Rice Cooker Cleaning

Dear ILites,

I need to know the best way to clean the rice cooker. After the rice is cooked, I always observe a layer at the rice cooker base (even if I keep the aluminium plate inside). So, I normally pour cold water in the cooker and after some hours wash the rice cooker using sponge (or the soft side of the scrubber that I get here), however I find that the layer is not easily removable no matter how much pressure I apply.

Any effective ways of cleaning Rice cooker spick and span, without affecting the coating. Pls suggest !

Love,
Preethi

I am using National Panasonic rice cooker for the past 16 yrs.
I switch off, just before it switches off automatically - that is when the cooking is nearly, but not complete. This way, the bottom layer or crust does not form at all. Still the rice is cooked, perfect.
But keep warm mode does not come on, because we switch off. So I just MW the amount I need if it becomes cold. But the texture is excellent & cooker cleaning is also easy.
Infact my mother switches off even earlier than me - it is quite good.
If it is in keepwarm mode for long, crust is unavoidable.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Preethi,

The expert has spoken and that is also what I used to do with my rice cooker. Like Chitra says, it is impossible to avoid this crusty formation if you use it to warm the rice in it. I somehow weaned off from using rice cooker because I did not see any reason to use it if it cannot keep the rice warm or make it warm whenever we want it. I do my daily rice only in Micro and if I have to cook for a larger number of people, I use the conventional method of stove top.
For washing the pan, pour hot water into the rice cooker bowl with soap in it and leave it to soak for some time (for as long as you can). This should loosen the crust formed. Best of luck.

L, Kamla

Hi,

I'm not well experienced but this is what i do. I switch off the rice cooker when the cook turns to warm. ( I remove the plug from the electric source
L,
KB

Dear Chitra,

Thanks for the tips...You said about switching off the RC before it switches to Warm mode... But some times it's difficult to determine the time when it would finish cooking and switch mode, so we could switch off the cooker before that..........

I am wondering how to apply your technique...can you extend help ?

Love,
Preethi

Dear Kamla,

Thanks for your tips..I will try pouring hot water with soap oil in the cooker and then clean it up....Yah, I have the habit of keeping the rice in Warm for minutes together until we start eating...Now I know the root-cause for the crust formation.

Love,
Preethi

Dear Kb2000

Thanks for the tips...I guess I should try doing this too....Disconnecting the power immediately after the rice is cooked sounds easy, If that guarantees a clean non-layered base on the RC, am ready to try it out !

Love,
Preethi

Hi ladies

The reason for keeping rice for a long time in warm mode is that rice should not be sticky with each other(means kuzhaiyamal irukka, udhiriya varuvadharkku). If u switch it off bfr being in warm mode, will the rice be not sticky and can u use it for pulav or veg/fried rice where u need a perfect udhiri udhiri rice??

I switch off, when there is very little water still left to be absorbed. That gets absorbed by the rice in its own heat. Rice comes out best - uthir uthir, soft & like Vadicha sadam.
Kamla, for the rice we buy here in S India, we need 3 cps of water for every cup of rice. So MW never works out perfect. First the water overflows definitely & the sadam is vara vara & not at all soft. For 2 cups of water or less per cup of rice, it is good.
By the process of elimination, I have come to the conclusion that for the rice we get here in S I, rice cooker gives the best sadam !
Love,
Chithra.

I was wondering...did you try to cook rice in micro in a dish covered with lid or without the lid? I never cover the dish with a lid because that makes the water spill out and mess up the micro and also the rice loses the water content and will not cook well. I always cook rice with the necessary amount of water (one, two or three cups of water for one cup rice...depending on the variety of rice used), but without the lid on. When it is done, I immediately cover the pan and leave it for a few minutes to rest. The time too depends on the rice used. Basmati takes the shortest time..15mins..and is the easiest to cook in micro and brown rice the longest.
Just thought I'd let you know.

L, Kamla