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Is there a point to getting a rice cooker over an instant pot?

jdblair 3y ago
They're different appliances, no? The rice cooker cooks at atmospheric pressure, and stops cooking when all the water is evaporated. The instant pot is a pressure cooker. In the end, it depends on your use case. If you cook a lot of rice, you will be disappointed with the instant pot. In my case, I don't have a rice cooker b/c I don't cook rice very often, and I use my instant pot or the stove top.
- lbotos 3y ago
  Top of the line Zojirushi uses pressure as well: https://www.zojirushi.com/category/rice_cookers/systems.html https://www.zojirushi.com/category/rice_cookers/systems.html
thegeekpirate 3y ago
Absolutely, I've yet to see good rice from an instant pot. Buy the cheapest rice cooker instead (usually like ten bucks).
- hedgehog 3y ago
  It works well for the three kinds of rice we make and has the benefit of being faster with even easier clean up. No doubt a high end rice cooker could do a slightly better job on most kinds of rice (not the sticky rice).
jchw 3y ago
I'm sure it's possible to get good rice out of an Instant Pot, but the Zojirushi is going to simply be better at it, and it doesn't really take any "dialing in" to get there; you just set the kind of rice and go pretty much, and then you get basically exactly what you want, every single time. Another advantage to a dedicated rice cooker versus using something like an Instant Pot is the obvious fact that it frees up your Instant Pot. (Also, obviously, there are cheaper rice cookers than the Zojirushi, but there's definitely a reason other than cargo-culting why it's popular. I got one after the Walmart Made-in-China special I got crapped out on me. It is definitely, by a good margin, a better product with thoughtful design that produces very good rice.)
- kuchenbecker 3y ago
  If you have neither a rice cooker nor an instant pot, get an instant pot. If you have one, the other compliments it well. My wife is Chinese and we eat a lot of pot roast over rice.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
markstos 3y ago
No. We got rid of our rice cookers and replaced them with Instant Pots. Instant Pots make consistently good white and brown rice, faster.
tonyedgecombe 3y ago
Is there a point to getting a rice cooker over a pan of boiling water?
- wantoncl 3y ago
  Not if your pan of boiling water automatically shuts off when it's done cooking.
- sib 3y ago
  (1) Put rice & water in rice cooker, press start. (2) Leash dog, go outside for long walk to clear the head after day of Zoom / Google Meet. (3) Come home 60-90 minutes later to perfect rice and a non-smoke-filled kitchen.
  - tonyedgecombe 3y ago
    (4) Cook rest of meal in the same time it would take to cook the rice.
    - sib 3y ago
      (4) Eat wonderful food that Chinese mother-in-law has kindly cooked & packed into many different containers for you.
veidr 3y ago
Only if you cook rice like, every day, or multiple times per week.

They're different appliances, no? The rice cooker cooks at atmospheric pressure, and stops cooking when all the water is evaporated. The instant pot is a pressure cooker. In the end, it depends on your use case. If you cook a lot of rice, you will be disappointed with the instant pot. In my case, I don't have a rice cooker b/c I don't cook rice very often, and I use my instant pot or the stove top.

lbotos 3y ago
Top of the line Zojirushi uses pressure as well: https://www.zojirushi.com/category/rice_cookers/systems.html https://www.zojirushi.com/category/rice_cookers/systems.html

thegeekpirate 3y ago

Absolutely, I've yet to see good rice from an instant pot. Buy the cheapest rice cooker instead (usually like ten bucks).

hedgehog 3y ago
It works well for the three kinds of rice we make and has the benefit of being faster with even easier clean up. No doubt a high end rice cooker could do a slightly better job on most kinds of rice (not the sticky rice).

jchw 3y ago

I'm sure it's possible to get good rice out of an Instant Pot, but the Zojirushi is going to simply be better at it, and it doesn't really take any "dialing in" to get there; you just set the kind of rice and go pretty much, and then you get basically exactly what you want, every single time. Another advantage to a dedicated rice cooker versus using something like an Instant Pot is the obvious fact that it frees up your Instant Pot. (Also, obviously, there are cheaper rice cookers than the Zojirushi, but there's definitely a reason other than cargo-culting why it's popular. I got one after the Walmart Made-in-China special I got crapped out on me. It is definitely, by a good margin, a better product with thoughtful design that produces very good rice.)

kuchenbecker 3y ago
If you have neither a rice cooker nor an instant pot, get an instant pot. If you have one, the other compliments it well. My wife is Chinese and we eat a lot of pot roast over rice.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

markstos 3y ago

No. We got rid of our rice cookers and replaced them with Instant Pots. Instant Pots make consistently good white and brown rice, faster.

tonyedgecombe 3y ago

Is there a point to getting a rice cooker over a pan of boiling water?

wantoncl 3y ago
Not if your pan of boiling water automatically shuts off when it's done cooking.
sib 3y ago
(1) Put rice & water in rice cooker, press start. (2) Leash dog, go outside for long walk to clear the head after day of Zoom / Google Meet. (3) Come home 60-90 minutes later to perfect rice and a non-smoke-filled kitchen.
- tonyedgecombe 3y ago
  (4) Cook rest of meal in the same time it would take to cook the rice.
  - sib 3y ago
    (4) Eat wonderful food that Chinese mother-in-law has kindly cooked & packed into many different containers for you.

veidr 3y ago

Only if you cook rice like, every day, or multiple times per week.