When you want your family to eat healthier you can do so easily by using tools that help cook them. A rice cooker is a great thing to have on hand when you are striving for this goal. They are simple to use once you know the basic steps so do not be nervous about using one. Here are some simple tips and steps to get you started in using one.
Measure: When you first begin you will need to decide how much rice you wish to cook. To make three cups of cooked rice you typically use two cups of uncooked rice. Judge how much you want to have at the end as the rice expands. Look inside your cooker for measuring lines as well.
Rinse: Next you will rinse your rice. Some rice says you do not have to rinse it but in most cases you do. You do not want to forget this step as it will remove any pesticides or chemicals that are contained in it with the manufacturing process. Fill a bowl or pan with water and the rice. Swish the rice around then drain the water. Use a cover to stop the rice from escaping. Repeat this process until the water is eventually clear.
Soak: When the water runs clear then you can soak your rice. This is an optional step for you so if you need to get started cooking and cannot wait skip it. Or soak in advance and cook the rice later and get it all ready in the pot. Or if you have a timer you can set the rice to cooker at a later time.
Measure Again: Next you measure the water to the directions and how much rice you are cooking. It is usually equal parts but check the directions. Less water makes drier rice and vice versa for your taste and what type of rice you are cooking.
Add Extras: Extra items can be added to the cooker before you start it such as butter and salt. You can add chicken flavoring or other types of flavor such as soy sauce or salsa for Spanish rice. It can be fun to discover what types of rice you can make.
Cook: What is left now is to sit back and let your rice cook. You may be tempted to open the cooker and check on the progress but this will mess it up so relax and let the cooker do its job. It will let you know when it is done.
Enjoy your rice once it is completed. There are many different recipes that go well with rice when you have mastered your rice cooker. The best thing is that you have made an investment in a great tool that will save you money by cooking rice and will help you cook more natural rice that tastes great to every member of your family. Enjoy the rice cooker and have fun making up recipes of your own for flavored rice as well.
John McKain owns several cooking blogs and one of them is a rice cookers review blog. You can find sanyo rice cooker reviews and guides to help you purchase the right rice cooker.
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