# Can anyone recommend a good rice steamer?



## Linda0818 (Jan 15, 2021)

I received a nice Amazon gift card from my sister for Christmas and have decided I want to spend it on a rice steamer. I have a small one, but it always cooks my rice to mush. I want something that's going to cook my rice to _perfection_ without costing a ton of money and maybe perhaps has different settings for how you want the rice cooked. Like I said, my rice steamer always cooks any type of rice into a sloppy mess. It is, after all, just a small one with one setting... "cook."

I'd like something simple that is relatively small in size. I don't want a big huge one because it's just my son and I here and I never cook more than 2-3 cups of rice at one time. So maybe just a standard size, not some big monster.

Would appreciate any recommendations!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 15, 2021)

Zojirushi they have several sizes. A little pricey, but they are excellent.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 15, 2021)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Zojirushi they have several sizes. A little pricey, but they are excellent.



Thank you, I will check into those 

Edit: oooooh, ouch. Yeah, those are expensive. Thanks for the suggestion, but I can't afford those.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 15, 2021)

Linda0818 said:


> Thank you, I will check into those
> 
> Edit: oooooh, ouch. Yeah, those are expensive. Thanks for the suggestion, but I can't afford those.



They have a simple one around $44, let me look, just saw it.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 15, 2021)

Look at this one:  https://smile.amazon.com/Zojirushi-...oker&qid=1610767658&sprefix=zo,aps,308&sr=8-7


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## Linda0818 (Jan 15, 2021)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Look at this one:  https://smile.amazon.com/Zojirushi-...oker&qid=1610767658&sprefix=zo,aps,308&sr=8-7



Definitely a better price range, thank you. I'll continue looking, however, before I make a final decision, so I welcome all suggestions.


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## pepperhead212 (Jan 15, 2021)

I had an Aroma for many years (bought it at least 20 years ago), that I gave away when I got the Instant Pot, and it's still working fine, according to the lady I gave it to.  They don't even make that model any longer - it was 6 c, but when they give those amounts "x cups" they mean those cups they give you to measure the rice with - about 2/3-3/4 c capacity.  And most these days will keep the rice warm for a long while, without burning the bottom, but see how long they say they will keep the rice warm - mine said 12 hours, and way back when I got that, it was unusual for the cheaper ones (it was around $40) to do this.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 15, 2021)

pepperhead212 said:


> I had an Aroma for many years (bought it at least 20 years ago), that I gave away when I got the Instant Pot, and it's still working fine, according to the lady I gave it to.  They don't even make that model any longer - it was 6 c, but when they give those amounts "x cups" they mean those cups they give you to measure the rice with - about 2/3-3/4 c capacity.  And most these days will keep the rice warm for a long while, without burning the bottom, but see how long they say they will keep the rice warm - mine said 12 hours, and way back when I got that, it was unusual for the cheaper ones (it was around $40) to do this.



Mine is an Aroma as well. It worked good for a few years, but now it not only turns the rice to mush, it burns the rice at the bottom. And that's without leaving it on "warm" after the rice is cooked.


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## pepperhead212 (Jan 16, 2021)

Linda0818 said:


> Mine is an Aroma as well. It worked good for a few years, but now it not only turns the rice to mush, it burns the rice at the bottom. And that's without leaving it on "warm" after the rice is cooked.


That's too bad.  I looked and didn't see anything that looked like the one I had, even on their website.  Maybe somebody bought them out, and the cookers with their name are just the cheap looking ones.  I could let the rice sit in that ld one I had overnight (not on purpose!), and it wouldn't burn.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 16, 2021)

pepperhead212 said:


> That's too bad.  I looked and didn't see anything that looked like the one I had, even on their website.  Maybe somebody bought them out, and the cookers with their name are just the cheap looking ones.  I could let the rice sit in that ld one I had overnight (not on purpose!), and it wouldn't burn.



My rice would be fried if I'd do that


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## GotGarlic (Jan 16, 2021)

All you need is a microwave-safe bowl with a vented lid. You'll have to play with your microwave's timing. With my old one, I cooked the rice and water or stock for 7 minutes, then stir, then 8 minutes and done. My new microwave takes 10 minutes total.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jan 16, 2021)

Armoa makes some of the best affordable rice cookers on the market. I have owned a few myself.

However, I now have a Krups, which cooks rice, steams vegetables, can be a slow cooker, and makes oatmeal. They offer a 5 cup and a 10 cup. I originally had the 10 cup, but when it finally died I realized I never needed any more than 5 cups of rice, so I bought the smaller one.


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## Vinylhanger (Jan 16, 2021)

I bought a big Aroma one and was excited to use it.

Used it twice and the hinge melted in half.

Sat on top of the fridge for years.  Tossed it last weekend.  Waste of money.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 16, 2021)

Thanks for all the suggestions. What I'm going to do is just start going down the list of rice steamers on Amazon, going from low-to-high price, and read reviews.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 16, 2021)

I decided on one. Got good reviews and was only $29.00. So we'll see that how that one works out.

Thanks, everyone.


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## larry_stewart (Jan 17, 2021)

A little off topic, but my son has been living in China for about 1 1/2 years and what's great is, each apartment he has seen ( his own and friends) all come with built in Rice Steamers ( and none have microwaves).  Makes sense as it is a staple of the countries culture and diet, I just never really thought about it until he started living there.   

Good luck with the Rice steamer.  Hope it meets your needs.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 18, 2021)

larry_stewart said:


> A little off topic, but my son has been living in China for about 1 1/2 years and what's great is, each apartment he has seen ( his own and friends) all come with built in Rice Steamers ( and none have microwaves).  Makes sense as it is a staple of the countries culture and diet, I just never really thought about it until he started living there.
> 
> Good luck with the Rice steamer.  Hope it meets your needs.



Thank you 

And love that China has built-in rice steamers. It's funny how something they eat every single day is demonized here in America for being a huge food to avoid. Sure, there's the healthier brown rice option, but Asians eat mostly white rice. 

I'm not positive about this (I'd have to do some research, but I don't have time right now) but I think Asians have just as much risk, if not higher, of diabetes as Americans do. I wonder if eating so much white rice has anything to do with it? Would be interesting to find out.


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## Janet H (Jan 18, 2021)

Is it possible that you are adding too much water in your old cooker?  I have the worlds oldest rice cooker - nothing fancy.  It is similar to this simple $16 cooker: 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B2UADE

It makes great rice but if there is too much water it will just keep cooking until all is absorbed - mush.

Rinse the rice prior to cooking until water runs clear.

1 C white rice (like calrose) or Basmati
1.5 Cups water
Salt

if you don't rinse the rice use 1 2/3 C water (but your rice won't be as lovely)

Many US cookbooks call for a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice and imo that ALWAYS makes mushy rice.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 18, 2021)

Janet H said:


> Is it possible that you are adding too much water in your old cooker?  I have the worlds oldest rice cooker - nothing fancy.  It is similar to this simple $16 cooker:
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B2UADE
> 
> It makes great rice but if there is too much water it will just keep cooking until all is absorbed - mush.
> ...



Thanks for the tips. 

Normally I would just add water to the fill line inside the cooker, so I was following the cooker's instructions. But I would still end up with mushy rice, but burned on the bottom at the same time.


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