What is a rice cooker?
A rice cooker is a fairly compact electrical countertop appliance that is designed to cook rice at the touch of a button.
It is made of an inner non-stick bowl that you put the rice and water in, plus an outer shell that contains the thermostat.
Why would I buy one?
You may be wondering why anyone would use a rice cooker when they can just cook rice in a pot on the stove. Well, here are a few good reasons:
- It will cook your rice perfectly every time. No more rice stuck on the bottom of the pot or too hard (undercooked) or too mushy (overcooked).
- Rice in a pot often boils over leaving a starchy, hard-to-clean mess on your stove.
- A rice cooker can be just switched on and left unsupervised while you get on with other jobs.
- You can use a rice cooker for other foods like lentils or steamed vegetables.
- Rice cookers are relatively inexpensive.
- They free up space on your hob for other food items.
Rice is a staple food in many parts of the world and many families eat it on a daily basis. For people like this, a rice cooker is a worthwhile investment.
Some of you wanted to know if the inner bowl of a rice cooker can be used on the hob.
Can You Put Rice Cooker Pot On Stove?
If you have the older type rice cooker with the thin metal inner pot, then this cannot be used on the stovetop. It is too thin and the rice will probably burn.
Also, the thin metal pots have a non-stick Teflon coating which will release toxins over high heat, particularly if they have been scratched.
However, if you have the newer, ceramic-lined inner pot, you can go ahead and use this on the stovetop in an emergency. It is thick enough to withstand the heat.
What else can I cook in a rice cooker?
Believe it or not, you can make many meals-in-one in a rice cooker. Use rice as your base, and add chopped vegetables and quick-cooking bits of meat like chicken breast or steak.
Add some seasonings and the required amount of liquid. Cook this mixture for 45 minutes and you have a flavorsome, filling, nutritious meal.
You can also make a delicious frittata. Simply beat some eggs and add some finely chopped fried vegetables such as onion, peppers, and zucchini.
Season it well. Oil the inner pot of the rice cooker and pour the egg mixture in. Switch the cooker on using the standard setting for rice. The eggs will be perfectly set at the end of the cycle.
Conclusion
You can use the inner pot of your rice cooker on the stovetop if you have the ceramic coated one. We do not recommend using the thin Teflon-coated ones this way. Happy cooking!