Until I met my husband, I only ever cooked rice on the stove. Adding an appliance just to cook rice didn’t make sense in my tiny kitchen! For Jeremy, though, the rice cooker was an essential. And once I saw how easy it was to use, I was a convert.
But there were still a few things I didn’t like about our standard rice cooker. It often overcooked brown rice. It didn’t have much versatility. And, worst of all, it splattered starchy water on the countertop every time I used it.
So when Hamilton Beach gave me the chance to review its brand new Multi-Function Rice Cooker, I leapt at the chance. I couldn’t wait to see how a higher-end model would perform as opposed to the messy single-setting appliance I was currently using.
One of the first highlights of this rice cooker for me was its capacity. The appliance makes up to 16 cups of rice or hot cereal, a definite advantage for my household of hungry boys. The cooker includes a steaming basket, a serving scoop and a measuring cup for perfect rice every time.
The settings on the rice cooker far exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t wait to try them out. The cooker features settings for brown rice, white rice, hot cereal, sautéeing, steaming and slow cooking! For anyone that does have limited kitchen space, this one machine has the ability to replace a couple of different kitchen appliances.
The day I received it, I whipped up a simple Thai curry and cooked white rice to go along with it. I measured out the rice and water, hit the White Rice button and that was it. The rice came out cooked to perfection and perfectly fluffy, without any of the browning on the bottom that I’d been used to with our previous machine.
That’s due to the fuzzy logic technology, that’s able to adjust time and temperature to ensure perfect results every time. My experience cooking brown rice a few days later was just as flawless. But the real fun of the cooker came when I started doing some experimenting!
As a side for tacos one night, I used the Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker to make homemade Mexican Rice. Thanks to the sauté function, I was able to soften onion and pepper right in the machine. Then I added rice, tomatoes and seasonings before hitting the White Rice button. Half an hour later, my fancy and flavourful side dish was complete!
And, best of all, my countertop stayed spotless as the rice cooked, every single time! The sealed top features a vented steam release that ensures there’s no splatter and no mess when cooking. I loved finally being able to eliminate my usual kitchen counter wipe-down after making rice for a meal!
The one thing I did notice about the Hamilton Beach rice cooker is that cooking rice takes longer than it does on a stovetop or with our previous cheap rice cooker. White rice took approximately 30 minutes from start to finish, and brown rice took about an hour. It caught me off guard the first few times but now that I’m used to it, I just start the machine a little earlier. The perfect results are worth the extra time, in my opinion!
Since I have all three of my boys currently at home, one of my favourite features of the Hamilton Beach Advanced Multi-Function Rice Cooker has become the hot cereal function. My oldest loves oatmeal for breakfast, and both boys have recently discovered Red River hot cereal. When they’re in the mood for either, whipping breakfast up in the morning takes just minutes and then the cereal stays warm in the pot until they’re both ready to eat.
With everyone at home more than usual these days, I have more time to cook than usual. And the Hamilton Beach rice cooker has been a great help for all kinds of meals…like our favourite Slow Cooker Taco Casserole. Learn more about this versatile appliance on HamiltonBeach.ca and see why every household needs one in the kitchen!
I recently upgraded to the Hamilton Beach Advanced Multi-Function Rice Cooker, and it has become very helpful in my kitchen.
I would love to try this because my rice never turns out right