Rice-cooking utensils are tools used for cooking

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

and similar foods. Dedicated rice-cooking utensils have a long history. A ceramic rice steamer dated to 1250 BC is on display in

the British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

Rice cooking methods

Rice absorbs a great deal of water as it cooks, expanding its volume and using up the cooking water. The moisture and heat gelatinize and soften the

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diet ...

granules in the rice.

On Food and Cooking ''On Food And Cooking: The Science And Lore Of The Kitchen'' is a book by Harold McGee, published by Scribner in the United States in 1984 and revised extensively for a 2004 second edition. It is published by Hodder & Stoughton in Britain unde ...

: An Encyclopedia of Kitchen Science, History and Culture, Harold McGee, 2nd ed, pub. Hodder & Stoughton 2004, p 474 The cooking time for raw rice (not parboiled beforehand) ranges from about 15 minutes and up, depending upon the type and freshness of rice, method, and desired result (from separate grains to disintegrated porridge). Some rices, such as

white rice White rice is milled rice that has had the husk, bran, and germ removed. This alters the flavor, texture and appearance of the seed; helps prevent spoilage (extends its storage life); and makes it easier to digest. After brown rice is milled ...

long-grain rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much less commonly, ' ...

and

African rice ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown in West Africa around 3,000 years ago. In agriculture, it has largely been replaced by higher-yielding Asian ric ...

, break up more easily. Some cooking methods are more likely to break the rice (fragmenting it with a mortar and pestle before cooking, or stirring frequently). Some rice is stickier. Most recipes will therefore not work for all rices. Rice can be cooked by heating in boiling water or steam, or a combination of both (boiling until water evaporates, then continuing in steam generated by continued heating). Rice cooking utensils may be divided into *

boiling Boiling or ebullition is the rapid phase transition from liquid to gas or vapor, vapour; the reverse of boiling is condensation. Boiling occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, so that the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to ...

dolsot A ''dolsot'' () or ''gopdolsot'' () is a small-sized piece of cookware or serveware made of agalmatolite, suitable for one to two servings of ''bap (food), bap'' (cooked rice). In Korean cuisine, various hot rice dishes such as bibimbap or ''gulb ...

gamasot (), or simply (), is a large, heavy pot or cauldron commonly used in Korean cuisine. Origin The modern Korean descends from the ancient ''jeong'' (鼎), which is made of bronze. Bronze ''sot'' are frequently unearthed as remains of the T ...

, saucepans or pots (

risotto Risotto ( , ; from , 'rice') is an Italian cuisine, Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, a ...

pan,

porridge Porridge is a food made by heating, soaking or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, fruit, or syrup to make a sweet cereal ...

pot) *

steaming Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American Southwest, steam pits used for cooking ha ...

bamboo steamer Bamboo steamers, called ''zhēnglóng'' () in Chinese, are a type of food steamer made of bamboo. They are used commonly in Chinese cuisine, especially dim sum, and usually come in two or more layers. Bamboo steamers have also spread to other Eas ...

siru ''Siru'' () is an earthenware steamer used to steam grain or grain flour dishes such as ''tteok'' (rice cakes), most notably ''siru-tteok''. The ''siru'' is an earthenware steaming vessel that dates back to the late bronze age of the Korean no ...

couscoussier A couscoussier () is a traditional double-chambered food steamer used in North African and Berber cuisine (particularly, the cuisines of Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco) to cook couscous. This container is composed of: * from a lower part, t ...

* boiling and steaming: rice cookers, Asian traditional rice cooker on hearth, i.e., 釜 ** baking:

paella Paella (, , , , ; ) is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. ''Paella'' is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. The dish takes its name from the wide, sha ...

pan,

pilaf Pilaf (), pilav or pilau () is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving ...

pan ** microwaving: ceramic or plastic containers for

microwave oven A microwave oven, or simply microwave, is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This induces Dipole#Molecular dipoles, polar molecules in the food to rotate and ...

Cutlery

Rice paddle A rice paddle (, Japanese: , ) is a large flat spoon used in East Asian cuisine. It is used to stir and to serve rice, to dip gochujang, and to mix vinegar into the rice for sushi. Rice paddles are traditionally made from bamboo, wood, or la ...

s are made specifically to scoop rice.

Microwave rice cookers

A microwave rice cooker is a container designed specifically for cooking rice. Some container consists of three parts: an outer bowl, a fitted lid with steam vents, and an inner bowl with a finely perforated base. Some others have only one container and the double-layered lid fitted with a steam vent. A measured amount of dry rice is placed within the bowl. For fuc long-grain rice or scented rice (e.g.,

basmati rice Basmati () is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which originates from the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the regions of Nepal, Punjab, Haryana, Sindh and many other states and provinces of India and Pakistan.Thai

jasmine rice Jasmine rice (; ; ) is a long-grain variety of fragrant rice (also known as aromatic rice). Its fragrance, reminiscent of ''pandan'' ('' Pandanus amaryllifolius'') and popcorn, results from the rice plant's natural production of aroma compounds, ...

), neither washing or soaking is usually necessary unless contaminating dirt is suspected. For

Japanese rice Japanese rice refers to a number of short-grain cultivars of Japonica rice including ordinary rice (''uruchimai'') and glutinous rice (''mochigome''). Ordinary Japanese rice, or ''uruchimai'' , is the staple of the Japanese diet and consists o ...

(e.g.,

Calrose Calrose is a medium grain rice variety, notable for being the founding variety of the California rice industry. History Calrose (USDA # C.I. 8988) originated from and was developed at the Rice Experiment Station near Biggs, California, and re ...

or medium/short grain rice), the rice is washed to remove surface starch powder and the trace of rice bran from the grains. For washing, a generous amount of water is added to the rice then the mixture is stirred a few times with a hand quickly. The water is then drained immediately while the lighter starch is still in the water, and the heavier rice grains settle at the bottom of the container. The washing process may need to be repeated up to three times until the water draining out is clear of starch. Excessive washing, however, is believed to be detrimental, since it will remove too many water-soluble nutrients, e.g., vitamins. With the three-part model, the inner bowl is then placed within the outer bowl and a small amount of water is added, so that the rice is just about covered. The lid is then fitted and the cooker is microwaved at full power for between 8 and 15 minutes (depending on the rice type, power output of the appliance and personal texture preference). Cooking occurs with the water boiling away and steaming the grains. It is very important to follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding the length of time and amount of water added, otherwise the rice can burn. This method works well with long-grain rice that does not release much starch and is conventionally cooked with the boil/strain or steam methods. Microwave rice cookers can also be used for cooking Japanese rice, or medium- or short grain rice, but the absorption method should be used. The rice is washed well to remove starch and allowed to stand to absorb water for at least 15 min before cooking. The water absorption step is essential, otherwise the cooking may result in cooked rice which is still too hard. The regular amount of water as the conventional cooking method can be used. The container is placed in the microwave and it is brought up to the boil at high power. Then, it can be cooked at low or low-medium power until all the water is evaporated (about 20 min - 30 min, depending on the rice type) and not much steam is coming out. The container is then left to stand for 5 min before the rice is stirred for serving.

References

{{reflist Food preparation utensils East Asian food preparation utensils Rice