Choosing the best rice cooker necessitates taking into account its features and avoiding common issues. Because the measurements aren’t standard, a 5-cup rice cooker might only hold 30 ounces (850 grams) of rice. To get the features you need, know what recipes you’ll be cooking in the 5-cup rice cooker. For the sake of convenience, stay away from rice cookers with separate lids and bottoms that aren’t non-stick.
A 5-cup rice holder does not always hold 5 cups of dry rice (1,000 grams). This is due to the fact that the measuring cups that most machines come with do not have standard measurements. Many of them regard 6 ounces (170 grams) as a full cup, despite the fact that the standard cup is 8 ounces (226 grams). Your own experience may vary depending on the model, but if feeding a large family, you may need to purchase a larger machine.
When selecting a 5-cup rice cooker, keep your recipes in mind. Some cookers are incapable of toasting or warming rice, let alone baking a cake. Although baking cakes is not an advertised use of rice cookers, some people have had success with it. When considering the features of a rice cooker, consider your favorite recipes or recipes you want to try.
Rice cookers with separate lids should be avoided because they may not fit the cooker tightly enough. The rice may not be done when the cooker thinks it is due to a lack of a tight seal. A glass lid can also spew water from around the seal or through the hole. Separate lid rice cookers are also said to be more difficult to clean than one-piece rice cookers. Another flaw is that the lid can break if dropped or misused, necessitating the purchase of a new 5-cup rice cooker or placing an order for a replacement from the manufacturer.
You should also avoid rice cookers that are not non-stick, in addition to separate glass lids. Cooking rice is a messy business, and the last thing most people want to do is scrub burnt rice off their pots and pans. A non-stick surface can save you time and effort, but it has one drawback: it can be peeled or scratched off. You must be careful not to scratch the interior of a non-stick 5-cup rice cooker. Even if you keep the non-stick surface in perfect condition, it may peel with age and wear.