Help with rice cooker

[Peter McCoy]

I used my rice cooker last night to (dun dun dun!) cook some rice for dinner. And although it didn't come with any instructions, all the guidelines I've found online are almost identical aside from the wording. It only has 2 settings on it - 'warm' and 'cook'. It's set to warm just by being plugged in so I just switch it onto cook and leave it.

I rinsed the rice through thoroughly, the water was almost crystal clear, to get rid of the excess starch. Then I put my two cups rice and 4 cups water into the bowl/pan and placed that in the rice cooker and set it to cook.

Around 30 minutes later I glanced at it and it was set to 'warm' - all done.

But when I started dishing it out onto the plates it was in large clumps - it was almost the consistency of mashed potato. I really wasn't expecting this and thus not too happy with my rice. But checking online I've seen it mentioned that true rice is supposed to be that way - is that correct? If not, what could I be doing wrong?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Seems like it's correct. The way you've described your cooker sounds just like ours - what brand is yours?. Did it come with a little cup thingy? The reason I ask is because it seems to me that you might've used a little too much water. Normally when I make rice, I put in however many scoops I want, and then the same amount of scoops of water, ie, two little cup thingies of rice, and two little cup thingies of water.

[Peter McCoy]

It's an Asia Rice Cooker. It took some searching but I managed to get a picture of the exact one:

http://www.aldi-stores.co.uk/uk/media/offers/01_09_week_05/Product_detail_Wk0509T16.jpg

[Wyl Staedtler]

I just recently learned how to use a rice cooker and we were having the same problem until a co-worker taught us this trick - instead of measuring your water by the cup, just stick your finger into the pot on top of the rice and add water until it's up to the first knuckle line. Works like a charm.

[General Dan]

Also, what kind of rice are you using? Do you wash your rice before putting it in?

[Peter McCoy]

It was basmati rice. And yes, I washed it first. I put the rice into the bowl and filled it with water and gave it a really good stir. The water turned cloudy white so I drained it through a sieve, put the rice that fell into the sieve back into the bowl and did the same thing until the water was almost crystal clear.

Next time I'll try it with less water like s'Il suggested.

Also I read that depending on the effect you want to achieve, that soime people soak the rice for about half an hour in water. What does that do? I assume the rice absorbs the water but how does that affect the cooking of the rice and the finished thing?

[Lilaena De'Ville]

We always get 'asian' rice (we like the sticky) but I find that with any sort of rice just put a leeeeetle bit more water than rice into the pot. Quick stir, close the lid and set to cook. When it clicks over to warm we have to unplug it because ours browns the bottom of the rice.

Usually I use a two cup measuring pyrex poury-thingy, put in two cups of rice, and then put like... I dunno.... two and a fourth cups of water? Comes out great every time.

[Peter McCoy]

I'll give it a go - cheers for the input.