Rice Steamer Directions

Rice steamers take the guess work out of cooking rice.

Rice steamers, also called rice cookers, are counter top appliances. While there are a number of companies that manufacture rice steamers, basic rice steamers all work in a similar fashion. With a typical rice steamer, an electrical cord plugs into the back of the appliance. A removable cooking pan, where the rice cooks, fits into the body of the machine, with a lid on top. Controls to turn the appliance on are located on the face of the steamer. The cooker automatically turns off when it finishes cooking the rice. In some models, a warming mode keeps the rice warm after cooking.

Instructions

1. Set the rice steamer up on the kitchen counter, near an electrical outlet yet not directly under overhanging cabinets. Steam from the cooking rice can damage cabinets. Don't plug the steamer in yet.

2. Remove the inner cooking pan and measure in the amount of rice you wish to cook. Rice expands, therefore don't add more rice than your cooker can handle. Rice steamers typically specify how many cups of rice they can cook. Rice cookers often come with a 6-oz. rice cup, to use when measuring in the rice. Each rice cup makes over 2 cups of rice.

3. Hold the pan under the kitchen facet and run the water to rinse the rice. Move the rice around with your hand as the water flows out of the pot. Carefully drain the water from the rice, without spilling out the rice. The goal is to rinse the rice until the water is no longer cloudy.

4. Add water to the cooking pan. For each 6-oz. cup of rice added, fill the pan up according to the measurement lines on the inside of the cooking pan. This is for white rice only, as brown rice requires more water for cooking. Refer to the rice package for the amount of water to add.

5. Place the cooking pan in the cooker and place the lid on top. Plug the appliance into the electrical outlet and turn the steamer on by pressing the "On" button. Typically, a light will illuminate, showing the rice is cooking. When finished, the light will turn off. If the steamer has a warming feature, the warmer may automatically turn on, illuminating the warmer light indicator.

6. Leave the lid on the steamer for about 10 or 15 minutes after cooking, without lifting.

Tips & Warnings

• For softer rice, allow the rice to soak in the cooking water for 20 minutes before turning on the steamer.

• Wipe off the rice pan before placing it in the steamer, if it is wet on the outside.

References

• "Rice & Spice"; Robin Robertson; 2000
• "The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook"; Beth Hensperger; 2010