Cooking rice may appear as simple as it seems. Yet, not everyone can achieve that perfectly tender and fluffy pot of cooked rice. Whatever method of cooking you prefer, keep in mind the essential elements to achieving consistently perfect cooked rice. These include the right amount of water; the right level of heat; the right pot and the right amount of time for resting.
How rice is cooked
Cooking white rice is a four-phase process. First, water is added to a pot that has ample capacity so the white rice sits in water. Then using a source of heat like a gas stove or electric plate, the mixture is heated until it is boiling and the white rice is absorbing water. The temperature remains at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the boiling point of water. Part of the water turns into steam and escapes into the air. When all of the water is gone from the rice on the stove, the temperature increases. Now it is resting and there is a need to tone down the heat and to cut it off later. A few minutes afterwards, the rice is ready for serving. As we can see, there is a lot of important timing, especially at the latter phases.
Methods of cooking rice
You can cook rice using a stovetop pot but this is not the most efficient way. This method requires so much guesswork and the result is not consistent. It requires also constant attention to the process.
Much of this guesswork and attention are taken away with the use of electric rice cooker products, which employ the double-pot indirect cooking method and speed up the cooking. Introduced in 1955 by Toshiba in Japan, a company who makes a rice-eating nation, the unit consists of a hot plate, a thermal sensing device, the cooker main body and an inner pan that holds the rice and water. The process begins by placing the inner pan with the rice and water mixture in the main body and switching on. Then the four-phase process occurs automatically. The cooking is done when all of the water disappears and the temperature increases above the boiling point and the machine turns off.
An improvement to this basic rice cooker appliance is a feature introduced in 1960 that could keep the rice warm from long periods of time. In 1979 microprocessors were incorporated for tastier cooked rice.
What is fuzzy logic
Fuzzy logic is way of programming a microprocessor. It is a multi-valued logic that is approximate in comparison to binary logic, which is two-valued and precise. Because fuzzy logic is multi-valued, it can handle situations in between two conditions. For example, consider the conditions hot or cold. In between, there are several degrees of hotness, which fuzzy logic can handle. A binary logic will just treat it simply as either hot or cold, nothing in between.
Benefits of fuzzy logic rice cookers
Because of the nature of fuzzy logic, when applied to program a microprocessor that controls a cooker, it can allow flexibility in rice cooking techniques and timing that could not be done with conventional rice cookers. In a way, fuzzy logic rice cookers possess artificial intelligence. This is where the benefits of fuzzy logic rice lie.
Fuzzy logic rice cookers adjust the cooking time and temperature for different types of rice. Recent models of cookers & warmers feature different settings for quick cooking a variety of rice such as white rice, brown rice, Gaba brown and sushi rice. It even comes with a pre-soak function and automatic keep-warm function, which can last for up to 30 hours. Other features of fuzzy logic rice include clock and timer, extra large LCD, beep signal, interchangeable melody and a detachable inner lid, with cup sizes available in 5, 5.5 and 10. Once the rice is cooked, the cooker automatically functions at keep-warm to hold your rice at still-perfect temperature even if you do not serve it right away. Some models of fuzzy logic rice cookers also come with an extended keep-warm and re-heating cycle functions.
Induction heating in fuzzy logic rice cookers
Fuzzy logic rice cookers with induction heating was introduced in 1988 by Matsushita in Japan, an appliance company that manufactures a family of rice cookers. With the process of induction heating, fuzzy-logic rice cooker products raise the standard of cooking rice with easy and convenient cooking settings and consistent results. Its introduction proved to be a major success.
Incorporating induction heating technology in fuzzy logic rice cookers make temperature control precise and heat distribution even. Unlike conventional rice cookers which heat the inner cooking pot using a hot plate, induction heating in fuzzy logic cookers uses electromagnetic coils at the heating region. This high-technology heating method works by placing the pot in a magnetic field. Coils create the magnetic field, which are found within the bottom part of the cooker. The inner cooking pan, made of aluminum nonstick material and stainless steel outer lining, is put into the rice cooker. When the unit is started, the magnetic field is created to produce heat instantly. Through induction heating, the inner cooking pot becomes the source of heat itself, and the heat is monitored and adjusted by the fuzzy-logic programmed microprocessor throughout the cooking process. As a result, you get perfectly tender, fluffy and sweet rice all the time which has the best rice texture you have ever felt in your mouth.
Other benefits of fuzzy logic rice cookers
Another good thing about nonstick fuzzy logic rice cooker technology is that it automatically adjusts to set the heat and time precisely even when you make an error in measurement. This way, you still get that cup of perfectly cooked rice which is one of the best tasting foods in the world.
Moreover, fuzzy logic rice cookers are not just designed for rice only. It can even be used with your favorite porridge or oatmeal recipe. Because of its amazing timer and keep-warm functions, you can serve your meal anytime you want and still enjoy it hot and perfectly cooked.
Choose a neuro fuzzy rice cooker that benefits you most
There are a number of fuzzy logic cookers designed to suit your needs. If you are looking to buy one, keep in mind the features that you should look for in a rice cooker & warmer. For one, if you are too lazy to make food using recipes when you get home after work or have no time to do so when you get up in the morning, a rice cooker and warmer with a keep-warm timer setting works best for you. This way, you can load your rice beforehand and have it still steaming hot and perfectly cooked when you get home or get up the next day. This function also helps keep the rice warm even if you do not serve it right away.
If you want to do something else other than cooking rice, there are some fuzzy logic cookers that come with a steamer function, so you might want to take advantage of that as well. In addition, always look for a unit with a nonstick, easy to clean surface.
Worrying about not cooking perfect rice most of the time is now a thing of the past. This technology has revolutionized the kitchen scene and indeed has improved rice cooking precision to the level before yet unimaginable. Fortunately, it is also very easy to purchase these products because you can easily find these cookers online or in your local retail store. A couple of good brands you might want to take a look at are Zojirushi rice and Micom cookers. If you order it from a website you can usually have them ship it to you by mail free of charge as most cost more then the minimum total required for free shipping. The bottom line is, spend the time doing your homework and you will surely impress your friends with your rice during your next dinner party. Not only that but you will improve your health as you will be able to provide cheap, quick and good tasting food with your new fuzzy logic cooker because you cank use brown rice and avoid the temptation to grab the junk in your closet. Whenever your kitchen recipes call for a quick cup of warm rice you will be able to have it in an instant.