Best Rice Cooker To Buy?

[Soulwy]

I have a rice cooker Panasonic SR TEG10A , bought at Lotus for 800-900 Baht. I like it, because it comes with a steaming basket. But unfortunately also this one leaves a crust on the bottom. I can add more water in it, but then the rice gets too soft.

Is there a rice cooker on the market that is crust-proof?

[Dante99]

I got my crust proof rice cooker at SahaPanit, it is Sharp brand and works great. Be sure to get one with a stainless steel cooking pot, those aluminum cooking pots have health risks.

[Soulwy]

I got my crust proof rice cooker at SahaPanit, it is Sharp brand and works great. Be sure to get one with a stainless steel cooking pot, those aluminum cooking pots have health risks.

Shoot, forgot about that... Last time I bought pans I made sure it was even Teflon-free...Yes, the Panasonic has an alu pot... will I ever enjoy rice as I did before...? Ignorace -is- bliss...

Edited April 21, 2011 by Soulwy

[Soulwy]

Dante99, details please? Model, steaming basket, price? So I can have a look. I want to give one as a present.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Get one of the fancy ones aimed at the Japanese market. With a heavy, anti stick inner pan. You can even bake bread in those. Approx. 2000 baht and up, at places like SiamTV.

[CMSteve]

When we were kids, my sisters and I would fight over the bottom crust...

The crust is formed because all the heat is coming from the bottom and not properly spreading. the only way to counter this is the really really thick inner pot like "?WhinnieTheKwai" is saying. Just goto Siam Tv or Robinson and start pulling out the inner pot. Buy the thickest heaviest one.

Edited April 21, 2011 by CMSteve

[NancyL]

I like to use a rice cooker with a glass top for cooking one-pot meals, some of which involve rice. With these meals, I time the addition of ingredients so that the ones that need more cooking time (like celery) are added before items that don't need as long, such as bell peppers. With this cooking technique, I'm often stirring the pot, so as a result there's no crust. My glass-top rice cooker does leave a crust at the bottom if I just use it as a proper rice cooker, i.e. add the rice and water, plug it in and walk away, expecting to return to perfectly cooked rice. This rice cooker is great for other grains like barley and quinoa and I even use it to cook macaroni, with the lid ajar to prevent a boil-over.

I have another rice cooker that makes great rice. It has an opaque top that kind of locks into place. The vented steam is collected into a little cup. It makes great rice and the rice is even better if I just fill it up, turn it on and don't open it until it's had a chance to sit on warm for at least 10 minutes after the cooking is done. However, this rice cooker is almost impossible to use to make my one-pot meals because I can't see what's going on inside.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Out of curiosity, how many rice cookers would you need to own before being considered fully adapted to life in Thailand, and no longer a newbie?

I own 3 and I think I qualify. Clearly people without rice cookers AND with no intention of buying one are total newbies or just hopeless cases. (especially if they still clicked on this topic and are reading this )

So.. probably 2 and up?

Edited April 21, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[cm das]

I always throw a cube of concentrated veggie stock in with my rice (or quinoa) when using the rice cooker. I do it for the taste but it also helps gets rid of the crust.

[elektrified]

Get one of the fancy ones aimed at the Japanese market. With a heavy, anti stick inner pan. You can even bake bread in those. Approx. 2000 baht and up, at places like SiamTV.

That's what we have and exactly where we bought ours about 3 years ago on sale for about 2000 (Toshiba).

[Beetlejuice]

I got my crust proof rice cooker at SahaPanit, it is Sharp brand and works great. Be sure to get one with a stainless steel cooking pot, those aluminum cooking pots have health risks.

We have had our Sharp rice steamer for 12 years and still going strong, only the warm cook switch is beginning to wear.

Bought it for 400 baht at Makro in Chiang Mai 12 years ago and is a non-stick version.

These days the equivalent cost from 1200 baht to 1400 baht. This is one of the larger size models and can be bought at all the big stores.

When you buy one, make sure is has the big blue and silver poly flon label on it. This means it has a non-stick container inside.

[jaideeguy]

I've never owned an electric rice pot until my Thai wife said it was a 'must' here in LOS and after 10 yrs, we've gone thru 5 of them. All big name brands and they all are krap and all have either aluminum or teflon that wears off.

In a past life in Hawaii [a rice eating place], we simply measured by knuckles on the finger and boiled it slow and [mostly] came out perfect.

[BuckarooBanzai]

I've never owned an electric rice pot until my Thai wife said it was a 'must' here in LOS and after 10 yrs, we've gone thru 5 of them. All big name brands and they all are krap and all have either aluminum or teflon that wears off.

In a past life in Hawaii [a rice eating place], we simply measured by knuckles on the finger and boiled it slow and [mostly] came out perfect.

I think the reason that most Teflon wears off is that Thais love to use steel wool and metallic cooking utensils. I've tried for years to teach my family how to properly cook with and clean Teflon to no avail.

[Dante99]

I think the reason that most Teflon wears off is that Thais love to use steel wool and metallic cooking utensils.

Where do they sell steel wool in Chiang Mai?

[NancyL]

More importantly, where do they sell SOS or BrilloPads in Thailand? A friend gave Hubby, the dishwasher, some BrilloPads from a trip to the U.S. and he's had the rice cooker sparkling lately.

[Fookhaht]

When we were kids, my sisters and I would fight over the bottom crust...

Same here---I cook it UNTIL a crust forms. It adds a flavor that permeates the rest of the rice that I just love.

Indeed, the instructions to a rice cooker I bought in the USA (forgot the brand name) mentioned that "you want to wait until a crust forms on the bottom before dishing out your rice from the cooker." Reason they gave: because it permeated the rest of the rice with a "baked" flavor. Taste is all in the eye (tongue) of the beholder (taster)!

[meadish_sweetball]

<br />Out of curiosity, how many rice cookers would you need to own before being considered fully adapted to life in Thailand, and no longer a newbie?<br /><br />I own 3 and I think I qualify.  Clearly people without rice cookers AND with no intention of buying one are total newbies or just hopeless cases. (especially if they still clicked on this topic and are reading this <img src='http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> ) <br /><br />So.. probably 2 and up?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

So you are the sole supplier of rice for the temple fairs in your area? My bunch tends to do ok with just one humble rice cooker.

[Gladiator]

I've never owned an electric rice pot until my Thai wife said it was a 'must' here in LOS and after 10 yrs, we've gone thru 5 of them. All big name brands and they all are krap and all have either aluminum or teflon that wears off.

In a past life in Hawaii [a rice eating place], we simply measured by knuckles on the finger and boiled it slow and [mostly] came out perfect.

You beat me to it.

I guess that everyone has their own way of cooking rice!

But for me - fool proof is to wash the rice like crazy in cold water and rinse. Then in a saucepan and cover wth a 'knuckle' of cold water. Add what ever pleases you. For me different things for different foods - or even just plain rice. Perhaps some saffron, if I were rich, Tumeric as I am poor. Onions and garlic and a knob of butter.

Bring to the boil and cover. Turn the heat to the lowest possible and cook for 20 minutes. No peeking. The steam willl do the job.