I’ve wanted a rice cooker for years but couldn’t justify another kitchen machine that only had one function; plus the cost was prohibitive. When I started doing freezer cooking I again toyed with the idea of purchasing one. I figured it would make preparing the large quantities of cooked rice necessary for many recipes so much easier. Lucky me, I shared my desire with my mom, who enjoys getting my freezer cooking meals, and she gifted me a brand new Aroma ARC-1000 Professional Rice Cooker/Food Steamer!
I used it the same day I received it and instantly fell in love. I’ll admit, my first rice was sticky, which I love for eating, but I needed a different texture for the recipe. The second time I reduced the water to rice ratio and it was PERFECT! It’s so easy it’s sinful! Place the rice (rinsed first for best results) and water into the pot, press the button for either white or brown rice, and either start immediately or schedule to start up to 15 hours later. Yes, you can program it to have your rice ready and warm for dinner tomorrow by setting it at bedtime tonight! No more nutrient-deficient Minute Rice. Good long grain rice that’s better tasting and has more nutrients! I’ve not tried the delay start feature yet, and likely won’t as I work from home, but it’s a feature I sure could have used when I worked full time and had two small children!
My rice cooker has lots of feaures for such an inexpensive model
It also steams vegetables, which I’ll use occasionally, but better than that, it does oatmeal, bulgar, quinoa, and other grains that traditionally take a lot of effort to cook, beautifully! For steel-cut oats (again, the best nutrition is available in steel-cut; instant oatmeal is to REAL oatmeal what instant potatoes are to homemade mashed potatoes) use 4 cups water to every 1 cup of oats. Add a pat of butter, dried fruit (I like cranberries or raisins), chopped nuts, and a pinch of salt. Use the brown rice setting. It soaks and cooks them beautifully!
For quinoa and bulgar, use the same measurements provided by the cookbook that’s included and use the white rice setting. Again, it comes out perfect. If you find it too wet or too dry, you can adjust the water. The cookbook also has simple fixes for changing the texture.
I don’t use the keep warm feature, but I may in the future. For now, I cook, wrap, and store. I’m looking forward to trying out the vegetable steamer in the future as well as trying other grains. The rice and grains didn’t stick and cleaning up was super easy -just remove the pot and hand wash. I also love that it came with a measuring cup, rice paddle, and spoon.
Thanks mom for the great addition to my freezer cooking appliance arsenal! I think I’ll be buying the cookbook, The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook : 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings and More, from Start to Finish in Your Rice Cooker to get even more use out of this new toy (unless mom sees this first, my birthday is coming up! LOL)
Professional Series 10-Cup Sensor Logic™ Rice Cooker
This digital rice cooker from Aroma makes perfect rice, soups, stews and even steams meat and vegetables simultaneously. Its unique Sensor Logic™ heating system flawlessly prepares up to 20 cups of any type of rice, with a water reservoir that channels away excess condensation. With a programmable control panel, multiple functions that include a 15-hour delay timer, brown rice, quick rice and smart steam, it’s the perfect addition to any busy kitchen. Includes recipe booklet, measuring cup, steam tray and rice paddle.
- Prepares up to 20 cups of rice and keeps it warm for up to 12 hours
- Steams vegetables and cooks rice simultaneously, makes soups and stews
- Easy-to-use digital control panel with multiple features: White Rice, Brown Rice, Quick Rice, Smart Steam and 15-Hour Delay Timer
- Sensor Logic™ technology self-adjusts for consistent, restaurant-quality results
- Water reservoir channels away excess condensation
Includes recipe booklet, measuring cup, steam tray and serving spatula
[...] added sugar to minimum and sweeten with fruit instead. You can make a batch of oatmeal in your rice cooker (if your rice cooker has a timer, fill the oats, water, and fruit (dried works best here) the [...]