if i’m putting children at risk by simmering the rice, i should probably be rightly accused of attempted premeditated murder every time i boil beans or whip up stock. and to think of pan-smoked meats….

The issue is not that a rice cooker is better at applying heat to a pan containing some rice and water than a traditional pan on the stove (although it is). The issue is that a rice cooker is better at ceasing to apply heat when the rice is done. Your silly little directions for “cooking” rice are all well and fine, but I will hold you — each of you — personally responsible for every young child brutally killed, and every pot and pan ruined, by forgot-to-turn-off-the-rice industrial kitchen accidents. Maybe with your eidetic memories and huge manhoods YOU never forget to turn the rice off in time to save your thin and bitter gruel, but often I’m too busy making the rest of the meal to be bothered with things that the ($20) robots can do for me.

My rice cooker is easier to clean than any of my pots. Next time don’t buy the one made from flypaper.

Having been duely smacked down, I did want make one last point.

Generally a rice cooker seems to me to want less water than cooking on the stove. This might account for Doug’s glue issues.
You also have to wait 10-15min after the thing pops to actually open it up. I forgot that.

I’ve never had trouble cleaning my cooker. Not sure why. Maybe I’m just used to the suffering.

The Spanish way for “white rice” (as opposed to “yellow rice”, which is rice with saffron and “stumbles” à la paella):

In a pan (my grandmother’s rice pot lid would not fit if you hammered it down), burn slices of garlic in a little olive oil. A microsecond before they become charcoal, add X glasses of rice. Stir to mix the charcoal and add 1.5X glasses of water. It will sizzle and thereby impress children and dates/imminent one-night stands. Keep the burn up until it boils, add salt, lower flame to simmer, cover, go play Halo 2 (it reminds my grandmother of her youth). When it has soaked up the water (15 minutes later) put out flame, uncover and let sit for 5 more minutes before putting a fried egg and some tomato sauce on top.

I find that with the rice in this here parts I need to put more water, and it’s still not granny’s white rice. But then again, it is also missing the congealed pork fat and the side of sautéed baby eels.

http://www.tilda.com/products/rices/basmati_rice.shtml

yum yum.

my mom swears by the microwave oven when cooking rice. my rice is cooked on the stove.

my technique:

take a pan with a tight-fitting lid. pour in a full glass of water. put the lid back on, bring to a boil. pour in rice measured about a thumb less than a full glass of water. cover. bring back up to a boil. reduce heat to lowest setting. depending on the stove, you might have to move the pot a little off the burner if it’s too hot.

set timer to 20 minutes. come back. fork up. chow down.

that’s maybe 10 years old at this point. it’s sometimes supplemented with a cardamom pod or two thrown in with the rice.