Modern Rice Cookers

Rice cookers in general have come a long way since their initial incarnation thousands of years ago, where simple ceramic pots were used on open fires in order to facilitate the cooking process. It is difficult to believe that the modern, electric rice cookers we know and love today were beginning to take shape back in the 1940s, with commercial examples arriving around a decade later and quickly becoming an appliance considered essential as any other. It could be said that the rice-cooker revolution came about in 1956, when the first rice cookers were produced offering a level of convenience previously unseen, with new technology being explored, which in this instance came in the form of a double-chamber cooking process.

Although incredibly advanced for its time, the indirect double-chamber cooking process was something of a moderately lengthy process, also requiring a considerable amount of electricity. As technology continued to move forward, this particular model was gradually phased out from the 1960s onwards.

Rice

The modern equivalent rice cooker such as the zojirushi rice cooker for instance, uses a design which certainly bears similarities to the original, usually featuring a well-insulated outer container along with a removable inner bowl. The inner bowl is often found with a non-stick surface in order to both prevent burning and afford easy cleaning, along with featuring a number or incremental water-level marks on the inner wall which are used in order to accurately measure rice using 'cups'. It is worth bearing in mind however, that when measuring an amount of rice which needs to be particularly specific, the Chinese measurement of a cup is around 25% smaller than the American equivalent.

From the late 1990s and early 2000s, advancements to traditional rice cookers started to materialize rather quickly, which brought to the market a significantly increased level of attention from consumers. One of the biggest breakthroughs which later became standard in the more advanced models was the use of non-metallic internal cooking bowls which were resistant to both extreme heat and also thermal infrared waves sometime used to improve the flavor of cooked rice.

Taking the idea to another level, 2006 saw Mitsubishi produce the most expensive example the world had ever seen which featured an all carbon hand-carved bowl, which used induction cooking for the most sublime results possible. Although retailing for a quite incredible ,400, over 10,000 units were sold within six months. The success of this super-luxury models saw manufacturers the world over begin to push the envelope a little further, in light of the realization that many customers were indeed willing to pay much higher prices for units of quality.

Other materials often utilized within the more luxurious rice cookers include copper, ceramic-iron and even diamond coatings. Of course, these are often priced way beyond the means of the average home cook, but such advances and expansion of the market have seen the lower end models such as the fuzzy logic rice cooker, drop quite dramatically in price; most of which are still capable of producing superb results with minimal input.

Modern Rice Cookers

In addition to her numerous interests which include, mountain biking, hiking, camping, and cooking, Debbie also likes to create product reviews. Visit her most recent site on rice cooker reviews and find out how today's advanced Zojirushi rice cooker will offer your loved ones delightful, dining out quality rice anytime.

See Also : calphalon tri ply stainless steel 13 piece le creuset enameled cast iron 9 skillet