A Few Facts to Take Into Account When You Get a Rice Cooker   by Barry Davis

If you cook rice almost every day, or you want to keep the rice warm for a longer time, then it is a good idea to buy a basic rice cooker. Using this appliance will be easier than to cook the rice on the stove. The most basic models don't have more than two basic functions: to cook the rice, and to keep it warm. You will get more functions if you choose a mid-range rice cooker: you can have settings for different kinds of rice, vegetables or soups. A mid-range rice cooker can keep the rice warm for half day. High end models can be programmed 24 hours in advance, and these rice cookers are usually great at cooking specialty rice types such as sushi rice or brown rice. If you want to buy a rice cooker, you should consider the following things.

You should think about what you really need. There is no point in buying a programmable rice cooker with fuzzy logic if you cook rice only once in a while. The cooking of the rice will usually take much longer with these cookers, not to mention the fact that these are much more expensive than a simple rice cooker. However if you want to have freshly cooked, warm rice when you get home from the office, then a high end model might suit you better. But then you will have to incorporate programming into your morning routine.

It is good to know that the measurements given by the manufacturers are not standard. If the ox of the rice cooker mentions that it has "5 1/2-cup capacity, it usually refers to the dry rice in the cup that comes with the cooker. These cups hold about 6 ounces of rice, instead of standard measuring cups which hold 8 ounces.

If you have the option, you should buy a one-piece rice cooker. People say that two-piece rice cookers with glass lids have the tendency to cook the rice unevenly, they might cool too quickly and they can spit the water thorough the hole in the lid. Glass lids also might prove more difficult to be washed by hand.

The cleanup will be much easier if you buy a cooker with nonstick pot. These days the majority of rice cookers come with nonstick pots these days, but there might be some older models that still use aluminum pots. The nonstick coat of the cooker can scratch, so you should use a soft sponge, or you can allow the rice cooker to soak before you wash it by hand.

The keep-warm setting is a really smart feature, so even if you buy a cheap model, it should have this feature. It will allow you to keep the rice warm for a couple of hours. However, you should know that the rice will dry out if you leave the cooked rice for more than two hours in the cooker.