Author |
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Sherbabe
Member
07-28-2002
| Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 5:17 pm
I just bought a rice cooker. It did come w/ a small recipe book, but thought I'd ask my tv clubhouse family if they had any cool recipes. My cooker is just a 5-cup rice cooker. I did make yellow rice in it tonight, and it came out wonderful. I know you can make almost anything in there.
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Holly
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 6:21 pm
I had no idea you could make anything rather than rice in one. Could you give me some examples of what else you can use them for? TIA
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 6:27 pm
I just make rice but I also do use the steamer for making Chinese dumplings and steaming veggies.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 7:14 pm
I'd like to learn more about this. We don't have a rice cooker and our rice is okay but I wouldn't say it is exceptional. Rice is a bit of a challenge to cook properly.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 10:32 pm
My mom is from Kauai. It's a given that you own a rice cooker.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 12:11 am
I think I've only had one not so good batch of rice from our rice cooker. Don't remember why. It seems to cook better than on the stove top. Don't think it has ever been too sticky.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 9:48 am
A rice cooker is a "nice to have" item. If you can make rice on the stove with no problem, then a rice cooker isn't gonna give you anything. And if you have pots with steamer baskets, ditto. I have a rice cooker that I've had forever and rarely (if ever) use it any more. If you are going to buy a rice cooker, don't buy the smaller American brands. Go to a Japanese or Asian grocery store and buy the larger ones. I know people who swear by their rice cookers. But I have never made bad rice on the stove. Oh, and don't buy those microwave rice cookers. They are a joke... it takes twice as long to cook rice in one of them! 
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Holly
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 10:16 am
I'm far, far, far from being a good cook; I almost never like anything I make so I seldom cook. But the one thing I never have a problem with is rice. For some reason it's always fine. Yet my sister, who IS a good cook and cooks all the time, can't make rice to save her life, LOL.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:18 am
A number of years ago I got a fancy fuzzy logic rice cooker. I've never made anything in it except for brown rice which I love. Does a fantastic job of that so I'm sure it would other things too. Of course I got the instruction book with it, but also a big hard cover book "The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook" came with it. 
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:22 am
Holly I am just like your sister, rice baffles me, can't do it and make it taste right to save my life.
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Holly
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:28 am
That IS baffling to me, Escapee, and really weird too. Honestly, I'm a horrible cook but hardly even have to measure amounts when I do rice. I remember I brought some into work once for lunch (that happens about twice a year, me bringing lunch!) and a Vietnamese man I work with asked where I got the rice when he saw it. When I said I made it, his eyes really popped. He seemed very surprised and he knew nothing about my culinary skills either, lol. I'm just glad I can do something right!
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Panda
Member
07-15-2005
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:44 am
I am in the "cannot make rice club" too! It's hit or miss with me.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 12:16 pm
I'm with Holly... I just don't understand what's so hard about making rice. Any kind of rice, including brown, sushi, wild... I have never ever bought an Uncle Ben's rice until recently (they have these little one-minute microwave containers and they are really easy to tuck into your luggage when traveling).
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 5:56 pm
My mom has a whole thing about how many times you should rinse it and where the water level should be. Growing up in Hawaii, you had rice with every meal. We pretty much did too.
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Shadoe
Member
11-04-2004
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 7:19 pm
The rice cooker is completely more convenient. Being timed, you can't overcook the rice. I use mine frequently, putting the rice and water in the bowl, then a variety of veggies in the steamer basket that fits over top. By the time I have my fish steamed or chicken cooked my rice and veggies are ready too.
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Sherbabe
Member
07-28-2002
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 8:57 pm
I got the Wolfgang Puck 5-cup model from HSN. He also has a 10 cup version and maybe a 3 c version. I bought that Vigo yellow rice packet and added all the ingredients to the rice cooker. It was fabulous. But you can make almost anything. Fudge, corn bread, cake, one pot pasta. here's the recipe for that. 1 1/2 C dry pasta (zita, penne) 2 C liquid (beef or chicken stock, or water) 1 C flavored pasta sauce bottled or homemade 1/4 C parmasean cheese Place all ingredients into Rice Cooker. Close lid and press Cook. When unit switches to keep warm (18-20 min) open lid and stir. Close lid and leave on keep warm settting for 5 more minutes. Then serve.
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Sherbabe
Member
07-28-2002
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 8:58 pm
Mine did come w/ a steamer, so you can steam vegetables and fish.
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Sherbabe
Member
07-28-2002
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 9:05 pm
Sausage and Sauerkraut 1 lb bag sauerkraut; drained 1 lb kielbasa, smoked sausage or other cooked sausage 1 carrot, peeled and cut in chunks 1 c beer, or 1 c chicken or beef stock 4 small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered Mix all in rice cooker. Press cook As soon as carrots and potatoes are tender, it is ready. If rice cooker has not turned to keep warm after 25 min, check sausages. If they boil for too long, they tend to split open. Does not change the flavor, just the appearance.
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Sherbabe
Member
07-28-2002
| Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 9:07 pm
I say, play the HSN contest they have right now. Every once in a while you will win a coupon code for 15% off, or free shipping. Order one. I really like mine. We are just a small family, so a 5 cup is perfect for us. Bigger families or if you entertain then the 10 cup.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, January 30, 2009 - 12:21 pm
Mamie it depends on the type of rice. Most enriched long grain rices don't need rinsing. Most shorter grain rices, and most especially sushi rice, needs to be rinsed and rinsed until the water runs clear. Arborio rice should NOT be rinsed however (at least not if you are planning on making a creamy risotto outta it! )
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Christy358
Member
07-10-2007
| Friday, January 30, 2009 - 7:11 pm
Rice is way easy for me. I follow the directions on the package. Works every time. Just do not peak while it is cooking. However, thinking now of a rice cooker to cook other things. hmmmmm
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Saturday, January 31, 2009 - 8:38 am
my rice is always sticky. i have often thought of buying a rice cooker but i don't have a place to keep all these small appliances. i need a walk in pantry so bad!! i wish i could design my own kitchen and afford to have it done.
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Twinkie
Member
09-24-2002
| Saturday, January 31, 2009 - 10:41 am
Kady, it sounds like you are stirring the rice. That will result in sticky rice. My mom always taught me to bring the water to boiling, pour in the rice, stir it once, put the lid on, turn the heat down, and leave it alone until all water is gone.
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Shadoe
Member
11-04-2004
| Saturday, January 31, 2009 - 1:48 pm
It could also be too much water, or even the type of rice! I think there's a sticky rice, and some just cook up sticky. Kady, you can buy small rice cookers that are half the size of the 12 cup ones. You can also get teeny little crock pots too! They are so cute; both look like toys. As for having room to put it away, I use mine so often, mostly for quinoa and steaming veggies, that I don't even bother putting it away. It sits on my counter by the toaster. Actually, now that I think about it, I eat so little bread and hardly ever use the toaster, I should put the toaster in the cupboard! If you eat a fair amount of rice, I don't think you will regret getting a ricer cooker. It's so great to have an appliance that I can fill up and leave, knowing it will click off cook and over to warm when it's done.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Saturday, January 31, 2009 - 2:00 pm
My mom only likes to make Calrose rice. I think that's the kind they grew up with so that's what they make in the rice cooker. She's not into anything fancy when it comes to her rice.
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Landileigh
Member
07-29-2002
| Saturday, January 31, 2009 - 6:40 pm
my dad gave us a rice cooker that he bought, and never used. BRAND NEW! i can't wait to really read this thread!
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Saturday, January 31, 2009 - 6:45 pm
This site sells a book with 77 recipes for your rice cooker. There are 4 pages of comments with people's input as to what they've made in theirs: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x6548523
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Monday, February 02, 2009 - 8:07 am
i don't take the lid off...maybe my heat is too high or too low. i think i need a rice cooker. now i need to do a little research to find a good price. i wonder if brand matters.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Monday, February 02, 2009 - 9:34 am
Mamie, you're right... Calrose has to be rinsed and rinsed and rinsed! And then rinsed again! Kady, what type of rice do you buy? Try rinsing it next time (put it in a strainer and run water over it... if the water is really milky then you've bought a sticky rice that needs to be rinsed).
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Christy358
Member
07-10-2007
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 10:15 pm
Jasmine rice makes me hungry. Smells so good.
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 9:24 am
costa...i've tried name brand(mahatma) and store brand(foodclub) right now i have some that comes from a louisiana factory...trying to support my state. does the size of the grain matter? i usually get long grain white rice. i am making steak&gravy tomorrow with rice. i will try rinsing it first.
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