An electric rice cooker is one of the most useful technological advancements in kitchen appliances. This state of the art kitchen appliance lets you cook excellent steamed food according to your convenience. There are many different rice cookers available in the market and not all of them would be the ideal one. If you are looking for a rice cooker that suits your need then these are some questions you should ask before you buy a rice cooker:

Is it just a rice cooker?

Various rice cookers are circling around in the market but the best rice cooker isn’t just a rice cooker. The best rice cooker can cook a variety of food. If you are going to purchase a rice cooker, then you should buy the one that can cook different sorts of steamed food as well. If you are taking a rice cooker that is just a rice cooker then the price of the machine isn’t doing justice as you can get a complete rice and steam cooker at the same price!

Does it have pre-program settings?

For many rice cookers, if you want to cook different varieties of dishes then you would have to go on estimate. This estimation can go wrong as it sometimes does while cooking food normally. If you are looking for rice cookers that can cook various other dishes too, then you should go with the ones which have pre-program settings. These pre-program settings could be for soup, dalia, momos, vegetables and rice of course.

Does it keep food warm for longer hours?

Sometimes you have to reheat your food after cooking it because it is possible that not everyone eats at the same time. If that is the case, then your rice cooker should have an option of keeping your food warm for longer durations. Many rice cookers come equipped with this feature. All you need to do is switch on the keep warm mode and your food stays warm till the time you want to consume it. The hassle of reheating is completely eliminated.

Does the rice cooker have even heat distribution system?

While buying a rice cooker, you should always check whether the cooker has a proper system to distribute the heat evenly while cooking. If the cooker has a proper induction heating system, your rice would be cooked perfectly and because of precise temperature control, it would take a really short time to get cooked as well. To ensure the heat is distributed evenly, you can switch the cooker on and after a few seconds switch it off and feel the base. If the entire base is evenly heated, you know that the distribution is even.

Does the rice cooker have a delayed start function?

Some rice cookers feature a function that allows a delayed start. Due to this feature, you can start cooking your food as per your needs. You can set all the ingredients in the container and set the desired time. Once the timer reaches that selected time, the appliance would automatically start cooking your food and you would get delicious freshly cooked food when you want it.

Can food be served directly from the cooker?

Some rice cookers are specifically designed to be able to cook the food and then serve it instantly. This is possible by a detachable cord and a grip handle. After cooking your food in the rice cooker, you can detach the cord and easily carry the cooker using the grip handle and serve directly from the cooker.

You definitely should keep in mind the above mentioned points before buying the perfect rice cooker.