Tips

Why shouldn’t you open the lid of an electric rice cooker immediately after cooking? The reason that many people are not aware of.

"As a familiar item found in most households, not all users are aware of every consideration when using an electric rice cooker."

Administrator

24 October, 2023

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When it comes to electrical appliances, useful for human life, we can’t forget the device called rice cooker. Rice cookers were invented to save time and effort in cooking for users with simple operating steps. In addition, rice cookers also have the function of cooking many other dishes besides rice, adding creativity to family meals.

On average, every household has at least 1 rice cooker and uses it twice a day. Although it is commonly used, not every user is knowledgeable about all the knowledge and precautions when using this device.

Recently, on a home appliances forum, a question received a lot of attention and controversy, which is: “Why should you still close the lid of the rice cooker after cooking instead of opening it?” To find the answer to this question, in reality, we need to consider the conditions, circumstances, and many other factors.

Rice cookers are familiar utensils in many families’ kitchens (Illustration photo)

Purpose of closing the lid of the rice cooker

Currently, based on the lid design, there are 2 types of rice cookers: detachable lid rice cooker and snap lid rice cooker. On the lid of the rice cooker, there is usually a button to easily open and close the cooker, ensuring the safety, and a vent hole for steam to escape during the cooking process. In general, the rice cooker lid will help seal the pot, maintain absolute heat, thereby ensuring the operation of the cooker.

Not only should you close the lid tightly, limiting frequent opening while the cooker is operating, but experts also recommend that users keep the lid closed even after cooking rice and only open it when it’s time to eat.

Experienced experts in the distribution and repair of household appliances in general and rice cookers in particular have commented that most rice cookers are set to switch from the “cook” button to the “warm” button. At this time, most users tend to open the cooker to check. However, this unintentional action can cause hot steam inside the cooker to escape, which can make the rice soggy, not fluffy, and unevenly cooked.

Opening the lid immediately after the cooking process can unintentionally affect the quality of rice (Illustration photo)

Therefore, instead of opening the lid immediately, users should wait for about 10 – 15 minutes before opening the lid, fluffing the rice. Then close the lid again until it’s time to eat. This way, the rice will be fluffier, evenly cooked, and kept warm better.

To make rice cooking with a rice cooker most effective, experts also emphasize that users should check if the lid is tightly closed when starting to cook. If the lid is not tightly closed from the beginning, it can affect the quality of the rice. At the same time, users can be burnt by steam when getting close to the cooker, as it escapes vigorously.

Other important notes when using a rice cooker

In addition to opening and closing the lid of the rice cooker, here are some other important notes that users should remember to use the device effectively, safely, and durably.

1. Dry the inside of the cooker before turning it on

The habit of many users is to put rice directly inside the cooker without drying the outside of the cooker, then plug it in and start it. However, there is a small step that is often forgotten between these steps, which is drying the outside of the cooker. This step will help prevent water from accumulating, leading to charred spots, making the outer shell of the cooker blackened, affecting the durability of the heating plate.

At the same time, if the outside of the cooker is not dried and it is plugged in, there is a high risk of short-circuiting, fire, especially with very old rice cookers.

Illustration photo

2. Don’t press the “cook” button too many times

It may seem harmless, just contributing to cooking rice many times, but pressing the “cook” button too many times will make the device break faster. The reason is that pressing too many times can cause the rice cooker’s relay to become sticky and malfunction. This action is also similar to the “warm” button.

Therefore, users should not abuse, press any button on the rice cooker too many times. Instead, it is advised to use it reasonably and for the proper purpose.

3. Use both hands when placing the inner pot into the cooker

Experts recommend that when placing the inner pot into the cooker, it is better to use both hands and gently rotate the bottom of the pot to contact evenly with the heating plate. This action will help limit damage to the heating plate and make the rice evenly cooked, fragrant, and prevent burning.

Illustration photo

4. Clean the rice cooker regularly

Don’t be lazy to wash the rice cooker after a few days, but wash and clean it thoroughly after each day or each use. All parts of the cooker, such as the inner pot, outer pot, steam vent, and excess water tray… need to be cleaned, removing dirt on time.

Rice cookers come into direct contact with food that people eat every day, so leaving them dirty will cause bacteria to grow, thereby directly affecting human health and the durability of the device.

Finally, when using, users should place the rice cooker in a ventilated, dry position, avoiding places with high heat sources or excessive humidity such as near the faucet, sink, or gas stove…

According to Theo Phụ Nữ Số