How A Rice Cooker Works
February 18, 2020 10:40 AM Subscribe
Old-fashioned rice cookers are extremely clever - SLYT from Technology Connections. "Bet you didn't think a rice cooker was so interesting, did ya?"
Oh, Technology Connections is great!
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:01 AM on February 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:01 AM on February 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
Technology Connections is indeed great. if you think this one is good, look up the Sunbeam toaster installments.
posted by 2N2222 at 11:23 AM on February 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by 2N2222 at 11:23 AM on February 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
That was really well done. Subscribed!
posted by gwint at 11:27 AM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by gwint at 11:27 AM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
I indeed didn't think a rice cooker was interesting, but now I do. Also, this:
At sea level, water boils at 212° Fahrenheit. Isn't that just a delightfully easy number to remember? I don't know what the heck that is in Celsius, probably some silly arbitrary thing...
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:30 AM on February 18, 2020 [14 favorites]
At sea level, water boils at 212° Fahrenheit. Isn't that just a delightfully easy number to remember? I don't know what the heck that is in Celsius, probably some silly arbitrary thing...
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:30 AM on February 18, 2020 [14 favorites]
This is a fun YouTube channel!
posted by Automocar at 11:41 AM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Automocar at 11:41 AM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Come for the rice cooker and toaster videos, stay for the ever deeper dive into the history of the CED. I think he's up to 5 parts now?
posted by Kyol at 11:51 AM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Kyol at 11:51 AM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Related, (by someone far less YouTube-savvy), How does an Electric Tea Kettle know when to turn off?
posted by 1970s Antihero at 11:54 AM on February 18, 2020
posted by 1970s Antihero at 11:54 AM on February 18, 2020
I liked that. I have a low tech rice cooker just like the one in the video, and I assumed there was some sort of humidity level sensor. This makes so much more sense!
posted by Liesl at 12:09 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Liesl at 12:09 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Very interesting, thank you! I'm a little bit sad that I don't have a rice cooker, but if I did, I would like that simple version. I don't really have a problem cooking rice on the stove, and I have a scarcity of counter space, so I'd have to get rid of something to have one, and I need the toaster more ... I'm much worse at stove-cooking toast. :P
posted by taz at 12:42 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by taz at 12:42 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have had the same janky rice cooker for like 20 years now; damn thing just keeps going.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:46 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by aspersioncast at 12:46 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
That's weird. I always thought it was a thermal tripping.
Oh yeah, that's how it does it.
CTRL-F magnet--- Phrase not found.
I wonder where he got that idea. It's still quite interesting, though.
posted by MtDewd at 12:49 PM on February 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
Oh yeah, that's how it does it.
CTRL-F magnet--- Phrase not found.
I wonder where he got that idea. It's still quite interesting, though.
posted by MtDewd at 12:49 PM on February 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
MtDewd - there's a diagram on that page with a magnet in it in fact.
posted by Glomar response at 12:52 PM on February 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by Glomar response at 12:52 PM on February 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
"I don't know about you, but I find cooking rice to be an extremely difficult task."
Umm. Wait till he finds out about tea.
Great video though!
posted by sneebler at 12:52 PM on February 18, 2020
Umm. Wait till he finds out about tea.
Great video though!
posted by sneebler at 12:52 PM on February 18, 2020
-there's a diagram on that page with a magnet in it in fact.
Yes, there is a magnet there, but it's just there to make sure the pot is in. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with Curie temperatures, but... 'Magnets are confusing.'
He's right about several things- water boils around 212F; the temperature will not go up until the liquid is gone; the rice is done when the water is gone...
When the water has all boiled away, the temperature goes up. This trips a thermistor and the heating circuit is disconnected.
Now, what move the switch, I don't remember. I would take mine apart, but it's 1000 miles away.
posted by MtDewd at 1:18 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yes, there is a magnet there, but it's just there to make sure the pot is in. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with Curie temperatures, but... 'Magnets are confusing.'
He's right about several things- water boils around 212F; the temperature will not go up until the liquid is gone; the rice is done when the water is gone...
When the water has all boiled away, the temperature goes up. This trips a thermistor and the heating circuit is disconnected.
Now, what move the switch, I don't remember. I would take mine apart, but it's 1000 miles away.
posted by MtDewd at 1:18 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Huh, I too had always assumed it. was a bimetalic strip (or something) that tripped the switch. Engineering the contact point to have a specific Curie point temperature is pretty amazing.
posted by GuyZero at 1:19 PM on February 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by GuyZero at 1:19 PM on February 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
Roger Ebert: The Pot And How To Use It [rogerebert.com]
Also by Roger Ebert: The Pot And How To Use It: The Mystery And Romance Of The Rice Cooker [amazon link]
posted by hippybear at 1:38 PM on February 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
Also by Roger Ebert: The Pot And How To Use It: The Mystery And Romance Of The Rice Cooker [amazon link]
posted by hippybear at 1:38 PM on February 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
I imagine the mechanism for an electric kettle is similar, except that the thermal trip is achieving 212˚ rather than exceeding it.
posted by devinemissk at 1:47 PM on February 18, 2020
posted by devinemissk at 1:47 PM on February 18, 2020
I cook rice often, but have never bought a rice cooker; I usually just cook it in a saucepan with a quantity of water above the rice (a thumbnail's worth for white rice, about twice as much for brown), boiling and then lowering the heat when the surface is visible. Am I missing something?
posted by acb at 1:48 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by acb at 1:48 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
I cook rice often, but have never bought a rice cooker; I usually just cook it in a saucepan with a quantity of water above the rice (a thumbnail's worth for white rice, about twice as much for brown), boiling and then lowering the heat when the surface is visible. Am I missing something?
You're missing the ability to just turn it on and then forget about it completely while you faff around on the internet and then whenever you happen to think "dang I'm hungry - oh wait didn't I make some rice?" you can go eat it.
posted by aubilenon at 1:54 PM on February 18, 2020 [20 favorites]
You're missing the ability to just turn it on and then forget about it completely while you faff around on the internet and then whenever you happen to think "dang I'm hungry - oh wait didn't I make some rice?" you can go eat it.
posted by aubilenon at 1:54 PM on February 18, 2020 [20 favorites]
I cook rice often, but have never bought a rice cooker; I usually just cook it in a saucepan with a quantity of water above the rice (a thumbnail's worth for white rice, about twice as much for brown), boiling and then lowering the heat when the surface is visible. Am I missing something?
You are missing the simplicity of the rice cooker; mine is slightly nicer than his, but it has marks on the inside for 1 or 2 cups of rice and appropriate water line for each, so you don't even need measuring cups. You just pour materials in and click a button to get decent rice.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:54 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
You are missing the simplicity of the rice cooker; mine is slightly nicer than his, but it has marks on the inside for 1 or 2 cups of rice and appropriate water line for each, so you don't even need measuring cups. You just pour materials in and click a button to get decent rice.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:54 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
That article mentioned that cheap rice cookers used a “mechanical thermostat” which sounds like what he described.
posted by njohnson23 at 1:55 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by njohnson23 at 1:55 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Huh, I too had always assumed it. was a bimetalic strip (or something) that tripped the switch. Engineering the contact point to have a specific Curie point temperature is pretty amazing.
It's been around for a long time. Magnetic thermal reed switches are pretty common in electronics for various purposes. You use a ferrite material and vary the compounding ratio to determine the desired Curie temperature.
This rice cooker is a very narrow use. You have a food that cooks at a boiling temperature, you want it to continue cooking until just after the water boils away, and no more heat after that. It's a one shot deal. So this magnetic thermal switch is a simple way to do that.
For crock pots you want to maintain an even simmering temperature over a long period of time, so a bimetal switch is used to cycle power on and off periodically.
posted by JackFlash at 2:06 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
It's been around for a long time. Magnetic thermal reed switches are pretty common in electronics for various purposes. You use a ferrite material and vary the compounding ratio to determine the desired Curie temperature.
This rice cooker is a very narrow use. You have a food that cooks at a boiling temperature, you want it to continue cooking until just after the water boils away, and no more heat after that. It's a one shot deal. So this magnetic thermal switch is a simple way to do that.
For crock pots you want to maintain an even simmering temperature over a long period of time, so a bimetal switch is used to cycle power on and off periodically.
posted by JackFlash at 2:06 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
>there's a diagram on that page with a magnet in it in fact.
>Yes, there is a magnet there, but it's just there to make sure the pot is in. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with Curie temperatures,
If you hover your cursor over the magnet in the diagram, it explains that it is used for its Curie temperature. However, the description is not quite correct. The magnet is a permanent magnet. The actual Curie material for the switch is a separate piece of ferrite that is the target for the magnet. The magnet never loses its magnetism only the target ferrite.
The diagram is pretty much identical to the one in the video.
posted by JackFlash at 2:15 PM on February 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
>Yes, there is a magnet there, but it's just there to make sure the pot is in. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with Curie temperatures,
If you hover your cursor over the magnet in the diagram, it explains that it is used for its Curie temperature. However, the description is not quite correct. The magnet is a permanent magnet. The actual Curie material for the switch is a separate piece of ferrite that is the target for the magnet. The magnet never loses its magnetism only the target ferrite.
The diagram is pretty much identical to the one in the video.
posted by JackFlash at 2:15 PM on February 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
That's weird. I always thought it was a thermal tripping.
Oh yeah, that's how it does it.
CTRL-F magnet--- Phrase not found.
From that Wikipedia article: "A basic rice cooker has a main body (pot), an inner cooking container which the rice is in contact with, an electric heating element, and a thermostat."
Click into the thermostat link, and you'll find your magnet. Yes, it is "thermal tripping," but that doesn't make the video guy wrong that a magnet is how that thermal tripping is accomplished.
posted by solotoro at 2:26 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah, that's how it does it.
CTRL-F magnet--- Phrase not found.
From that Wikipedia article: "A basic rice cooker has a main body (pot), an inner cooking container which the rice is in contact with, an electric heating element, and a thermostat."
Click into the thermostat link, and you'll find your magnet. Yes, it is "thermal tripping," but that doesn't make the video guy wrong that a magnet is how that thermal tripping is accomplished.
posted by solotoro at 2:26 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
If you find rice cookers riveting, don't miss Technology Connecitions' latest all about the facinating color brown, and his series on the long tragic story of RCA's biggest project you never heard of (CED).
posted by thefool at 2:48 PM on February 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by thefool at 2:48 PM on February 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
Using a rice cooker means I can concentrate on the rest of the meal without worrying about under/over cooking the rice. I can't imagine not having one now.
posted by tommasz at 2:55 PM on February 18, 2020
posted by tommasz at 2:55 PM on February 18, 2020
Some of my favorite videos are his very first ones, an eclectic and informative run through sound technologies, starting here with Bell/telephones, and proceeding through Edison/phonographs, Berliner/gramaphone disks, tube radios, and others.
posted by carter at 3:13 PM on February 18, 2020
posted by carter at 3:13 PM on February 18, 2020
Am I missing something?
Also missing the ability to put it on before you go to bed and have fresh rice for breakfast in the morning. Or before you go to work, and then you have fresh rice for dinner.
posted by corvine at 3:14 PM on February 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
Also missing the ability to put it on before you go to bed and have fresh rice for breakfast in the morning. Or before you go to work, and then you have fresh rice for dinner.
posted by corvine at 3:14 PM on February 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
If you have an electric stove, a rice cooker will relieve you of the necessity of standing there waiting for the water to boil and then constantly lifting the pot off the stove top because it still boils over after you turn the heat down to simmer.
When I heard that Roger Ebert said he cooked meals in his rice cooker--I didn't even read what he did--I just plopped two chicken thighs plus spices on top of the rice/water (1:1 as always) in my basic cooker and presto, perfectly cooked, juicy ginger chicken.
The first time I was prepared to finish cooking the chicken in a frying pan but nope, they were done. So my question is, how does the rice cooker know when the rice and the chicken is done?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:39 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
When I heard that Roger Ebert said he cooked meals in his rice cooker--I didn't even read what he did--I just plopped two chicken thighs plus spices on top of the rice/water (1:1 as always) in my basic cooker and presto, perfectly cooked, juicy ginger chicken.
The first time I was prepared to finish cooking the chicken in a frying pan but nope, they were done. So my question is, how does the rice cooker know when the rice and the chicken is done?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:39 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
Been cooking rice manually since I can remember, which would be before rice cookers were a thing. White, brown, and black. Long and short grain. Electric, gas, and microwave. No problem.
So you wont be surprised to learn I never had a rice cooker, and have no intention of getting one. Redundant, and takes up precious kitchen space, in my case.
That said, I can see the attraction. Especially having one on a timer so you can wake to fresh steamed rice, or even better, wake to fresh steamed black rice, ready for coconut milk and fruit du jour. Hard to beat on a cold day. :-)
posted by Pouteria at 4:01 PM on February 18, 2020
So you wont be surprised to learn I never had a rice cooker, and have no intention of getting one. Redundant, and takes up precious kitchen space, in my case.
That said, I can see the attraction. Especially having one on a timer so you can wake to fresh steamed rice, or even better, wake to fresh steamed black rice, ready for coconut milk and fruit du jour. Hard to beat on a cold day. :-)
posted by Pouteria at 4:01 PM on February 18, 2020
Anyone who owns a toaster shouldn't need to ask why a rice cooker exists. After all, it's not hard to make toast in a frying pan.
posted by aws17576 at 6:11 PM on February 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
posted by aws17576 at 6:11 PM on February 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
How can I identify a rice cooker that lets you make tahdig?
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:05 PM on February 18, 2020
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:05 PM on February 18, 2020
Also missing the ability to put it on before you go to bed and have fresh rice for breakfast in the morning. Or before you go to work, and then you have fresh rice for dinner.
I am confused, does this mean you are making the rice at night and then leaving it on "keep warm" for ~8 hours while you sleep??
posted by JDHarper at 7:26 PM on February 18, 2020
I am confused, does this mean you are making the rice at night and then leaving it on "keep warm" for ~8 hours while you sleep??
posted by JDHarper at 7:26 PM on February 18, 2020
How can I identify a rice cooker that lets you make tahdig?
"Persian Rice Cooker" seems to be the operative search phrase there.
posted by hippybear at 7:31 PM on February 18, 2020
"Persian Rice Cooker" seems to be the operative search phrase there.
posted by hippybear at 7:31 PM on February 18, 2020
I cook rice often, but have never bought a rice cooker...
This is something you would need a TV to understand. /snark
posted by blueberry at 7:39 PM on February 18, 2020
This is something you would need a TV to understand. /snark
posted by blueberry at 7:39 PM on February 18, 2020
I am confused, does this mean you are making the rice at night and then leaving it on "keep warm" for ~8 hours while you sleep??
the ones with digital controller have a time delay feature. this is not the magnet one-button model the video talks about mostly.
and yes fellow white people who make rice on the stove, this is basically a toaster for rice. my rice cooker was like $20 at Target, it's lasted close to 20 years now and makes much better rice than I ever made in a pot on the stove.
posted by GuyZero at 8:06 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
the ones with digital controller have a time delay feature. this is not the magnet one-button model the video talks about mostly.
and yes fellow white people who make rice on the stove, this is basically a toaster for rice. my rice cooker was like $20 at Target, it's lasted close to 20 years now and makes much better rice than I ever made in a pot on the stove.
posted by GuyZero at 8:06 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
which would be before rice cookers were a thing.
This implies either impressive old age or not knowing any Japanese people, because rice cookers have been a thing since the fifties.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:25 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
This implies either impressive old age or not knowing any Japanese people, because rice cookers have been a thing since the fifties.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:25 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
I truly love the rice cooker, but it's also true that its invention has caused whole generations of East and Southeast Asians to completely forget how to cook rice on the stove (I noticed South Asians still do more of the rice cooking on the stoves than elsewhere in Asia).
When I heard that Roger Ebert said he cooked meals in his rice cooker--I didn't even read what he did--I just plopped two chicken thighs plus spices on top of the rice/water (1:1 as always) in my basic cooker and presto, perfectly cooked, juicy ginger chicken.
That reminds me of that Japanese KFC chicken + rice recipe someone bunged up and went viral. Which makes sense, it's basically how I'd make biryani too.
posted by cendawanita at 8:35 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
When I heard that Roger Ebert said he cooked meals in his rice cooker--I didn't even read what he did--I just plopped two chicken thighs plus spices on top of the rice/water (1:1 as always) in my basic cooker and presto, perfectly cooked, juicy ginger chicken.
That reminds me of that Japanese KFC chicken + rice recipe someone bunged up and went viral. Which makes sense, it's basically how I'd make biryani too.
posted by cendawanita at 8:35 PM on February 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
Still though, preach to this whole sentiment:
I'm slightly annoyed by the sentiment of "its not hard to make rice on the stove, why does a rice cooker exist?" [...]
But I suppose I understand... we used to have a toaster but we got rid of it, because it was taking up kitchen space.
posted by cendawanita at 8:38 PM on February 18, 2020
I'm slightly annoyed by the sentiment of "its not hard to make rice on the stove, why does a rice cooker exist?" [...]
But I suppose I understand... we used to have a toaster but we got rid of it, because it was taking up kitchen space.
posted by cendawanita at 8:38 PM on February 18, 2020
About the only time I make rice is in risotto form; otherwise I prefer to get my carbs from pasta, polenta/yellow grits, or bread. I recently bought an Instant Pot, which is definitely handy for some things, but although I've tried a few rice-cooker and Instant Pot risotto recipes, I wasn't impressed with the result. My guess is that there's no substitute for laborious stirring when it comes to risotto.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:01 PM on February 18, 2020
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:01 PM on February 18, 2020
The rice cooker works great for other grains as well, as long as you get the proportions right - mine is used for barley more often than rice these days.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:10 PM on February 18, 2020
posted by aspersioncast at 9:10 PM on February 18, 2020
Another nice thing is that it can keep the rice hot, and it can go for days in that state. Stick a package of nori next to it, and you can make musubi anytime you want.
We now have (I think) the exact Zojirushi model on the Wikipedia link, and it works exactly as it should (in addition to about 83 other things, none of which we’ve tried).
Before that, we got one from some American brand, and it was so terrible that I’m honestly surprised to learn how simple the operation is. And before that my wife had a cheap thing from a discount store in Hawaii, labeled only in Japanese, that ran like a champ for 15 years and we really only replaced because it was too small.
Which is to say, buy one that’s made by people who take rice seriously!
Or don’t, because rice really isn’t very good for you. (At least not the kind these cookers are generally made for.)
posted by bjrubble at 10:46 PM on February 18, 2020
We now have (I think) the exact Zojirushi model on the Wikipedia link, and it works exactly as it should (in addition to about 83 other things, none of which we’ve tried).
Before that, we got one from some American brand, and it was so terrible that I’m honestly surprised to learn how simple the operation is. And before that my wife had a cheap thing from a discount store in Hawaii, labeled only in Japanese, that ran like a champ for 15 years and we really only replaced because it was too small.
Which is to say, buy one that’s made by people who take rice seriously!
Or don’t, because rice really isn’t very good for you. (At least not the kind these cookers are generally made for.)
posted by bjrubble at 10:46 PM on February 18, 2020
Greg_Ace, some people really like their automatic pot stirrers for that exact task.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:50 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:50 PM on February 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Milk Street Radio has a 25 minute risotto for you that doesn't require a ton of attention and comes from Milan.
posted by hippybear at 10:54 PM on February 18, 2020
posted by hippybear at 10:54 PM on February 18, 2020
Technology Connections is so good. I am the least mechanically-minded person ever, but he explains everything in such a clear and entertaining way.
More classics: How to tell a fake telephone ring on TV | PS1 copy protection | The Haunted Mansion's Stretching Room Elevators | Closed Captioning | Why is there a disc in the SD Card logo?? | Self-Destructing DVDs | Why do switches click?
posted by Glier's Goetta at 2:17 AM on February 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
More classics: How to tell a fake telephone ring on TV | PS1 copy protection | The Haunted Mansion's Stretching Room Elevators | Closed Captioning | Why is there a disc in the SD Card logo?? | Self-Destructing DVDs | Why do switches click?
posted by Glier's Goetta at 2:17 AM on February 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
The actual Curie material for the switch is a separate piece of ferrite that is the target for the magnet. The magnet never loses its magnetism only the target ferrite.
That makes a lot more sense than what he said.
This being MetaFilter, I went to bed assuming that someone who designs rice cookers for a living would pop up to tell me I'm wrong. Or JackFlash...
The Technology Connections guy's explanation didn't make sense, but JF's did. I've used reed switches before but had not heard of thermal reed switches.
I retract most of my arguments above.
I find that guy annoying, though. He reminds me of someone I used to know, and therefore, find completely untrustworthy, [probably] through no fault of his own. Feeling the same about other videos of his I've seen.
I prefer to learn amazing things from SmarterEveryDay. Apologies.
posted by MtDewd at 6:14 AM on February 19, 2020
That makes a lot more sense than what he said.
This being MetaFilter, I went to bed assuming that someone who designs rice cookers for a living would pop up to tell me I'm wrong. Or JackFlash...
The Technology Connections guy's explanation didn't make sense, but JF's did. I've used reed switches before but had not heard of thermal reed switches.
I retract most of my arguments above.
I find that guy annoying, though. He reminds me of someone I used to know, and therefore, find completely untrustworthy, [probably] through no fault of his own. Feeling the same about other videos of his I've seen.
I prefer to learn amazing things from SmarterEveryDay. Apologies.
posted by MtDewd at 6:14 AM on February 19, 2020
Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now. I don't even personally own a rice cooker anymore, but I get frustrated by what seems to be a pattern (not in this thread but just in general) of white people assuming that POC just like using rice cookers because they're too silly to realize that stovetop cooking is available
As far as this Asian-American is concerned, you can get back on your soapbox.
As soon as I came into this thread, I just knew that someone was going to pop in and say, "But Rice Is So Easy/You Can Cook Rice on the Stove, Why Do You Need a Rice Cooker?"
Yes, of course you can cook rice on the stove and of course a rice cooker is (largely) a single-use device. (Largely because the fancier ones can often do other grains like quinoa or steel-cut oats pretty effectively.) For infrequent eaters of rice, I would never recommend one -- spend your counter space and money on something else.
But if you are someone who eats rice for 10+ meals a week, as I am, why the hell wouldn't you get something that does this task perfectly every single time, every single night, and is one less thing to worry about?
I truly love the rice cooker, but it's also true that its invention has caused whole generations of East and Southeast Asians to completely forget how to cook rice on the stove
In fairness, I should admit I also believe/have observed this.
However, since apparently making rice on the stove is so easy, why worry? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by andrewesque at 6:46 AM on February 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
As far as this Asian-American is concerned, you can get back on your soapbox.
As soon as I came into this thread, I just knew that someone was going to pop in and say, "But Rice Is So Easy/You Can Cook Rice on the Stove, Why Do You Need a Rice Cooker?"
Yes, of course you can cook rice on the stove and of course a rice cooker is (largely) a single-use device. (Largely because the fancier ones can often do other grains like quinoa or steel-cut oats pretty effectively.) For infrequent eaters of rice, I would never recommend one -- spend your counter space and money on something else.
But if you are someone who eats rice for 10+ meals a week, as I am, why the hell wouldn't you get something that does this task perfectly every single time, every single night, and is one less thing to worry about?
I truly love the rice cooker, but it's also true that its invention has caused whole generations of East and Southeast Asians to completely forget how to cook rice on the stove
In fairness, I should admit I also believe/have observed this.
However, since apparently making rice on the stove is so easy, why worry? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by andrewesque at 6:46 AM on February 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
Huh. I'd always just assumed there'd be a cheap-ass bimetallic catch in there. The Curie point thing is a very tidy alternative and probably yields tighter control over the precise trip temperature than a bimetallic catch made to comparable mechanical tolerances.
The same principle is also used in the original temperature-controlled Weller soldering irons. These cycle the heating element on and off rather than doing a one-shot release like the rice cooker, but the mechanism that drives that cycling is based on a magnet inside the shaft being attracted to the back of the soldering tip, which incorporates a blob of alloy with a specific Curie point. So with an old Weller iron there's no temperature control on the soldering station, you just install a tip designed for a specific soldering task and the tip itself controls the operating temperature as well as the shape of the soldering face.
posted by flabdablet at 7:10 AM on February 19, 2020
The same principle is also used in the original temperature-controlled Weller soldering irons. These cycle the heating element on and off rather than doing a one-shot release like the rice cooker, but the mechanism that drives that cycling is based on a magnet inside the shaft being attracted to the back of the soldering tip, which incorporates a blob of alloy with a specific Curie point. So with an old Weller iron there's no temperature control on the soldering station, you just install a tip designed for a specific soldering task and the tip itself controls the operating temperature as well as the shape of the soldering face.
posted by flabdablet at 7:10 AM on February 19, 2020
For infrequent eaters of rice, I would never recommend one -- spend your counter space and money on something else
I'm a fairly infrequent eater of rice, but my $10 op shop rice cooker has saved me money.
The rice cooker has a 250 watt element, while the small hotplate at the back of the stove uses about twice that on average over the 45 minutes it takes to cook a pot of brown rice. The rice cooker gets away with lower power consumption because its insulated outer body makes it waste less heat.
A quarter of a kilowatt saved over three quarters of an hour is about three sixteenths of a kilowatt hour, which costs about seven cents at the rates I'm paying. And I've certainly had more than a couple hundred meals out of this thing over the twenty years I've owned it, which means it's well and truly paid for itself. None of my $10 op shop saucepans can make the same claim.
posted by flabdablet at 7:22 AM on February 19, 2020 [5 favorites]
I'm a fairly infrequent eater of rice, but my $10 op shop rice cooker has saved me money.
The rice cooker has a 250 watt element, while the small hotplate at the back of the stove uses about twice that on average over the 45 minutes it takes to cook a pot of brown rice. The rice cooker gets away with lower power consumption because its insulated outer body makes it waste less heat.
A quarter of a kilowatt saved over three quarters of an hour is about three sixteenths of a kilowatt hour, which costs about seven cents at the rates I'm paying. And I've certainly had more than a couple hundred meals out of this thing over the twenty years I've owned it, which means it's well and truly paid for itself. None of my $10 op shop saucepans can make the same claim.
posted by flabdablet at 7:22 AM on February 19, 2020 [5 favorites]
While the magnet switch control is simple, it could also be a bit too simple in some cases.
The magnet switch works by turning on the heating element and keeping it on until cooking is done. This might work for most cases and is probably optimized for a room temperature of around 70 degrees. But you could imagine use at a range of room temperatures from 60 degrees to 90 degrees. Since the magnetic switch doesn't cycle on/off, but stays on continuously, you might have either a bare simmer or a overly vigorous royal boil depending on room temperature.
A slightly more sophisticated control using a bimetallic strip, like a crock pot, would maintain a more even temperature by cycling the heating element on and off every minute or so, regardless of room temperature.
Or now days, as he showed in the video, you can use an 8-bit microcontroller and a termistor sensor for about 10 cents.
But the curie temperature magnet switch is pretty clever and simple and should give consistent results every time if used at a consistent room temperature.
posted by JackFlash at 7:38 AM on February 19, 2020
The magnet switch works by turning on the heating element and keeping it on until cooking is done. This might work for most cases and is probably optimized for a room temperature of around 70 degrees. But you could imagine use at a range of room temperatures from 60 degrees to 90 degrees. Since the magnetic switch doesn't cycle on/off, but stays on continuously, you might have either a bare simmer or a overly vigorous royal boil depending on room temperature.
A slightly more sophisticated control using a bimetallic strip, like a crock pot, would maintain a more even temperature by cycling the heating element on and off every minute or so, regardless of room temperature.
Or now days, as he showed in the video, you can use an 8-bit microcontroller and a termistor sensor for about 10 cents.
But the curie temperature magnet switch is pretty clever and simple and should give consistent results every time if used at a consistent room temperature.
posted by JackFlash at 7:38 AM on February 19, 2020
They used to use bimetallic switches. See this video for an example. I would think that this would cause the cooker to cycle rather than just go to warm forever.
The magnet switch doesn't cycle because once the magnet lets go, the spring pushes it away and you have to physically flip the switch on the front.
Unless I'm completely wrong. Again.
posted by MtDewd at 8:04 AM on February 19, 2020
The magnet switch doesn't cycle because once the magnet lets go, the spring pushes it away and you have to physically flip the switch on the front.
Unless I'm completely wrong. Again.
posted by MtDewd at 8:04 AM on February 19, 2020
BTW, I'm having flashbacks to this AskMe from 6 years ago where I was accused of trying to electrocute someone, when I was just trying to encourage repair rather than throwing things out.
At least TheGoodBlood is still posting, so no electrocution, and my answers were Best-ed, so I assume the cooker went on to more service.
posted by MtDewd at 8:19 AM on February 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
At least TheGoodBlood is still posting, so no electrocution, and my answers were Best-ed, so I assume the cooker went on to more service.
posted by MtDewd at 8:19 AM on February 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
> Anyone who owns a toaster shouldn't need to ask why a rice cooker exists. After all, it's not hard to make toast in a frying pan.
When I went on exchange and lived in a little student studio, I had neither a rice cooker nor a toaster, but I did have two hobs. I had grown up with a rice cooker, so had to learn how to cook rice on the stovetop. That went mostly fine. I also wanted peanut butter toast for breakfast once in a while, but it was far less satisfying to make it one slice at a time, and involved a lot more "uh is it done yet" flipping on my part.
I really enjoyed his explanation, and I thank JackFlash for clarifying the bit about how the Curie temperature plays into it. I don't know if Technology Connections takes suggestions but I'd like to see/hear him explain how auto belay devices work. (Yeah, okay, so eddy currents, but with some more personality, OK?)
posted by invokeuse at 8:37 AM on February 19, 2020
When I went on exchange and lived in a little student studio, I had neither a rice cooker nor a toaster, but I did have two hobs. I had grown up with a rice cooker, so had to learn how to cook rice on the stovetop. That went mostly fine. I also wanted peanut butter toast for breakfast once in a while, but it was far less satisfying to make it one slice at a time, and involved a lot more "uh is it done yet" flipping on my part.
I really enjoyed his explanation, and I thank JackFlash for clarifying the bit about how the Curie temperature plays into it. I don't know if Technology Connections takes suggestions but I'd like to see/hear him explain how auto belay devices work. (Yeah, okay, so eddy currents, but with some more personality, OK?)
posted by invokeuse at 8:37 AM on February 19, 2020
the fancier ones can often do other grains like quinoa or steel-cut oats pretty effectively.
Fancy really is just a perk though, I very much use the same single-function, single-switch, twenty-year-old Salton to cook quinoa, oats, barley, kasha, etc. It is the only single-purpose electric cooking implement I own, and the only reason I still own it is that that single purpose covers a very broad range of foods. It keeps nothing warm, it has no timer; it does exactly one job, and that is to cook grains perfectly.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:38 AM on February 19, 2020
Fancy really is just a perk though, I very much use the same single-function, single-switch, twenty-year-old Salton to cook quinoa, oats, barley, kasha, etc. It is the only single-purpose electric cooking implement I own, and the only reason I still own it is that that single purpose covers a very broad range of foods. It keeps nothing warm, it has no timer; it does exactly one job, and that is to cook grains perfectly.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:38 AM on February 19, 2020
They used to use bimetallic switches. See this video for an example.
The machine in the video you linked appears to have the same mechanism described in the OP.
posted by flabdablet at 9:40 AM on February 19, 2020
The machine in the video you linked appears to have the same mechanism described in the OP.
posted by flabdablet at 9:40 AM on February 19, 2020
I actually prefer my super simple rice cooker to the fancy electronic ones. It does exactly the job I want it to do, fits on top of my refrigerator in my very tiny kitchen, and cost me no more than $10 nearly 20 years ago.
posted by tavella at 10:06 AM on February 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by tavella at 10:06 AM on February 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
Surprised nobody’s mentioned microwave rice cookers, but we use ours more than we use our “proper” rice cooker - the rest of my family are converts too. Takes up no space, easy to wash up, just as easy to use as an electric rice cooker, identical results. There’s no keep-warm feature, but the rice does stay warm for a fair length of time if you keep the lid on.
posted by tinkletown at 2:26 PM on February 19, 2020
posted by tinkletown at 2:26 PM on February 19, 2020
Rice cookers are great, my parents use them for reheating and holding food. And I make a mental note of recipes that use rice cookers, like Japanese pancakes or steamed veggies or Chinese sausages.
I cook rice most dinners, but I don't use the Taiwanese cooker that we have. I manually pressure cook my rice, because I think the aroma and texture comes out a bit more refined and consistently so. I also like to simmer rice in a closed pot, but I haven't learned to get that crispy bottom yet. Manually cooking inspires me to experiment with toppings and flavoring ideas.
Our Asian family friends have lately switched to using steam ovens to do rice. The Cuisinart steam ovens are gaining popularity after the Instant Pot, and people talk about using the home steam oven to do all sorts of Chinese cooking better, such as for making steamed sticky rice.
I haven't tried it yet but I know there's an America's Test Kitchen video with sous vide rice. I wonder if the lower cooking temperature might preserve the delicate aroma of short grained rices.
posted by polymodus at 3:10 PM on February 19, 2020
I cook rice most dinners, but I don't use the Taiwanese cooker that we have. I manually pressure cook my rice, because I think the aroma and texture comes out a bit more refined and consistently so. I also like to simmer rice in a closed pot, but I haven't learned to get that crispy bottom yet. Manually cooking inspires me to experiment with toppings and flavoring ideas.
Our Asian family friends have lately switched to using steam ovens to do rice. The Cuisinart steam ovens are gaining popularity after the Instant Pot, and people talk about using the home steam oven to do all sorts of Chinese cooking better, such as for making steamed sticky rice.
I haven't tried it yet but I know there's an America's Test Kitchen video with sous vide rice. I wonder if the lower cooking temperature might preserve the delicate aroma of short grained rices.
posted by polymodus at 3:10 PM on February 19, 2020
I make rice several times a week with my cheap rice cooker. Plugging and unplugging it so much has done some damage to the outlet. Will this video explain why rice cookers don’t have an on/off switch?
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 5:48 PM on February 19, 2020
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 5:48 PM on February 19, 2020
I had that concern. It seem that the "keep warm" node is the default on the basic models and the only way to disable that was to unplug. So there would be an inevitable amount of arcing when unplugging. That does not seen perfectly safe.
posted by sjswitzer at 6:26 PM on February 19, 2020
posted by sjswitzer at 6:26 PM on February 19, 2020
It does exactly the job I want it to do, fits on top of my refrigerator in my very tiny kitchen, and cost me no more than $10 nearly 20 years ago.
I really wonder if we have the same machine and would very much peruse a rice cooker photo album.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:33 PM on February 19, 2020
I really wonder if we have the same machine and would very much peruse a rice cooker photo album.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:33 PM on February 19, 2020
Will this video explain why rice cookers don’t have an on/off switch?
No. Will you explain why your wall outlets don't have them?
posted by flabdablet at 11:35 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
No. Will you explain why your wall outlets don't have them?
posted by flabdablet at 11:35 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
qxntpqbbbqxl, you might check out a wall plug with on/off switch for that.
For you rice cooker-having people, I just came across a recipe for Greek lemon rice that includes a rice cooker version that looks super simple and is probably super tasty.
posted by taz at 4:11 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
For you rice cooker-having people, I just came across a recipe for Greek lemon rice that includes a rice cooker version that looks super simple and is probably super tasty.
posted by taz at 4:11 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
I hate rice cookers. They eat up counter space and, in my experience, they're a bugger to clean. Or certainly no easier to clean than a good pot and lid. Which is what I've been using for over forty years now. Maybe once a year, I blow a batch, usually because I'm working with a stove top I'm unfamiliar with.
I also don't use those anti-static things in the dryer.
posted by philip-random at 9:23 AM on February 25, 2020
I also don't use those anti-static things in the dryer.
posted by philip-random at 9:23 AM on February 25, 2020
I also don't use those anti-static things in the dryer.
I concur. Almost all the rice escapes from those almost immediately, then sticks all over the clothes and bakes on. Makes a hell of a mess.
posted by flabdablet at 10:23 AM on February 25, 2020 [5 favorites]
I concur. Almost all the rice escapes from those almost immediately, then sticks all over the clothes and bakes on. Makes a hell of a mess.
posted by flabdablet at 10:23 AM on February 25, 2020 [5 favorites]
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