[dagger]

Something so simple has to be so hard to make. I have a rice cooker which does a great job making rice but it sticks to the pan. Any secrets to stop this and I can make up to 4 cups at a time but 4 cups uncooked rice equals how much cooked?

 

[brianshaw]

My secret to avoiding sticking rice was to stop using a rice cooker. And when I do I remove the pan from the cooking after the water has totally cooked out so it rests off heat.

8 cups or so.

 

[mike9]

Yup - you gotta let it rest the steam in the pan will "deglaze" the bottom and you'll also have fluffier rice.  Do not peek inside!!  Also you need to rinse your rice under till the water is clear before cooking.  

 

[cheflayne]

I use a rice cooker at home at least twice a week. After the cooker flips over to the finished/keep warm position, leave it alone for 15 minutes, DO NOT OPEN THE LID. After 15 minutes, raise the lid and fluff rice well being sure to scrap the bottom. Put the lid back down and leave in the keep warm mode for 5 minutes. After the five minutes, you're done, EAT.

 

[phatch]

My rice cooker has the teflon coating. No sticking. Otherwise, you're talking about cooking high starch content on plain metal. And that will stick. Cheflayne has it right. Let it stand for a few minutes at the end of cooking. The rice will steam itself loose in most cases just from the residual heat and steam.

If nothing else, after you've removed your cooked  rice, a short soak will loosen any remaining clinging rice. Just don't let it dry on to the surface. That gets harder to remove.

In Persian cuisine the lightly browned rice crust on the bottom of the cooked rice is the most popular part. Their technique emphasizes longer lower heat cooking to promote the crustiness. 

 

[phatch]

Yup - you gotta let it rest the steam in the pan will "deglaze" the bottom and you'll also have fluffier rice. Do not peek inside!! Also you need to rinse your rice under till the water is clear before cooking.

Maybe. Depends on the source of your rice. Most rice sold in the US is pretty clean and doesn't really benefit from rinsing. If you source your rice from an ethnic vendor, you're more likely to need to rinse your rice as they are more prone to carry rice handled in the more traditional methods. This is more of a carry-over technique from our immigrants who have not had as high quality of rice handling as is common in the US.

There are some heavy rinse/short soak techniques that contribute to water absorbtion. So read recipe instructions carefully if you're working with some traditional rice dishes to get the right amounts of water.

Additionally if you've bought fortified rice, you're washing off the fortification.

 

[dagger]

My rice cooker has the teflon coating. No sticking. Otherwise, you're talking about cooking high starch content on plain metal. And that will stick. Cheflayne has it right. Let it stand for a few minutes at the end of cooking. The rice will steam itself loose in most cases just from the residual heat and steam.

If nothing else, after you've removed your cooked rice, a short soak will loosen any remaining clinging rice. Just don't let it dry on to the surface. That gets harder to remove.

In Persian cuisine the lightly browned rice crust on the bottom of the cooked rice is the most popular part. Their technique emphasizes longer lower heat cooking to promote the crustiness.

Yup it a metal pan, not coated. I'll try that 15 minute leave alone time but always seams a coating of rice left on the pan. it needs a soaking over night to be removed. They say to use the cup that come with the cooker for all measurements, rice and water. So what are your steps for making the perfect rice, I seen and tried many.

 

[phatch]

There is no one perfect rice to me. Different types of rice cook differently and with different results. Basmati doesn't clump as much as other long grain rice, though all long grains are less sticky than medium or short grain types. What do you want out of your rice? Pick the right type for that result.

I like Basmati as my basic long grain rice. In my climate (arid, low humidity) and elevation (lower boiling point) i Ike the results of 1::1.5 rice to water. Bring rice and water to a boil in a saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand at least 5 minutes. Fluff and serve. If i lived on the coast, this would probably need some minor tweaking.

But i do different things at different times depending what i want for the result and what it will be eaten with.

If I'm using a rice cooker i use their measure and can't complain at all about the result. There is a certain amount of soaking in that cooking process that changes the ratio some so i just use its measurements.

 

[phatch]

I have a few different kinds rice on hand. They all serve different purposes, different dishes.

Basmati
Jasmine
Arborio
Glutinous a short grain Chinese rice
Sweet another short grain chinese rice
Sushi
Red rice
A short grain brown rice

 

[mike9]

You wouldn't rinse "yellow, or saffron" rice, but I rinse every other rice I buy.  Won't buy Texas rice because of the arsenic so that means I rinse pretty much every rice and I have no idea what "fortified" rice is.   I live by the rule of thumb I guess and it serves me well.  YMMV

 

[flipflopgirl]

I had never heard of this arsenic problem so did a short google search just to fact check and was shocked at the huge amt of hits (mostly news stories but I am sure I will find some science in there someplace).

Living in the rural areas south and west of Houston for the last 3 decades (big rice farming area) there is seldom a meal without some form of rice on the table (even breakfast as we sometimes eat it like oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins).

Long grain rice...the worst according to what I read when I skimmed.

I don't live with my head in the sand but you would think I would have heard SOMETHING, right?

Thanks for the tip off @Mike9.

Along with some further, deeper research I will be paying closer attention to the origin of the rice I buy.

mimi

 

[kuan]

 Wow this is sad.  I too had no idea.

 

[cerise]

Something so simple has to be so hard to make. I have a rice cooker which does a great job making rice but it sticks to the pan. Any secrets to stop this and I can make up to 4 cups at a time but 4 cups uncooked rice equals how much cooked?

I have a small portable rice cooker, similar to buyperfectcooker.com. I made orzo, and didn't have a sticking problem, but noticed it was fluffier upon standing. Mine has a nonstick surface. Maybe coating the interior surface with cooking spray would help.

I haven't had more time to play with it to figure out the correct ratio of liquid to rice for my brand/model. The measuring cup that comes with and demarkation inside the pot for dry and liquid can be a little confusing. I would like to get it down, so I can experiment with other dishes -- or just make rice -simply. Wondering if the majority of cookers/and instructions are made overseas.