Rice Cooker brands/features

[BucknellAlum]

So, thinking we should get a rice cooker for our Christmas gift. (DH and I don;t really exchange).

I did a search and people seem to love the Zojirushi brand and the fuzzy logic feature. I don't know anything about rice cookers except people love them. We are thinking we could make up a batch of brown rice and use it thoughout the week. I have also heard you can do overnight oatmeal in some of them.

CAn anyone give any advice on brands and features? And how much to spend, because I see they range from $30 to $200!

Thanks!

[karen w]

I have the Zojirushi with fuzzy logic. While I do not use it that often, I love having it when I need it. I do admittedly use it mainly for rice, but it is great to just set it and forget about it and free up the stove for other things. It is great for brown rice. When I make a batch, I always make extra and freeze some. When I first got it, I did have to play around a bit with the water to rice ratio and other settings etc... that I preferred for my tastes. Once I hit the right combo. for me, I wrote it down in the manual and have been using that ratio rice to water ever since with no ruined batches.

I have not used it for oatmeal but I know you can. I usually do my overnight oatmeal (steel cut) on the stove by bringing the water and oats to a boil (1 c. steel cut oats to 4 c. water), removing it from the heat, and then covering it and let the pot sit overnight. In the morning all you have to do is reheat. If it is still too watery for you, just simmer a few minutes. It usually is just perfect for me. I also make big batches of overnight oatmeal and freeze leftovers in individual servings. I spray the small plastic butter containers with nonstick spray and portion oats into them. Once frozen, I pop them out, wrap in plastic, and store in a ziploc. When I go to heat it from the freezer, you pop the frozen cereal into a bowl and microwave. It usually takes 2-3 minutes to thaw and then heat, stirring once or twice during that time.

Karen

[wallycat]

I have a dirt-cheap (bed, bath, beyond) one and don't even know the brand name.....teflon coating, works perfectly...for less than $10 (when I bought it, with the 20% coupon) it served me well. I no longer eat carbs, so it has been sitting here doing nothing.
I would send it to you if you didn't want anything fancy.

[Gecko]

I love my Zojirushi and would not hesitate to buy the same brand again. I have the 10-cup model and use it at least 3 times a week, mostly for rice (brown and white). I have had it for about 9 years. I have made oatmeal in it although I usually do it on the stovetop. I keep meaning to try it on steel cut oats since they take longer to cook. I have heard that people use their rice cooker to keep mulled cider warm, cook vegetables or other grains, or to make applesauce.

I noticed the other day that Costco has the 5-cup Zojirushi for about $90 which I think is a good price.

[BucknellAlum]

Is the 5 cup a good size? Is that 5 cups of COOKED rice?

My DH is modifying his diet and is currently pretty low carb, but wants to add in some brown rice soon, so he thought this would be a good thing to have. I am not a fan of single use appliances so that is why I asked for opinions here.

[Gecko]

This is what I found at the Zojirushi website - "Every Zojirushi rice cooker comes with a plastic measuring cup. This cup has a capacity of 6-ounces, or about 3/4 of a U.S. measuring cup. The capacity of the rice cooker is counted in these 6-ounce cups of uncooked short grain white rice. One 6-ounce cup of raw rice makes about 2 to 3, 6-ounce cups of cooked rice. Do not confuse the rice cooker measuring cup with U.S. measuring cups; they are different. All Zojirushi rice cookers come with a special measuring cup and nonstick rice spatula for serving. The capacity of a rice cooker is stated in the numbers of 6-ounce cups of raw short grain white rice."

You can also find more answers here and there are some recipes here.

I understand what you mean about single-use appliances, but this is one I would make an exception for because of the convenience. Not only does it cook perfect rice very time, but I love the timer function - I get get the rice ready in the pot and then set the timer for it to come on and cook before I get home, and it also keeps it warm if I am running late. I use mine to cook big batches of rice too and then use some during the week, or freeze it. I can then whip up a batch of fried rice, curried rice with cranberries, make a rice pudding, and so many other things.

[Jewel]

I also own the Zoji and love it. I replaced a $20 Salton rice cooker that I'd had for years and thought it did just fine... until I tried the Zoji. I use mine once or twice a week. I cook mainly white and brown rice as well as a rice blend that we buy from Costco with wild rice, red rice, etc. I love the Fuzzy Logic feature. I seriously don't understand it much, but it seems to work well! I can use broth or water as liquid, add onions, garlic, spices, whatever I want. It always turns out fluffy, perfectly cooked, and keeps well if you need to let it sit on warm for an hour before the meal.

I think I paid $200 for mine and it is a 5 cup which is perfect for the two of us!