Rice Cookers
Rice cookers  are indispensable for a grain-based diet. The name is somewhat misleading, since rice cookers can be used for a wide variety of grains and with beans and other legumes as well! Instead of watching the rice on the stove, you can put it in the rice cooker, turn it on, and forget about it for a half hour. No more burnt pots or inedible grains.
Many rice cookers can double as steamers or warmers for vegetables and other foods.
Types of Rice Cookers- On/Off Rice Cookers
- Most automatic rice cookers are what are called on/off rice cookers. The operation is basic. Press a button and the rice cooker runs through its cooking cycle until it turns itself off.
- Warmer Rice Cookers
- Similar to On/Off rice cookers, these will switch into a warm mode once the cooking cycle is complete. This feature is useful if you wish to eat the rice at a later time.
- "Smart" Neuro Fuzzy Logic Rice Cookers
- More versatile than the basic rice cooker, neuro fuzzy logic rice cookers are smart enough to adjust the amount and duration of the heat during the cooking cycle to compensate for cooking errors. Many are programmable and will adjust the cooking to create sticky or fluffy rice depending on your taste. They can also be programmed to cook a variety of grains or dishes with ease.
- Induction Heating Rice Cookers
- Induction heating rice cookers use a special heating element that will cook rice to a more even texture. The rice pan (container) is heated more evenly and the amount of heat can be controlled with precision for the best cooking results. The top of line rice cookers will include induction heating as a major feature.
What to Look For- Capacity
- A 3- to 5-cup model is adequate for two or three people, or a small family.
- Opt for more capacity (6-10 cups) if you have a big family or tend to cook large quantities at once.
- Keep in mind that price will rise or fall according to size.
- Size will also make a difference in storage. Do you have room to store a the size rice cooker you want?
- When reading product specs, make sure you know whether they mean "10 cups dry" or "10 cups cooked" -- there is a big difference!
- Extra functions
- Some people want a warmer or warming function to keep the rice warm after cooking, and a steamer is necessary if you want your rice cooker to be multi-functional.
- Ease of cleaning
- Most are non-stick, which makes for easy clean up.
- Some may need some soaking.
- Programmability
- Timers and autostop functions are good if you need to leave the cooker unattended or if you just happen to forget that you are cooking something.
- The most advanced rice cookers come with features like delayed start, extended keep warm, and different settings for different types and textures of rice (long grain vs. sushi rice, hard vs. soft).
- Accessories
- Steaming baskets might be useful if you plan to use the steamer for other foods.
- Some cookers come with a rice spatula and a slot to store it in.
- Measuring cups
- Recipe books
Quick Recommendations - You pretty much can't go wrong with a Zojirushi -- this Japanese manufacturer's rice cookers are rated at least 4 stars on Amazon.com; however, Zojirushi products tend to be be priced at a higher price point.
- Sanyo and Panasonic also make excellent cookers.
- Most rice cookers do an excellent job at their primary function -- cooking rice. Differences between models mainly have to do with how well they do other things, like oatmeal, porridge, steaming vegetables, etc.
- Most reviews indicate that steaming vegetables in any rice cooker does not produce results as good as what you would get with a dedicated steamer or simply over boiling water with a steamer insert for your pot.
- Decide whether you like to purchase on/off rice cooker or fuzzy logic rice cooker. On/Off rice cooker is basic rice cooker that get the job done to cook all kind of rice (white, brown, wild and etc) and it's cheap compare to fuzzy logic rice cooker. Fuzzy logic rice cooker do more then cooking rice, it allow you to cook soup, porridge and have setting for steamer, allow to set your rice texture (hard or soft). Some of the fuzzy logic rice cooker are induction heating rice cooker.
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