The electric cooking device market has seen a lot of innovative products over the last few decades. Now, there are many options available for preparing meals. And the same thing applies in the case of cooking rice too.
There are many electrical appliances available that are making the task of cooking rice much more manageable. Among them, instant pot and rice cookers are two of the most popular ones. They are the two devices that most people fall into a dilemma with. And that is why cooker vs instant pot is a common topic nowadays.
Well, if you have also fallen into the same dilemma, you need not have to worry anymore. We are going to provide you enough details about both of them. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will be out of the predicament that you are in right now.
Editor’s Recommendation: Top 5 Rice Cooker vs Instant Pot
Rice Cooker
First of all, we would like to discuss rice cookers because we think they are the ones that you are most familiar with. As the name suggests, these devices are specially designed to cook rice. And by rice, we are implying all types of rice. From regular rice to the special breeds of rice, you can cook them all in this device.
However, with the advancement of technology, these are now getting integrated with other functionalities as well. Most of the modern rice cookers will offer you the option of slow cooking different foods. Among them, what most people cook in these are fish, vegetables, and eggs. You can also cook small chunks of meat in these.
No matter if you buy a modern device or not, what they are going to excel at is the function they are built for in the first place, which is to cook rice. These utilize a heating plate on the bottom. That is what provides the heat that is required for slow cooking rice.
An inner pan is on top of the plate. Alongside that, there would be a few thermal sensors. And an exterior body would surround all of them.
The body will have a control panel along with some buttons. Those buttons will enable you to control the overall cooking process.
How Rice Cookers Function
First, you will have to put the water and the rice in the cooker. After starting the device, the weight of the water and the rice will depress the heating element. Once the heating element gets hot enough, the water will start boiling.
When the water starts boiling, the temperature sensors start their work. They monitor the overall process and keep the temperature at an adequate range.
When the rice fully absorbs the water, the sensors will make the device change the cooking mode. It will shift to the warming mode.
Advantages of Having a Rice Cooker
- Easy to use
- Offers cooked rice that is consistent in each of the cooking cycles
- Some of the devices are exceptionally versatile
- Most of them will have a keep warm mechanism
- Effortless to maintain and easy to clean
Drawbacks
- The cooking process takes a load of time
- Does not have any sort of non-stick layer that is required to cook other foods
Instant Pots
One of the most versatile pressure cookers that you can buy right now is the instant pots. However, this is not like the traditional pressure cookers. There are many advanced technologies integrated into it. It includes many advanced features, thanks to the programmable chip inside it.
And as these are powered through electricity, it will be able to offer you a redefined cooking experience, which you will not be able to expect from the traditional pressure cookers. That includes being able to cook all the slow-cooking recipes faster than usual.
On the note of versatility, these are capable of doing what the rice cookers do and can act like a steamer and a yogurt maker. It is basically a many-in-one package that can replace most of the available electric cooking appliances.
There are mainly three components. One of them is the inner pot that will hold all the food items. There is an outer pot that would surround the inner pot.
Also, there is a cover on the top that will ensure a proper seal. All of these components work together to offer an ideal pressurized cooking ability. And as the temperature usually climbs higher than most of the other cookers because of being under pressure, foods will cook relatively faster.
How Instant Pots Function
Most of the instant pots will have multiple functional modes. No matter how many functions they have, they are just an advanced pressure cooker by the end of the day. So, the main operational mode will be just like a pressure cooker. These can cook at up to 120 degrees Celsius.
For cooking rice, you will have to follow the same principles as a regular rice cooker. First, you need to put water and rice inside. After that, you have to turn on the device. Once the device is turned on, the other pot will start heating up.
Then, the sensors inside will start the pressurizing process, which will pressure up the insides. After the temperature sensors and the pressure sensors inside senses that the food inside is cooked adequately, it will turn the visual and sound alarm that the device might have.
Many of the cookers might even have a timer-based system or an auto-shutdown mechanism.
Advantages of Having an Instant Pot
- Exceptionally versatile, allowing you to cook a plethora of foods
- Cooks foods relatively faster than most of the other cookers
- Customizable
- Easy to clean and easy to use
- Most of them are highly energy efficient
Drawbacks
- Comparatively expensive than the other cooking appliances
- Some of the units might have unnecessary functions
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which is better – instant pot or rice cooker?
According to us, instant pots are better than rice cookers. They are exceptionally versatile and come packed with additional functionalities. Apart from that, they also heat up relatively fast, allowing them to cook rice faster than rice cookers.
- Are pressure cookers good for rice?
Pressure cookers are good for preparing loads of food items, which include rice. In fact, pressure cookers can cook rice faster than most of the regular rice cookers that are out there. Alongside that, they also ensure that the rice is properly cooked, which many of the electric cookers fail to offer.
- Can I use instant rice in a rice cooker?
Yes, you will be able to cook instant rice in a rice cooker. But you will have to spray some cooking oil on the surface of the pot before putting water and rice inside it.
- What kind of rice is used in a rice cooker?
You can cook all types of rice in a rice cooker. These cookers are compatible with brown, short-grain, long-grain, basmati, wild rice, regular rice, jasmine, and all the other types of available rice.
- What are the disadvantages of pressure cooking?
There are some disadvantages to pressure cooking. The first and most important one would be that you would require a lot of practice in the beginning. Secondly, they are a bit expensive in comparison to the other cookers. Also, you will not be able to monitor the food inside while it is cooking.
Conclusion
We hope that you are no longer in the predicament that you once were after going through this article. With that being said, we would like to conclude our take on the topic of rice cooker vs instant pot here by hoping that no matter which one you choose, you can perfectly cook rice.