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Different Types of Rice Cookers: Uses and How to Choose One

Jul 26th 2022 - Monica Cunanan

Different Types of Rice Cookers: Uses and How to Choose One

Rice has become increasingly popular among people who want to include it in their diets. If you use a large quantity of rice in your restaurant's daily operations, then there's no tool more essential than a rice cooker to have in your arsenal. Rice can sometimes be difficult to cook properly, especially if you're not familiar with cooking rice. Rice cookers simplify the rice-making process by eliminating the need for measuring ingredients and allowing you to cook rice quickly and easily. Before you rush out and buy one, you need to be aware that there are several different types. Read on to find out the best one for your home or business.

Different Types of Rice Cookers:

  • Standard Rice Cooker
  • Improved Rice Cooker
  • Multifunction Rice Cooker
  • Induction Heat Rice Cooker

Commercial Rice Cookers:

Types of Commercial Rice Cooker

To choose a rice cooker for your operation, consider the quantities of rice you'll need to make throughout the day and the uses of each type.

Electric Rice Cookers

If you have limited space in your kitchen or you do not have ventilation you can use, electric rice cookers are the best option for you. They are much simpler to operate and maintain and are ideal when cooking smaller quantities of rice. Need to know how to use a rice cooker? Check out this article!

Advantages Disadvantages
Use less heat when cooking the perfect rice, making them a more environmentally friendly option. Non-traditional, non-direct
It doesn't require any ventilation Not as efficient for high-volume processes
Plug-and-play portability and compact design Electricity may be more costly

Gas Rice Cookers

Available in natural gas and liquid propane power types, gas rice cookers deliver high heat production that is impractical for small batches. They cook rice by preheating rice grains using a direct heating element and then cooking them through pressure, a process said to result in flavor enhancement. Gas rice cookers are ideal for establishments that cook large quantities of rice each day, such as in sushi bars or Indian restaurants where rice is commonly served with entrees

Advantages Disadvantages
Heats and cooks the rice faster cooking times. Complicated operation
Heats and cooks rice using an open flame; similar to traditional cooking methods The ventilation is under a hood
It may result in a sweeter, more flavorful aftertaste. Fuel components need routine cleaning

Other Types Of Rice Cookers

Standard/ Improved Standard Rice Cooker

They have the same characteristics as the standard rice cooker with some extra features.

  • Separate settings for brown rice
  • Featured for steam cooking and warming.
  • Features digital timers with readouts and countdown.

This one has a slight upgrade over standard rice cookers. Which helps you to cook a bit better than the standard one.

Multifunction Rice Cooker

They add a bit of variety to your rice cooking options. Some of its features include settings that can allow cooking for one or two different types of rice such as brown rice. Some even have steam adding features to fluff rice after cooking. Most also have heating and extended heating functions too. They will probably have an LCD control panel with the timer functions built into the unit. It has some identical characteristics to the standard rice cooker and an improved rice cooker. A multifunction unit may have:

The ingenious fact is that, with its detachable lid and retractable power cord, you can use it as a bowl after cooking.

Induction Heat Rice Cooker

These rice cookers are definitely among the best rice cookers available today. They not only have a variety of rice cooking settings but they're able to cook a wide range of other foods as well. They may not look much at first glance but they are actually high-tech pieces of kitchen equipment. They're not just the most expensive rice cookers, but they're also the best.

It was mentioned that an ordinary rice cooker transfers heat to the inner pot using thermal induction. This tends to produce a lower, less consistent heat. An induction rice cooker uses a magnet to create a high-frequency magnetic field that heats up the pot quickly; this is a faster, more consistent heat than conventional rice cookers, making for better rice every time.

Induction heating rice cookers have several drawbacks. They use more energy than conventional rice cookers and are more expensive.

Here is a summary of its advantages:

  1. Higher and more consistent temperature than regular rice cookers.
  2. Most induction rice cook­ers also have settings for white rice, brown rice, short grain rice, sushi rice, etc.
  3. Digital/Multi-function control pads
  4. Has extended warmth features

How to Find the Best Rice Cooker

When buying a rice cooker for your company, there are several factors to consider.

  • Power type for your rice cooker. There are rice cookers powered through Electric and gas. This would depend on your menu and kitchen's space and utilities and which type is best for your restaurant.
  • Before buying a rice cooker, be sure to check your establishment's capacity. If you buy a rice cooker that is larger than necessary, you may experience issues when cooking a smaller batch.
  • Consider the extra features. Would you want both cooking and healing abilities? Rice cookers /warmers have both cook and heat modes to streamline your operations and keep the cooked rice warm at the ideal serving temperature.
  • Will you need it to cook another variety of grains? Some models are capable of cooking grit, oatmeal, and pasta, which may be useful for smaller footprint kitchens.

Getting Commercial Rice Cooker for Your Business?

Commercial Rice Cooker is crucial for operating any commercial kitchen. May it be:

Here at Culinary Depot, we are eager to help you find the right one Visit our online store or contact us for more information.