hularider's Full Review: Sanyo EC-310 10-Cup Rice Cooker
I inherited my Sanyo 10-cup rice cooker when I moved into the old family home in which my grandparents had lived. I found it while cleaning out one of the kitchen cabinets. Cobwebbed and dusty, I was sure it would be added to the huge pile of broken appliances and other detritus a home which has sheltered the same family for 75 years tends to collect.
Still, not one to throw away something that could possibly have a use, I sprayed Simple Green on layer after layer of grime, finally revealing the white paint and black plastic handles. Brillo, and then 000 steel wool pads restored the shine on the aluminum pot. I filled the pot with water and set it in the cooker, uncoiled the old cord, and finally, one finger hovering over the "kill switch" on my power strip, plugged it in.
It worked perfectly. I poured out the water and made a pot of rice.
I have no idea when it was purchased, but the worn paint and plastic, dinged pot, and scarred lid would indicate some years of heavy use.
When I was growing up in that house, we did not have a rice cooker. We had a rice pot, a big, heavy aluminum pot Nana, my grandmother, would pour the appropriate amount of rice into. I then had the nightly chore of washing the rice and adding the correct amount of water - place the tip of my thumb on the rice and add water until the knuckle was covered. The pot was then simmered until the water was gone, and a glossy lumpy surface showed on the rice. The fire was then turned off, the lid replaced, and the rice allowed to steam. After the rice had been served, a crispy golden brown layer was carefully peeled off the bottom of the pot and reserved for Tutu, my grandfather. That was papa`a (toasted) rice. It was a very special treat.
Sometime after I left home, obviously, my Nana acquired a rice cooker.
At first, I was a bit leery of the rice cooker. I'd never used one before, and was not sure it would make "real" rice. But time after time, using the same measurements my Nana had taught me, the rice turned out perfectly cooked - just sticky enough to pick up with chopsticks, but never overcooked or gummy. But. . . there was never a layer of papa`a rice on the bottom.
Once I mastered "Rice 101" I started experimenting. I added eggs, sugar, milk, and raisins to the leftover rice, using the pot for a mixing bowl. Once blended, I put the pot back in the cooker and pressed the start button. When it clicked off, I stirred the concoction and pressed "start" again. I had a lovely pot of rice pudding!
Next I made only five cups of rice, and added slivered chicken and mixed vegetables on top before pressing start. A meal in a pot!
Even after having had the rice cooker for some 10 years now, I still keep finding more things I can cook in it.
Some things I like about this Sanyo rice cooker:
* It has a "Keep Warm" function which keeps the rice or other food warm after cooking until you unplug the cooker.
* There is only one simple button to press to turn it on. I don't have to program it, set a timer, or anything else. Just push the switch. The light comes on to tell me it is cooking. The button pops up when it is done. Want the power off? Pull the plug.
* Speaking of the plug, I like how it comes off. When I am done with the rice cooker, I can just coil the cord up and drop it in the pot. No long "tail" unwinding in the cabinet and getting tangled in the other "tails."
* The steamer tray - great idea, but it is kind of basic. I have two additional steamer trays I also use, depending on how much and what I am steaming. To save energy, you cook things at the same time you make the rice by putting the steamer tray on top of the rice for veggies or whatever, if you don't like them cooked into the rice like I do.
* Sanyo includes a measuring cup and rice paddle which are, again, pretty basic. But they work. And you don't always want to use your nice ebony or water buffalo horn rice paddle, anyway.
* The instruction manual is written in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. The manual has some pretty good information, like a measurement coversion chart, instrcutons for cooking rice, brown rice/white rice cooking charts, and instructions for steaming vegetables, as well as the usual warrenty, cleaning, safety, etc. information. * Mine is so old the lid is aluminum. I was looking at the new models. The lid is much better. The new glass lid makes it easy to judge how far done the rice is, so you can add things like lup cheong, duck egg, or iriko at the right time without having to open the lid too often. It also has a hole for the steam to escape so you don't get drippy rice starch water all over your counter.
* The new models also have a non-stick coating in the pan.
In case you are wondering if the Sanyo 10 cup rice cooker will fit in your cabinet, it measures 11.1 x 11.1 x 8.8 inches. It weighs 6.5 pounds.
It has definately become a regularly used item in our kitchen.
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