/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>15371559
My mom got a Zojirushi when she got married, so I grew up with nice rice. 25 years later I bought my own Zojirushi.

>>15371570
yo mom a rice digger

>>15371570
My mother only ever cooked non-washed long grain white rice, so I grew up thinking good asian rice was black magic that I could never have. Who knew with 2 minutes of prep and a spooky nip-toaster I could have world class rice every day?

>>15371570
2 yen have been deposited into your account

>>15371671
literally worth nothing

>>15371904
that's the joke you dip
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party

I have the one in the OP (NH-LHC05) and can vouch for it. It is made in China and not Japan but it's not too expensive and works great. It's a 3-cup model so too small to steam vegetables or fish in but that size is a lot more convenient for a Western household unless you're cooking regularly for 4 or more people. I briefly had a 6-cup one but the minimum batch size was way too big.
It seems like a lot of money up front for something that pretty much just cooks rice, but I get a lot more value out of it than my other semi-luxury small appliances like the stand mixer or food processor. Best part is being able to key in when you want your rice ready so you don't need to worry about prepping it for your meal because it turns out absolutely perfect every time.

>>15371559
I use a different model (neuro-fuzzy) but I completely agree, the rice it cooks is delicious, like even a plain bowl of rice from this thing is tasty.

Inb4 "learn to make rice on the stovetop" I know how to make rice on the stovetop, but this thing makes perfect rice with no effort or having to time it or observe it or anything. The keep warm function keeps rice pretty solidly good for 2 days and can even go longer in a pinch, and I really love the timer function as well. If you eat rice often it's a great investment.

how are they for making crispy spanish rice?

>>15373465
This should prolly be done in a pan on the stovetop desu

I had this idea of using the water of salt lemons to cook rice in a rice cooker

You think it could work? What water/salt water ratio should i try?

What’s the difference

>>15373556
I'm not OP but I have a $300 cooker.

It makes rice that is light and fluffy and soft but still has a tiny bit of "chew" in the middle, like just barely al dente. It's tastier than any other rice I've had, including at restaurants, just fantastic. Of course the quality of the rice you buy also matters but it's not like this is some fancy pants stuff, just a decent brand from an Asian market near me. The cooker also lets you choose whether you want the rice cooked "softer" or "harder," which, frankly, is something that computers with sensors can do better than a human being in 90%+ of cases

Is there anyone who buys a transformer together and uses a high-end rice cooker with Japanese specifications?

>>15374278
Japanese electrical grid is 50/60hz at 100v

US electrical grid is 60hz at 110v (though 100-120v is common)

Tldr, most Japanese devices should have no problem working in the US, without any transformer or adapter since they use the same outlet.

>>15374298
But who would use an $800+ rice cooker without a transformer?

>>15374314
Why would you need to use it?

The electrical grids are almost identical.

It's not like Europe where you're dealing with 200-240v at 50hz.

A device built for 100v at 50/60hz will have no problem operating at 110v 60hz in the US. The only thing that probably wouldn't work prefectly would be a mechanical clock expecting 50hz and getting 60hz. But a rice cooker being fully digital, that's not a concern.

>>15371559
t. that pot cooking method guy that shits up rice threads

>>15371559
welcome to the last decade anon, we hope you can soon join us

>>15371559
Or you could get the same result in a cheap saucepan by learning how to make rice. Just sayin'.

>>15374441
No, no you can't. At least not consistently every single time, even when using different breeds of rice, or a different harvest of the same breed.

Can you make good rice on the stove top? Sure. But it's not going to be as consistent, nor as easy.

Put in rice, rinse rice, add proper amount of water. Press button to start.
Doesn't matter what rice you use, it'll be nearly prefect every single time with zero effort and zero learning curve.

>>15371559
Are you comparing it to stovetop rice or a cheaper rice cooker? I got a cheapo Aroma with only one button (the lever thing) and I had the same revelation that you're describing. Is a better rice cooker even better than that, or does it just have helpful timers and stuff?

>>15374458
That's how it works on a stovetop. You just have to remember to turn it off. I know you guys love your little consumerist conveniences, but you're really just making a mess of the world.

>>15374472
Lmao you're a retard.

Your stovetop is no monitoring and changing the temp to make sure the rice cooks evenly throughout. A rice cooker does.

Like I said, you CAN still make good rice on the stove top, but to compete with the quality of a rice cooker takes a fair bit of practice, it isn't just make hot add water and rice grains then wait.

If you think it IS that easy, you've simply never had good rice and shouldn't be in this conversation to begin with.

If Masaharu Morimoto wants to take a clay pot and make me fresh rice, by all means, it'll probably be on par or better than what my rice cooker does. But if you think YOU'RE going to make that same quality rice in your aluminum pot and your occasional stove-top rice making skills, you're just delusional.

>>15371559
>I got a fancy japanese rice cooker
So where`s the fucking picture you retard? Kill yourself.

>>15374458
>rinse
Lmao. It's a 15 min dish, stop falling for memes. How hard is it to stick a fork in the rice and taste it. The only reason I'd buy one of these is if it measured the rice/water for me.

>>15374463
I've had a few different rice cookers and my Zojirushi makes the best rice I've had, but I don't think it's really worth the price compared to cheaper rice cookers unless you make a lot of rice.

>>15375138
Again, you've simply never had actually good rice then.

>>15375152
It's always better than the dry or sticky trash you get at any "decent" asian/mexican place. You literally cannot fuck up rice if you measure correctly and taste around the 15 min mark.

>>15375215
lmfao "sticky trash"

confirmed as a white boi ricelet.

Shut the fuck up and never talk about rice on this board again you fucking scrub ass bitch.

>>15375221
Go watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi again weeb. I'll continue making jasmine/basmati like people have done for millenia

>>15375254
You're not jiro, in fact i'd wager you're nowhere close. You don't make rice that good stop LARPing.

>>15375254
lol btfo

Indians are so much better at rice than bug ppl

>>15375254
>Thread about japanese rice cookers
>they can't make my poojeet rice D:
are you actually a retard?

You don't need to fangirl over japanese brands. That tech was cool 20 years ago, but everyone else has long since figured out how to do it. You don't need to pay double for zojirushi brand names anymore.

>>15375288
For fuzzy logic, sure.

For induction heating + fuzzy logic + pressure you still need a high end zojirushi/cuckoo, etc.

The highest end zojirushi one in japan will keep your rice warm and ready to eat for 40 hours.
Almost 2 whole fucking days of hot and ready rice.

>>15375282
>OP literally says it can cook all kinds of rice
>NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOU CAN ONLY MAKE SUPERIOR NIPPON RICE
Let me guess, you actually soak your rice too.

>>15375322
yes, I do prepare my rice to make it taste better.

Rinsed until water runs clear, soaked for 45 minutes, and cooked with the "Umami" mode so it takes longer and cooks slowly.


>nah bro just 15 minutes and some water, it's perfect every time.

>>15375309
There are other places that will do perfectly good induction rice cookers at lower prices, but I cede your point, those are newer.

>>15375215
taste around the 15 minute mark??? Wtf are you doing to your rice.

To make good (Japanese) rice on the stovetop:

1. Wash rice for ~5 minutes in cold water, taking care to drain water immediately for the first few washes as you don't want the rice absorbing starchy water. Drain and let rice sit in a colander for at least 30-60 minutes.

2. Add rice and 1-1.2x the amount of water into a pot and slowly bring up to heat. Close lid and never open it again from this point.

3. When water is getting close to boiling turn the heat up fully and bring to a roaring boil for 2 minutes, roughly till water above the rice has fully evaporated. The lid may pop around from all the water evaporating in this step. That's good.

4. Let sit on low heat for 10 minutes or until all the water has evaporated.

5. Turn off stove and let sit for 15 minutes. Then open the lid and fluff the rice with a spatula carefully.

6. Serve or let sit with some cloth/paper towel under the lid to avoid moisture buildup on the tip of the rice.

There you go, I do this every time I cook rice. Results always vary though, I've had rice turn out aweful and also turn out nearly perfect. It's a bit of a pain though. Maybe I should invest in a good rice cooker too.

>>15375288
You pay extra for Zoji because their midrange+ is still made in Japan.

>>15375355
It's just rice man.
All I do is I boil the rice in lightly salted water for 10 minutes and strain it and I'm done.

>>15375380
>strain it

>>15375380
Why even have rice if it'll taste like crap?

>>15375355
>results always vary
Yes, because you're a retard that doesn't do the most basic thing which is taste to make sure it's done the way you like it. I mean your measurement for water varies from 1-1.2x but you're surprised it comes out differently? I know you're baiting but there are retards on /ck/ that will eyeball the water:rice ratio but insist rinsing/soaking is necessary for perfect rice.

>>15375401
>he doesn't rinse his rice

your rice is shit.

>>15375401
i don't think about the water:rice ratio because the bowl of my rice cooker has lines to tell me how much water for how much rice is in there.


and if you're not rinsing your rice you're a fucking retard.

>>15375411
>i don't think
Yeah, no shit. There's no chance you're getting your measurements correctly with a bowl every time and that's why your results vary.

>>15375385
I just put in a random amout of water (too much)
>>15375397
how much do you think you can improve plain rice by spending half a day preparing something that will just ultimately be boiled until it's tender?

>>15375451
Nigger, I said i'm using a rice cooker, i'm obviously not the guy who wrote this >>15375355

>>15375462
>how much do you think you can improve plain rice by spending half a day preparing something that will just ultimately be boiled until it's tender?
Half a day is a gross exaggeration.

Even doing >>15375329 only takes ~2 and a half hours. And the portion you're actually doing is ~5 minutes of rinse prep, the soak and cook is all covered automatically by my rice cooker.

The end result is homogenous rice that's cooked evenly all throughout without undercooked or overcooked grains.

And it does it EVERY time, with little to no variation.

Have the model in the OP. Best $50 on sale I ever spent.

>>15375481
>The end result is homogenous rice that's cooked evenly all throughout without undercooked or overcooked grains.

That is literally what I get every time by just boiling my rice in a pot of water.

>and cooked with the "Umami" mode
What the heck does this even mean?

>>15375503
Some nicer Zojirushi models have an "umami" setting that takes longer to cook.

Basically, it cooks it lower and slower to bring out more umami.

>>15375503
He means doubling or tripling the cooking time because it's at least double or triple the umami (it evaporates if you boil the water).

>>15375526
>>15375536
What's an umami?

>>15375541
Jesus christ. Do you even own a katana?

>>15375541
> deep, dark, meaty intensity that distinguishes seared beef, soy sauce, ripe tomato, Parmesan cheese, anchovies, and mushrooms, among other things
generally foods with natural glutamic acids

>>15375570
And rice has these acids and they increase if you boil it slower?

>>15375582
In this case they're using umami in the Japanese sense, it really just translates to "deliciousness".

It's just a setting to slow cook the rice, which most people agree makes the rice taste better.

Cooking it quickly makes it taste blander.

>>15375596
Can you honestly tell the difference?

>>15375607
Yeah, but I eat rice a lot. At least 3-4 times a week.

>>15375615
Is the difference worth the extra 2 hours and 10 minutes?

>>15375627
Considering it's not time i'm having to invest? Yeah.

I just spend 5 minutes washing rice 2-3 hours before I want to eat dinner.

It can keep the rice warm for up to 24 hours so even if I make rice at 8am, it'd still be just fine for dinner.


Remember, you just have it plugged in, press the button, and walk away. There is no watching, no worrying about burning something or boiling over, etc.

>>15375637
How much is this machine a matter of convenience versus a matter of flavor and/or texture to you?

>>15375922
a solid 60:40

Like I said, I make a fair bit of rice, the convenience factor is significant simply due to how often I'm using it.

The taste IS better, but I have no problem eating rice from a cheap $15 rice cooker, or a pot on the stove top. That being said, it IS better from the rice cooker, and much more consistent.

>>15375411
I said 1-1,2x because the amount of water depends on the type and quality of the rice you are using, smartass. Getting it right involves some trial and error.

>>15376025
meant for >>15375401

>>15374441
this is bait

I remember my roomies friend referring to my rice cooker as strange/weird, only to find them was few weeks later using it when they had to prepare a bunch of rice. sounds about WHITE

>>15374441
>Or you could get the same result in a cheap saucepan by learning how to make rice.
>>15373453
>Inb4 "learn to make rice on the stovetop"
Sorry anon

>>15376451
Whites before trying a thing:
>eew gross! you eat that? huh? what is that device, you don't need that! eew is that safe? will it make me sick?
Whites after trying a thing:
>I discovered a thing! it's very obscure and exotic and MYSTERIOUS, let me tell you about your culture now...

>>15371559
I don't use a rice cooker, I cook rice like pasta. Bring a big pot of water to a boil, salt it to about seawater levels. Add in rice, boil til cooked or all dente. Strain the rice off with a fine strainer, and serve. Plus this way I can use the leftover rice water as a thickener for whatever sauce is going with supper.

>>15376600
i'd slap a dumb cunt that served me strained "al dente" rice.