate appliance for it.
Thanks OP. I use it mainly for oatmeal, only thing big enough to prevent spillage. And perfect for potatoes too.
These are awesome. Pretty sure I paid half this, but they're super handy to have and do make great rice when you get your method down
No - the Decor is a poor imitation - without the extra diffuser for steam or proper venting. Previous deals explain the science better than me…
Used my $5 promo credit. Extra bargain
Thanks
Uncle Roger disapproves.