<p>Boy, the ones at Costco.com are expensive - $89 and $99. But I did find this aroma one on Amazon - <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Aroma-ARC-838TC-Digital-Cooker-Steamer/dp/B000HKFE8G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319761058&sr=8-1[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Aroma-ARC-838TC-Digital-Cooker-Steamer/dp/B000HKFE8G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319761058&sr=8-1</a> Makes 8 cups, $34.45 and free shipping with Prime! I would love one, but don’t think I can take up the counter space. Maybe if I cleaned out that one cupboard…</p>
<p>8 cups seems like a lot of rice to me…! Too much for our family - unless I guess you’re making one of the one-pot recipes…</p>
<p>You are right, 8 cups is a lot of rice. Looks like they go from 3 cups to 6 cups to 8 cups and up. I would think 4 cups would be perfect but three might not be enough. I generally make more rice then I need so I have some for leftover friend rice, soup or rice pudding. I’ve always used a microwave rice cooker, but this is appealing!</p>
<p>Several years ago my friends had the best rice cooker. it was malfunctioning slightly so would form a slightly crunchy crust on the outside - she would turn it upside down and put the plate with rice on the table for us to help ourselves. It was delicious - best rice ever. She was dreading the day the cooker finally gave up the ghost and she had to get a new non-malfunctioning one.</p>
<p>*8 cups seems like a lot of rice to me…! Too much for our family - unless I guess you’re making one of the one-pot recipes… *</p>
<p>Oh, you don’t need to make that much at one time. </p>
<p>I have a 10 cup, but I usually only put in 3 cups of rice at any one time…sometimes 4 cups. I like having the extra space for if I wanted to make more or if I want to use the steamer veggie basket at the same time. </p>
<p>The Costco brands are too expensive right now. They often get Aromas for the holidays. Or try Sams Club or Amazon. </p>
<p>My kids have the smaller versions and I think they’re too small for a family. Fine for them as students.</p>
<p>When we were students, had 3 or 5 cup rice cookers. Most HI families have at least a 5 cup rice cooker but many of us have 8 or 10 cup models. Most allow you to make as few as 3 cups at a time, which is the amount we usually cook. It is handy to have the extra space so we can use the same pot for larger gatherings and parties.</p>
<p>Here’s what I love about a rice cooker… you can leave it unattended. I often start rice cooker with the timer set to 1 hour and go off and do other things. That works especially well if DH is doing BBQ for the entree.</p>
<p>Having said that, I like my older style one with clear plastic bowl best. I had given it to DD for apartment. But the newer one that I bought to get dishwasher safe bowl/lid seems to boil over a bit. When I found out D as not using the old rice maker, I took it back. </p>
<p>I almost always do the same thing - plain brown rice. Usually there are leftovers for another meal. It’s also great for corn, green beans, etc.</p>
<p>*Here’s what I love about a rice cooker… you can leave it unattended. *</p>
<p>That is the best part. 
It’s very similar to using a crock pot, only it’s much, much faster! I’m a big fan of one pot meals.</p>
<p>I ended up making rice twice yesterday. First I made the “trial risotto” and my son ate the entire thing (except for the bit that I tasted!). I had hoped to have some leftover as a side dish for H when he got home. </p>
<p>When H came home, he said he wasn’t that hungry because he had a late lunch, so I just made some rice with some chopped onions, mushrooms, chopped broccoli, garlic, pepper, pat of butter, and some chix broth…when it was done, I stirred in some shredded cheddar cheese…H really likes that…kind of comfort food. If he had wanted something more substantial, I would have thrown in some chopped cooked chicken and maybe some bacon bits towards the end of the cooking cycle just to heat it up. Clean up is so easy.</p>
<p>When you say 3 cups, do you mean raw or cooked rice? Ten cups of raw rice makes a whole heck of a lot of rice. And we’re rice lovers. I usually start with 1 1/2 cup of raw rice for a family dinner.</p>
<p>Was the “trial risotto” recipe posted here? Can I have that one?</p>
<p>The trial risotto is on the previous page…post 5. It’s really quite good. Our son is home for fall break and he ate nearly the whole thing for lunch!</p>
<p>When you say 3 cups, do you mean raw or cooked rice? Ten cups of raw rice makes a whole heck of a lot of rice. And we’re rice lovers. I usually start with 1 1/2 cup of raw rice for a family dinner.</p>
<p>When we say “3 cups” we mean 3 raw cups **using a rice cooker measuring cup **which is SMALLER than regular cup measure. 1 cup using a rice cooker measuring cup is really 3/4 cup. So, “3 cups” is really 2 1/4 cups raw…which makes a good bit of rice…often enough for leftovers the next day. Great for making fried rice the next day!</p>
<p>When you get a rice cooker, it’s a good idea to keep the special measure cup in the unit when not in use. I took a Sharpie pen and wrote on the outside “rice cooker measure” so no one would accidentally use it for a regular recipe and have the wrong measurements. </p>
<p>I doubt many people ever cook 8 cups of rice at one time unless it’s for a special occasion. My son’s GF is Asian, and her mom does cook 10 cups on Sunday and uses the leftovers for various meals during the week. </p>
<p>We usually cook 3 cups (really 2 1/4 cups raw). My best friend has the same unit and she cooks 2 cups at a time (really 1 1/2 cups raw), but has cooked 1 cup at a time as well. </p>
<p>I think if you’re just making plain rice for one night, then you won’t want to make much at one time. But if you’re making a recipe and it’s going to be a serious part of the meal, you’ll need more. Rice is a good meal stretcher!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There are ricemakers sold in places that cater to Persian/Middle Eastern foods that are designed for that crust. I have one and a regular rice maker but only keep the regular one on my counter. There are also ways of cooking the rice to get a better crust. </p>
<p>I have access to 99 Ranch Market. What do you like about it? I already have too many grocery stores I frequent.</p>
<p>mimk6, I like 99 Ranch because they specialize in Asian cooking. Really interesting spices can be found there to season your rice with when doing this style of cooking. They also sell rice cookers AND woks at really great prices. Cannot remember their rice cooker price but I bought an extra large wok there for under $20.00. Their rice is also very good.</p>
<p>Since it’s cold and rainy here, I decided to experiment again. Pretty good!</p>
<p>Penne Pasta in a Rice Cooker</p>
<p>Turn on cooker to “White Rice” to start heating
Spray cooker with Olive Oil Pam</p>
<p>2 T of EVOO
sliced red onion (about a half of a red onion, thinly sliced into slivers)
Red pepper - sliced into slivers
1 cup diced mushrooms</p>
<p>Stir to saute a bit, then add</p>
<p>some shakes of crushed red pepper
1 t of oregano -crush between fingers when adding
1 t of basil - crush between fingers when adding
1/2 t of rosemary…crushed between fingers when adding
3 crushed chopped garlic cloves (or use dried garlic)
some grinds of black pepper
1/2 t of sea salt</p>
<p>Stir above in heating rice cooker…then turn off the rice cooker and restart, then add…</p>
<p>3 cups of Penne Pasta (or shells…don’t use a stick style pasta)
3 cups of water</p>
<p>Stir and close to cook</p>
<p>Gently stir the above and then close lid and cook.</p>
<p>When done, gently stir to redistribute the veggies and such…all the liquid should be gone.</p>
<p>Serve with Parmigiano Reggiano grated cheese</p>
<p>I recently bought a new 4-cup rice cooker and put away my old Black and Decker 8-cup rice cooker that took up counter space and was seldom used to make that much of rice. I love my new cooker-it’s a Cusinart cooker/steamer bought at BB&B. It costs $50 and has brushed stainless finish and a stainless basket steamer. It was more than what I wanted to spend on a rice cooker but I had looked everywhere (Macy’s, Frys, Target, Wal-mart, Ranch 99) and could not find one I like. It holds up to 4 cups of raw rice and can make 4-7 cups of cooked rice. There is also a recipe book comes with it which I can’t seem to find it anywhere in my house. :mad:
Thanks for sharing the Tomato Risotto Rice recipe. I think I’ll make it sometime.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s rice cooking for dummies…first, as others have noted, you just put the water and rice in the pot and forget about it. It “dings” and then stays warm for six hours or so. No remembering anything. Another thing…you can get absolutely ANY kind of rice and it will cook perfectly (I do find that I need to add a little more water to brown or Basmati rice)…I’ve NEVER had that success in a pot. </p>
<p>They are very easy to use and clean. Like I said…if mine died, it would be replaced the same day!</p>
<p>I was sad when my 20 year old rice cooker (with clear plastic bowl) became cracked. Imagine my delight when I found a similar model in near-new condition at a charity thrift shop! I think it was $4.</p>
<p>This thrift shop often has nice things. I think people do “cabinet purge”, giving away the things they don’t use. Ricemakers do take up room, so you may find one in your local thrift shop.</p>
<p>SunnyDay…</p>
<p>Your recipe book for your Cuisinart may be this one… it’s a combo of the instructions and recipe book for your unit. The recipes start on page 8</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cuisinart.com/share/pdf/manuals/crc-400.pdf[/url]”>http://www.cuisinart.com/share/pdf/manuals/crc-400.pdf</a></p>
<p>On that website, I found this…</p>
<p>Not Fried Rice</p>
<p>" A quick and healthy version of that carry-out favorite."</p>
<p>cooking spray
3 ounces chicken tender, cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ teaspoon sesame oil
8 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon soy sauce (can use low-sodium)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ ounce Canadian bacon or ham, cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
1 tablespoon chopped mushrooms
½ clove garlic, finely chopped
1¼ cups (Rice Cooker) basmati rice
1¾ cups (standard liquid measure) low-sodium chicken stock
1⁄3 cup frozen peas, thawed
¼ cup julienned red bell pepper (1 x 1⁄8" pieces)
2 green onions, trimmed and chopped (include 2-3 inches of green part)
½ cup mung bean sprouts
Instructions</p>
<p>Lightly coat the steaming tray with cooking spray. Place the chicken in a small dish and drizzle with half the sesame oil; stir to coat. Place in the steamer tray to one side in a single layer. Repeat with the shrimp. Reserve. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Stir until sugar dissolves; reserve. Insert the cooking bowl into the Cuisinart® Rice Cooker/Steamer. Add the oil; cover and turn on for 1 minute. Add the Canadian bacon, chopped onions, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir to coat with oil. Cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice; stir to coat. Add the stock, cover and cook. After rice has cooked for 10 minutes, place the steaming tray over the cooking bowl and cover. Continue to cook until Rice Cooker switches to Warm. Using protective potholders, lift off steaming tray. Add the peas, red pepper and green onions to the bowl on top of the rice — do not stir. Replace the steaming tray on top of the cooking bowl and cover…Let stand 5 minutes.Transfer the rice and vegetables to a medium bowl, along with the steamed chicken and shrimp and mung bean sprouts. Drizzle the soy mixture over the rice and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Servings
Makes 4 cups</p>
<p>mom2-Thats it. I thought of that fried rice recipe when I read your post about wanting a recipe. Glad you found it.
And then this morning I found my instruction and recipe booklet.
I need to get creative with my rice cooker.</p>
<p>“Not Fried Rice” sounds DELICOUS.</p>
<p>Yep, the rice cooker is a fixture in our house also. </p>
<p>I never thought of cooking other stuff in it- thanks for the heads up!</p>