Using a Rice Cooker
Although we eat more noodles than rice, I love my rice cooker. Gone are the days when I have to guess when the rice is done when cooked covered on the stovetop (simply because if you lift the lid and it isn't done, it may never get there). We've had our cooker for a number of years and its never let us down. While there are dozens of manufacturers, most all of them work in basically the same way.
You start by measuring out the amount of rice needed. Remember that rice swells, so if you add one cup, you'll end up with two cups of rice. Pour this into the cooking container of the rice cooker.
Add at least twice as much water. I tend to add an extra 1/2 cup or more depending on how much rice I'm making. If you are making brown rice, add 2 1/2 times as much water, i.e., 2 cups of raw brown rice, add 5 cups of water.
Close the lid on the cooker and plug the machine into an outlet. Press the start button. That's it…all you have to do. The machine will cook the rice and move to the 'keep warm' cycle when the rice is cooker. This leaves you time to prepare the rest of the meal.
Words to the Wise
You can often pick these little wonderful machines up at flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales.
