Buy a Rice Cooker Online

I have been wanting to get a rice cooker for a while now. Rice, generally, isn’t too difficult to cook, but it requires attention to make sure the rice is cooked properly. Here’s what I’ve learned:

A rice cooker is a simple and effective way to cook rice. Many rice cookers even keep the rice warm for you after it's cooked. A lot of models come with an automatic timer, so there's no need to watch the cooker – just wait for the click or beep to know it’s ready.

Rice cookers don’t necessarily speed up the cooking process, they just reduce your involvement – all you have to do is measure the water. Once the rice cooker is set to cook, the rice will be cooked with no further attention necessary.

Usually, the rice cooker’s bowl is removable, and beneath it is where you will find the heating element and thermostat. At the end of cooking, some of the water will have been absorbed by the rice and the rest is boiled off. Once the heating continues past that point, the temperature exceeds the boiling point, which trips the thermostat and switches the rice cooker to low power, or "warming" mode. Some less expensive models simply turn off at that point.

Make sure that you are aware that different kinds of rice require different amounts of water. Usually brown rice requires more water than for white rice. Most rice cookers have graduated marks on the bowl for the right amount of water only for white rice. Be sure you read your cooker’s instructions for water quantities.

Here are several rice cooker choices from Amazon – which one will you buy? I’m currently trying to decide...

These Panasonic Rice Cookers both have a see-through glass lid that keeps in heat and moisture and makes it possible to check on the cooking progress without releasing steam.  Also the stay-cool lid knob and side handles provide for comfortable transport. A measuring cup is included in both of these cookers.

The 3-cup cooker shuts itself off automatically when the cooking is done, whereas the 5-cup cooker automatically switches over to "keep warm" mode once the rice has cooked and will maintain an ideal serving temperature for up to four hours without over-cooking. Both cookers have an aluminum cooking pan that helps ensure even heating and easy clean up.  The 3-cup cooker's pan is coated with a non-stick coating. The 5-cup cooker includes "cook" and "warm" indicator lights.

Producing restaurant-quality rice at home is practically foolproof with these computerized Zojirushi electric rice cookers/warmers.

Features of the 5 1/2 cup cooker include multi-menu selections, automatic keep-warm, extended keep-warm, and reheat cycles. Has a spherical, nonstick inner pan, LCD clock/timer and a retractable cord. Comes with 2 measuring cups, non-stick rice spoon/scooper, rice spoon holder, and recipes.

The 3-cup cooker features white, sushi, porridge, brown, and quick cooking rice as menu selections. Also has a keep-warm function, LCD display with timer and nonstick inner cooking pan. Includes a measuring cup, nonstick rice spatula, and spatula holder.

This 4-cup Cuisinart rice cooker steams rice, meats, and vegetables.  Has a square modern shape finished in brushed stainless steel for those who prefer a clean, simple look and feel.  It has a stainless steel steaming basket, glass lid, a paddle and a measuring cup.  This unit automatically switches to warm when cooking is done. Also features retractable cord storage.

Cooking fluffy rice in this cooker is as easy as pushing a button. This cooker by by Tiger of Japan steams up to 4 cups of rice to perfection then keeps it warm until serving time. Has advanced cooking features such as surround heating for even cooking and a thermal read switch to precisely control temprature and steam flow. Contains a non-stick inner pan that cleans easily and the cord retracts for storage. Measuring cup and rice ladle are included. This heavy duty unit is built to last.