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Kitchen Product Spotlight: Rice Cookers

Rice cookers have been around a while but it's only been recently that they've gained such a huge fan base in the west. Many people still don't see a benefit to buying a rice cooker and are happy with the 'pot on the stove' technique. However, I've never met anybody who, after trying a rice cooker, didn't immediately fall in love with it.
Due to many varying reasons, rice is becoming ever more popular in the west, but cooking rice can be time consuming and if you mess up you can easily ruin an entire meal. Using a rice cooker is incredibly simple and makes cooking rice all but foolproof.
The rice that is made in rice cookers is perfect every time, it won't over cook it, it won't under cook it, and as long as you put in the amount of water that it calls for you will never have anything less than perfection. They save an incredible amount of time and effort in the kitchen, allowing you time to spend on other aspects of the meal or to take a nap.
What to look for when looking for your perfect rice cooker:
1) The rice cooker's price tag
There is a huge difference in price between the low-end, basic rice cookers and the premium ones. In fact the cheaper rice cookers tend to cost right around $15-$30 whereas the high-end cookers will run you $150-$200 or even more. For those who are simply interested in cooking plain rice and that's it, generally speaking the less expensive rice cookers will suffice. But for those who need to be able to cook a wide variety of types of rice, and cook them well, and who want all the different options available, only the higher priced ones will do.
If you are willing to spend a little more you can usually get a rice cooker that can keep your rice warm after it's finished cooking and has a couple different settings. Some of the settings for the middle-range rice cookers provide the ability to properly cook a few different types of rice, this allows those brown rice lovers to get a higher quality product. Some of these also come with timers. Timers work wonders for busy people or those that need their rice ready when they get up in the morning or get home in the evening. Some of the better ones will allow you to set the time that you want the rice to be finished!
2) How much rice you're planning on cooking
Some people never cook more than a couple cups of rice at a time, however others need to be able to make enough for a large family and will need 10 cups or more. There are rice cookers to fit any size family or occasion.
Normally, if you're single then I would recommend a 5 cup rice cooker, I personally don't like the 3 cup sizes as you never know when more rice my be necessary. The 10 cup sizes are perfect for that larger family or the small family that cooks for two meals at a time.
3) More options
There are other options that should be paid attention to when you're looking around for a new rice cooker, some include:
A non-stick bowl (I would never buy a rice cooker without one)
A removable inner lid for sanitation reasons (this only applies to rice cookers with flip-top lids)
Ability to cook multiple types of rice properly
Measuring lines on the bowl itself (this allows for the proper amount of water even if the rice is wet or has been soaking)
There's a lot to choose from when deciding on a rice cooker, I've been using a higher-end cooker for years now and couldn't see my life in the kitchen without it.

Article Source: http://www.webcitymarketing.com/articles

Eric Schmidt is the author of many articles on the subjects of health, cooking and nutrition. He writes for Cooking with Eric.com, and online rice cookers retailer.

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