My Rice Cooker Broke!!!

[Shermie]

My wonderful little rice cooker fell and broke!!!

The latch for the lid broke off!!

I'm contemplating getting it fixed, but I'd have to send it to a repair shop in New York City to get it repaired. It fell and broke just before I went to Philadelphia.

I'm wondering if it is worth it, since it probably still works. The lid won't stay down.

In the meantime, I'm contemplating getting THIS one (pictured below) from Amazon.com, to use while the Zojuroushi is out being fixed in New York. It cooks up to 16 cups of rice whereas the Zojuroushi cooks only 3 cups of rice.

The Black & Decker one is a lot cheaper as well (only $18), has only a few simple controls to make cooking rice easy at only a fraction of what I paid for the Zojuroushi, but I just can't let my little buddy be thrown away!!!

 

[chocolate moose]

wow !!! that's awful !!!

 

[Adillo303]

I don't know how many folks around your house, it seems to me that 16 cups is a lot of rice. How much do you use? How often do you have it.

If you have few people and do not use rice really often and you are happy with what you have, I would go with the repair.

You know, you can do the same job with a pot?

 

[Shermie]

Yes, I could, but the cooker helps to eliminate overcooked, scorched or burnt rice.

I normally use the timer feature on the microwave to help keep that from happening, but at times, I get so busy around the house that I sometimes forget that the rice is still cooking on the stove.

Naturally, I probably won't be doing THAT much rice in it, but for those times when I like to make enough fried rice to last for a few days, it would be nice to know that the capacity is there to accommodate that amount of rice or just under.

 

[Adillo303]

Well, then, it seems like you have made your choice.

I don't have an awful big kitchen, so, I do not have a lot of gadgets. I oftern end up not using the ones I have. For example, I was making Tabouli last night and could not bring myself to get out the food processor to chop parsley and mint.

I do not do a lot of rice, a maybe 3# a year. I used to do more, I am staying away from carbs. I wonder if it would do Quinoah?

 

[Shermie]

I have rice usually about two or three times a week, and I find myself cooking rice a lot. I just want the room. my kitchen is an eat-in one - considerably large enough for a portable washer & dryer, a portable dishwasher and an apartment size fridge and large table, all of which I have.

Surely, I'll probably go back to using the little Zojuroushi when it is repaired. But since I like rice a lot, and I cook it a lot, the timing seems right to get a cheaper but larger one.

I paid about $124 for the Zojuroushi, BTW, Had it for about 6 years.

 

[Shermie]

Here's something else that I thought about, since it looks almost like the one Mama has!

But this one is a Fagor.

It's a browner, pressure cooker, rice cooker and slow cooker all in one!!

 

[chocolate moose]

I am on my 2nd rice cooker; I like it very much. You can make rice in the microwave in the meantime but it takes 20 minutes, a lot of electricity, and it isn't the healthiest way to cook or or the best use of energy.

 

[Shermie]

I am on my 2nd rice cooker; I like it very much. You can make rice in the microwave in the meantime but it takes 20 minutes, a lot of electricity, and it isn't the healthiest way to cook or or the best use of energy.

I think you're right.

I once read that when doing rice in the microwave, that there is no real significance as far as time goes. That it takes the same amount of time as if cooking it on the stove.

 

[Cooksie]

$124 for a rice cooker is way out of my league. I have an old Black and Decker, and it works fine for me.

You really are into those gadgets, Sherman. I know the perfect part-time job for you, gadget demonstrations . When I was in Sam's the other day, this guy was demo'ing a Vita-Mix. He had people six deep gathered around him, and he was having a ball showing how it worked and how you could use it.

 

[Shermie]

Did you buy one? Hah!!

I once wanted one years ago, but never got one!! They are astronomically expensive!! But they are said to be the best blender that your money can ever buy!

After a while, I figured that I didn't need one after all, since all my stuff combined can do what the Vitamix does. I've seen it demo'd at the New England Home Show many time over. Still, I never bought it.

But I might just get the Black & Decker one whose pic I posted at the top of this thread. Since I already have 3 stovetop pressure cookers, I see no reason to buy an electric one. No need. I'm happy with them.

 

[chocolate moose]

I grew up with instant rice as my mom never could make rice. So I didn't have a good example as far as that goes.

I got myself a cheap rice cooker when I moved into an apt that didn't have the enrgy to run the microwave 20 whole minutes.

Then, when I wanted to use more brown rice, I upgraded to a fancier machine. I also paid more to get a smaller one (story of my life).

It makes good rice. It's foolproof and it's easy to keep clean.

If it were me, I'd eat more couscous etc until it's fixed; I wouldn't buy a 2nd machnine.

But you all do what suits you.

 

[Shermie]

I grew up with instant rice as my mom never could make rice. So I didn't have a good example as far as that goes.

I got myself a cheap rice cooker when I moved into an apt that didn't have the enrgy to run the microwave 20 whole minutes.

Then, when I wanted to use more brown rice, I upgraded to a fancier machine. I also paid more to get a smaller one (story of my life).

It makes good rice. It's foolproof and it's easy to keep clean.

If it were me, I'd eat more couscous etc until it's fixed; I wouldn't buy a 2nd machnine.

But you all do what suits you.

About a month and a half ago, I was in one of the convenience stores looking for rice, and all they had was Minute Rice, so I decided to try it, and guess what? It worked very well!!

It DOES eliminate scorching and burning because all you do for it is boil the recommended amount of water for the amount that you want, add a little salt and butter, add the rice, stir gently with a fork, cover it and let it do its thing!! Then you fluff up the rice with a fork when it is done and all the water is absorbed.

But I figured that I'd get a much cheaper inexpensive simple cooker instead of getting a smaller more sophisticated one this time.

 

[ChowderMan]

I do rice from 2 cups to 2 parsec volumes ala' Alton Brown -

bring to a boil in a pot; cover; stick in preheated oven; remove remaining covered to 'steam'

no burn, no pain, no stick, just "perfect" rice - done regular and consistent - as in "I know I can make that for dinner"

lacking space and time and flexibility of appliances, I can understand a rice cooker would work. not yet gotten in that jam.

 

[Shermie]

I USED to cook rice in the oven, but that was years ago.

 

[Shermie]

Here's a smaller 6-qt Presto unit that I found, also on Amazon.

 

[Shermie]

This one, I've struck off the list.

Too many dissatisfied customers to warrant buying it!!

I'll stick with the B&D unit.

 

[Shermie]

I don't know how many folks around your house, it seems to me that 16 cups is a lot of rice. How much do you use? How often do you have it.

If you have few people and do not use rice really often and you are happy with what you have, I would go with the repair.

You know, you can do the same job with a pot?

Of course, you can cook less than 16 cups of rice with it. There's no ruling that says that you HAVE to make that much.

I think the minimum is about 2 cups of rice. It has level markings on the inside of the pot that tell you exactly the amount was rice that you'd want.

And it has gotten good reviews from about 67 or so happy campers.

 

[chocolate moose]

You know what? if you only need a cup or 2 of rice, a 16 cup cooker is way overkill - it might burn the rice and it certainly generates more power than you need. That's why I sometimes pay double for an appliance that suits my size needs exactly.

 

[Shermie]

Thanks.

But that may or may not be true, but be that as it may, in pretty much any unit, you don't have to do the maximum amount of rice to capacity.

In other words, you don't have to do just 16 cups of rice every time that you want to use it. At most, I usually cook up to about 4 to 5 cups of rice. But I figured that the extra capacity wouldn't hurt, since just in case I'm doing enough rice to feed a get-together, crowd or a party, to which I've done many times before.

You can do less than that, and also, the unit will automatically go into the Keep Warm feature. The same programmed cooking cycle is timed from the smallest amount to the largest amount. I will check on it periodically to make sure that there are no problems with it, just like I do with the smaller Zojurushi unit.

Whereas I'm on limited income, I not only have to try to stay within my means and look for something that will give me the max for less, but also, I have to choose a reliable brand based on customer reviews and satisfaction.

 

[Shermie]

Tried the present one out with a rubber band to keep the lid closed, and now the unit seems too slow to heat the small amount of water in the bowl.

I think that tells me that the unit has said goodbye and has cashed in its chips! Have to get a new one!

 

[joec]

I gave up on rice cookers and now just use a sauce pan with rice and water. I'm actually getting better rice too now than I ever did in the cookers I've had over the years.

 

[Shermie]

The little Zojurushi was my very first one, and it would have still been working perfectly, had it not fallen.

I think something else in it went wrong from the sudden impact on the floor!!

 

[Shermie]

This newer one replaces the one that I bought, but the thing costs $145!!

Kinda steep for a small rice cooker!! But it might be a bit cheaper at Amazon.com! I'll go look and see.

It IS cheaper there - selling for $112! I may just go back to THIS size again!! It IS cute and looks almost like a little ball!!

 

[joec]

I had two of these over the years and though they worked fine and are very cheap even at the local Korean Food store I still prefer the standard 3 to 4 qt sauce pan with a lid. We actually got the first one from friends in Texas one Christmas in the 70's. It held up well for a good 20 years. The second one we loaned to a grand daughter and was never returned.

 

[Shermie]

These ones pretty much all look the same, even though they are made from different small appliance companies.

 

[Shermie]

I was told here by one of the members that the B&D unit whose picture I posted at the top of the previous page, might produce BURNT rice if only about 2 or 3 cups of rice were made in it.

Well, here's proof that it wont. Shown below is a pic of the unit in which about 2 or 3 cups of rice was cooked in it before most of it was eaten, and there is no sign of any burnt, scorched or overcooked rice. You can see where the level of the rice was when it was done. As long as you follow the manual's instructions and NOT the instructions on the rice package, things should go very smoothly with no problems at all. Boy!! That rice looks GOOD too!!!

 

[joec]

These ones pretty much all look the same, even though they are made from different small appliance companies.

I'm sure they are Sherman. I've had two with different names on them over 25 years or so though both where really the exact same with different names on them.

 

[Shermie]

I was just at a BB&B store today and saw a Zojurushi 6-cup rice cooker for $99.

If it is still that price when I'm ready to get one, them I may lean toward getting it.

 

[Embryodad]

Where do you see the latch?
The picture doesn't show a latch??
I have one like that, and there is no latch?

The lid comes completely off on mine and DD's, and there is no lid latch.


Oooops! The old man here didn't realize the pic below of the B&Decker was different than the latch one.
OK... Guess I jumped the gun!...Sorry!