If you own a rice cooker you will probably know already that using rice cooker cups is an integral part of using this piece of equipment. If you have got a rice cooker that runs on electricity then it will have come with a cup to help you measure out the right amount of ingredients – its also the standard unit of measure from which most rice cookers derive their names.
However, what you may not be aware of is that rice cooker cups can also vary in size. For example, someone buying a rice cooker in the US will probably receive a different size of cup to someone buying a cooker in Japan or perhaps the UK. So, if you are looking at buying a new rice cooker you should have a look to see what size cup comes with it.
Generally speaking, you will only get one cup with your cooker but the cooker itself can vary significantly in size, so this is where the cup measurement comes in. For example, there are small rice cookers that are ideal for just one or two people and, as you might expect , they are much smaller and more compact as a result. At the other end of the scale, you also get family sized ones that enable you to cook several ups of rice at the same time. So, as with most things, it pays to consider your needs before you buy one.
Aside from this you will find that rice cooker cups come in extremely handy when you are measuring out ingredients for your cooker. If you look at a lot of recipes for rice cookers you will see that they often give you the measurements in terms of cups.
This is a great idea because you can scale up or down easily to make smaller or larger quantities if you want to. For example, for cooking basic rice you will have a cup of rice and then the appropriate measurement of water – also done using the cup. If you want to cook double the amount you just use two cups full of rice and double the amount of water as well.
This is a great idea and it is very easy to get the hang of. All you need to remember is that you should always stick to the capacity of your rice cooker. You can cook a small quantity with no problems, but you should never overload it because the rice won’t cook properly and it could lead to problems with the operation of the cooker.
Tip: Never forget that rice expands when it cooks.
If you are used to weighing out your ingredients before you do any cooking it might feel a bit strange using cups of ingredients instead. But once you get the hang of it you will see that it is a much easier way to cook.
Every rice cooker will come with a cup you can use to help make using it that much easier. But since this essential kitchen appliance is a delight to use anyway, you won’t need much convincing that your rice cooker cups and the cooker itself will be the best thing you have ever bought.
