Any rice cooking aficionados in the house?

[the_matrix_guy]

My $20 Black and Decker rice cooker just died one me and I have my eye on some of the Japanese rice
cookers. I want to up my game and make some sticky rice. Do you guys have any first-hand recommendations?

Much obliged

[latches109]

I don't use any fancy autogadgetry, just a pot. Spend your money on some high quality rice and fancy salts. For sticky rice, soak 24hrs then steam for about 45min in an all clad d5 steamer.

[latches109]

yes All-Clad stuff is not cheap, some is still made in US and you will only buy it once. I've had my d3 set for at least 15yrs, the D5 didn't exist when I got my set - check you get a US stamped version; they do have a cheap line of outsourced stuff.

I got this one two years back:

https://www.all-clad.com/d5-stainless-polished-5-ply-bonded-cookware-steamer-set-3-quart.html

I found a bamboo steamer at the Japanese store that fit in side to hold the rice better the holes are a little big for rice. I use the steamer everyday. The lower pot is good for doing the boiled style basmati rice pyramid and general cookery.

sushi rice I use this one, anything not too wide will work

https://www.all-clad.com/d3-stainless-3-ply-bonded-cookware-sauce-pan-with-lid-2-quart.html

[latches109]

https://northwestskilletcompany.com/product/carbon-steel-saute-pan/

this is my "non-stick" pan, anything non acidic. Took a little while to figure out how to season right but basically burn the day light out of some fish oil, now eggs will fly right out. Along with a few cast iron Lodge pans

[the_matrix_guy]

Awesome, thanks for the links. I was going to spend $200 on the rice cooker anyway but yeah this is more professional, makes sense. Do you have any recommendations for rice brands? Much obliged

[Spider!]

I have three rice cooking children. They swear by zojirushi, to the point where our younger daughter cleaned out a space in our cabinets so that we could get one (I guess for when she comes home from school).

[pearcem]

I use a le creuset cast iron, enameled Dutch oven. I was going to buy a rice cooker, and bailed on it after going to a sushi class. Sushi class might be fun, more cost effective way to get good at rice making without another specialized kitchen gadget.

[FrankW]

We have a Zojirushi induction. It does a great job. Plays a little song when it's done.

[the_matrix_guy]

Is it easy to make sticky rice with it?

[FrankW]

I'm not 100% sure what sticky rice is.
We usually make regular asian style medium grain white rice (common brands would be something like Nishiki or Botan). Although we've been doing more brown and sprouted rice lately. Does great with any of them.
I haven't tried glutenous/sweet rice, which is what I think of when I hear sticky rice.

[the_matrix_guy]

Sticky rice is Japanese style sweet rice that clumps together, it’s the one used in sushi

[the_matrix_guy]

awesome lots of great suggestions, thank you

[punkncat]

We purchased a double steamer some years back but cannot recall the name of it. It worked ok but in honestly the trouble as compared to just properly cooking high quality rice in a pan just wasn't a significant enough difference to tell in a blind test. Above and beyond what it's cooked IN there is a great deal of difference as it pertains to what rice you cook in the first place.

We have a really good asian market nearby. A friend of mine growing up step mother has owned and operated the place since the 80's. I have ZERO idea what the actual name of this particular rice is (it comes in a bag with mandarin or something) but is a rice where they allow a specific weevil or bug to infest it. It only eats the "husk" off the rice and leaves the internal grain. It is, hands down, the best rice you have ever had for sticky rice. SO good.

[the_matrix_guy]

I noticed that Amazon has a bunch of Asian rice brands, any chance they have it? Either way, the idea of buying better quality rice is a great suggestion and a good place to start. We’ve been buying Goya which is OK I guess

[punkncat]

Check with your local Asian market for Japonica (or short grain) rice. The one we get is brown bag with red "asian" letters on it. In grocery stores it is sold under medium or short grain. The particular one we get is likely Korean as she is (the lady who suggests it) I don't have the bag or info and it isn't a small amount we buy at a time.

[BLachance75]

Is it the cooker or the kind of rice that make sticky rice? I thought it was the rice that made the difference not the cooker.

I’m not aficionado but I do cook rice a few times a week. I use an instapot. Cook it under pressure for 4 minutes then let it sit for 10 minutes and it is perfect every time. I go with 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water. I will rinse it depending on the rice I use and how I want it.

[the_matrix_guy]

Yes apparently it’s the type of rice primarily

[Criticalhammer]

Call me crazy but when I make sticky rice I just boil it on a induction stove top using rice that's been really processed containing lots of starch, with a splash of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and kosher salt. Boil until its not crunchy but not mushy to the touch. I use it for sushi roles. IDK its not hard.

[the_matrix_guy]

So you cook it with a splash of apple cider vinegar?

[Criticalhammer]

I do for flavor, and it speeds up the cooking process as it helps break down the outside shell.

[the_matrix_guy]

Awesome I’ll try that

[the_matrix_guy]

Criticalhammer ok so I searched under “glutinous rice” and got the correct ones, I think

[latches109]

the sticky version for mochi at our Japanese store is called mochigome. Same variety as the sticky Thai version. I've tried the Korean version too but forgot the name. Do some research on where and who grows it if you have kids - Rice can have a lot of arsenic.

[the_matrix_guy]

latches109 Yeah absolutely, washing rice before cooking is a must. Thanks for the suggestions

[Criticalhammer]

What problems, exactly, are you having with sticky rice? What are you trying to get out of it?

[the_matrix_guy]

Criticalhammer We haven’t tried to cook any yet. Since the pandemic outbreak 2 years or so ago, my GF and I wanted to improve our cooking skills to depend less on restaurants etc, we started with Mexican and Italian, we learned how to make authentic Mexican dishes and pasta from scratch etc, and we’re just now starting to look into East Asian. Also our cheap rice cooker died so we were looking at more professional options and we saw the Japanese ones with the sticky rice steam options. But we’re just now endeavoring into it

[Paulsenp08]

Do you know the actual measurement of a 'scoop'? Asking because I use a variety of protein powders and they range between 23g-35g per scoop.

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