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Are there any advantages? I was thinking of how popular they are, and as I was cooking my brown jasmine rice on the stove top today, I wondered why.

Any advantages to owning one aside from cluttering up my kitchen with yet another gadget? Thanks.

I have 2 actually! Not on purpose; got 'em as gifts.

They are useful; you don't have to watch the rice the same way with stovetop. And if you are also making beans and soup, it is easy to run out of pots. But - I think stove rice tastes better, and clutter IS a pain.

I have a double decker steamer which has a "rice bowl" for rice. I cook all my veggies in it, steam potatoes, all my greens. The steamer is so easy to clean. I use the stove top very little any more. I did not realize how many food items can be steamed-taste much better also. Carl

The biggest advantage for me is that I can spontaneously decide to spend the whole day out playing with my family and come home to a big pot of steaming warm rice waiting for us. I also like to be able to cook up other things on the stove while the rice is cooking and not have to use the stove in the hot summer. Rice in the cooker also comes out perfect every time.

It's one of those things I don't see the point of. I use a pot, weekly.

I don't like the cheap one we have, which means I rarely use it, unless it's white rice (which doesn't happen much now). I would rather use the stove and do it myself in a pan since I usually end up adding spices and other ingredients to my rice.

i would like to have one, but they all have aluminum liners, and that's a big no no. don't need that aluminum!

I adore brown rice.
I had a rice cooker that burned up-!
Since I read how to cook 'foolproof rice' on Chowhound - I now just use this method--below--and I did not replace my rice cooker :
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Just boil the rice in water that covers it by an inch or so for 20 minutes, strain through a fine mesh metal collander into another pot, put the collander over that pot, cover, and steam for another 10 minutes.

Bulletproof and works with Japanese, basmati, brown, and converted rices. If you've got 2 pots and a collander, you already have a rice cooker-!!
I put a vegetable broth cube into the water that I boil the rice in for 20 min.

I also often add barley, lentils, wheat or rye berries + quinoa and they all cook together nicely.
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You do have to pay attention so it perhaps is not as 'easy' as a rice cooker but you never have to guess about the amounts of water and it always comes out perfect.

I don't own a ricecooker and I don't want one....so many kitchen appliances in a small kitchen already.
So I just use my huge pot, bring the water to a boil, throw in a good amount of rice and let it simmer, occasionally stiring and then tasting. When done, pour into sieve and.....eat. Big leftover gets rinsed in cold water, then goes into containers in the freezer.
Works for me

I couldn't live without mine. It's the only way I could ever make perfect rice every time. It would be the first kitchen tool I would buy if starting fresh.
f1jim

I love my rice cooker and if it broke I would be buying a new one immediately.

I used to be part of the "Who can't cook rice in a pot on the stove and who needs another small appliance" view....until I got a rice cooker. OMG! I love my rice cooker. I have had mine probably about 10 years, it's a basic Aroma and I LOVE IT! You just put the rice in, pour some water on it and press cook -- no muss, no fuss, perfect every time and I like the way the rice cooks up better than it does in a pot on the stove. I don't have the expensive Zori-something one (but, it is certainly on the wish list!).

If I had to choose, I would choose my rice cooker over my microwave. People who live in rice based diet areas all use rice cookers -- there is a reason for that! : )

Try one and see what you think!

Sharon

The way to cook rice in a pot is to add rice and cold water to the pot in a ratio of 1:2 (one cup rice to two cups water), and cover. Bring to a boil, and then you have two choices:
(1) turn down to simmer and cook (12 m. for white rice, 30 m. for wild, 45-55 m. for brown)
or, for when you have more time, a dinner party, or just want to save on fuel:
(2) wrap the pot in a bath towel and let it sit for an hour or longer. It will stay hot for hours, and never overcook.

All the water is absorbed. There is no strainer involved, ever.

For those against aluminum or teflon, there is a rice cooker with shiny stainless steel liner made by Miracle Exclusives. I don't have this one, so read the 150 reviews.

Stainless Steel Rice Cooker Model ME81 (Formerly ME8)

Shelle-belle, I saw Jamie Oliver do rice like that. I've never tried to do it that way, but maybe I should.