How to Use a Microwave Rice Cooker, All You Need to Know

Hello everyone, welcome to my new post where you’ll learn how to use a microwave rice cooker. But first a few words about the device that almost everyone has in their kitchen – microwaves. Microwave is a great appliance because it made our lives better.

Whether you are living alone or with a family, no one can deny the benefits of having this little machine on the counter top. With the innovations of appliances, there is now a better and faster way to cook rice using a microwave rice cooker.

Yes! To all rice lovers, we now have the greatest solution to our deepest concern. But how does a microwave rice cooker work and can it cook other dishes too? Find out all these things in this post.

What’s a Microwave Rice Cooker?

From the name itself, it is actually a rice cooker made for microwave ovens for cooking rice in a shorter span of time with the same rice quality. The microwave rice cooker is made up of quality and special plastic containers complete with lid, rice spoon, inner silicone rings, lock lids and other essential parts.

These amazing tiny containers cost way cheap than most stand alone rice cookers do. So if you have surprise dinner guests then surely microwave rice cooker can save you more time.

Check out this short video below to see how microwave rice cooker works.

How to Use a Microwave Rice Cooker

Using a microwave rice cooker is so easy. Follow the quick and simple steps below:

Step 1

Place the rice on the rice cooker and rinse it a few times until water is clear. Rinsing cleanse off arsenic contents which are the bad guys. You may also use another bowl for rinsing the rice and transfer it back on the rice cooker when done.

Step 2

Add the correct amount of water into the rice. For water levels, you may refer to this measurement:

• Short grain, White rice use 1 1/4 cups of water per 1 cup of rice (300 ML of water per 240 ML rice)
• Long grain brown rice, use 3 cups of water (705 ml)
• Wild rice mix, use 3 cups of water (705 ml)

Or you can use 2 cups of water to 1 cup of white or brown rice.

Step 3

Cover and secure the lids of the rice cooker. Most microwave rice cookers have both inner and outer lids available. Place the inner lid first and then put the outer lid on top and lock the side handles (if comes with it).

Step 4

Set the microwave to high temperature and place the rice cooker inside and then cook for about 15-18 minutes. (For other dishes apart from rice the temperature will be different)

Step 5

When the microwave stops, remove the rice cooker inside. Be careful not to burn yourself by using pot holders.

Step 6

Using a fork or spatula, fluff the rice and let it rest for 5 minutes and serve! Easy right? Now there’s more time to do other important stuff at home rather than waiting and randomly checking on your rice cooking.

Can It Cook Other Dishes Too?

Yes. Like the standard rice cooker, microwave rice cookers have extra abilities to cook other dishes apart from rice. This brilliant device is also being used by professional cooks to help them save time and some claim that cooking with microwave keeps the nutrients of the food in tact.

Here are some notable dishes made from microwave rice cookers that were proven to be just as delicious:

• Pasta
• Oatmeal
• Steamed vegetables (if microwave rice cooker has a steam basket)
• Potato salads
• Chili
• Rice meals
• Stews
• And more

Is It Safe to Use Microwave Rice Cooker?

Some people argue whether or not it is safe to use a microwave rice cooker, so we have decided to write down all the Pros and Cons of using and cooking with this kitchen device.

Pros

1. Microwave oven is super easy to use. User-friendly for beginners.
2. It is cheaper than rice cookers
3. Microwave rice cooker cooks rice efficiently
4. It is easy to clean
5. It is space-saver in the kitchen
6. No more random checking
7. Perfect for bachelors and small-sized families
8. Same exact fluffy, soft and tasty rice!

Cons

1. Plastic containers may cause chemical reactions (BPA- Bisphenol A) even though they are tagged as “microwave safe”
2. Limited number of cups to cook rice
3. Less or No browning effect on rice
4. Prone to overflowing if added with more water
5. Becomes starchy and sticky when added with more water
6. The container becomes too hot inside the microwave and may cause skin burn

These are just few of the Pros and Cons of microwave rice cookers and overall this pretty kitchen appliance has very little Cons and is not that much impacting in producing quality rice for dinners.

How Good is It with Others?

There are a lot of contributing factors that we need to consider before buying kitchen appliances especially with rice cookers. You have to note down the qualities you are looking for in a rice cooker and find the brand which suit your expectations.

In comparison with other rice cooking appliances, microwave rice cookers still top the list for the following reasons:

	Microwave Rice Cooker	Electric Rice Cooker
Energy Efficient	worse	good
Time-Saving	good	worse
Quality	good	good
Price	good	worse
Healthy Cooking	worse	good

This report was actually based from a clinical study made by scientists to compare the efficiency and energy consumption of microwave rice cookers vs. electric rice cookers. Pre-soaking the rice greatly reduces energy consumption of about 11% whether on a microwave or electric.

Need to Buy?

This question entails a lot of things before you give your money in. Microwave rice cookers can definitely be the star of all rice cookers but is it worth it? Find out below:

• Volume – Before buying, always consider the volume of rice you will be cooking on a daily/weekly basis or depending on the number of times you consume rice. This also includes the member of your household.
• Features– Are you looking for special features in a rice cooker, like having “Keep warm” option and more? If so then you need to get electric rice cooker or consider buying modern ones with fuzzy logic or induction heating technologies.
• Budget– This is the main thing you need to consider before buying rice cookers, ask yourself how much budget you can spend on this appliance.
• Safety– Safety should also be a priority or top concern when buying. Check out the reviews and other tips before purchasing. Online reviews are also a big help.
• Other special purposes – If you plan to cook other kinds of dishes, then any rice cooker can do the job unless you are making special recipe that only other types of rice cooker can do.

Remember, it always pays to review and check more about the certain product/brand that you are planning to buy. If you need more options on what types of rice cooker you need, then here is the top list of the best rice cookers out in the market today.

To buy or not to Buy

Before my Hamlet-inspired post ends, microwave rice cookers are not for everybody. It is for those who are always “on-the-go” individuals that love eating rice but don’t have the time.

This is also for people who mess up the kitchen when cooking rice and seem to be hopeless.

And lastly, for new and starting families that want to enjoy eating rice together. If you are a health buff that seem to be doubtful of its advantages then this is not for you. If you love cooking special dishes that is not possible in microwaves then you need to have the rice cooker with full features.

For us, there is nothing wrong with using microwave rice cooker as long as it gives you the same quality rice and gives you more time to enjoy with the special people around.

However and whatever the reasons you have in mind in buying microwave rice cooker, we hope you have enough information that will surely help you decide!