Ahhh...the wait is over! My loving Adam provided me with a small rice cooker as part of my birthday gift. I am not certain if this was because he was tired of eating the chewy, and sometimes crunchy rice that I have placed before him, or if he recognized my desire for this handy gadget based on context clues, like "I wish I had a rice cooker." Let's assume the latter.
One thing that stopped me from purchasing a rice cooker for myself was the lack of kitchen space for yet another appliance. But Adam found a "mini" one made by Rival which fits nicely on the closet shelf. Apparently, Rival is either not an American company, or a bit disenchanted with the common US system of units. Or perhaps the company is hoping to devise a way for rice cooker owners everywhere to become dependent on the special "rice serving cup" which comes with the appliance. Whatever the reason, the instructions caused me to screw up when making the rice.
In my own defense, the instructions: "1. Measure the amount of rice you would like to cook. A 3/4 cup measuring cup is included with your rice cooker. The "rice cooker" measuring cup makes 2-1/4 cups of cooked rice." OK, so far so good. No real indication of how many servings that is, but OK. "2. Place rice in the pot and add the corresponding amount of water. For example, if you are making 3 cups of uncooked rice, add water to the "3" mark on the pot." Hmmm...I find the little labels on the pot and see they are labled 1,2,3. I am not making 3 cups, I am making 2-1/4 cups right? I fill to just above the 2 line. This was my downfall. Being an experienced preparer of rice, I realized that the ratio of water to rice was unusual, and I corrected the error without incident. I am making 3/4 cups of uncooked rice. Is the special measuring truly necessary?? Compare this with the instructions on the rice bag: "Combine one cup of uncooked rice, and 2 cups of water." I think the average person could figure this out without introducing new units of measure like "rice cooker measuring cup."
After I had fixed the water error, Adam noted that said measuring cup is marked with lines indicating 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4. I had just filled it to the top according to the instructions. It turns out, I was right on that one. Filling to the 3/4 line on this device gives you 3/4 of 3/4, or just over half a cup. Simple as pie, eh? I think Rival may be a co-conspirtator with Chefmate in a sinister plot to require the use of special measuring devices for every appliance.
The rice turned out perfect, though the instructions gave no indication of how long it would take to cook, so this time, the other food wasn't ready yet. How's that for irony?
1 comment:
My rice maker came with a special measuring cup as well designed solely for the rice cooker. The process is still very confusing to me. I have to pull out the manual every time I make it. I have one of the options circled for quick reference and yet I still must think...but in the end it all turns out fine every time.
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