Rice Cookers

1. Rice cookers are incredibly popular and accommodate today's lifestyles perfectly. The appeal of perfect rice every time proves to be as important as a good toaster or coffee maker. These three kitchen amenities are often found together on countertops across the country.

2. Many successful chefs will confess that properly cooking rice every time simply doesn't happen. Often they'll hire a hand in the kitchen if the cook can deliver on rice on a daily basis. Since you likely don't have the option of hiring someone to cook your rice, a rice cooker is likely your best bet.

3. Rice cookers are also great because they free up space on your stove top for making more creative meals. With extra space, you can go that extra yard to wow your dinner guests.

4. New models of rice cookers offer a "saute-then-simmer" function that had not previously been possible. This allows for sweating or sautéing vegetables and garlic prior to adding rice for classic dishes such as pilafs and risottos.

5. For a quick meal, it's so easy to just pop in some rice, let it go for a while, then top it off with a pair of eggs or some cooked meat. This will keep you going for hours, and it only takes minutes to prepare. You'll be amazed at how cheaply and creatively you can cook once you get the hang of it.

6. Rice cookers get hot. If you want one to take directly to the table, you should fork over the extra cash for a cool-touch rice cooker.

7. Why do people find good rice so elusive? Well, if you haven't noticed, we'll let you in on the secret. Good rice should be completely cooked, but dry and fluffy. It should not look dead or wet on the plate, nor should it clump together (unless you're cooking sticky rice). Short grain and specialty grains like jasmine or basmati should be completely separate from each other and look like larger versions of their raw selves. If the grain exploded, you cooked too long or used too much water.

8. Arborio rice, on the other hand, is used to make a famous Italian dish called risotto. This requires more care and attention, and the grain should have a little bite in the center, just like "al dente" pasta.