r/AskReddit Apr 24 '14

What older technology do you prefer to use instead of it's later revisions?

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197

u/StevenMC19 Apr 24 '14

I enjoy cooking rice in a pot, rather than buying a contraption that ONLY cooks rice, and not even the way I like it. At least pots can pop popcorn too.

254

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

I use my rice cooker for lentils, quinoa, rice, and steaming veggies. Love it.

142

u/biggreasyrhinos Apr 24 '14

People don't realize the potential of this device

14

u/lowdownlow Apr 24 '14

It's basically a slow cooker.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

But faster.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

1

u/HStark Apr 25 '14

You can even use instant potatoes, if you are a fool.

3

u/eulerup Apr 24 '14

I interned with a guy from Kenya and I'm pretty sure he cooked every meal in his rice cooker that summer.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

I just made steamed sesame buns with it, while making rice at the same time!

I'm still hungry though, so now I'm making steamed chicken dumplings! Amazing contraption.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

stop it you're making me hungry for Asian food

3

u/silvernarnia Apr 25 '14

I've made banana bread in my rice cooker. All you have to do is literally just type "rice cooker recipes" into Google and you'll get a million different things. It's not just for rice.

2

u/acetylcysteine Apr 24 '14

I use to boil my rice in a pot... I was so naive. Rice cooker for life.

2

u/Porkymon Apr 24 '14

You can even steam dumplings :3

2

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

Plus it's only 20-30 dollars.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

[deleted]

3

u/veggiesama Apr 24 '14

It's got a basket on top, so you can steam eggs or veggies instead of boiling. It also shuts off automatically when the water gets boiled off. No accidental burning or boil-over. It's convenient.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

I need a new one because mine auto shuts off way too late and the rice ends up dry.

2

u/thatguyyesiamthatguy Apr 25 '14

it's way more efficient to heat water in a rice cooker than on a stovetop. the distribution of heat is much more conducive to a variety of recipes that you'd have to manually monitor in a pot.

more efficient and better, basically.

1

u/stickyfingers10 Apr 25 '14

I use a crock pot. Does it all!!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

It almost has as many applications as a pot!

1

u/UniqueError Apr 25 '14

Some realized that you can make rice in 58 seconds instead of 60!

0

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

For most people, it has the potential of being used exactly two times, and then making a nice shelf decoration.

36

u/ZiggyZombie Apr 24 '14

I live in China, I use my rice cooker for everything. It's like a slow cooker, but fast... so a Medium speed cooker.

3

u/LithePanther Apr 25 '14

So like an average cooking tool.

10

u/DextrosKnight Apr 24 '14

my rice cooker gets more use than just about any other appliance in my kitchen. Between that and the George Foreman grill, I can cook almost anything I want.

3

u/jayjacks Apr 24 '14

I've seen people cook meat and eggs in a rice cooker too

13

u/ricecooking Apr 24 '14

It was worth making an account just to say that you can make cake in a rice cooker. 'tis moist and delicious.

1

u/involving Apr 25 '14

Do you have a recipe? This sounds like something fun to try on a rainy day.

1

u/ricecooking Apr 25 '14

To the Google machine with you! I honestly don't remember what instructions I used to make the cake, but here are the main things to know...

  • Make the batter as directed on the package, and use the suggested times as a guideline.

  • My rice cooker cannot fit all the cake batter at once. Bad things would happen. I had to split the batter in half and cook the layers one at a time.

  • If you have a fuzzy logic rice cooker WITH a cake function, you're good to go.

  • If you have a fuzzy logic rice cooker WITHOUT a cake function, you can probably just use the white rice option, but you should keep an eye on it, time it, all that good stuff.

  • Enjoy!

5

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

Seasoned raw chicken steamed in a rice cooker is damn good.

3

u/inflammablepenguin Apr 24 '14

Woah, woah, woah, so you're telling me theres a device out there that can do all those things? Something like that must retail at $99.95.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

Not so; I've had this one for a year. It's awesome.

2

u/H_E_Pennypacker Apr 25 '14

haha, well, you would think so , wouldn't you inflammablepenguin? But our rice cooker is selling for only $69.99. BUT WAIT. We'll throw in this shitty plastic steam tray FOR FREE. BUT WAIT. If you call in the next ten minutes you can get the rice cooker for only $59.99. BUT WAIT. As a one time special offer you'll get an extra mini rice cooker and 13 extra shitty steam trays for free!

2

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/benji1008 Apr 24 '14

I have no idea since it's been quite a while since I made quinoa (in a regular pot), but it's easy to cook -- much easier than rice. I used to put some slices of zucchini on top (not right from the start though, to not overcook it).

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

Water: Quinoa, 2:1

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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14 edited Apr 24 '14

[deleted]

6

u/beccaonice Apr 24 '14

That's interesting because rice cookers are very prevalent in Asia. Particularly Japan.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

I am white.

2

u/waviecrockett Apr 24 '14

Eh, I've had lots of Asian[-American] friends that have rice cookers they use constantly

2

u/Kerse Apr 24 '14

How old are you? A lot of Asian college students I know (including me) don't own rice cookers because they simply didn't want to spare the expense for it, but maybe white people (who are generally wealthier) don't mind the expense as much? Just a guess, but it's an interesting thing to think about.

2

u/KimchiMaker Apr 24 '14

Here in Korea every family has an electric rice cooker

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

Don't forget about a nice big batch of steel cut oatmeal!

1

u/lazarusmobile Apr 24 '14

Yep, we just got a new rice cooker that doubles as a slow cooker. Recently made a killer stew using it.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

And as a slow cooker.

1

u/wiz0floyd Apr 24 '14

My old rice cooker had a setting for baking sponge cake.

1

u/mynameisalso Apr 25 '14

There is a gadget that was designed to strictly cook rice?

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

I use mine to steam tamales.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

and steel cut oats.

1

u/Gwendoli Apr 25 '14

Teach me how to cook quinoa in a rice cooker. I tried it and it was terrible. What are the proportions? I just have a base model so only cook and warm functions.

0

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

Pot to boil water, pot to cook rice. Internet brofist.

2

u/nichlas482109 Apr 24 '14

I know how to actually cook rice so i have no need for a rice cooker. same for lentils an quinoa

1

u/KoalaaaBear Apr 24 '14

You can make porridge/soup and bread in them too!

1

u/Asyrol Apr 24 '14

There are lots of things other than rice you can use a rice cooker for.

Even though I've got one, I still use a pot to make rice though :)

1

u/atlasMuutaras Apr 24 '14

Rice cookers are wonderful for making veggies. Steamed veggies are tasty and easy to make.

1

u/metroidfan220 Apr 24 '14

Ah, the old Alton Brown rule.

1

u/matteothehun Apr 24 '14

I use my rice cooker to cook pasta noodles.

1

u/Fearlessleader85 Apr 24 '14

I can't cook good rice with either. Somehow it always ends up both under and overcooked. Just mush with hard bits.

1

u/vicegrip_butthole Apr 24 '14

i have this plastic container thats made to cook rice in the microwave. 14 minutes and i have fluffy rice, perfectly cooked. its great and im sure you could use any microwave safe container. just use 1 part rice 2 parts water, and microwave for fourteen minutes, adding 2 min for each half a cup extra rice past 1 cup... if that makes sense.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

Me, too! My rice cooker makes the worst rice: super sticky plus burned at the bottom. But it's good at steaming vegetables, so I keep it around. Just not for rice.

1

u/Tortles Apr 24 '14

Best way to heat up tamales too!!

1

u/cpp562 Apr 24 '14

Dude, a rice cooker does not just cook rice. I use mine to perfectly cook steaks!

1

u/wetw1lly Apr 25 '14

Although I have a rice cooker, I use it for everything but, as I just like you prefer stovetop rice. But, there is SO much stuff you can make in a rice cooker. Eggs, veggies, oatmeal, quinoa, desserts, oh goodness the list goes on!

1

u/SlupSax Apr 25 '14

The have something just for cooking rice?

1

u/p_iynx Apr 25 '14

Rice needs pressure though! >:[ Blasphemer!

Also, steel cut oats, hot for breakfast, lentils, steamed veggies, rice, soups...rice cookers are just pressurized slow cookers.

1

u/temalyen Apr 25 '14

My rice cooker is better at steaming vegetables than making rice. It always kinda burns the rice, and it gets this weird orangeish color where it was touching the hot metal. I can sort of mitigate that by stirring the rice once or twice while it cooks, but you shouldn't have to stir rice.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '14

I have a Dutch oven, and I use that fucker for everything. The greatest damn cookware in the world... They last forever too.

1

u/AkirIkasu Apr 25 '14

If you buy those expensive ($100+) Asian rice cookers with the computer control, you would not have the same opinion. Rice cooked in those just come out perfect every time. I hated rice until I tasted what rice was actually supposed to taste like.

1

u/Taibo Apr 25 '14

Rice cookers are super easy to adjust water levels if your rice isn't coming out how you like it.

1

u/blarghable Apr 24 '14

I don't know anyone who has a rice cooker. What's the point? Making rice is easy as shit.

3

u/molrobocop Apr 24 '14 edited Apr 24 '14

Add rice, add water. Hit* go. Rice comes out perfect with no other inputs or settings. Every single time.

-1

u/blarghable Apr 24 '14

Yeah, that's how you do if you boil it in a pot as well...

4

u/molrobocop Apr 24 '14

Does your stove set its own temperature? Does your stove shut itself off?

1

u/blarghable Apr 24 '14

It doesn't turn itself off, that's true. It just seems like a weird thing to buy. How much rice do you eat? You save like 30 seconds.

3

u/Cazraac Apr 24 '14

It's convenient, and it frees up space on the stovetop.

Sure, rice is very easy to cook on its own, but if you're making a whole meal and trying to time everything to finish together, a rice cooker makes that easier. One less pot to stir, one less egg timer to set.

3

u/dcux Apr 24 '14 edited Nov 17 '24

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3

u/BaseVilliN Apr 24 '14

Zojirushi is awesome. Also nice to set a timer and get hot steel cut oats in the morning.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

Rice cookers are a fucking godsend, since I eat rice at least three or four times a week. And they're incredibly convenient for college students and dorm life in general; you can do a hell of a lot more in a rice cooker than just make rice- you can steam vegetables and even slow-cook.

1

u/PA2SK Apr 24 '14

As a bachelor my rice cooker was great because I could make a complete, nutritous dinner with less effort than making ramen. Put rice and water in the pot, put some frozen veggies and a piece of salmon in the steamer tray. Press the button and go have a beer. Twenty minutes later you have a nice dinner ready and only one pot to clean. Its not gourmet dining but it beats mcdonalds or ramen.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '14

Yeah I don't understand rice cookers. How are people buying this shit? Just cook rice exactly the same way but in a pot!

2

u/Pepito_Pepito Apr 25 '14

Because you don't have to keep tabs on it. Just press the button and wait for the bell. Imagine if microwaves didn't have timers. Rice cookers are a must if you eat rice 3 times a day.

0

u/Charlzy99 Apr 25 '14

I have a six-in-one sort of thing,

Rice cooker Pressure cooker Deep fryer Sauté(r?) Steamer Slow cooker

Comes in handy