One of the factors I put into consideration before buying any kitchen appliance is versatility, considering how much money it helps me save and also the small storage space required. Now, that’s how I first landed on a rice cooker and after using it for some time, what crossed my mind was, can you boil water in a rice cooker?
If you’re looking for answers as well, it’s simple: you can boil anything that evaporates in there, be it milk or water meant for drinking, making tea, boiling eggs or preparing rice.
Here’s a detailed explanation of everything you need to know about boiling water in this kitchen appliance:
How Can You Boil Water in A Rice Cooker?- The Do’s and Don’ts
If you have prepared your rice in a rice cooker using the boiling method before, this shouldn’t be a challenge. Better still, it’s all basics and doesn’t require any exact procedure or training, only that you have to pay attention to the following:
1. Ensure The Rice Cooker Is Clean
This doesn’t only apply to boiling water, but generally, you have to clean the appliance before you cook anything in it, so that you minimize chances of food poisoning. One of the key parts is in the pot because it gets in contact with whatever it is you are preparing.
Therefore before you start boiling water, especially if you’re planning to drink it, clean the pot once more even if you had previously cleaned it before storage.
This helps eliminate any existence of substances and particles which could give the water weird tastings. However, when cleaning, ensure you do it properly depending on the material used so that you don’t ruin the surface in the process.
2. Restrict The Volumes Used
In order to have the water properly boiled, there has to be room left for the steam to accumulate. This means that you can’t fill up the pot, so only put in there water until three-quarters full. The number of cups you can boil at a time varies because rice cookers do come in different styles and sizes.
Actually, this is one of the downsides of boiling water using a rice cooker because with such, you might have to do several rounds of boiling in order to get your desired amount. Apart from time spent, this method isn’t also convenient in terms of energy-saving, considering the units of power consumed in the process.
3. Have The Cooker Covered
Before powering the rice cooker on, ensure that the lid is in place. A rice cooker operates in a process which is somehow similar to that of pressure or slow cooker. Such calls for sealing the contents tightly in the pot, to help speed up the cooking process and also to retain the nutrients. When boiling water, covering the pot also helps with minimizing spillage the moment the water starts to boil.
4. Patience Is Key
If it’s the water you’re going to consume, either in a mug of coffee or drinking directly, then you have to let it to boil for some minutes. That way, all the microorganisms will be destroyed, keeping you safe from related diseases. The better part is that if you’re using a good rice cooker brand, it will automatically revert to low temperatures once the water has boiled properly.
5. Let It Cool First
Once you’re done boiling your water and the appliance is off, don’t rush to let it out of the pot. It’s advisable to let it cool down a bit before transferring it to a different vessel, and this should be repeated any time you have to boil another round.
This helps minimize injuries caused by spillage or exposure to steam. When you let it cool, the water will be safer both for consumption and your skin in general.
[Related Article: Best Stainless Steel Rice Cooker And Buying Guide]Is It Safe to Boil Water in a Rice Cooker?
There have been a series of online debates on how safe boiling water in a rice cooker is. Honestly, the aluminium construction used in the appliance is considered safe for food preparation, so it’s equally safe when you use it for boiling water.
Forget about chances of flaked toxic substances getting in your water and the only safety concern is keeping the boiling water from landing on your skin. However, this can be avoided by taking precautions like always keeping the cooker tightly closed whenever the water boiling.
As mentioned, one thing that cuts across usage versatility of a rice cooker is proper cleaning. Therefore, if you need some ABCs on how to get yours started, check this out this video:
Conclusion
Clearly, a rice cooker has proven to be a must-have appliance in your kitchen because as you invest in it, you’ll have a whole line-up of additional things to fix with it. So, can you boil water in a rice cooker?
Your guess is as good as mine. It’s effortless, effective and requires minimal monitoring when you have an automated brand. Yours is simple; keeping safe during the boiling process.