If you use a rice cooker at home, you probably know that it can be quite a bother to clean it because it has some grooves and uneven parts inside that are a bit hard to reach.
One of the writers at our sister site Grape was feeling a bit uncomfortable about the fact that she wasn't cleaning her rice cooker as regularly as she thought she should. After all, since she eats rice almost every day, it's probably not a good idea to let dirt accumulate inside, she reckoned.
Ever since she came across a simple and hassle-free way of cleaning her rice cooker, however, she's been cleaning it more regularly and has regained her peace of mind.
Here's the method she found:
An easy way of cleaning your rice cooker
First, fill the rice cooker's inner chamber with about a third to a quarter of water. No detergent or other product is needed at this stage.
After adding water, select the rice cooker's "quick cook mode" and let it run. Our writer needed about 30 minutes to complete the cycle with her rice cooker.
After the cycle is done, open the lid and wipe off any dirty buildup in the grooves with a paper towel as shown in the photo below. The inside of the rice cooker is hot, so be careful not to burn yourself.
The starch in the rice that had stuck to the surface will be softened by the heat and steam, and the dirty buildup can be easily removed.
Remove the inner lid as well and wipe off any dirt from the inside grooves of the lid. Wash the inner lid and inner chamber with detergent once it has cooled down.
When the body, inner lid, and inner chamber are all dry, put everything back together and your rice cooker will be spic and span!
Did the rice cooker get clean?
After actually doing this, our writer felt that the steam did indeed help to remove the dirty buildup. In the past, she had noticed an odd smell in her rice, especially after cooking rice or pilaf. However, since she started using this simple cleaning method, the smell is no longer noticeable.
She's happy with this method and now uses it all the time.
So if you're wondering how to care for your rice cooker, why not give it a try?
Read more stories from grape Japan.
-- Cat in Japan dubbed the god of making biscuits after starring in too soothing video
-- Studio Ghibli humidifiers let your favorite anime characters take are of your room
-- How to turn Napa cabbage into a tasty Japanese salad with just a few ingredients
- External Link
- https://grapee.jp/en/
14 Comments
Login to comment
Brian Nicholls
Hmm, so what's the carbon footprint of millions of people unnecessarily running their rice cookers for an extra half hour every day?
Tom San
I use a mess tin to make my rice because I want to protect the environment.
GBR48
30 mins of hob use just to clean your rice cooker sounds like an expensive way to do it. I always forget to check whether boil-in-the-bag rice (which is much less fuss and requires just 10-12 mins of home boiling) exists in Japan. Premium rice brands are undermarketed. Checking for Christmas gifts, you can get selection packs of all sorts of things, from gins and coffees to chilli sauces. I couldn't find a selection of different rice varieties in convenient boil-in-the-bag packs, to introduce people to them. What Japan has done with matcha, it could do with rice.
GBR48
Not hob use but electricity. You get the idea. It's not free.
Desert Tortoise
Rice from a boil in bag? Yuck. It will never compare to premium rice cooked in a premium Japanese rice cooker.
wallace
Our rice cooker has a self-cleaning mode. Use only every couple of weeks. Wash the rice bowl without anything harsh to avoid scratches. Wash the steam collector, Less than five minutes. leave the top open for a while to ensure all is dry and avoid mold.
Boil-in-the-bag rice is usually commercial rice which can include rice from many locations such as Fukushima. We have different rice from different locations depending on how we want to use it. Boil-in-the-bag is also pre-cooked and can never compare with freshly cooked rice.
Commercial rice is bought by all the restaurant chains.
Sushi rice. Brown rice (which we mainly eat). Rice soup. Curry rice.
From the use of energy, a rice cooker is more efficient than boiling in a pan.
If you wanted you can bake cakes and bread in a rice cooker. I use an oven.
A Donabe pot is also very good for cooking rice.
wallace
Rice cookers have timers. Set it before going to work. Cooked when you arrive home. The steam in a rice cooker cooks the rice better than in a normal pot.
wallace
Woboot
you should buy yourself a ¥1,000 Donabe pot.
Hawkeye
Have had two Zojirushi Japanese rice cookers in 30 years. One of them lasted about 20 years. I initially thought the product price was exorbitant but the value is in their longevity and continued great performance. That also goes for the hot pot water dispenser if you and your group drink lot of coffee and tea etcetera's. Cleaning is quick and a no brainer if you have half a brain to start with and know how to use a sponge.
wallace
The rice cooker is the number one appliance for the Japanese. You can cook a whole meal in it. I often put in my veg and fish. What I like most is not having to watch it. Once it's turned on that is it until you are ready to eat.
Yrral
Use instant rice,you can cook in any vessel as long as their water , Google Instant Rice Use Less Water