Aroma ARC-838TC 8-Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer
014 4 I eat imported long grain white rice everyday . I used basic models with unsealed lids , and high end Japanese brands with fuzzy logic . I gave this product 4 star for the unbeatable price and performance .
The cheaper basic models without sealed lids are pretty good too , for cooking rice . To prevent messy steam , the trick is to use an oversize cooker . If you only use half of the capacity , you shouldn't need to clean up the table after cooking . A non-stick coating saves you time cleaning and saves rice . The rice is usually on the soft and moist side of things , but that's most people prefer anyway . It's harder to do drier and crispier rice .
This model is almost perfect for cooking white rice . For the price I don't suppose you eat premium rice everyday from true Asian specialty shops , right ? There's little difference for this model and high end models if your rice isn't that premium .
This cooker is primarily designed to prepare rice the way the Asians eat , particularly the Japanese and Chinese . This is not to make microwave multi-grain paste . You have to make the engineers and designers willing to eat your paste so they can understand how to cook it . No amount of high end fuzzy logic can make your paste the way you like it all by itself if the engineers haven't thought of it .
For cooking white rice , this one is as good as any , unless you have exquisite taste in premium rice . For steaming vegetable and other things , it's quite handy steaming alone or cooking rice at the same time . When steaming alone , it stops automatically when the water is all gone .
Everything is best eaten fresh . And with a delay timer , there's no reason to keep the rice in warm mode for long after cooking . The warm mode tend to dry out the rice a bit for long periods .
There's a bit of inconsistency in the manual . The steam vent of my model can only be pulled out from the outside , not from the inside . Lucky that I didn't damage the lid . You actually do not need to disconnect the electric cord when in the off state . But I'm sure it's not recommended for legal liability reasons , and to save some energy . In my opinion it's as safe as not unplugging the TV after watching . Also there's a flat little plastic cup below the lid hinge , for collecting condensed water from the lid , which the manual didn't mention . The little ring at the opposite side of the plastic cup is the temporary holder for the rice spatula .
For higher end models there is an extra electric plug at the bottom of the cookers , secured in position by magnetic force . Unplugging and plugging are as easy as pushing a button .
For more expensive models , basically there are two lids . The inner lid is easily detachable for you to rinse it in water together with the inner pot . The outer lid , fixed to the cooker , hardly ever needs cleaning or attention . For this model , even though the lid is directly exposed to the steam , the lid looked clean after cooking . I doubt very much if you need to clean it every time if you only cook rice in the normal way . If you steam vegetable or just put the steam tray in , you shouldn't be cleaning the lid at all .
With the single lid design , the steam condensed to water at the lid and soft plastic seal . When you open the lid , some of the condensed water will drain through the little plastic cup below the lid hinge . A small amount of water will be collected at the seals . It's not likely to happen , but if you close the lid again a few drop of water may drip down to the cooking surface , when you have taken the inner pot out . But then a few drops probably will not hurt the cooking surface or the inner pot .
I do not like that it beeps too loud , too high pitch , louder than my microwave . I do not like the - - sign shown when the delay timer is not in use . It's also too brightly red when in the off state . I prefer a green or yellow little dot , not too bright in the dark but easy to spot in day light .
As with all rice cookers , if you put it under anything , the wood above will be damaged because of the steam . I attach a thin plate of clear acrylic at the bottom of the wooden cabinet to protect it . Or you can just pull it out in the open while cooking , and push it back after .
If you are careful , the non-stick surface should last enough for your $40 . I don't know about the plastic seal though . My experience with over the top kettles is that the seal is the first thing to go . But they sell replacement parts and the cost of the seal is still a small fraction of the kettle .
The cooker is on the slow side , taking about 30 min to cook . Higher end cookers don't cook a lot faster because you cannot boil away the water too fast . Big simple unsealed cookers can cook some 10 or more minutes faster . But the quality of the cook rice cannot be compared . I'm sure microwave can cook a lot faster .
001 4 This is the fourth rice cooker I have owned and it is by far and away the best . The rice cooks right every time . The manual does give a guide of how much water to add for different types of rice but I have found that even when I screw up and do not use the right amount of water the rice has turned out pretty good .
I enjoy the fact that the device has a sealed top which really seems to help the rice be more consistent and also makes me feel better having this unit used with three small children in the house running around . The rice receptacle inside is a delightful non-stick surface that is more then easy to clean . The steam feature for other items works wonderful as well . I have left rice in the device for over two hours after cooking and it is still moist , tasty and not burnt . The one touch button cooking is a breeze and for me it takes about 30 minutes or so in most instances for the quantity I cook .
The only thing I learned I had to do is not place the device under anything when cooking . There is a starchy steam that is released during cooking that can coat wood and other surfaces . On wood this starch coating can be a pain to remove .
This is a great device to cook an entire meal or side in quick mindless ease . I can't think of a feature I would change on this unit . A great device that actually has increased the amount of rice and vegetables I and my family consume . Unless you need larger quantities of rice then this device is capable of I really can't see why anyone would need anything else . This is a great product at a great price . Wonderful !
002 4 I also have been happy with this cooker . If you follow the instructions it will create perfect rice . Also , it beeps when its finished so that is nice . All in all good value for the price .
The only thing I don't like about it is that it takes longer than other rice cookers I've used . The cook time is about 50 minutes .
003 4 It cooks my rice perfect every time . It's important to always use there measurment guides . There cup size measures differently from traditional measures . ( measuring cup is included ) . For those who complain about the rice sticking to the bottom of pan ( reviews from Target website ) , the directions do state to add an extra cup of water - depending on the type of rice being cooked . Also , little things like if you rinse your rice also make a big difference , because it reduces starches and nutrients . Not to mention that if you are cooking your typical white rice ( long-grain ) always get rice that has been imported from Thialand , never rinse it . The rice is of better quality , cooks better and tastes great . You can buy Jasmine brand at Walmart $4 for a 5 lb bag , or find a specialty store . The Aroma rice cooker is just wonderful , I started out with a black n ' decker brand and was very disappointed with it . It would cook veggies great , but the rice always held to much water . It was on of those clear open steamers . It was my first try at a rice / food steamer . In a way I am glad I waited a while to get another steamer , because you couldn't pick one up with a timer without spending a ton more money . I cook rice almost everyday , and by the time I get home from work my rice has already switched over to the warm setting . All I have to do is cook up my chicken on the grill or stirfry it and my family is ready to eat . Truely a great steamer from a good price . You won't be disappointed .
004 4 I'm amazed at just how well this basic rice cooker does its job ! It's easy to clean , can keep cooked rice hot for hours and is extremely easy to use . I shopped around and considered the higher priced models but decided to start with something inexpensive to see if a rice cooker was really an appliance I needed in my kitchen . This one does a great job for a very reasonable price and I'm so glad I didn't pay more . We're using it to cook Basmati rice ( bought in bulk ) and with this cooker it turns out perfect every time . It really does wonders to help stretch our food budget !
Added March 10 , 2009 :
Here we are a year and a half later and this rice cooker is still going STRONG ! We use the heck out of it - at least twice a week , if not more . I tend to make 2 large batches of rice for an average week's demands . The first is just a regular batch ( 6 to 8 cups ) of white Basmati rice . The second is a batch of the same white Basmati rice made with chicken broth instead of water . This rice is SO good I can eat it for lunch fresh from the cooker ! Nuke a few veggies from the freezer and you have a healthy little lunch or snack .
With the economy the way it is , having this cooker has been a blessing . Through experimentation , I've found many different ways to use rice so that we don't run the risk of getting sick of it . By cooking large batches of rice , I save time and energy . Leftovers store for quite a long time in the refrigerator ( we use ziplock bags ) and can be added to soups and casserole recipes with great effect ! I also add it to many leftovers to help stretch our grocery budget a little further . You'd be surprised what kind of yummy casseroles you can concoct with leftovers , a little rice and some cheese !
December 2009 :
STILL going strong after years of use and many batches of perfect rice later ! I just bought another one , not because the one I have was broken , but so that I could give it to my grown step-daughter ! One of our favorite new things to do is make Vigo's Yellow Rice mix . In fact , it's super easy to make ANY pre-packaged ( and flavored ) rice mix . Here's what you do : Open the rice package and pour it into a measuring cup . Note the measurement , then pour it into the cooker . Then measure the same amount of warm water PLUS one half cup and add to the cooker . ( If there are 2 cups of contents from your package you need 2.5 cups of warm water . ) Stir well to dissolve & distribute the spices / flavorings and then press start . It's that easy ! By the way , you can also do the same method to cook pre-packaged beans & rice , such as the Read Beans and Rice that Vigo makes . It's really good !
005 4 We first used one of these in Hawaii at a timeshare and fell in love with the ease of use and clean up . We came home and bought one just a few days later . We use it 4 - 5 times weekly ( for over 2 months now ) with no problems . The instructions tell you if you want softer rice to add more water so I add about 1 / 2 cup more water than called for . Super easy to make perfect rice every time ! I make other dishes with rice and vegetables in mine also . I highly recommend this product for anyone who eats a lot of rice and wants to make it the easy way !
006 4 I bought this cooker because I needed something small that wouldn't take up too much counterspace , that that was still of good quality . I make a lot of sushi at home and had previously been making my sticky rice on the stovetop which is really not the best way for consistent rice . So last night was the first time I used this cooker to make sticky rice and the rice came out soooo good . It was perfect consistency and evenly cooked and fluffy but sticky . The only thing I noticed is that when it's done steaming it automatically goes into warm mode , which is nice for other things , but for sushi rice it needs to be turned off right away to let the rice set . . . so I won't be able to use the timer feature for the sushi rice , but other than that I think it's a fabulous machine ( especially for the price ) and I'm looking forward to steaming my veggies on it tonight !
007 4 You have to add 50% more water when cooking brown rice . I read a couple of reviews that said it can only cook white rice . Follow the instructions it gives you for the different types of rice . That particular person must not have read the directions .
Do not place it under cabinets . It won't hurt it right away , but after several times , may cause problems with the wood .
Great value and product .
009 4 After my old rice cooker died , I was considering buying an expensive Zojirushi cooker that uses an induction cooking system and costs upwards of $200 , until I came across an Aroma rice cooker at a discount membership store that rhymes with Roscoe . The one I got is very similar to this one , but it also has a setting for brown rice and holds up to 20 cups of rice . The price was also $29 .
I'm very happy with it . The rice comes out pretty good . Not perfect , or restaurant quality , but good enough considering the price . The steaming tray and programmability are great features and are usually seen on higher priced cookers . The best part is the $170 + I saved !
I add a tiny bit of cooking oil ( just a few drops ) into the water before cooking and it helps keep the rice grains from sticking together . It's also important to wash the rice thoroughly until the water is clear before cooking .
012 4 I used to have a lot of problem with the rice sticking to the bottom with other rice cookers . The nonstick pot is this model is wonderful and I have never had any problems with the rice sticking to the bottom .
If you work the feature of the timer is great . You come back home after work and the rice is ready . Also if you enjoy brown rice , this cooker does a fantastic job .
I'm very satisfied with this rice cooker . It is an excellent product .
016 4 After dealing with my previous crappy rice cooker that spit starchy bubbles all over my kitchen counter and cabinets for far too long , I bought this one for my wife for her birthday so that we could make sushi .
I just finished the first batch and things couldnt have gone smoother . The directions are simple and effective , the rice came out firm but sticky , just the way we needed it . It made excellent sushi rice and i look forward to steaming veggies in it as well .
Im not sure what magic a $200 rice cooker performs , but i really cant imagine that it does much more than this more reasonably priced cooker .
As long as it lasts a couple years ill consider it money very well spent .
UPDATE ! > > > > Here we are , 9 months later and the cooker is holding up just great . Have used it many many times for batches both big and small . Non-stick coating is still perfect !
017 4 I got the stainless steel version of this rice cooker at Sams for about the same price . Have been very happy with it , flawless rice every time and the nonstick pot is very easy to clean , esp . if you soak it first for maybe 5 - 10 minutes .
Haven't tried the steamer yet , use it just for rice .
My only caveat is that the price you pay for the convenience of using an appliance like this is that cleaning up can be a little troublesome : before it totally cools off , you have to remove the metal dish on the underside of the lid to clean it completely , plus wipe the surface of the lid behind it , and then periodically you want to take apart the air vent mechanism to clean that too .
Using a simple pot to cook rice in will reduce your cleanup but you wouldn't be able to just leave it alone and go do something else while the rice is cooking . . . that's just the trade-off I suppose . ( My non-cooker method is to use a 2 : 1 water to rice ratio , bring the rice to a boil at medium heat while covered , then turn to low heat and leave covered for about 20 minutes after it boils . )
These Aroma products seem to be really good for the money . I have the Aroma electric kettle ( see my review ) and am also very happy with it .
018 4 This rice cooker is a great tool to have . Before purchasing , I made rice in a pot on the stove , and wondered why it was either always burned or soggy . I thought rice cookers were for those who ate rice every day . Well , we eat rice a lot more often now that we have this . It makes perfect rice and will also steam vegetables in the tray over the rice . They also come out amazingly tender , but not limp , and retain flavor and vitamins I was losing on the stove . It's 8 cup size is good for large families , but you can also make a smaller amount and it will come out just as well . You just turn it on , and in 30 minutes or so , it's ready . I recommend trying some other rices in here , like basmati or jasmine , the aroma from these will make your mouth water , and they are delicious .
019 4 I just bought this as another tool to help get dinner on the table quickly . As a working mom who gets home at 6 pm , I need fast help ! This helps . It cleans up well and works great , and I love that it has a timer . Now , I get great rice , and with a good rice cooker cook book , I'm learning how to do other things as well , such as a mac and cheese that is homemade all the way . Love it !
021 4 I never thought I'd ever buy a rice cooker . After all , who can't cook rice ? Me , that's who . My rice was always a mess regardless of my water to rice ratio , etc . Lots of friends made suggestions but to no avail - this was embarrassing ! So I jumped on Amazon and selected this unit . NO REGRETS ! I've used it many times and the rice is spot on perfect every time . I read an article on the variety of rice dishes in the newspaper . When an asian chef was asked how she prepared the perfect rice , she simply said Easy , I push a button . So now that's what I do ! : )
022 4 I bought this cooker a few months ago and just love it . It's so easy to use and cleanup is a breeze . A friend of mine has a different kind and doesn't like it so tried to talk me out of getting one . Am so glad I didnt listen to her . My 10 year old can even use it . I highly recommend this product to everyone .
024 4 I've had this for a couple of weeks . I've used it several times , for a variety of things . It does make white rice well - and it's so easy to throw in the rice and water , close and hit start - by the time the rest of dinner's ready , your rice is done .
I've had no problems with it mechanically .
- The nonstick pan is really nonstick - it cleans up very easily , which is nice b / c it can't go in the dishwasher .
- The rice cup measure , steamer basket , paddle and ladle that come with it are very cheap , but they do the job .
- It is pretty large ( only slightly smaller than my 5 quart crockpot ) , and I want to keep it out on the counter . But I don't think it could be any smaller and still cook the volume it does .
- The interior lid is kind of a challenge , b / c you have to clean it in place - but it does seem to wipe down pretty easily , and the steam vent fixture is removable so you can get it under running water and get any gunk out of it .
- The cord is NOT retractable , which I know it is on more expensive models , but I can live with that .
- The timer only allows you to select a ' ready time ' by whole hours away . So , if you're setting it at 11 : 30pm , you could choose 6 hours ( for a 5 : 30am breakfast ) or 7 hours ( for a 6 : 30am breakfast ) . kind of obnoxious if you wanted to eat at 6 . But it does just flip over to warm when the food is ready , so depending on what you're cooking , just pick the earlier time and you should be fine .
I mostly bought this items to help in my quest to eat more whole grains , and I m still experimenting . In addition to plain white rice , which it does fine with , I've tried other items with this cooker , with mixed results :
- Steel Cut Oats - I set up overnight and used the delay timer so they'd be ready for breakfast . ( This is the time i learned about the timer only being whole hours - but the oats did fine being ready 30 minutes early and then just left on warm til i was ready to eat them .
- split pea soup - i tried cooking a soup mix i had . you were supposed to cook the dried split peas over a simmer after bringing water to a boil . I added the peas and water to the cooker all at once . I think 5 cups water was too much . . . I had a geyser ! but the soup came out fine .
- fiesta rice ( 1 c rice , 1 c salsa , 1.5 c water , pinch salt ) - my biggest success . threw it all together and by the time i had the taco filling browned and the cheese shredded , i had a delicious side for my tacos .
- kasha - not good . I'm not sure it was the cooker though . I wanted to have it ready when I got up in the morning , so i put it all in the night before and used the timer . Either I added too much water , or you shouldn't let the buckwheat groats soak overnight , or it sat on warm too long after cooking ( see note on delay cook timer ) , but it was absolute mush - a very unpleasant texture . I'll try kasha again with a little less water and when i can check it for texture while cooking . it was such a disappointment , though , because it smelled so good when i woke up .
All in all , I think this cooker is a good value for the money . I wasn't willing to shell out close to $200 for something I wasn't sure i'd use all that often . I think if you want an ' entry-level ' rice cooker in this price range ( I paid $35 on amazon.com in January 2010 ) , this one is fine .
026 4 I looked at the positive feedback from others on Amazon.com . When I got mine , The manual was easy to read but did not explain much of the two things ; the steam cylinder with the rubber bottom plate at the lid , and the clear plastic that covers the lid hinge . Another area is , although the lid is explained as washable , you can hardly wash it as the lid is screwed at the hinge . I am sure , it should be just wipe clean . But , I had to put into the running water with the reason I describe below .
The first test was cooking the multi-grain rice of 5 - 6 serving size . The water was added a little short just in case it gets soggy . I used to cook this with the microwave rice cooker , which would give the satisfying result within 17 min . but , I had to cook for 50min to get the same result . At around 35min . of boiling , the steam and the water actually leaked throughout the lid , not through the steam cylinder . and the whole container was covered with the sticky water .
Now , the size , it is big for a family of 5 + . It does not look right if you are a single or a couple in the compact kitchen . I find it slightly bulky . The top lid and the spray painted body are not the same color but , and , when I look at the pic from amazon.com , it looks better than what you actually see at home .
If this is your first rice cooker , you won't get bothered by what I say . After all , you will get the sticky rice , better than the boiled one as a result . But , with mine , it takes too long . And , I find it slightly frustrating as the dinner preparation with steamed rice with this product will make me stay longer in the kitchen than before . 30 + min extra time for each meal will always put me to think whether i should go back to the microwave cooking .
Then again , it is $30 . I just want you all to know whether it suits your need with my own experience along with others .
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Update - July 2009
I have boiled the long grain white rice-hollow it means-and it turns out cooking successfully each time . Still , with the harder grains , it leaks the bubbles though . So , it meets the basic function after all . Still 3 - star , but good enough at $30 .
027 4 I think this is a good rice cooker . I especially like the veggie steamer insert . I like the different features of the rice cooker too , such as delay cooking . . . however when the rice is done , the rice cooker makes a very annoying angry beeping sound ( fortunately it is not a repetitive sound ) .
028 4 The Aroma Rice Cooker is a great countertop appliance . The outer design is very nice and it easily wipes clean . Just drop in a couple of cups of rice , and about a cup and a half of water , press the button and forget it . It cooks rice perfect every time .
Since I like my rice with a little crunch , I use less water . Aroma recommends a 1 : 1 / 2 ratio ; one cup of rice , per one and a half cup of water . Anyway , when the rice is done , the cooker beeps , and it automatically sets the control to warm mode . So there's no worry of overcooking or burning . The inner-pot is non-stick , so that's a big plus also . I highly recommend this product .
031 4 I must say , having no experience with a rice cooker i had no idea what to expect . After trying to make sushi rice the old fashion way and then making with with this cooker i can never see making it without this ( or another ) cooker . I've steamed some veggies and made several pounds of rice and have yet to be dissapointed . The only issue i could see is the rice gets a little dry if you leave it in the cooker with the top off . . . which is an easy fix , close the lid .
Possibly the best money i've spent in quite a while .
033 4 This rice cooker has been very handy for my personal cooking needs . However , no matter how many methods I try , I still get a very thin film of lightly browned rice at the very bottom . I wouldn't set it to cook when I got home from work without adding extra water to make up for that soaked up by the rice , and I would not trust it on the warm cycle for too long without stirring / fluffing it . I do use high-quality short-grain Japanese rice ( sushi grade ) , so a less starchy rice might cook differently .
The first time I made it , I left it on for the whole cooking time , then followed the directions which stated to leave it to steam an additional 15 minutes before opening the lid . The rice itself was slightly browned on the bottom , but did not taste burnt .
It may not do this if you cook for more than 1 - 2 people .
My only solution I can think of , if this bothers anyone , is to remove the inner pan with heat-resistant gloves or oven mitts , and actually / flip / the rice mound , unfluffed , onto an empty plate in order to peel the starchy residue away . Anyone who has made a whole cornbread knows this process . From there , you can deposit the rice back into the inner pot , fluff , and serve .
I personally cannot tell a difference in flavor , only color . So while it's a disappointment , it's not changing my daily usage of the cooker any time soon . If I need pretty rice for sushi , I'll just take off the top .
Recommended for an uncertain first-time buyer . I couldn't live without the timer , the buzzer , and the automatic warm cycle , so this bugger is a life saver .
On a side note , I don't have the problem with starchy steam , but I do only cook 1 cup at a time unless my family thinks what I'm having is particularly tasty-sounding . Cleanup is a breeze , and the cooker seems to have a lot of potential for diverse recipes . They aren't kidding about Nonstick , either . I was highly amused by how dry the interior pot was after filling it with water , then pouring it out . I might be a little easily amused , however .
034 4 I had a rice cooker once , a few years ago , and my experience was so miserable I swore I would never own another . It never worked the way it claimed to , no matter what adjustments I made , and the mess was horrible to try to clean ! But I do not have time , patience , or desire to babysit long cooking brown rice ( our favorite kind ) on the stovetop when there are so many things that pull for my time and attention when I get home .
My husband convinced me it was time to give rice cookers another try . I was astounded by the prices of the better rated rice cookers we found . At those kinds of prices those models should be self-cleaning ! Then I happened upon this one . I carefully read the reviews and took their experiences into consideration and decided to go ahead and give it a try . If I didn't like it , I wasn't out that much money , and some other adventurous friend might just be blessed by a new appliance .
I have been extremely happy with the results ! In balancing my experience against what a few others have experienced . . . my only conclusion is that perhaps reading the directions is far more valuable than one might think . Every complaint and negative concern that I've read is addressed , point-blank , in the directions - right down to measurement and portion size .
In making my brown basmati rice , the directions call for less water than I would normally use if I made it on the stove , so I went ahead and used my own ratio and the rice turned out exactly how we like it , so I have continued to use my own proportions . The timer feature is fabulous when we need to be able to have dinner soon after arriving home . I just throw in the rice , put the meat in the steamer basket , set it for how many hours I want the meal completed , and go about my day . A couple of minutes to throw together the veggies and * tah-dah * a great , hot , healthy meal with minimal fuss ! I wish I would have known about this little gem sooner ! !
035 4 I purchased this Aroma 8 - Cup a month or so ago and am very happy with it . The rice is really great ! The digital touch-pad is easy to use , especially with the timer which I've been using a lot lately . The one problem I had was with brown rice . It was burning a bit . The instructions with the unit advised using a little oil to coat the nonstick pan to remedy this type of problem . I used some olive oil and have had no problem since with burning or residue in the pan bottom . This is a great product for the price AND the rice is delicious ! ( I am a recovering non-rice person ! ) I give it 5 stars !
037 4 PROS :
Cheap
Cooks rice , including brown rice
One-button operation
Attractive design
Inner pan is removable
Quality of cooked rice is good as long as you remove it immediately
CONS :
Cord too short
End of cooking alert signal sounds like a smoke detector
Blows steam out the top and warps cabinets
Keeps rice warm , but actually cooks it onto the side of the inner pan after an hour or so
Doesn't shut off the automatic keep warm heater , even after you remove the inner bowl
Inner bowl is not dishwasher safe and is difficult to clean , especially if you leave rice in there keeping warm longer than 1 hour
If I had to make this decision again , I would buy a better rice cooker . This one is cheap , and I love the convenience , but I am disappointed with its performance .
041 4 This is an excellent cooker for the money . Add two cups , three cups water and in 30 min , the rice is fluffy and flavorful .
I owned a Krups previously and I liked it , but it broke after 2 years .
042 4 This is the best thing I have purchased in a long time . We eat a lot of rice and this makes it right every time . The rice is light and fluffy and never sticks together . Easy to clean up . Everyone should have one .
043 4 This rice cooker is the first one I've owned to make perfect brown rice . The last two have overcooked it every time . Also works great for steel cut oatmeal . I'm very happy with this cooker !
045 4 I ordered this Rice cooker after spending a hours reading reviews on this cooker and others on Amazon . I was encouraged by the good reviews and put off by a few negative reviews and a little put off by the low price when compared to other cookers with an average of 4 star ratings . But i figured what the heck , I have never been disappointed with any purchase from amazon having a 3 star or better rating .
The cooker arrived today and was sitting at my door when returned home from work . So step 1 was quite satisfactory , it arrived exactly when promised ! So step 2 was to open the box , no problems there . The shipping carton it came in from amazon was a about twice the width of the products package but who cares really . It was not damaged in any way .
So I opened the cooker did a quick scan of the directions , did a quick wash of the parts that touch food . Added 3 cups of my favorite Organic jasmine brown rice . and added the recommended amount of water from the instruction manual and pressed the cook button . I resisted the urge to peek as the aroma of cooking rice began waft through my home . After about 30 minutes or so , I didn't really time it but it did not take long at all , the ready alarm began to chime . The rice was cooked to perfection ! It fluffed up so pretty and without big sticky clumps . I am quite please with my purchase at this point as my dinner was light and fluffy .
Cleanup took um 2 or 3 minutes at most . I can't wait to cook some steel cut oats in the morning .
046 4 My first new updated rice cooker . I've eaten rice my whole life & have made rice all my adult life . I like that the lid is attached so I don't have to put down a hot lid upside down to keep the condensate from spilling . I like the attached rice scooper holder so I don't need an extra dish for it . The non-stick pot is great , no more rice stuck to the bottom & easy to clean . One-touch digital buttons are easy . I like the taste / consistency of the rice very much . We use a blend of long grain white , wild & brown rice , usually 3 - 4 measuring cups of uncooked . We've used the steamer plate several times while cooking the rice or alone , works wonderfully . The only downside is that are no divets , handles , etc to easily take out the hot steam plate from the inside top of the rice pot . I like the handle on top of the whole cooker , so I can easily pick it up & clean under it , very light . It has a delay timer , but we don't use that . It must be unplugged to completely turn off power to it , i.e . no power switch ( it's not cooking or warming , but just an indicator light is lit ) .
048 4 Now I can not live without one . I have had this cooker since Christmas and have used it every day since . We are eating alot more veggies and alot less meat . I whip up a batch of rice and do a stirfry . Best Chinese food my family has eaten .
I didn't understand how it worked until I did a wiki search . I would suggest all you noobies do the same . Pretty clever .
My only complaint is why didn't they make everything dishwasher safe ? And they should have made the lid removable for easier cleaning . Unless I learn about something better I have no problem giving it as a gift .
050 4 OK , this was a splurge . Rice and I have a love / hate relationship . Doesnt matter that I do it the same everytime , everytime it comes out different . Sometimes too sticky , sometimes too crunchy , and if Im lucky just right ( 3 bears anyone ? ! lol ) . This is disappointing when you spend time making a dish , such as brocoli beef , or fried rice where rice is a key ingredient .
This is a great little rice cooker , and I have found that it makes my life much simpler , especially when making a dish that requires a lot of prep like butter chicken . The rice is something I dont have to worry about and I dont have to try and time it to the meal , or have several pots going at once . This was also much larger than I had expected . A nice suprise . Only wish is that it came in any color other than white . Recomend !
052 4 This is a very , very good rice cooker . I have used it around a dozen times since buying it . I use Jasmine Rice from Walmart , and it tastes delicious . I rinse the rice in cold water before putting it into the rice cooker , and I haven't once had scorched rice .
The cooking pot is extremely easy to clean , just wipe it out after it cools off , or before the next use , and it's good to go . The food steamer works great on pre-cooked meat ; I haven't tried vegetables or raw meats yet .
I would recommend this to anyone who wants a rice cooker . I'm considering buying one for m mother . Follow the directions and it will give you no hassles .
054 4 I absolutely love my rice cooker ! I don't know how I've gotten by without it all this time . I make full meals in it as well as steam veggies to perfection . It is so simple . Put your ingredients in , the liquid , push the button and walk away . It's done ! LOVE IT ! ! !
056 4 Love this rice cooker ! I have only used it 5 or 6 times . Rice has been perfect everytime .
My previous cooker had a lift off lid and was kind of messy to use . This one seems to be well designed and solidly built .
058 4 Having purchased several other cooking aids for the kitchen , this item is by far the best my wife and I have gotten . It is very easy to use , clean up is even easier , and the meals you can make in it have all been great .
060 4 I'm amazed at how this product actually lived up to its reputation . The capacity really saves me time . When I cook rice , the water never overflows or leaves a large mess . The pan is easy to clean . The lid is designed in such a way that the water condensed on it flows into a little water container at the side for easy disposable .
The only downside I noticed was that the lid can't be removed , so cleaning it is a bit harder than usual , but that's not a huge deal .
I would definitely recommend this rice cooker to everyone .
062 4 Had it for a month now . Switched from a Rival glass lid model and now the splatter is gone . Haven't used the delayed timer function yet . Beep on completion is good and looks elegant too . Like the drip collecting pouch on the side .
Cleaning the lid is a little cumbersome since the top lid does not separate from the base but that is not a biggie , just wipe with a paper towel . I don't think it is a good idea to steam veggies when cooking rice , the veggies get coated with rice paste when it boils over it .
064 4 I love this rice cooker , and got rid of my old one when I used this at someone's house ! It is so non stick , and makes great rice . The only thing I would mark it down for is that the condensation builds up on the lid , and you need to put a sponge or something in to get it clean , not the easiest part . But the pot itself cleans so easily , and it is pretty foolproof . And quiet .
065 4 This makes great rice ! It is fast ( ~ 30 minutes ) and tastes great every time . I have made both white and brown rice with no problems . It is a bit big so maybe not the best for a tiny kitchen if you don't have much storage space . I did not need a rice cooker with many features so this is perfect for me and my husband
069 4 I tried to carefully research all the options on Amazon for a rice cooker , and settled on this model though it was slightly more than I planned on paying . . . but the reviews were so nearly-unanimously fab - I had to get it . AND I LOVE IT ! ! ! We have used it a ton for rice to go along with curry stews or stir-fries , but then have made extra rice several times so we can have cold rice to make FAB fried rice with . I honestly have yet to see a downside to this cooker - it's super easy to use , super easy to clean , and has made perfect rice EVERY time we've used it . Between this and my new wok ( a giant cast iron Lodge brand , if you're interested ) , we have been eating tons of healthy veggies and rice and such for a full month now , and doesn't look like we're slowing down . . . If you want a good rice cooker , this model is exceptional .
071 4 Great cooker . Works quickly , one-touch controls , and removable containers for easier cleaning . The only reason why I gave it four stars was because the vent on the lid was really hard to clean .
073 4 Bought for my athelete son in college sharing an apartment with 4 other atheletes . This cooker is great for making a large volume of good rice to be ready when they return from practice . Easy to use , it makes good , nutritious food accessible for the boys at a very reasonable price .
076 4 This rice cooker is so easy to use ! The rice is perfect every time . I highly recommend it . Very easy to clean too .
078 4 This rice cooker does burn the rice , almost as soon as it sounded that the rice was done . I wish I had more choices when selecting the type of rice that I am cooking . With this one , you can control the ratio of rice to liquid , and that's it . This is my first rice cooker , and may be my last one . I don't think I would buy another rice cooker , unless I could see it in action first .
080 4 It is a good product , easy to use and quite stable .
I would recommend it , especailly considering its price .
082 4 I fix quite a lot of rice and just got tired of watching rice cook in a standard pot . I decided to look at rice cookers and did a lot of research and looking at reviews . I picked this Aroma model . I love it . Put everything in and hit the on button and it comes out perfect every time without having to check it to see how it is doing . Fantastic product .
083 4 Great all around rice maker . easy to use , easy to clean , easy to understand directions . Great steamer too , would buy again .
084 4 I purchased this cooker about a year ago . It is a wonderful must have appliance , if you love rice . The rice is moist and not sticky . You can feel good about preparing a meal for your family , knowing it is both healthy and cost effective .
086 4 I really like everything about this product . It's simple , and it does the job . I have cooked both brown and white rice , and have been satisfied . The first time , my rice was a little overcooked , but just on the bottom . So , I followed some suggested tips from the user guide , and it's been great ! Just follow the instructions , and you will be satisfied too .
088 4 This rice steamer makes excellent rice . You can set it up in the morning and have rice cooked when you get home from work . You need to rinse the rice well and then follow the directions for how to make rice .
089 4 I love rice , and I eat all different kinds of rice - basmati , jasmine , brown . . . This will do a good job cooking white rice , but that is it . Your brown rice will never get done and you have to keep adding water and starting it up again . This is just a mediocre appliance .
091 4 I am used to rice cookers my old b & d rice cooker cup nonstick coating came off and started sticking so i got this one . . . I just read the manual once and tried in this rice cooker and it worked good .
I rinsed the white rice couple of time ( I dont rinse in my old b & d ) , added water upto the level marked ( plus extra 1 cup water ) and swich it on . It gives the sound in 20 - 30 mins when its done . Give another 5 - 10 mins and then open you get the nicely cooked rice and nothing is sticking to the cup . ( no oil , butter , nonstick spray . . just extra one cup water does the job )
As per manual , This is not Dishwasher thats disappointing for such a cost , my old b & d is dishwasher safe but this one is easy to wash the cup as there is no starch sticking to the cup ( due to rinse of rice ) . Also The cup is not a usa standard cup , its international standard cup and allows 8 cups white rice without vegetables and 6 cups with vegetables and for brown rice only 6 cups ( so it does brown rice , hmm thats good ) . My old b & d is a 12 / 24 cup
My old b & d and this both allows to cook vegetables along with rice cooking , the b & d used to spit a lot of starch ( as i normally dont rinse rice ) , Here in this rice cooker as the manual says i rinsed the rice and dont see any starch at all if its rinsed properly but am i washing all my carbohydrates and minerals ?
I am going to experiment more without rinsing / Water adjustments to see if it would be coming good on short rice and basmati .
This is a nice cooker , works good , safe as its coverd but just read the manual once and you wont go wrong . . .
Well sometime you may get a $15 rice cooker in walmart and be happy too . . . so for the cost i paid $35 there could be more improvements like 1 . dishwasher safe 2 . option for brown rice in the front panel itself 3 . More options of rice cooking in the front panel 4 . 12 cups instead of 8 and lastly cup in stainless as anyway its not dishwasher safe ( may be i am asking more for $ : ) )
Five star for this cooker . . . .
093 4 This steamer does not know when the rice is done . It overcooks some of the rice at the bottom of the container around the outside edge in toward the center about 3 / 4 of an inch . This overcooked ring of rice is not eatable . The bulk of the rice is well cooked , of nice texture and very good . The dog enjoys the overcooked rice but we don't .
This cooker also puddles some water on the outside top of the cooker . I tried increasing the water to the rice but that didn't help much with the rice but increased the size of the puddle on top . I would not buy this unit again if I had know of these problems .
This cooker keeps the rice warm and in good condition for a very long time after the cooking cycle . This steamer is easy to clean .
095 4 Does what it is supposed to do . Takes a bit longer than my previous rice cooker but I like the timer feature on this . Overall satisfied .
099 4 I love this rice cooker . It can cook so much rice and keep it warm . There's even a delay timer so you have it cook the rice when you want it to . Love it .
101 4 I purchased 3 - one for each daughter and one for myself . The price is great , it is easy to use , the rice turns out perfect , it has a timer to set ahead , a warmer , you can steam veggies and meat as well . It was a great purchase and I am so happy I could share it with my daughters and their families .
102 4 I love this cooker . Wish I'd had one years ago . My only complaint is the instruction manual . It does not offer enough information . The main problem I've had is that I can't figure out how to properly reinsert the steam vent after cleaning . The directions are no help at all . I would be delighted if someone on here could advise .
104 4 This cooker is great and convinient , we set the timer before we go to work and it's nice and ready when we get home . the rice is pretty good .
106 4 We've used it several times . The first time we used it we had better rice than our best of cooking it in a pot . It steams vegetables very well too . It would have been nice if the manual would have said how long each kind of rice takes so we know when to put the vegetables in . You'll love it . It's not hard to clean either .
108 4 This is the world's best rice cooker ! And it has a steaming tray on top so you can cook your rice and veggies at the same time . I have celiac and can't eat lots of grains so a rice cooker is a necessity but this one is both inexpensive and incredibly useful . Also has a 12 - hour timer and an auto-warm feature . Try it , you'll like it ! 8 )
112 4 I bought this before two weeks and this thing is working fine . I have cooked rice only until now . But I like it and I highly recommend this product .
114 4 This is my first rice cooker , but I've found it to cook rice perfectly . I haven't used it yet for brown rice but each time I've cooked various white rices they come out perfect and it cooks it really quickly .
116 4 We took a chance and bought this instead of a more expensive model from Kohl's . It works perfectly . Great value !
117 4 For the most part , I do like this rice cooker . I've never had one before , and this was the cheapest model available when I went to target , so it went home with me .
I had started to learn how to make sushi , and the most maddening part to me was making the rice . I just could not get it right and made a huge mess in the process . This is a pretty good size rice cooker , so make sure you have easy storage . It's light , so thats not a problem , I lift it up onto a shelf above my head easily . As for the actual cooking , its fairly fool proof to start up . I always measure exactly as instructed in the manual . Brown rice needs a lot more water - we've made sushi rice and brown rice . I did steam a few thing on the top , but then realized I needed to stir the rice every now and then and it was a pain to remove to stir every time .
The reason I'm stirring - - it seems to stick to the bottom and make this crispy kind of layer . It doesn't burn , but it gets a little funny . So I find stirring prevents that problem for the most part . Also , be careful when you open it , steam escapes fast and can burn you . The machine is easy to clean , though you do want to also make sure to wipe the lid , where some starchy steam escapes .
No regrets , I would buy the same model again if given the choice .
121 4 I bought this as a Christmas gift for my mom , and she loves it ! It is a little tricky to use at first , and a little tricky to clean , but it makes great rice . It is the perfect size for a big meal or a small meal . Also , the steamed vegetables are delicious .
123 4 I bought this cooker about 3 weeks back and love it . It cooks rice really nice . I am happy with this product .
125 4 This is not decent cooker . It's way overrated ! The biggest issue with this cooker is that it burns the rice at the bottom if you put it in WARM MODE over night . All my rice was burn and became uneatable . My previous Japanese Made Tiger Rice cooker was much more simple and functional . It cooked and KEPT THE RICE warm for DAYS !
This cooker I have to turn it off completely to prevent rice burn , and then I have to turn it to WARM MODE 1 hour before my meal to make sure my rice is warm and ready to be eaten . When I do that , I have to finish all my cooked rice in about three meals as leaving it cold over a period of couple days makes it go stale due to the condensation build up inside .
It's very inconvenient .
128 4 The rice cooks up just fine in this rice cooker - and it's a pretty good price . However , it takes such a long time to cook a few cups of rice . Previously I had a really old Sanyo rice cooker that cooked rice in 15 minutes or so . I find this one taking upwards of 30 minutes .
129 4 We've had this rice cooker for about a year . A couple of things that bother me is that you can't just pop loose the top aluminum cover to clean , like some of the other rice cookers . You have to unscrew the hinge of the whole top assembly , which is very bothersome because you have to keep track of the screws , etc .
The other thing that I don't like is that the inside pot is not round , where one would expect - - you have to turn it a few times to fit it and drop in . It's like oval-shaped . And this I didn't realize until much much later . I kept having trouble inserting the pot , and I didn't know why for a while until I realized it wasn't perfectly round . I couldn't believe it .
131 4 I bought this product a couple of weeks ago . It arrived on time but I only used it for about a week and then started to notice that it does not cook all the rice . It took about 50minutes to cook and the rice still had some uncooked particles left on its sides .
Howerver , I called Amazon and I prompty got another one shipped and I am to shipped the old one back to them . So kudos to Amazon for a swift good customer service but for the product , the new one is working well but I have only used it once . . . . . . . too early to pass judgement . By the way , the first time I used it , it was great . . . . Don't know about the future .
133 4 The rice cooker is okay for the price , it cooks rice . .
The whole process of having to wash the rice is a real hassle , and then adding just the right amount of water is annoying . I mention the water measurement because it seems if you go over a little over the specified measurements you're screwed and dealing with a bubbling , gurgling drooling rice cooker that becomes much more difficult to clean . The cooker also takes quiet a while to cook the rice , but overall it's alright-not the best . . not the worst .
135 4 Although Rice Ccoker has a low price it has the following problems :
Warm feature overcooks rice
Flimsy lid construction seems loose
Digital timer did not seem to work
have to unplug cooker after each use
136 4 I recommend you guys to buy 366 Delicious ways to cook rice , beans and grains . .
137 4 I got this useless junk as a gift . I should start this off by saying that I am a decent cook , and am accustomed to making brown rice on the stovetop . The first time I used this , I noticed it was quite slow to come up to temperature ( at least 10 minutes to a boil with only 2 cups of liquid ) . Midway , it seemed to be going OK , smelled good , but then the thing turned off before the rice was cooked . This was about 50 minutes into the process , but the rice was still too hard . Then , you are left guessing if the thing is still heating or not , because there is very little indication of what it is doing on the panel . The cook light was on , but there was no steam and the rice was still moist , so it seemed to be only warming and not cooking . In the end , it took about 1.5 hrs , where on the stovetop it would have been done in 50 minutes . Maybe if you only made white rice this would be OK , but if you have any skill as a real cook don't waste your time with this . Mine's going to the dump .
138 4 I purchased this rice cooker 3 weeks ago and regret ever buying it . It only keeps the rice for 1 - 2 hours , after that it turns the rice into mush . Spend the extra $30 and get a Zojirushi , trust me its well worth the money . You get what you pay for . . .
039 4 No need to get the more expensive ones . This one works great and all you have to do is push one button . Plus you have the option of the timer too .
025 4 Nice rice cooker and artichokes too ! Love this cooker . Simple to use and to clean . No problems with sticking rice . Really pleased with it .
110 4 Works well , used it for a Red Beans & Rice competition where we needed 12 gallons of beans and 5 gallons of rice . The rice was a bit gummy , even after washing it before cooking and letting it sit in the steamer for a while , but I haven't taken the time to try some different rice / water ratios . I just used the supplied cup and then added water to the line . I will say that if you are making a lot of sushi , this is your rice cooker ! It is also teflon , so it's no stick !
008 4 We received this rice cooker as a gift since we have shorted out a few of the really cheap models . This cooker does perfect rice , and the bowl comes clean without any scrubbing at all . It is very easy to use and we don't bother with their measuring cups . The ratio for most rice is 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice , + / - up to 1 / 2 cup for stickier or softer rice . The cook time can be a bit too long , but the rice has never been overcooked .
067 4 Found this to be a very straightforward cooker . Used the proportion of rice to liquid in the book but results were not as good . Have been using a 2 : 1 proportion of liquid : rice and have had great results . Have cooked wild & whole grain brown rice , black japonica , and wehani , as well as , everyday brown and white rice . Once cooking cycle is complete , fluff the rice and continue on warming cycle . This has produced good results every time thus far . Simple to use , consistent results , and easy clean-up .
127 4 I just tried the steamer for the first time , carrots . I expected the timer to switch to warm mode as described in the booklet , but not only did it just keep on steaming way beyond the time , but the water recommended was not enough , and evaporated . I had to finally just open the lid and take out the carrots . Big disappointment . The easy to use program does not seem to work on this .
097 4 cooker is good , it cooks well , but the only problem is cleaning the lid.the lid cannot be seperated so we need to wipe it with tissue.everything else is good .
118 4 We are happy with out rice cooker . The rice cooks good . We never tried with 6 - 8 cups rice . Once the rice has cooked , turn it off coz the work mood might dry the rice out .
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I eat imported long grain white rice everyday . I used basic models with unsealed lids , and high end Japanese brands with fuzzy logic . I gave this product 4 star for the unbeatable price and performance .
The cheaper basic models without sealed lids are pretty good too , for cooking rice . To prevent messy steam , the trick is to use an oversize cooker . If you only use half of the capacity , you shouldn't need to clean up the table after cooking . A non-stick coating saves you time cleaning and saves rice . The rice is usually on the soft and moist side of things , but that's most people prefer anyway . It's harder to do drier and crispier rice .
This model is almost perfect for cooking white rice . For the price I don't suppose you eat premium rice everyday from true Asian specialty shops , right ? There's little difference for this model and high end models if your rice isn't that premium .
This cooker is primarily designed to prepare rice the way the Asians eat , particularly the Japanese and Chinese . This is not to make microwave multi-grain paste . You have to make the engineers and designers willing to eat your paste so they can understand how to cook it . No amount of high end fuzzy logic can make your paste the way you like it all by itself if the engineers haven't thought of it .
For cooking white rice , this one is as good as any , unless you have exquisite taste in premium rice . For steaming vegetable and other things , it's quite handy steaming alone or cooking rice at the same time . When steaming alone , it stops automatically when the water is all gone .
Everything is best eaten fresh . And with a delay timer , there's no reason to keep the rice in warm mode for long after cooking . The warm mode tend to dry out the rice a bit for long periods .
There's a bit of inconsistency in the manual . The steam vent of my model can only be pulled out from the outside , not from the inside . Lucky that I didn't damage the lid . You actually do not need to disconnect the electric cord when in the off state . But I'm sure it's not recommended for legal liability reasons , and to save some energy . In my opinion it's as safe as not unplugging the TV after watching . Also there's a flat little plastic cup below the lid hinge , for collecting condensed water from the lid , which the manual didn't mention . The little ring at the opposite side of the plastic cup is the temporary holder for the rice spatula .
For higher end models there is an extra electric plug at the bottom of the cookers , secured in position by magnetic force . Unplugging and plugging are as easy as pushing a button .
For more expensive models , basically there are two lids . The inner lid is easily detachable for you to rinse it in water together with the inner pot . The outer lid , fixed to the cooker , hardly ever needs cleaning or attention . For this model , even though the lid is directly exposed to the steam , the lid looked clean after cooking . I doubt very much if you need to clean it every time if you only cook rice in the normal way . If you steam vegetable or just put the steam tray in , you shouldn't be cleaning the lid at all .
With the single lid design , the steam condensed to water at the lid and soft plastic seal . When you open the lid , some of the condensed water will drain through the little plastic cup below the lid hinge . A small amount of water will be collected at the seals . It's not likely to happen , but if you close the lid again a few drop of water may drip down to the cooking surface , when you have taken the inner pot out . But then a few drops probably will not hurt the cooking surface or the inner pot .
I do not like that it beeps too loud , too high pitch , louder than my microwave . I do not like the - - sign shown when the delay timer is not in use . It's also too brightly red when in the off state . I prefer a green or yellow little dot , not too bright in the dark but easy to spot in day light .
As with all rice cookers , if you put it under anything , the wood above will be damaged because of the steam . I attach a thin plate of clear acrylic at the bottom of the wooden cabinet to protect it . Or you can just pull it out in the open while cooking , and push it back after .
If you are careful , the non-stick surface should last enough for your $40 . I don't know about the plastic seal though . My experience with over the top kettles is that the seal is the first thing to go . But they sell replacement parts and the cost of the seal is still a small fraction of the kettle .
The cooker is on the slow side , taking about 30 min to cook . Higher end cookers don't cook a lot faster because you cannot boil away the water too fast . Big simple unsealed cookers can cook some 10 or more minutes faster . But the quality of the cook rice cannot be compared . I'm sure microwave can cook a lot faster .
013 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I eat imported long grain white rice everyday . I used basic models with unsealed lids , and high end Japanese brands with fuzzy logic . I gave this product 4 star for the unbeatable price and performance .
The cheaper basic models without sealed lids are pretty good too , for cooking rice . To prevent messy steam , the trick is to use an oversize cooker . If you only use half of the capacity , you shouldn't need to clean up the table after cooking . A non-stick coating saves you time cleaning and saves rice . The rice is usually on the soft and moist side of things , but that's most people prefer anyway . It's harder to do drier and crispier rice .
This model is almost perfect for cooking white rice . For the price I don't suppose you eat premium rice everyday from true Asian specialty shops , right ? There's little difference for this model and high end models if your rice isn't that premium .
This cooker is primarily designed to prepare rice the way the Asians eat , particularly the Japanese and Chinese . This is not to make microwave multi-grain paste . You have to make the engineers and designers willing to eat your paste so they can understand how to cook it . No amount of high end fuzzy logic can make your paste the way you like it all by itself if the engineers haven't thought of it .
For cooking white rice , this one is as good as any , unless you have exquisite taste in premium rice . For steaming vegetable and other things , it's quite handy steaming alone or cooking rice at the same time . When steaming alone , it stops automatically when the water is all gone .
Everything is best eaten fresh . And with a delay timer , there's no reason to keep the rice in warm mode for long after cooking . The warm mode tend to dry out the rice a bit for long periods .
There's a bit of inconsistency in the manual . The steam vent of my model can only be pulled out from the outside , not from the inside . Lucky that I didn't damage the lid . You actually do not need to disconnect the electric cord when in the off state . But I'm sure it's not recommended for legal liability reasons , and to save some energy . In my opinion it's as safe as not unplugging the TV after watching . Also there's a flat little plastic cup below the lid hinge , for collecting condensed water from the lid , which the manual didn't mention . The little ring at the opposite side of the plastic cup is the temporary holder for the rice spatula .
For higher end models there is an extra electric plug at the bottom of the cookers , secured in position by magnetic force . Unplugging and plugging are as easy as pushing a button .
For more expensive models , basically there are two lids . The inner lid is easily detachable for you to rinse it in water together with the inner pot . The outer lid , fixed to the cooker , hardly ever needs cleaning or attention . For this model , even though the lid is directly exposed to the steam , the lid looked clean after cooking . I doubt very much if you need to clean it every time if you only cook rice in the normal way . If you steam vegetable or just put the steam tray in , you shouldn't be cleaning the lid at all .
With the single lid design , the steam condensed to water at the lid and soft plastic seal . When you open the lid , some of the condensed water will drain through the little plastic cup below the lid hinge . A small amount of water will be collected at the seals . It's not likely to happen , but if you close the lid again a few drop of water may drip down to the cooking surface , when you have taken the inner pot out . But then a few drops probably will not hurt the cooking surface or the inner pot .
I do not like that it beeps too loud , too high pitch , louder than my microwave . I do not like the - - sign shown when the delay timer is not in use . It's also too brightly red when in the off state . I prefer a green or yellow little dot , not too bright in the dark but easy to spot in day light .
As with all rice cookers , if you put it under anything , the wood above will be damaged because of the steam . I attach a thin plate of clear acrylic at the bottom of the wooden cabinet to protect it . Or you can just pull it out in the open while cooking , and push it back after .
If you are careful , the non-stick surface should last enough for your $40 . I don't know about the plastic seal though . My experience with over the top kettles is that the seal is the first thing to go . But they sell replacement parts and the cost of the seal is still a small fraction of the kettle .
The cooker is on the slow side , taking about 30 min to cook . Higher end cookers don't cook a lot faster because you cannot boil away the water too fast . Big simple unsealed cookers can cook some 10 or more minutes faster . But the quality of the cook rice cannot be compared . I'm sure microwave can cook a lot faster .
015 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
After dealing with my previous crappy rice cooker that spit starchy bubbles all over my kitchen counter and cabinets for far too long , I bought this one for my wife for her birthday so that we could make sushi .
I just finished the first batch and things couldnt have gone smoother . The directions are simple and effective , the rice came out firm but sticky , just the way we needed it . It made excellent sushi rice and i look forward to steaming veggies in it as well .
Im not sure what magic a $200 rice cooker performs , but i really cant imagine that it does much more than this more reasonably priced cooker .
As long as it lasts a couple years ill consider it money very well spent .
UPDATE ! > > > > Here we are , 9 months later and the cooker is holding up just great . Have used it many many times for batches both big and small . Non-stick coating is still perfect !
020 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I never thought I'd ever buy a rice cooker . After all , who can't cook rice ? Me , that's who . My rice was always a mess regardless of my water to rice ratio , etc . Lots of friends made suggestions but to no avail - this was embarrassing ! So I jumped on Amazon and selected this unit . NO REGRETS ! I've used it many times and the rice is spot on perfect every time . I read an article on the variety of rice dishes in the newspaper . When an asian chef was asked how she prepared the perfect rice , she simply said Easy , I push a button . So now that's what I do ! : )
023 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I've had this for a couple of weeks . I've used it several times , for a variety of things . It does make white rice well - and it's so easy to throw in the rice and water , close and hit start - by the time the rest of dinner's ready , your rice is done .
I've had no problems with it mechanically .
- The nonstick pan is really nonstick - it cleans up very easily , which is nice b / c it can't go in the dishwasher .
- The rice cup measure , steamer basket , paddle and ladle that come with it are very cheap , but they do the job .
- It is pretty large ( only slightly smaller than my 5 quart crockpot ) , and I want to keep it out on the counter . But I don't think it could be any smaller and still cook the volume it does .
- The interior lid is kind of a challenge , b / c you have to clean it in place - but it does seem to wipe down pretty easily , and the steam vent fixture is removable so you can get it under running water and get any gunk out of it .
- The cord is NOT retractable , which I know it is on more expensive models , but I can live with that .
- The timer only allows you to select a ' ready time ' by whole hours away . So , if you're setting it at 11 : 30pm , you could choose 6 hours ( for a 5 : 30am breakfast ) or 7 hours ( for a 6 : 30am breakfast ) . kind of obnoxious if you wanted to eat at 6 . But it does just flip over to warm when the food is ready , so depending on what you're cooking , just pick the earlier time and you should be fine .
I mostly bought this items to help in my quest to eat more whole grains , and I m still experimenting . In addition to plain white rice , which it does fine with , I've tried other items with this cooker , with mixed results :
- Steel Cut Oats - I set up overnight and used the delay timer so they'd be ready for breakfast . ( This is the time i learned about the timer only being whole hours - but the oats did fine being ready 30 minutes early and then just left on warm til i was ready to eat them .
- split pea soup - i tried cooking a soup mix i had . you were supposed to cook the dried split peas over a simmer after bringing water to a boil . I added the peas and water to the cooker all at once . I think 5 cups water was too much . . . I had a geyser ! but the soup came out fine .
- fiesta rice ( 1 c rice , 1 c salsa , 1.5 c water , pinch salt ) - my biggest success . threw it all together and by the time i had the taco filling browned and the cheese shredded , i had a delicious side for my tacos .
- kasha - not good . I'm not sure it was the cooker though . I wanted to have it ready when I got up in the morning , so i put it all in the night before and used the timer . Either I added too much water , or you shouldn't let the buckwheat groats soak overnight , or it sat on warm too long after cooking ( see note on delay cook timer ) , but it was absolute mush - a very unpleasant texture . I'll try kasha again with a little less water and when i can check it for texture while cooking . it was such a disappointment , though , because it smelled so good when i woke up .
All in all , I think this cooker is a good value for the money . I wasn't willing to shell out close to $200 for something I wasn't sure i'd use all that often . I think if you want an ' entry-level ' rice cooker in this price range ( I paid $35 on amazon.com in January 2010 ) , this one is fine .
030 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I must say , having no experience with a rice cooker i had no idea what to expect . After trying to make sushi rice the old fashion way and then making with with this cooker i can never see making it without this ( or another ) cooker . I've steamed some veggies and made several pounds of rice and have yet to be dissapointed . The only issue i could see is the rice gets a little dry if you leave it in the cooker with the top off . . . which is an easy fix , close the lid .
Possibly the best money i've spent in quite a while .
032 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This rice cooker has been very handy for my personal cooking needs . However , no matter how many methods I try , I still get a very thin film of lightly browned rice at the very bottom . I wouldn't set it to cook when I got home from work without adding extra water to make up for that soaked up by the rice , and I would not trust it on the warm cycle for too long without stirring / fluffing it . I do use high-quality short-grain Japanese rice ( sushi grade ) , so a less starchy rice might cook differently .
The first time I made it , I left it on for the whole cooking time , then followed the directions which stated to leave it to steam an additional 15 minutes before opening the lid . The rice itself was slightly browned on the bottom , but did not taste burnt .
It may not do this if you cook for more than 1 - 2 people .
My only solution I can think of , if this bothers anyone , is to remove the inner pan with heat-resistant gloves or oven mitts , and actually / flip / the rice mound , unfluffed , onto an empty plate in order to peel the starchy residue away . Anyone who has made a whole cornbread knows this process . From there , you can deposit the rice back into the inner pot , fluff , and serve .
I personally cannot tell a difference in flavor , only color . So while it's a disappointment , it's not changing my daily usage of the cooker any time soon . If I need pretty rice for sushi , I'll just take off the top .
Recommended for an uncertain first-time buyer . I couldn't live without the timer , the buzzer , and the automatic warm cycle , so this bugger is a life saver .
On a side note , I don't have the problem with starchy steam , but I do only cook 1 cup at a time unless my family thinks what I'm having is particularly tasty-sounding . Cleanup is a breeze , and the cooker seems to have a lot of potential for diverse recipes . They aren't kidding about Nonstick , either . I was highly amused by how dry the interior pot was after filling it with water , then pouring it out . I might be a little easily amused , however .
036 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
PROS :
Cheap
Cooks rice , including brown rice
One-button operation
Attractive design
Inner pan is removable
Quality of cooked rice is good as long as you remove it immediately
CONS :
Cord too short
End of cooking alert signal sounds like a smoke detector
Blows steam out the top and warps cabinets
Keeps rice warm , but actually cooks it onto the side of the inner pan after an hour or so
Doesn't shut off the automatic keep warm heater , even after you remove the inner bowl
Inner bowl is not dishwasher safe and is difficult to clean , especially if you leave rice in there keeping warm longer than 1 hour
If I had to make this decision again , I would buy a better rice cooker . This one is cheap , and I love the convenience , but I am disappointed with its performance .
038 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
No need to get the more expensive ones . This one works great and all you have to do is push one button . Plus you have the option of the timer too .
040 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This is an excellent cooker for the money . Add two cups , three cups water and in 30 min , the rice is fluffy and flavorful .
I owned a Krups previously and I liked it , but it broke after 2 years .
044 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I ordered this Rice cooker after spending a hours reading reviews on this cooker and others on Amazon . I was encouraged by the good reviews and put off by a few negative reviews and a little put off by the low price when compared to other cookers with an average of 4 star ratings . But i figured what the heck , I have never been disappointed with any purchase from amazon having a 3 star or better rating .
The cooker arrived today and was sitting at my door when returned home from work . So step 1 was quite satisfactory , it arrived exactly when promised ! So step 2 was to open the box , no problems there . The shipping carton it came in from amazon was a about twice the width of the products package but who cares really . It was not damaged in any way .
So I opened the cooker did a quick scan of the directions , did a quick wash of the parts that touch food . Added 3 cups of my favorite Organic jasmine brown rice . and added the recommended amount of water from the instruction manual and pressed the cook button . I resisted the urge to peek as the aroma of cooking rice began waft through my home . After about 30 minutes or so , I didn't really time it but it did not take long at all , the ready alarm began to chime . The rice was cooked to perfection ! It fluffed up so pretty and without big sticky clumps . I am quite please with my purchase at this point as my dinner was light and fluffy .
Cleanup took um 2 or 3 minutes at most . I can't wait to cook some steel cut oats in the morning .
049 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
OK , this was a splurge . Rice and I have a love / hate relationship . Doesnt matter that I do it the same everytime , everytime it comes out different . Sometimes too sticky , sometimes too crunchy , and if Im lucky just right ( 3 bears anyone ? ! lol ) . This is disappointing when you spend time making a dish , such as brocoli beef , or fried rice where rice is a key ingredient .
This is a great little rice cooker , and I have found that it makes my life much simpler , especially when making a dish that requires a lot of prep like butter chicken . The rice is something I dont have to worry about and I dont have to try and time it to the meal , or have several pots going at once . This was also much larger than I had expected . A nice suprise . Only wish is that it came in any color other than white . Recomend !
051 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This is a very , very good rice cooker . I have used it around a dozen times since buying it . I use Jasmine Rice from Walmart , and it tastes delicious . I rinse the rice in cold water before putting it into the rice cooker , and I haven't once had scorched rice .
The cooking pot is extremely easy to clean , just wipe it out after it cools off , or before the next use , and it's good to go . The food steamer works great on pre-cooked meat ; I haven't tried vegetables or raw meats yet .
I would recommend this to anyone who wants a rice cooker . I'm considering buying one for m mother . Follow the directions and it will give you no hassles .
053 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I absolutely love my rice cooker ! I don't know how I've gotten by without it all this time . I make full meals in it as well as steam veggies to perfection . It is so simple . Put your ingredients in , the liquid , push the button and walk away . It's done ! LOVE IT ! ! !
055 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Love this rice cooker ! I have only used it 5 or 6 times . Rice has been perfect everytime .
My previous cooker had a lift off lid and was kind of messy to use . This one seems to be well designed and solidly built .
057 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Having purchased several other cooking aids for the kitchen , this item is by far the best my wife and I have gotten . It is very easy to use , clean up is even easier , and the meals you can make in it have all been great .
059 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I'm amazed at how this product actually lived up to its reputation . The capacity really saves me time . When I cook rice , the water never overflows or leaves a large mess . The pan is easy to clean . The lid is designed in such a way that the water condensed on it flows into a little water container at the side for easy disposable .
The only downside I noticed was that the lid can't be removed , so cleaning it is a bit harder than usual , but that's not a huge deal .
I would definitely recommend this rice cooker to everyone .
061 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Had it for a month now . Switched from a Rival glass lid model and now the splatter is gone . Haven't used the delayed timer function yet . Beep on completion is good and looks elegant too . Like the drip collecting pouch on the side .
Cleaning the lid is a little cumbersome since the top lid does not separate from the base but that is not a biggie , just wipe with a paper towel . I don't think it is a good idea to steam veggies when cooking rice , the veggies get coated with rice paste when it boils over it .
063 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I love this rice cooker , and got rid of my old one when I used this at someone's house ! It is so non stick , and makes great rice . The only thing I would mark it down for is that the condensation builds up on the lid , and you need to put a sponge or something in to get it clean , not the easiest part . But the pot itself cleans so easily , and it is pretty foolproof . And quiet .
066 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Found this to be a very straightforward cooker . Used the proportion of rice to liquid in the book but results were not as good . Have been using a 2 : 1 proportion of liquid : rice and have had great results . Have cooked wild & whole grain brown rice , black japonica , and wehani , as well as , everyday brown and white rice . Once cooking cycle is complete , fluff the rice and continue on warming cycle . This has produced good results every time thus far . Simple to use , consistent results , and easy clean-up .
068 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I tried to carefully research all the options on Amazon for a rice cooker , and settled on this model though it was slightly more than I planned on paying . . . but the reviews were so nearly-unanimously fab - I had to get it . AND I LOVE IT ! ! ! We have used it a ton for rice to go along with curry stews or stir-fries , but then have made extra rice several times so we can have cold rice to make FAB fried rice with . I honestly have yet to see a downside to this cooker - it's super easy to use , super easy to clean , and has made perfect rice EVERY time we've used it . Between this and my new wok ( a giant cast iron Lodge brand , if you're interested ) , we have been eating tons of healthy veggies and rice and such for a full month now , and doesn't look like we're slowing down . . . If you want a good rice cooker , this model is exceptional .
070 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Great cooker . Works quickly , one-touch controls , and removable containers for easier cleaning . The only reason why I gave it four stars was because the vent on the lid was really hard to clean .
072 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Bought for my athelete son in college sharing an apartment with 4 other atheletes . This cooker is great for making a large volume of good rice to be ready when they return from practice . Easy to use , it makes good , nutritious food accessible for the boys at a very reasonable price .
075 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This rice cooker is so easy to use ! The rice is perfect every time . I highly recommend it . Very easy to clean too .
077 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This rice cooker does burn the rice , almost as soon as it sounded that the rice was done . I wish I had more choices when selecting the type of rice that I am cooking . With this one , you can control the ratio of rice to liquid , and that's it . This is my first rice cooker , and may be my last one . I don't think I would buy another rice cooker , unless I could see it in action first .
079 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
It is a good product , easy to use and quite stable .
I would recommend it , especailly considering its price .
081 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I fix quite a lot of rice and just got tired of watching rice cook in a standard pot . I decided to look at rice cookers and did a lot of research and looking at reviews . I picked this Aroma model . I love it . Put everything in and hit the on button and it comes out perfect every time without having to check it to see how it is doing . Fantastic product .
085 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I really like everything about this product . It's simple , and it does the job . I have cooked both brown and white rice , and have been satisfied . The first time , my rice was a little overcooked , but just on the bottom . So , I followed some suggested tips from the user guide , and it's been great ! Just follow the instructions , and you will be satisfied too .
087 4 I bought this when our Rival RC - 165 was knocked off the counter by our cat . We absolutely love this machine . It works on a timer , and automatically goes into warm mode when done cooking . This is perfect for any household where both members work andwant to come home to a hot meal ( or at least hot rice )
The other plus is the non-stick surface prevents any buring at the bottom . A nice touch .
Great value for the money !
090 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I am used to rice cookers my old b & d rice cooker cup nonstick coating came off and started sticking so i got this one . . . I just read the manual once and tried in this rice cooker and it worked good .
I rinsed the white rice couple of time ( I dont rinse in my old b & d ) , added water upto the level marked ( plus extra 1 cup water ) and swich it on . It gives the sound in 20 - 30 mins when its done . Give another 5 - 10 mins and then open you get the nicely cooked rice and nothing is sticking to the cup . ( no oil , butter , nonstick spray . . just extra one cup water does the job )
As per manual , This is not Dishwasher thats disappointing for such a cost , my old b & d is dishwasher safe but this one is easy to wash the cup as there is no starch sticking to the cup ( due to rinse of rice ) . Also The cup is not a usa standard cup , its international standard cup and allows 8 cups white rice without vegetables and 6 cups with vegetables and for brown rice only 6 cups ( so it does brown rice , hmm thats good ) . My old b & d is a 12 / 24 cup
My old b & d and this both allows to cook vegetables along with rice cooking , the b & d used to spit a lot of starch ( as i normally dont rinse rice ) , Here in this rice cooker as the manual says i rinsed the rice and dont see any starch at all if its rinsed properly but am i washing all my carbohydrates and minerals ?
I am going to experiment more without rinsing / Water adjustments to see if it would be coming good on short rice and basmati .
This is a nice cooker , works good , safe as its coverd but just read the manual once and you wont go wrong . . .
Well sometime you may get a $15 rice cooker in walmart and be happy too . . . so for the cost i paid $35 there could be more improvements like 1 . dishwasher safe 2 . option for brown rice in the front panel itself 3 . More options of rice cooking in the front panel 4 . 12 cups instead of 8 and lastly cup in stainless as anyway its not dishwasher safe ( may be i am asking more for $ : ) )
Five star for this cooker . . . .
092 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This steamer does not know when the rice is done . It overcooks some of the rice at the bottom of the container around the outside edge in toward the center about 3 / 4 of an inch . This overcooked ring of rice is not eatable . The bulk of the rice is well cooked , of nice texture and very good . The dog enjoys the overcooked rice but we don't .
This cooker also puddles some water on the outside top of the cooker . I tried increasing the water to the rice but that didn't help much with the rice but increased the size of the puddle on top . I would not buy this unit again if I had know of these problems .
This cooker keeps the rice warm and in good condition for a very long time after the cooking cycle . This steamer is easy to clean .
094 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Does what it is supposed to do . Takes a bit longer than my previous rice cooker but I like the timer feature on this . Overall satisfied .
096 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
cooker is good , it cooks well , but the only problem is cleaning the lid.the lid cannot be seperated so we need to wipe it with tissue.everything else is good .
098 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I love this rice cooker . It can cook so much rice and keep it warm . There's even a delay timer so you have it cook the rice when you want it to . Love it .
100 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I purchased 3 - one for each daughter and one for myself . The price is great , it is easy to use , the rice turns out perfect , it has a timer to set ahead , a warmer , you can steam veggies and meat as well . It was a great purchase and I am so happy I could share it with my daughters and their families .
103 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This cooker is great and convinient , we set the timer before we go to work and it's nice and ready when we get home . the rice is pretty good .
105 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
We've used it several times . The first time we used it we had better rice than our best of cooking it in a pot . It steams vegetables very well too . It would have been nice if the manual would have said how long each kind of rice takes so we know when to put the vegetables in . You'll love it . It's not hard to clean either .
107 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This is the world's best rice cooker ! And it has a steaming tray on top so you can cook your rice and veggies at the same time . I have celiac and can't eat lots of grains so a rice cooker is a necessity but this one is both inexpensive and incredibly useful . Also has a 12 - hour timer and an auto-warm feature . Try it , you'll like it ! 8 )
109 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Works well , used it for a Red Beans & Rice competition where we needed 12 gallons of beans and 5 gallons of rice . The rice was a bit gummy , even after washing it before cooking and letting it sit in the steamer for a while , but I haven't taken the time to try some different rice / water ratios . I just used the supplied cup and then added water to the line . I will say that if you are making a lot of sushi , this is your rice cooker ! It is also teflon , so it's no stick !
111 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I bought this before two weeks and this thing is working fine . I have cooked rice only until now . But I like it and I highly recommend this product .
113 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This is my first rice cooker , but I've found it to cook rice perfectly . I haven't used it yet for brown rice but each time I've cooked various white rices they come out perfect and it cooks it really quickly .
115 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
We took a chance and bought this instead of a more expensive model from Kohl's . It works perfectly . Great value !
119 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
We have had this rice cooker for about a month , and each time , it has produced great rice and is EXTREMELY easy to clean .
Highly recommended if you love to eat good rice .
122 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I bought this cooker about 3 weeks back and love it . It cooks rice really nice . I am happy with this product .
124 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
This is not decent cooker . It's way overrated ! The biggest issue with this cooker is that it burns the rice at the bottom if you put it in WARM MODE over night . All my rice was burn and became uneatable . My previous Japanese Made Tiger Rice cooker was much more simple and functional . It cooked and KEPT THE RICE warm for DAYS !
This cooker I have to turn it off completely to prevent rice burn , and then I have to turn it to WARM MODE 1 hour before my meal to make sure my rice is warm and ready to be eaten . When I do that , I have to finish all my cooked rice in about three meals as leaving it cold over a period of couple days makes it go stale due to the condensation build up inside .
It's very inconvenient .
126 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I just tried the steamer for the first time , carrots . I expected the timer to switch to warm mode as described in the booklet , but not only did it just keep on steaming way beyond the time , but the water recommended was not enough , and evaporated . I had to finally just open the lid and take out the carrots . Big disappointment . The easy to use program does not seem to work on this .
130 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
I bought this product a couple of weeks ago . It arrived on time but I only used it for about a week and then started to notice that it does not cook all the rice . It took about 50minutes to cook and the rice still had some uncooked particles left on its sides .
Howerver , I called Amazon and I prompty got another one shipped and I am to shipped the old one back to them . So kudos to Amazon for a swift good customer service but for the product , the new one is working well but I have only used it once . . . . . . . too early to pass judgement . By the way , the first time I used it , it was great . . . . Don't know about the future .
134 4 This review is from :
Aroma ARC - 838TC 8 - Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer ( Kitchen )
Although Rice Ccoker has a low price it has the following problems :
Warm feature overcooks rice
Flimsy lid construction seems loose
Digital timer did not seem to work
have to unplug cooker after each use
READ THE DIRECTIONS ! Brown and wild rice take 2 or 3 times more water and it's a guessing game . You'll make a bad batch or two then you'll get it ( if you're bright ) . For white rice it's as easy as ' set it and forget it ' .
074 4 This machine worked wonderfully . Never had a problem with it , cooked like my last rice cooker did ( till it broke that is ) . Love the cool to the touch bonus for this model . And the steam vent is redirected so it's hot but doesn't instantly burn you if you're quick .
For those who complain : READ THE DIRECTIONS ! Brown and wild rice take 2 or 3 times more water and it's a guessing game . You'll make a bad batch or two then you'll get it ( if you're bright ) . For white rice it's as easy as ' set it and forget it ' .
120 4 We have had this rice cooker for about a month , and each time , it has produced great rice and is EXTREMELY easy to clean .
Highly recommended if you love to eat good rice .
