Rice cooker or just use microwave?

[multitask]

I've always had great success making rice in the microwave but lately I am always needing the microwave while the rice is cooking. Do you have a rice cooker and if so was it worth the money? What model? Does it just sit in the back of your cupboard or do you love it? Have you converted from microwave to rice cooker or is there really no difference? Thanks everyone :)

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Why not cook it on the stove?

I am terrible at cooking rice and have had my rice cooker for about 7 years. It really is very easy (throw in rice and water along with any spices (cardamom, cloves etc) or stock cube or coconut milk etc), plus it keeps perfect rice hot for a few hours, great if you prepare in advance.

Sorry realised my post wasn't very helpful! Just wondering, I alway do my rice on the stove, am I missing something?!

Ashamed to say I cannot cook rice on the stove, either it boils over or it burns. The microwave is clean and perfect every time rice absorbs all the water and I haven't had a disaster yet. Sometimes it's just annoying that I need the microwave for other stuff while the rice is doing!

You can cook it in the oven.

Use an oven proof saucepan (I use le creuset).

Bring to boil. As soon as it's boiling bung in oven set at 150 deg C for about 17/18 minutes (whatever the usual time is)

Tip came from a Rayburn cookbook. Works great. plus I can usually bung the curry in along with (if it's curry or chilli or whatever - not so good for stir fry lol)

How do you cook it in the microwave? Would love to know.
Your rice cooker sounds lovely Arabella

Nooooo use mumsnet rice cooking method. 2 cups cold water to every cup of rice. Bring to boil, slap lid on and turn off heat. Leave for 20 minutes and perfect rice every time!

I just use a microwave rice cooker - it's brilliant.

We got ours from Argos. It's excellent. 305 very positive reviews...
www.argos.co.uk/m/static/Product/partNumber/9367809.htm

I do it a very similar way to Madame:

Wash your rice and stick it in a pan
Pour in enough cold water to come up to the first knuckle of your forefinger (weird, but works).
Boil until water bubbles are popping on surface and rice looks 'pitted' - about 7 minutes usually.
Take off heat, slap on lid and leave for another 7 - 10 minutes until water has gone and rice is tender.

Works every time, never sticks, never burns.

and I was taught this method by an Indian friend so it must be right

We steam ours if you've got a steamer. Works really well. We also have a rice cooker but it makes 4 and tends to be of the sticky type for whatever reason. I didn't know you could do in the microwave, off to Google now!

Thanks for all your replies, I am going to give stove method another try, like the idea of switching off the heat and letting it cook rather than my boil over or burn method. I like the look of a rice cooker but would struggle to find a cupboard to store it in, countertops are groaning too!

Ohh thanks, am going to try this later.

Hang on, this works with one cup brown long grained basmati? Yes?

Multitask, how do you do your rice in the microwave?
Any success form that google search mrsvillers?

Venus - do you mean the steaming on the stove method? Yes, you can do it with any kind of rice (although brown rice will probably take a bit longer to steam once you've taken it off the heat).

BTW, when I said about water up to the first knuckle, that with your finger resting on the surface of the rice, and not pushed down to the bottom of the pan, iyswim.

So that's with any amount of rice notjust, and then check the water level from the top of the rice. I see! Clever!

Do you do the same microwave rice ladies? Do you have a special container, and how much water to rice, and how long, on what setting.... Details pretty please

Any recipes for briyani?!

I've just bought a special pot to cook rice in the microwave. Haven't used it yet as it's only just arrived.

I usually cook it on the hob (boil in the bag is my limit) but I'm hoping the microwave will be cleaner and easier and cheaper.

Here Venus this is what I've just bought. Has lots of good reviews which encouraged me

Oh do tell I scented, and have you the instructions at the ready?!
And, could you do similar with any closed bowl? (On a budget, and don't want to fork out for special bowl).

Can you do a link to the microwave bowl, pretty please!

Xpost, thanks muchly

Lol The ratio seems to be 1 cup of rice to two of water.

Someone reviewing it explains it all quite well.

When I use the microwave I use a normal pyrex dish, 2 cups rice 2 cups water 15 minutes on high, never had a fail :)

Venus - yes, spot on. Any amount of rice, finger resting just on top of the surface, water up to first knuckle of forefinger. Dunno why it works, but it just does!

(Was wondering if I had just made this method up, but I've googled it and found other references to the 'knuckle' method too. Phew...my sanity remains intact.)

I love microwaved rice, it's so much nicer than in a saucepan.

This is what I have.

Really easy, just add the rice, any spices, add enough boiling water to cover rice, 3-4 minutes (900w), stir, another couple of minutes, stir, leave it for a bit while you do other stuff, drain, fluff it up and serve.

This will make a big difference to my life!
Thanks ladies, no more scraping my hob top of cooked on rice water concrete!

and all round :)