Why Rice Cookers Work So Much Better Than A Stovetop

If you've ever tried making rice on a stovetop, you know it takes a bit of practice before you nail the process. Thankfully, we all know there's a better tool to cook with. A rice cooker will yield perfect rice every single time, but even if it seems like these things are powered by magic, they aren't. We wanted to know more about how a rice cooker works, so we spoke to Lynne Just, the manager of the consumer test kitchen at Hamilton Beach, about why a rice cooker is so good at its one task and the best way to cook rice in it.

"Rice cookers employ fuzzy logic technology, making them adaptable to cooking a variety of rice perfectly every time," Just explains. "They take the guesswork out of cooking not only rice, but a variety of other foods such as quinoa, barley, farro, and oatmeal." She does note that you can't just toss rice and water in there and expect it to come out right, however. "It is important to follow the guidelines in the rice cookers' user manual to achieve the optimal result. These guidelines are developed for each specific rice cooker."

Along with following the specific directions for your model of rice cooker (which should include the proper water ratios for rice), Just also says to make sure you don't forget one key thing — rinsing your rice before cooking it. She advises, "Thoroughly rinsing the rice before adding it to the rice cooker removes any excess starch, dirt, or dust that is on the rice. It also helps to ensure the rice isn't clumpy or gummy once cooked. It is also important to avoid overfilling a rice cooker. This can result in the cooker overflowing, or poorly cooked rice."

Just says that if you insist on cooking it on the stovetop, you'll still want to rinse the rice well. When making rice on the stovetop, avoid touching the lid no matter how tempting it is to peek in. You'll want the steam and heat trapped inside to continue cooking the rice — after all, you don't peek into a rice cooker as it's doing its thing, right? These days, as Just mentioned earlier, rice cookers are capable of cooking more than just rice, which also means they're not just a one-trick pony. Rice cookers also come in all sorts of sizes, so there's sure to be one to fit the size of your household.