My Trusty Rice Cooker

I love my rice cooker! It sure has seen a lot of action over the last 12 years. It was a wedding gift from my mother-in-law, who is Korean, and who has probably used one every day of her life. It was a great gift because I use it several times a week. Not only is it a huge time saver, it's incredibly convenient and easy to use. You can cook just about any grain in it; all you have to do is add the right amount of grain and water and the cooker does the rest. When it's through cooking, it holds it in warm only mode indefinitely. You will never ruin a pot of rice or quinoa again. On super busy cooking days, that's one more empty burner you can use for something else.

One piece of advice, make sure the steam vent is directed away from your wood cabinets and never reach over the steamer while it's running or you'll get a nasty steam burn. Obviously, keep it away from kids. You can buy a rice cooker at Asian grocery stores and just about any other retailer that sells small kitchen electronics.

The basic recipe for brown rice or quinoa is 1 part grain to 2 parts water. It comes out perfect every time. Koreans let rice rest for a little while in the cooker after it's done to "jim" or "set". At first I was skeptical, but it's true. It is much better, both in flavor and texture, if you let it a rest at least 10 minutes after the lever flips to "done".

I recommend immediately unplugging the unit after filling the serving bowl and leaving the lid open so any leftovers can cool off. Or, if you're sure to be serving seconds, leave it plugged in with the lid closed and you'll have nice hot rice when you return.