Appliance for simmering or boiling recipes?

[camellian]

I have been using a rice cooker to cook without using a stovetop. I can put pasta or soup in it and manually time it. The results are... adequate, but often disappointing, because I can't set the temperature - simmer, boil, it's all the same as far as the rice cooker is concerned.

Is there another appliance that might be better suited to this use? Would a slow cooker have a way to cook at regular speed, or a pressure cooker have a way to act as a boiling pot without the pressure? I'm not very interested in using either for its intended purpose (slow cooking or pressure cooking) - my main interest is just in having a temperature-controllable way to boil or simmer things when I can't use a stovetop.

Any suggestions what appliance might work best for this?

[AlwaysAgnes]

I have been using a rice cooker to cook without using a stovetop. I can put pasta or soup in it and manually time it. The results are... adequate, but often disappointing, because I can't set the temperature - simmer, boil, it's all the same as far as the rice cooker is concerned.

Is there another appliance that might be better suited to this use? Would a slow cooker have a way to cook at regular speed, or a pressure cooker have a way to act as a boiling pot without the pressure? I'm not very interested in using either for its intended purpose (slow cooking or pressure cooking) - my main interest is just in having a temperature-controllable way to boil or simmer things when I can't use a stovetop.

Any suggestions what appliance might work best for this?

You can simmer using the saute feature in the instant pot without the lid on. I think you can adjust the temp on the saute feature to low, normal and high. The low temp would probably be best for simmering. The regular temp is almost a boil. I've never used the saute feature on high.

[patty]

I have a Cuisinart pressure cooker and like the Insant Pot their are variables ways to cook. Though out of habit for pasta I just boil in the microwave for ten minutes.

Aloha, Patty

[AlwaysAgnes]

Another multi-use appliance option might be an electric skillet or wok. These typically have temp control settings that would allow for boiling and simmering.

http://living.thebump.com/can-boil-wate ... -8422.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3iARDf46PQ a 2017 wok review video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEUSnFxNNxs 1 2017 electric skillets review video

Another off-stove option might be that big Copper Chef pan on an induction burner. http://www.copperchef.com/shop.php

Slow cooker would work, but you wouldn't want to cook the pasta itself for hours. Probably best would be to make your sauce and add pasta to that at the end of cooking time. Cook it right in the sauce instead of in water. Here's one recipe I saw. http://mywholefoodlife.com/2014/03/08/c ... egetables/

There's a chart here that shows the temperatures of the instant pot on different settings. http://instantpot.com/benefits/specific ... d-manuals/

[camellian]

Great - thank you everybody!

I've decided to save for an Instant Pot - when I saw the manuals and read how much they can do, they sound amazing!

An electric skillet might be nice to get at some point too - didn't even know those existed!

[michaelswarm]

I use a single burner electric hot plate, with simple heat control form low to high, which simmers or boils.
My stainless steel pressure cooker heats atop the hot plate.
With a rice cooker, slow cooker and toaster oven, I rarely use the big gas stove or oven.
About $15 at Wal-Mart.

[patty]

Now I am making agar agar, I got out my induction pc. They have one for $88 at Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DP6BJ ... ref=plSrch Stainless steel pots and pans work. Why I like it is for it's safety features. After a hour it automatically turns off.

Aloha, patty