"I bought this AROMA brand rice cooker to replace a larger vegetable steamer (by a different manufacturer) that had an attachment for cooking rice. I wanted to have a cooker that was primarily for rice, with the option to steam vegetables and/or cook other foods, while being smaller when stored on the countertop, and easier to clean than my old one. Based on other Amazon reviews, I selected this one. Before I forget to write it, I think it is important to point out that this cooker is rated for 8 cups of COOKED rice, NOT 8 cups of uncooked rice. The usual ratio for regular white rice is 1:2, meaning that if you put in 1 cup of uncooked rice, you will have 2 cups of cooked rice when done. So with this product you can put in a maximum of 4 cups of uncooked rice, and will end up with a maximum of 8 cups of cooked rice. It is also important to note that if you choose to use the optional (included) vegetable steamer/food cooker tray, this fits inside the rice cooker pot and therefore takes up some of the space in that pot; you can cook rice AND steam vegetables/cook food simultaneously, but you cannot fit the full measure of rice when doing so. In my estimate, if you put in a cup or two of uncooked rice, the vegetable steamer/food cooker tray holds about enough to feed two people when combined with the rice. It is certainly not large enough to simultaneously cook rice and other food in quantities for a family; AROMA makes a similar product with a larger capacity if you need it. I shopped in several stores (Sears, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Macy's) before buying this cooker. They all carried electric rice cookers, but none had this product. Sears has AROMA products, but only in a less expensive non-digital version, while BB&B had a similar cooker by West Bend that did not look as good in terms of quality. But the majority of places I looked carried only non-digital rice cookers. I mention this because I think the digital ones have a couple of advantages that are significant enough to comment on: - The cooker is not simply based on cooking time; there is some sort of measurement going on that assures properly cooked rice. - The cooker can be programmed to start cooking while you are away, so that the rice (or other food) will be ready when you want to eat it. - The cooker automatically goes into a 'keep warm' mode once cooking is done, and will work well in this regard for at least a few hours. This cooker includes the following: - Cooker itself (included the digital controller and the heating element) - Teflon coated (non-stick) rice cooker pot - Plastic vegetable steamer/food cooker tray - Plastic stirring spatula (used once rice is cooked) - Clear plastic measuring cup (1 cup capacity) - Users manual - Quick start guide - Rice recipes Basic rice cooking goes like this: - Measure uncooked rice, using included cup or any other measuring cup - Pour rice into pot - If cooking white rice, pour in some water, stir with included spatula (or wooden spoon, etc), drain water (this optional step helps rinse away excess starch) - Add water to pot (which already contains rice) until water level reaches measuring mark on inside of pot that corresponds with amount of rice - Close cooker lid - Press POWER button - Press either the WHITE RICE or BROWN RICE button - Cooking starts, and is monitored by the digital controller; display shows rotating LED pattern, 'Cooking' LED illuminates - When digital controller estimates that about 12 minutes remain, display stops rotating pattern and starts showing count down minutes until done - Cooker beeps loudly for a few seconds, automatically enters KEEP WARM mode, 'Keep Warm' LED illuminates - When ready to eat, press POWER button twice to turn cooker off, open lid and remove pot - Stir cooked in pot using included spatula (or wooden spoon, etc) The manual includes a chart for estimating cooking time, but in general white rice takes 20-30 minutes, and brown rice takes twice that time. I have done small and large batches of both white rice, brown rice, and also a batch of wild rice, and all came out perfectly, properly cooked but not mushy. White rice had a nice level of stickiness of the sort that lends itself to eating with chopsticks, but without being TOO sticky, so you can easily break it up by stirring more with the spatula. In my tests, I always used the recommended water amount (i.e. I filled the pot to the measurement line that matched the amount of uncooked rice I put in), EXCEPT for the wild rice; the cooker does not have a setting for wild rice, so I followed the instructions on the rice bag, putting in 1-3/4 cup of water for each cup of uncooked rice, and then using the BROWN RICE mode on the cooker. I have not used the optional vegetable steamer/food cooker tray, so I cannot comment on that very much. But the manual includes extra steps for setting up cooking in the tray only (i.e. no rice cooking), as well as simultaneous cooking of rice and other foods. There are ways to specify time values that apply to the foods in the optional tray, so the cooker is not going only on its normal method for rice-only cooking. Besides using the product for cooking rice, and other things in the optional tray, it can be used as a sort of 'crock pot' for heating soups, chili, stews, etc. In this case, you just put the food to be heated into the pot directly and select the WHITE RICE mode. The food will be heated and then the cooker will keep it warm until you are ready to eat it. I tested this using a can of chili, and it worked well. This use of the cooker is mostly useful if you want to program it to start cooking while you are away, with cooking completed soon before you ARE ready to eat, OR to keep the food warm if you are uncertain about when you will be ready to eat. The pot is easy to clean. Since neither water or food are ever put into the body of the cooker, there should rarely be any need to clean it, other than wiping the inside of the lid in case any food splashed up onto it during cooking. The quality of this product seems very good. Nothing feels cheap. My only quibbles are that the power cord is quite short (obviously intended for use on a counter top, whereas I prefer to use it on a table that is further from the nearest outlet), and the 'control panel' area is quite reflective, and sometimes I have to view from different angles in order to read the buttons and/or the display and other LEDs."
Aroma 8-Cup (Cooked) Digital Rice Cooker and Food Steamer, Stainless Steel (Compare deals from $29.92)
"Aroma Digital Rice Cooker and Food Steamer is going to be your best friend if you cook and eat rice often. The last thing you want is uncooked hard rice that s not edible or burnt. There are many cheaper alternatives with a single switch that can cook or keep warm, but this rice cooker can delay up to 15 hours, which is perfect to get it ready for coming home after work. I ve tried out a few rice cooker myself, and this works perfectly to prepare some steamy rice that s just right. That s coming from an Asian who grew up eating rice everyday too! This cooker comes in a cube box with a lot of helpful information around it, claiming that it can cook from 2 to 8 cups of rice, and cook all sorts of other things like vegetable, soup, and more. From my experience of cooking rice for myself, prepping for 1 cup of rice seems to be okay too. You can open the lid of the rice cooker by pressing the button attached on the handle, and there s more parts like the white plastic tray with holes that you can use to steam vegetables and a measuring cup to scoop out the right amount of rice. Apparently the vegetable tray is BPA free so it won t be harmful, sweet. To make rice, I put a cup of raw rice into the bowl using the measuring cup first. Then I poured water, rinsed it enough to clean rice, and put fresh water up to the water level written inside the bowl. Then I simply put the bowl into the rice cooker, closed the lid, turned it on, and pressed White Rice button (Other available buttons are Brown Rice, Steam, and Keep Warm.) You can also press on the Delay Timer to schedule your meal for up to 15 hours. This feature was handy when I set it in the morning, went to work, and came back to find this cooker finishing up cooking my rice. After those few steps, you just need to wait. For one cup of rice, it seemed to take about 20 minutes or so, and longer for additional amount of rice. While at first, the digital indicator won t show anything, it gives you a countdown starting towards the end. From usually eating one serving size, it would show up around last 12 minutes until it s done. Once it s done, the rice cooker will start beeping out loud a few times. At first, I thought it was my smoke alarm but ha, it ll definitely get your attention that the rice is done! I d recommend putting additional water if you won t be eating right away and plan to keep it warmed up longer, but this good looking rice cooker can make some tasty rice. I remember using cheaper rice cookers with lids that would splash hot water drops, and this Aroma Digital Rice Cooker and Food Steamer is so much better. I should ve bought this at first before trying out cheaper alternatives. I ve been eating rice for a few decades now and I know this rice cooker makes some delicious rice that s not undercooked or burnt. This smaller version I use is for up to 8 cups but you can also get a 20 cup one if needed. You scoop rice, pour into the bowl, rinse, add enough water, press the button, wait, and eat. I m sure even a caveman could do it! Pros + So easy and can t go wrong + Can also steam and cook food other than rice + Stylish + Lid stays closed, no water splashes + Delay timer up to 15 hours + Stays on Keep Warm mode automatically after finishing Cons Beeps are a bit loud for my little apartment but it may be good for you Wishlist Having an actual clock like many microwaves would be nice Check out the full review on Normal Consumer. Thanks for reading!"
"I have two children, who both love to eat rice. I personally don't like making it on the stove because of how uneven it can be, or how much watching i have to do to make sure it doesn't burn or dry too quickly. Although not hard, cooking rice to me can be an annoyance. My kids get rice every time we go to our local Chinese buffet and have been begging me to make it at home so i decided to give this a shot. Since getting it, we have used it almost every single day. I used it immediately after receiving it. I have not used instant or any kind of brown rice, I only plan on making uncooked white rice. I found the maker extremely easy to use. You get one cup of rice (up to 4 cups), rinse it well as it can be starchy and it has a marking in the pot for how much water it needs. Every time i have used it, the rice has come out great. I have tried putting butter in it before hand, but it browns slightly. Putting sea salt in it works fine as the salt dissolves. Using the exact amount of water as marked is fine but is a little sticky. I put water in to about the 1 and a half mark and it's perfect. I made rice the first time at 10 am, and let it run on the warm setting till 3:30 when my son got home and the rice was just as moist as when the rice first finishes cooking (i didn't open it to let out the moisture). It takes about half an hour to cook. When turned on, the timer just spins. It seems to be connected to the thermostat and once it gets to the cooking temp, it then counts down till its done. The steam function works good as well. I have tried cooking broccoli by itself on steam which came out fine, and with rice, but on the rice setting, it was over steamed. If you want to steam while cooking rice, you need something a little tougher to steam that can hold up to the longer time. None of the broccoli got into the rice. The machine is cool to the touch while in use and there is a handy hook on it to hang the spoon on, though the curved spoon doesn't look right on it. It cleans easily as the pot is removable. If you don't rinse the rice, the lid, when dried, will have starchy residue on it which needs to be cleaned off from starch in the steam. The heating element is ridged and is hard to clean if it gets anything on it. I have only used a cup of water at a time but moisture has gotten on the element leaving a brown ring of starch on it that needs to be cleaned with some sort of brush because i haven't rinsed the rice every time. I don't see this breaking any time soon and if it's taken care of, i can see us using this for a long time. It's not a $100+ rice maker, but it makes perfect rice just the same. It looks nice with stainless steel and is a good addition to your kitchen. If you like rice but find making on the stove top a hassle, this is your maker."
"I've gone through many rice cookers over the vast years and have found a good, basic model is just fine for my needs. Started with a glass-topped starch-water spewing and spitting model to a high-end Panasonic fuzzy logic that is sitting in the zombie collection, so far this has been my favorite cooker --- and excellent for the price (under 30 dollars in white). This is my second one after a year....the first met an unforeseen mishap (knocked onto the concrete and hit just right (or wrong) to crack the lid making it unusable) so onto my search for another rice cooker. After looking at all of the models and features, I loved this one so much (and the price was outstanding) that I got another. I mainly cook 1 cup of dry rice since we like it fresh cooked when we eat it. I'm gluten-intolerant so rice is a basic starch for me. My favorite rice is a medium to short grain Japonica. I really like this brand --- http://smile.amazon.com/Nishiki-Premium-Medium-Grain-15-Pound/dp/B004NRLAVY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1395859201&sr=8-3&keywords=sushi+rice ---- it's not quite as sticky as a full short-grained sushi rice yet nowhere near a long grained fluffy rice. If you want a rice that tastes good, cooks up well and holds together enough for rice-balls or ease of using chop sticks, this may be your rice. I do like all kinds of rice and I'm not that fussy (as long as the rice isn't broken or poor quality)...I enjoy all of the nuances each variety brings to the plate. I basically have 3 types of rice I rotate through at once: short grain, jasmine and basmati depending on what we are eating it with. This cooker makes a surprisingly large amount when the rice is all fluffed up after cooking. We get 6-8 servings from the 4 measuring cups dry. I am usually cooking for 2 (plus a few nibbles for the dog) so 1 cup of dry rice is plenty for us. I find the Nishiki rice is so clean that I don't wash it before-hand and it never spews starch-water. Cooks up beautifully when water is filled to the 1 mark line for 1 cup (rice cooker measure is 3/4 of an actual measuring cup) of dry rice. I like the fact this has a water condensation catcher so when you open the lid the steam-water drips into a catch-all that you can empty. It has a holder on the back, left side for the rice paddle. I don't like non-stick but almost all rice cookers are so I make do with it for the convenience of the machine. This has a delay timer so if you want to wake up to a hot bowl of rice in the morning, or come home from work and have your rice ready, just set the delay timer and your rice will be waiting for you. It automatically switches to warm (like almost all rice cookers do) and stays piping hot until you are ready to eat. I love the white color, the lines are sleek and it looks beautiful. Easy to clean. I don't find any starch dripping around the lid or cover (could be the rice brand I use) and it's a simple quick wash and rinse and wipe down and it's ready for the next time. To use after filling with rice and water: I plug it in, touch the power button and then touch the white rice button. That's it...it will beep when it's ready. Looking at the 500 dollar top-of-the-line rice cooker that pressure cooks and induction heats your rice and uses bells and whistles, and this model...this one is perfect for me. I just want rice and I want it done well."
"I was eating a lot of frozen dinners and wanted to try to eat a little healthier, so for me this was not just about the rice cooker but about how well the food steamer would produce "tasty food". At first I tried cooking white rice with different Green Giant frozen vegetable combinations in the steamer basket. What was great was that you could open the cooker at just the right time to add the vegetables without overcooking them. The rice was quite good, and once fluffed with the included paddle and allowed to sit a minute or two it was almost identical to rice I would cook on the stove - yet not as dry as "Chinese-restaurant-style" rice. Then I tried adding a boneless, skinless chicken thigh (seasoned with Goya lemon adobo) with white rice. I put the chicken in from the start of the cooking time. Wow, it is was great --- really, really moist and perfectly cooked. However, the rice did "glisten" from the fat that cooked out of the chicken - but honestly it was tasty. Then, I decided to switch to brown rice. Here's where it got interesting --- it took almost 2 hours to cook the rice (1 hr. 50 min) with the chicken. I noticed that when I used only water for the rice it did not scorch the rice on the bottom very much. However, as I began to add chicken stock it began to scorch considerably more. But for me that's a bonus as I like the scorched rice (concon or pegado). For large boneless, skinless chicken breasts I let the cooker run for an hour then add the seasoned chicken breast (my favorite seasoning is Old Bay seasoning - however if I want to use a lot I like to cut the Old Bay in half with ground celery). When it beeps I take the chicken breast out, fluff the rice, and slice the chicken into thick strips (It is really MOIST - no gravy needed!) and serve with the vegetables I added to the streamer at the appropriate time (depending on whether I am using fresh or frozen vegetable such as broccoli). The brown rice is very good and seems to get better as it steams off a little. I also like to go to my Chinese supermarket and buy frozen dumplings and "mini-pork buns" (look identical to soup dumplings I get in the restaurant). I line the basket with a little lettuce or Chinese cabbage and put the dumplings on top, steam (with or without rice), and eat with the sweet black vinegar --- nice! Since I've received the cooker I've been using it 3-4 times a week. I've experimented with some of favorite seasonings and have even used some seasonings that are not ground (keeping it on the top of the meat). The only things you need to pay attention to is the size the meat - as I have found a large chicken breast fills the steamer basket leaving minimal room for your vegetables. And when using brown rice, I have to start the rice immediately upon getting home from work so as not to have to eat too late (however, if I am awake enough in the morning I have found that i can set it up in the morning for the rice and then set the cooker's timer). Careful with seasoning the meat heavily with a salt based seasoning - as obviously this will make your rice somewhat salty. Honestly, clean-up is a breeze --- a non stick bowl, removable the top plate, metal top, and the water collector --- otherwise I really wouldn't use it. The only thing that seems strange is why can't the timer show the time the entire cooking time instead of the last 15 minutes? But really, so far so good!"
"Well, here we go. I'm very picky with my cooking appliances so I like to give you a honest review. I wanted to buy this rice cooker because I saw the 20cups model from my mother-in-law. I loved how well those one worked. The quality was very good. Before this one, I had had another aroma RC made of stainless steel but it's a mess.... Excellent quality (even better, the pot and the finish) but it splatters rice and water over my countertop and always I had to put a towel to prevent the unavoidable "pool". REALLY. All my stove and countertop turned into a little pool. Second, I was concerned about the coating and all that stuff all you know.... But, in general, I didn't found any scientific fact that really persuades me to stay with the S.S rice cooker. Every material leaches something. So well. I decided to buy this guy. My first impression wasn't good. It looks like very cheap, the pot looks like cheaper...etc. I like the white color and I prefer this one over the black one because ....I don't know, I'm a girl. Hahahaha anyway. I've made brown and white rice and I have to say it is very good.No more mess! No more painful cleaning time! NO MORE POOLS . The RC actually steams but just a little bit, the rest of water goes to the collector cup. It's look is not so sturdy, but it works perfect. The first use it smells like plastic but with time it will disappear. this one has not the same quality as its bigger brothers (20cups, the pot is completely coated and smoother, the exterior is more sturdy, the finish...) but I still recommend it. The rice tastes good, I'm not Japanese or someone like that but I like the good rice, plain rice. The main reason to buy it is because of my schedule. The university takes a lot of my time and I don't have so much time to cook when I arrive at home. I haven't tried the steamer, however until now it performs as it must be. I will try another grains I like and I will write it here :) Ps: always rinse your rice until is completely Clair the water!!! The excess of starch will turn your rice into mushy rice and It will stick to the sides. In my country I have found the rice has a looooot of starch :/ UPDATE: jun 2015 Ok, after months, I returned the item. Why? Everytime I cooked rice it smelled so bad. When I opened the lid, the smell of something burnt was awful! Rice came out kind of yellow and got hard so fast :(. I couldn't do oatmeal because it made a disaster with the liquid. The bowl was a super cheap material, the surface wasn't smooth, it had rough areas. Brown rice was my main goal, but at the end, it turned the rice undercooked sometimes. And, just once, I trusted in the timer ..... And when I came back from school, my RC was turned off, I didn't know what happened :s"
"The Right Tool for a 12 Day Cleanse. First, I am not a professional cook, or even a bad amateur. Years ago, I cooked oatmeal and it's still cemented to the pan. Accidentally met this Scottish lad from Canada, A Dr. Ramsey. He was a chinese doctor. All during our conversation, he was taking my pulse, asked to see my tongue. Then accurately gave me a diagnosis that took American Medical doctors years of tests to come with. He told me the antibiotics I had taken was causing the congestion (as well as other issues). Prescribed this wild rose cleanse. I looked at the meal plan and thought ... Many natural and steamed vegetables, rice, fish ..... hmmm. I live in NYC and don't cook. Greenwich Village, where I live, goes non stop, 24 hours. After a lot of research, the only way I could go on this 12 day cleanse was with a rice cooker. I did my homework. Because a rice cooker expert, pouring over the reviews. It came between an expensive ... 200 dollar unit, and this one ... like 30 bucks ... But this little unit had better reviews and didn't have the faults of the expensive unit. I read all the reviews of how to cook brown rice and the difficulty. I don't know about that. Being a novice, I put a cup of brown rice in this, threw in some lentils and a couple of table spoons of grain which are allowed on the cleanse, closed the lid, pressed two buttons, and around an hour later, I had the best tasting rice (whatever), I'd ever tasted. I threw a little Goya Seasoning on it .... and it was delicious. Been using this unit (on day 10 of 12 days) religiously, every day. I can't believe what I'd been missing out on. I also can't believe the money I've saved using this. I purchased it with the Japanese Rice washing bowl and these two items have made this program simplistic. IF there are bad things about the unit, well, as of now, I haven't come across them. And the price ... I think I paid 29 (or so) and the free shipping from Amazon .... C'mon .... 5 Stars .... and btw, that Wild Rose 12 day cleanse also sold on Amazon. Supposedly one of the most popular cleanses in Canada. I feel great. Never deprived. Didn't have the severe cleansing effects others have gone through, and, I've lost a few pounds where people have remarked, I look 10-12 years younger than my age (boy, does that make me feel good). This is just my opinion. But if I had spent 200 dollars on a more expensive unit, I don't know if I'd get a better tasting good steamed dish with no hassle and no needed cooking skills."
Aroma 8-Cup (Cooked) Digital Rice Cooker and Food Steamer, Stainless Steel (Compare deals from $29.92)
