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What Exactly is a Rice Cooker?
Modern lifestyle has inspired people to make changes in almost every area of their life. Be it work, home, entertainment, shopping, or cooking, the use of science and technology is imminent and evolving than ever before. Now we want everything to be quicker and more comfortable as we are introduced to newer gadgets and technology. Kitchen appliances make cooking and culinary-related work much easier and less troublesome by reducing time and saving fuel and money. Rice cooker is also one such kitchen appliance that runs on electricity and is specially designed to cook rice with minimal or no supervision. The Rice cooker has an inner bowl with a non-stick coating, a heating element, and thermostat control.
Toshiba introduced the first rice cooker in Japan in 1955, and due to its massive popularity, other companies also started manufacturing their rice cookers. Slowly rice cookers became better and advanced as more features were added to them. Electric Rice cookers make rice cooking faster, convenient, and minus the steam and smell produced by conventional cookers. Moreover, they can keep the rice warmer for a longer period as compared to the steam cookers.
Advantages of Using a Rice Cooker
Rice cookers can cook any rice recipe with ease and perfection if you have added the right amount of water and ingredients. It's a kitchen essential which simplifies cooking and has various other benefits associated with it. Some of the major advantages of using a rice cooker are mentioned below.
- Not only for cooking rice – Apart from delicious rice recipes, you can also steam vegetables, fish, or chicken in a rice cooker. Also, cereals like oatmeal can be cooked in minutes for a quick breakfast.
- Uniform Cooking – Traditional rice cookers will give you some overcooked rice at the bottom even when the rice is cooked on low heat, but a Rice Cooker always gives uniformly cooked rice.
- Automatic Cooking – Rice cookers are no-nonsense cookers, so once you switch on the button, you can forget about the cooking part and continue with other chores while the rice is being cooked and the rice cooker stops automatically when the rice is perfectly cooked.
- Non-sticky Rice Cooking – No more sticky rice, which spoils the taste of the entire food as the rice cooked in a rice cooker will have every grain separated and cooked properly.
- Programmable Settings – Modern rice cookers come with programmable settings, which allow you to cook various lentils and grains as well, thus making the cooking more convenient.
How Rice Cooker Works
The three basic prerequisites for cooking rice are – water, heat, and a cooking vessel, and then the rice goes through soaking, boiling, steaming, and resting processes. A rice cooker is designed to complete the requirements and method to cook the rice. This amazing kitchen appliance consists of the outer body, an inner cooking vessel with non-stick coating, an electric heating plate, a heat sensor, and few controls. Water, rice and spices, are kept in the vessel, and as soon as the thermal sensor knows that there is some weight inside the cooking pan and the lid is closed, the heating plate starts boiling the water, and the cooking begins.
The sensor is designed in such a manner that as soon as the temperature crosses the boiling point of the water (because the temperature starts to rice inside the pan once the rice soaks all the water), it will either stop the heating or switch into a warm only mode. Thus, the rice doesn't get overcooked or semi-cooked and keeps warm for a long time or as per the setting.
Best Rice Cookers Available in India
Now we know a bit about the Rice Cooker, the advantages of using this kitchen appliance, and how a Rice Cooker works. Further, to help you choose the best rice cooker for your kitchen, we have selected ten of the below-mentioned rice cookers. These are the best rated and reviewed products from different brands and available on various e-commerce platforms.
Prestige Delight Electric Rice Cooker Cute 1.8-2
Prestige has been a leading brand and a pioneer in pressure cookers and kitchen appliances for decades, and they bring their years of experience and expertise to provide one of the best rice cookers. The Delight Cute model by Prestige is an attractive appliance that will match your kitchen décor and looks absolutely beautiful in red, white, and silver colors. The 1.8-liter electric cooker comes with a detachable power cord, making it portable and easy to use. Moreover, the cool touch handles make it easy to carry to your dining table, while the slot in the handle serves as a scoop holder. The stainless steel close fit lid comes with a steam vent, and you also get an additional aluminum cooking pan with the cooker. This product is listed on prestigexclusive.in for Rs. 2,560.
Bajaj Majesty New RCX 5 Multifunction Cooker
Bajaj needs no introduction when it comes to home and kitchen appliances as this homegrown brand is well known for its quality products available at pocket-friendly prices. The Bajaj Majesty New RCX 5 Multifunction Cooker has a capacity of 1.8 L and has enough space to cook 1 kg of raw rice, thus making it a useful rice cooker even for a big family.
The electric rice cooker runs on 550 W and comes with automatic as well as manual switch off for added safety. The cool-touch handles and stainless steel lid with steam vents ensure worry-free cooking, and you get a cooking bowl, a spatula, and a measuring cup along with the product. You can purchase this cooker from shop.bajajelectricals.com for Rs. 2,034.
Panasonic SR WA 18 Electric Rice Cooker (1.8 L, White)
Panasonic is a brand known for electronic appliances, but this rice cooker won't disappoint you in terms of quality and price. Equipped with an anodized aluminum cooking pan, the 1.8 Liter capacity rice cooker allows you to cook adequate rice in one go. Moreover, the auto cook feature gives you the convenience and flexibility to finish other works while the rice cooker is doing its work. Once the rice is cooked to perfection, the cooker shuts down automatically and helps you save power. The cooker runs on 660 W and can be ordered from flipkart.com for Rs. 1,585.
Pigeon by Stove Kraft Favorite 94 1-Litre Rice Cooker
Pigeon has created its mark in the home and kitchen essentials period in a short time with good quality products at an affordable price. The Joy 1 Liter rice cooker by Pigeon is an excellent kitchen appliance for bachelors or a family of four as it can cook a small quantity of rice quickly and perfectly. The cooker has automatic and manual functions, plus it also keeps the rice warm for a longer duration in the cooker itself, so you won't have to reheat it. You can cook lemon rice, jeera rice, or even Biryani in this sturdy and durable aluminum cooking bowl. The Joy rice cooker comes with a 2-year warranty and can be purchased for Rs. 2,195 from stovecraft.com.
Kent 16021 700W 5L Electric Rice Cooker SS (Grey)
Kent is famous for its water filters, but they have a nice range of other kitchen appliances, including Rice Cookers. This big 5-liter electric rice cooker by Kent is a useful kitchen essential for large families. The grey color cooker looks classy and modern and has an advanced induction heating function that helps cook faster. The other important features include keeping warm function, non-stick coated high-grade aluminum inner pot, and grip push button, which makes it easier to carry. The appliance runs on 700W power, comes with a 1-year warranty, and is available for Rs. 2,203 at tatacliq.com.
Philips 1.8 Litres Rice Cooker, HL1665/00
Philips is making things better for many decades, and this time, they are trying to make your cooking experience better with this 1.8-liter rice cooker. This rice cooker has an inbuilt copper heating element that operated at 220 – 240 Volts plus has a starch separator that helps to cook rice so that all the grains separate from each other. Also, the automatic shut-off and keep-warm function for up to 4 hours are other prominent features of this appliance. You also get a 5-year warranty on the heating coil and a 2-year warranty on the cooker. This model by Philips is listed on relaincedigital.in for Rs. 2,799.
Prato Electric Rice Cooker
Wonderchef, a brand by famous chef Sanjeev Kapoor has gained substantial popularity and growth in the last couple of years due to its superior products. Prato Electric Rice Cooker has a tempered glass lid with a steam vent that helps you see through during the cooking, an extra thermostat for added safety, a non-stick inner pot that is removable an attractive stainless steel outer body. The cooker also has a single button for cooking, and the keep-warm function keeps the food warm for a long time. A measuring cup and spoon are also provided with the product, which comes with a 1-year warranty and can be purchased from wonderchef.com for Rs. 2,699.
Preethi Primo RC 311 P18 Flora 1.8-Litre 700-Watts Rice Cooker
The Primo Flora model of Rice Cooker by Preethi is a 1.8-liter capacity cooker which operates at 700 W / 230 V and has a stainless steel outer body. The sturdy cooker has a heavy gauge double-walled body, and the plastic parts are made of high-quality heat-resistant plastic. You get a cooking pan and steamer tray included with the cooker, which comes with a 1-year warranty and is available on amazon.in for Rs. 2,379.
Borosil Digikook Electric Rice Cooker And Steamer (1.8 L)
A product with excellent ratings and reviews by customers, Borosil Digicook is a Rice Cooker and Steamer with a capacity of 1.8 liters and comes with a rice scoop, plastic steam tray, measuring cup, detachable cord, non-stick inner pot, and a user manual. The Borosil Digikook Electric Rice Cooker and Steamer (1.8 L) is available for Rs. 3,595 at flipkart.com.
Havells X Press 1 Litre 400 Watt Rice Cooker
Havells, a homegrown brand, has gained massive popularity in the home and kitchen appliances segment in the last decade. The Havells X Press is a small electric rice cooker with a 1-liter capacity and runs on 400W power. The cooker has a toughened glass lid, and the outer body is made of toughened stainless steel. It also has a water level indicator, which helps to view the water and rice ratio for perfect cooking. You can buy this rice cooker from croma.com for Rs. 2,995.
Bonus Tip: How to Clean a Rice Cooker
Proper cleaning and care of your rice cooker can increase your cookware's life and keeps the hygiene factor intact. Rice cooker also needs regular cleaning like your other kitchen utensils as grease, oil, and other particles can deposit in different parts of the vessel and obstruct the heating efficiency.
To clean the rice cooker, unplug it and let all the internal parts, including the inner pot and inner lid, cool down to room temperature. Now gently remove the inner pot and inner lid respectively using both hands and keep them aside. You can remove the steam cap using your fingers and lifting the cut out upwards.
Make a cleaning solution using 2 tablespoons of chlorine-based bleach, 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid, and adequate hot water. Soak the parts you have removed in this solution for 2 hours before rinsing them properly, and then let them dry. Clean the parts separately with a clean and soft cloth once the parts have completely dried. To clean the outer body and the inner part of the rice cooker, use a semi-wet towel (with excess water wrung) and wipe the inside and outside of the appliance. Wipe the power cord using a dry cloth and remove any leftover food particles from the sensor and heating plate. Take precautions so that not a single drop of water gets inside the rice cooker unit else, it may result in a short circuit.
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You Can Prepare a Lot More Recipes in a Rice Cooker!
If you're still not convinced as to why it makes sense to get a rice cooker for your kitchen, here's another reason: Other than rice, there are a plethora of recipes as well that a rice cooker can help you make to perfection, which includes pancakes, eggs, and even a small cake! So, don't wait anymore; pick your choice from any of the given rice cookers, and start preparing your favourite recipes!