Got a nice rice cooker, let's talk rice

[joanjet]

Hey guys! Hope everyone's been doing well.

I recently got a nice Zojirushi rice cooker, and it was a great decision. So much easier, and makes much better rice than I used to.

Where do you guys get your rice?

I usually get my rice from Costco; 25 pound bags of Basmati, Jasime, and Brown.

I was thinking of stopping by my local asian grocer (Super H Mart) next week and checking out their selection as well.

What are some of your favorite recipes to go with white rice?

Mostly I've been making veggie or chicken stirfry to go with it, or making soups in large batches, reheating bowls and adding freshly made rice. Occasionally making fried rice as well

Do you have any go to recipes with brown rice?

Do you do anything to spice up your rice life? (Cilantro rice, lime rice, etc)

I used to sometimes fry some finely diced onions and carrots in a pot, then mix in the rice and fry it a little bit with a bunch of Vegeta seasoning, and then cook it normally and it would make this delicious, fatty, savory rice.

[ronnie_suburban]

I love and rely on my Zoji and can't imagine how I ever got along without it.

I love to make pilafs, pre-sauteing some aromatics and toasting some orzo before adding it all to the cooker with the washed rice.

Locally, Super H-Mart has a fine selection. So do Richwell Market (Morton Grove and Chinatown) and Mitsuwa Marketplace. I also bought some amazingly fragrant Thai jasmine rice online from ImportFood.com.

[XexoX]

I'll sometimes use chicken stock instead of water, or add some Better than Bullion to the water, when making white rice. I like the Cal-Rose, a medium grain, I think, rice. Nice and sticky! H-Mart, here in Tigard Oregon at least, has so many different brands and kinds, I gave up even trying to buy rice there. Too overwhelming for me.

I just used my Sanyo Golden Rod (that color was popular around the same time the avacodo green was back in the 1070s, not sure what it was called) colored rice maker to make some hard boiled eggs this morning.

[gladius]

I've considered a Zojirushi but I get super excellent results using Daawat Traditional Basmati Rice << (thanks Bob Z) and Daawat Ultima Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice 2-Years Aged << cooked in clay pots. Top with Bombay Biryani Seasoned meat/veggies of your choice, finish with scallions and parsley - it's Daa bomb!

[bruin]

Do you do anything to spice up your rice life? (Cilantro rice, lime rice, etc)

A few quick and easy ones I like:

-I had a small piece of kombu to almost every batch of rice I make. Bay is nice too of course.
-Steam in a lot of poppy seeds. Adds a nice nuttiness and crunch.
-Toss your rice some fat after cooking. Olive oil, chicken fat and bacon fat - anything!

[stewssy]

honestly korean multi grain rice (the purple one) is one of my favorites. some mixes only include the grains, so you have to mix in either the brown or white, they usually give the ratios. Or some come ready to cook.

[joanjet]

I love and rely on my Zoji and can't imagine how I ever got along without it.

I love to make pilafs, pre-sauteing some aromatics and toasting some orzo before adding it all to the cooker with the washed rice.

Locally, Super H-Mart has a fine selection. So do Richwell Market (Morton Grove and Chinatown) and Mitsuwa Marketplace. I also bought some amazingly fragrant Thai jasmine rice online from ImportFood.com.

Yeah honestly I have no idea how I lived all these years without a rice cooker, and even when I did finally decide to get one I though maybe the Zoji would be overkill compared to the 30ish dollar options available, but it was totally worth it

Do you have any types of rice that you liked getting at Asian supermarkets that I might not be familiar with? Or is it varying brands of Jasmine and short grain/sushi rice for the most part?

[joanjet]

I've considered a Zojirushi but I get super excellent results using Daawat Traditional Basmati Rice << (thanks Bob Z) and Daawat Ultima Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice 2-Years Aged << cooked in clay pots. Top with Bombay Biryani Seasoned meat/veggies of your choice, finish with scallions and parsley - it's Daa bomb!

This is the longest rice I've ever seen! Definitely going to have to try this, especially with that bombay biryani

Also that's really interesting, you should post some pictures of your clay pot method in "what did you cook today?" next time you make it, would love to sere it

[salemj]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I've love to hear what the improvements in the rice are, joanjet. I think this might have something to do with what kinds of rice to recommend. In my experience, the quality of the rice has a lot more to do with the end result than using a rice cooker or stove, but honestly I have no idea if that is because I am comfortable with my mode of cooking rice, or if I just buy crappier rice and am not picky about the result (my go-to is usually california sushi rice such as the widely available Rose). What changes in the [same] rice were so positive between the two cooking methods that you'd like to see more of by switching types of rice?

[joanjet]

-I had a small piece of kombu to almost every batch of rice I make. Bay is nice too of course.

This is a very good idea actually, gonna try this right away

[joanjet]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I've love to hear what the improvements in the rice are, joanjet. I think this might have something to do with what kinds of rice to recommend. In my experience, the quality of the rice has a lot more to do with the end result than using a rice cooker or stove, but honestly I have no idea if that is because I am comfortable with my mode of cooking rice, or if I just buy crappier rice and am not picky about the result (my go-to is usually california sushi rice such as the widely available Rose). What changes in the [same] rice were so positive between the two cooking methods that you'd like to see more of by switching types of rice?

Well, for the most part the improvements are to convenience. Being able to just quickly wash the rice in the rice cooker bowl, then fill to whatever appropriate fill line for how many cups of rice I put in, and then being able to hit 1 button just leave it and not have to worry about under or overcooking it while doing other things is incredible. Have definitely burned some rice in my days being distracted doing other tasks, as well as having made some very mushy over watered rice.

The other nice thing is having it be able to keep the rice warm, which is not something I was able to do on the stove. It's just ready for use whenever, so it makes cooking other meals more pleasant, cause I can just walk over to my warm rice and take it out without having to reheat some cold rice or having to cook a new batch with every meal.

I used to make big batches of rice and then keep them in the fridge and reheat, and sometimes the rice would be too dry and reheating it would make it unpleasant, even reheating it in a bowl of soup it would still be noticeably dry. Or sometimes the opposite as well, after reheating it just becomes a clump of mush. With the zojirushi I can just put rice on in the morning, and whenever I want I can add that warm rice to reheated soup and it still has the perfect texture and consistency, compared to the way I was doing it before.

Being able to have fresh, delicious rice all the time has gotten me to start eating it more often, especially brown rice, but I've been keeping it rather plain.

Now that I eat it a lot more than I used to (almost every day), I am just looking for ways to spice up my rice cooking, and to experiment with other types of rice I haven't tried yet (or potentially higher quality brands of rice than the ones available at Costco).

I'm sure some of the folks here have some unique delicious "go to" ways that they make rice.

[joanjet]

honestly korean multi grain rice (the purple one) is one of my favorites. some mixes only include the grains, so you have to mix in either the brown or white, they usually give the ratios. Or some come ready to cook.

Interesting, I had somehow never heard about this purple rice, and I've been to a number of Korean restaurants.

I definitely have to try this

[Robstreperous]

I have their least expensive model and it's right at the top of my list of favorite appliances for all the reasons you mention @joan. Whole family agrees.

Rice cooking was always an event for me to manage. Now? Completely mindless. And the darn thing is cheap and lasts... 15 years and the only reason we're on our second one is because the nonstick coating got scrateched.

Yes I still use the classic methods from time to time when time allows or the recipe dictates. But given how often on a busy week we eat rice... I wouldn't be without it.

Love the purple rice BTW.. Careful though. If memory serves it stains.

[stevem627]

One thing to look at when getting rice, in general, is to try to see if it says “NEW CROP”. If means you’re not getting rice that is more dried ( and perhaps even stale) out. New crop from my experience tastes different and is fluffier.

I think a good rice cooker just eliminates all work and focus from preparing rice and allows me to focus on prep of the meal.

[joanjet]

I have their least expensive model and it's right at the top of my list of favorite appliances for all the reasons you mention @joan. Whole family agrees.

Yeah I also went with the cheapest Zojirushi model I think, the Zojirushi NS-TSC10. I have heard good things about their more expensive induction model and their even more expensive induction+pressure cooking model, but the $140 already seemed like a fair amount for such a specific appliance.

Although, having it now, I can say that it was well worth the money, so I could certainly imagine talking myself into one of the very fancy rice cookers 10 years down the line.

[ronnie_suburban]

Do you have any types of rice that you liked getting at Asian supermarkets that I might not be familiar with? Or is it varying brands of Jasmine and short grain/sushi rice for the most part?

No, it's the usual suspects on the varietals. Like most things agricultural, quality and attributes differ by grower and crop year. That said, if you can find the Royal Umbrella brand of Thai jasmine rice, treat yourself and buy it. It's the best jasmine rice I can remember ever buying.

One thing to look at when getting rice, in general, is to try to see if it says “NEW CROP”. If means you’re not getting rice that is more dried ( and perhaps even stale) out. New crop from my experience tastes different and is fluffier.

I think a good rice cooker just eliminates all work and focus from preparing rice and allows me to focus on prep of the meal.

Yes, exactly. There are so few times in cooking where 'set it and forget it' actually results in a product worth making, let alone an actual improvement over conventional methods. Yet, rice cookers are one of those rare exceptions. They're not only as good as conventional cooking methods but better in many (most?) instances. They consistently turn out perfect rice and require virtually zero attention during the cook or after. That's extremely hard to find. That's not to say that clay pots and other conventional methods don't have their virtues, because they certainly do, especially if you're looking to create a tahdig, etc.

Though hardly scientific, this youtube video by Pailin does a fairly nice job of laying out some differences between cheaper and more expensive rice cookers. I think there's a bit of confirmation bias in play, but the video is still fairly useful . ..

[gladius]

This is the longest rice I've ever seen! Definitely going to have to try this, especially with that bombay biryani

Also that's really interesting, you should post some pictures of your clay pot method in "what did you cook today?" next time you make it, would love to sere it

------------
It comes down to knowing your rice more than anything else. Long grain, short grain, brown rice, white rice, water/rice ratio and cook times. The brown rices tend to go rancid after time (~6 months - you can smell it) while other rices (like my favorite Daawat Ultima) are aged 2 years!

Interesting, I cooked Basmati and Biryani yesterday but did not take photos.

I have posted photos of clay pots before:

Here: https://www.chefknivestogoforums.com/vi ... 03#p118903
and here: https://www.chefknivestogoforums.com/vi ... 72#p119972

Arroz con Pollo today but slight non traditional. Usually I will braise the chicken producing broth and add rice depending on cook time. I like crispy fried chicken so cooked them separately.

I put a small amount of duck fat in a cast iron skillet flavoring fat with garlic. Then discarding garlic, I placed salted chicken thighs skin side down to render the fat, frying skins crispy. Added yellow onions after flipping chicken thighs and added garlic when almost done.

The Daawat Ultima Basmati I started in clay pot when chicken was 20 minutes into cooking. In hot duck fat added onions, garlic, bay leaf, salt, tomato paste and rice slightly toasting then added 2 cups chicken broth (a full 2 to 1 ratio) and a splash of rice vinegar and pepper, cooking for about 15 minutes. As you can see, rice is fluffy with good texture perfectly cooked, ohh and that aroma!

Plated...

and served with cilantro and salsa "tatemada" (fire roasted Tomatillo and Serrano chile) ...

The only thing missing is a cold bottle of Modelo Especial.

[stevem627]

Joan, be prepared before you go to H Mart. If you’re like we were the first time we went years ago, once you get there and go through the aisle(s) with rice if you aren’t ready you’ll be completely overwhelmed with the variety of types and brands of rice.

[Bensbites]

Recently I tried a Persian rice where you part cook it, then finish it in a hot pan with oil and flavor. I haven’t gotten the crispy bottom yet, but I have more experimenting.

Alternatively, sometimes I use chicken broth, white wine and saffron.

[XexoX]

Recently I tried a Persian rice where you part cook it, then finish it in a hot pan with oil and flavor. I haven’t gotten the crispy bottom yet, but I have more experimenting.

Alternatively, sometimes I use chicken broth, white wine and saffron.

Just in case you didn't know, there are Persian Rice cookers too.