SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week, but the only
instructions for it were on the outside of the carton in an asian
language we don't read.

It looks like a soup pot with a lid along with a perforated flat
bottomed insert which hangs inside the main pot so its bottom is about
2/3 of the way down inside the outer pot.

The metal pot lid has a circular transparent glass insert surrounding
its center knob.

I'm assuming we put water in the main pot, keeping its surface level
below the bottom of the insert and then put the rice to be cooked into
the perforated insert, and heat the pot on a stove burner so the water
inside boils and steam from that passes through/into the rice.

Some advice on how to do this properly would be appreciated:

Should the rice be dry or wet before heating begins?

How long should we let it cook once the water starts steaming?

Is the glass in the pot lid merely decorative or should we be keeping an
eye on the rice during cooking waiting for some change to appear?

Any other tips?

Thanks folks,

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10e12 furlongs per fortnight.

On 4/21/2010 12:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week, but the only
instructions for it were on the outside of the carton in an asian
language we don't read.

It looks like a soup pot with a lid along with a perforated flat
bottomed insert which hangs inside the main pot so its bottom is about
2/3 of the way down inside the outer pot.

The perforated insert is for steaming stuff. Vegetables, or heck, maybe
you can make dim sum with it. :-) Sometimes you get a wire thingie. You
put a plate on that to steam. Like most folks, I've never used it.


The metal pot lid has a circular transparent glass insert surrounding
its center knob.

I'm assuming we put water in the main pot, keeping its surface level
below the bottom of the insert and then put the rice to be cooked into
the perforated insert, and heat the pot on a stove burner so the water
inside boils and steam from that passes through/into the rice.

Some advice on how to do this properly would be appreciated:

Should the rice be dry or wet before heating begins?

How long should we let it cook once the water starts steaming?

Is the glass in the pot lid merely decorative or should we be keeping an
eye on the rice during cooking waiting for some change to appear?

Any other tips?

Thanks folks,

On 4/21/2010 6:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week, but the only
instructions for it were on the outside of the carton in an asian
language we don't read.

It looks like a soup pot with a lid along with a perforated flat
bottomed insert which hangs inside the main pot so its bottom is about
2/3 of the way down inside the outer pot.

The metal pot lid has a circular transparent glass insert surrounding
its center knob.

I'm assuming we put water in the main pot, keeping its surface level
below the bottom of the insert and then put the rice to be cooked into
the perforated insert, and heat the pot on a stove burner so the water
inside boils and steam from that passes through/into the rice.

Some advice on how to do this properly would be appreciated:

Should the rice be dry or wet before heating begins?

How long should we let it cook once the water starts steaming?

Is the glass in the pot lid merely decorative or should we be keeping an
eye on the rice during cooking waiting for some change to appear?

Any other tips?

Thanks folks,

Just think how you would normally steam rice (add rice, add water so
that first joint of index finger is covered, bring to boil, turn to
lowest heat for appropriate time for type of rice) in a covered pot
because essentially you have a pot with a steamer tray.

Cooking rice is not that hard. I think what someone else said about
the perforated think being for steaming is correct. I cook my rice in
a plain old covered soup pan. By volume, 2 parts water to one part
rice, and I add some salt and butter to the water, bring the water to
a good boil, dump in the dried rice, bring back up to a boil and cover
and reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook until the rice has
absorbed all the water. I stir maybne one or twice, but you really
don't have to stir at all.

I don't even mind of it scorches bit! Adds flavor! :-)

John Kuthe...

George writes:

On 4/21/2010 6:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week, but the only
instructions for it were on the outside of the carton in an asian
language we don't read.

It looks like a soup pot with a lid along with a perforated flat
bottomed insert which hangs inside the main pot so its bottom is about
2/3 of the way down inside the outer pot.

The metal pot lid has a circular transparent glass insert surrounding
its center knob.

I'm assuming we put water in the main pot, keeping its surface level
below the bottom of the insert and then put the rice to be cooked into
the perforated insert, and heat the pot on a stove burner so the water
inside boils and steam from that passes through/into the rice.

Some advice on how to do this properly would be appreciated:

Should the rice be dry or wet before heating begins?

How long should we let it cook once the water starts steaming?

Is the glass in the pot lid merely decorative or should we be keeping an
eye on the rice during cooking waiting for some change to appear?

Any other tips?

Thanks folks,

Just think how you would normally steam rice (add rice, add water so
that first joint of index finger is covered, bring to boil, turn to
lowest heat for appropriate time for type of rice) in a covered pot
because essentially you have a pot with a steamer tray.

Extremely inefficient.

Boil water. Add rice. Turn heat OFF. Cover pot with lid. Wait for 10
minutes. Rice done. Ratios of rice to water vary depending on the
rice. better too dry than too wet especially if you want to mix it later
into stir frys for example.

On 4/22/2010 7:53 AM, Bogbrush wrote:
writes:

On 4/21/2010 6:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week, but the only
instructions for it were on the outside of the carton in an asian
language we don't read.

It looks like a soup pot with a lid along with a perforated flat
bottomed insert which hangs inside the main pot so its bottom is about
2/3 of the way down inside the outer pot.

The metal pot lid has a circular transparent glass insert surrounding
its center knob.

I'm assuming we put water in the main pot, keeping its surface level
below the bottom of the insert and then put the rice to be cooked into
the perforated insert, and heat the pot on a stove burner so the water
inside boils and steam from that passes through/into the rice.

Some advice on how to do this properly would be appreciated:

Should the rice be dry or wet before heating begins?

How long should we let it cook once the water starts steaming?

Is the glass in the pot lid merely decorative or should we be keeping an
eye on the rice during cooking waiting for some change to appear?

Any other tips?

Thanks folks,

Just think how you would normally steam rice (add rice, add water so
that first joint of index finger is covered, bring to boil, turn to
lowest heat for appropriate time for type of rice) in a covered pot
because essentially you have a pot with a steamer tray.

Extremely inefficient.

Boil water. Add rice. Turn heat OFF. Cover pot with lid. Wait for 10
minutes. Rice done. Ratios of rice to water vary depending on the
rice. better too dry than too wet especially if you want to mix it later
into stir frys for example.

Your post reminds me of a line from "My Cousin Vinny"..

On 4/22/2010 8:10 AM, George wrote:
On 4/22/2010 7:53 AM, Bogbrush wrote:
writes:

On 4/21/2010 6:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week, but the
only
instructions for it were on the outside of the carton in an asian
language we don't read.

It looks like a soup pot with a lid along with a perforated flat
bottomed insert which hangs inside the main pot so its bottom is about
2/3 of the way down inside the outer pot.

The metal pot lid has a circular transparent glass insert surrounding
its center knob.

I'm assuming we put water in the main pot, keeping its surface level
below the bottom of the insert and then put the rice to be cooked into
the perforated insert, and heat the pot on a stove burner so the water
inside boils and steam from that passes through/into the rice.

Some advice on how to do this properly would be appreciated:

Should the rice be dry or wet before heating begins?

How long should we let it cook once the water starts steaming?

Is the glass in the pot lid merely decorative or should we be
keeping an
eye on the rice during cooking waiting for some change to appear?

Any other tips?

Thanks folks,

Just think how you would normally steam rice (add rice, add water so
that first joint of index finger is covered, bring to boil, turn to
lowest heat for appropriate time for type of rice) in a covered pot
because essentially you have a pot with a steamer tray.

Extremely inefficient.

Boil water. Add rice. Turn heat OFF. Cover pot with lid. Wait for 10
minutes. Rice done. Ratios of rice to water vary depending on the
rice. better too dry than too wet especially if you want to mix it later
into stir frys for example.

Your post reminds me of a line from "My Cousin Vinny"..

Found it:

"Vinny Gambini: How could it take you five minutes to cook your grits
when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes?
Mr. Tipton: Um... I'm a fast cook, I guess.
Vinny Gambini: [across beside the jury] What? I'm sorry I was over
there. Did you just say you were a fast cook? Are we to believe that
boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than any place on
the face of the earth?
Mr. Tipton: I don't know.
Vinny Gambini: Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove.
Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack
his beanstalk beans? "

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes

On Apr 22, 7:13*am, George wrote:
On 4/22/2010 8:10 AM, George wrote:



On 4/22/2010 7:53 AM, Bogbrush wrote:
writes:

On 4/21/2010 6:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week, but the
only
instructions for it were on the outside of the carton in an asian
language we don't read.

It looks like a soup pot with a lid along with a perforated flat
bottomed insert which hangs inside the main pot so its bottom is about
2/3 of the way down inside the outer pot.

The metal pot lid has a circular transparent glass insert surrounding
its center knob.

I'm assuming we put water in the main pot, keeping its surface level
below the bottom of the insert and then put the rice to be cooked into
the perforated insert, and heat the pot on a stove burner so the water
inside boils and steam from that passes through/into the rice.

Some advice on how to do this properly would be appreciated:

Should the rice be dry or wet before heating begins?

How long should we let it cook once the water starts steaming?

Is the glass in the pot lid merely decorative or should we be
keeping an
eye on the rice during cooking waiting for some change to appear?

Any other tips?

Thanks folks,

Just think how you would normally steam rice (add rice, add water so
that first joint of index finger is covered, bring to boil, turn to
lowest heat for appropriate time for type of rice) in a covered pot
because essentially you have a pot with a steamer tray.

Extremely inefficient.

Boil water. Add rice. Turn heat OFF. Cover pot with lid. Wait for 10
minutes. Rice done. Ratios of rice to water vary depending on the
rice. better too dry than too wet especially if you want to mix it later
into stir frys for example.

Your post reminds me of a line from "My Cousin Vinny"..

Found it:

"Vinny Gambini: How could it take you five minutes to cook your grits
when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes?
Mr. Tipton: Um... I'm a fast cook, I guess.
Vinny Gambini: [across beside the jury] What? I'm sorry I was over
there. Did you just say you were a fast cook? Are we to believe that
boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than any place on
the face of the earth?
Mr. Tipton: I don't know.
Vinny Gambini: Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove.
Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack
his beanstalk beans? "

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes

I love that movie! And that's one of the many great scenes in it.

10 minutes? Uh YEAH! If you're using instant rice! And "No self-
respecting human uses instant rice!" ;-)

John Kuthe...

On 4/21/2010 12:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week, but the only
instructions for it were on the outside of the carton in an asian
language we don't read.

We used to have a non-electric rice pot back when I was a kid. It was
cast aluminum with a raised lip that, as far as I can guess, let the
condensed steam drip back into the pot. The invention of the electric
rice cooker in the early 60s pretty much made that pot obsolete. My
guess is that the majority of Japan households will use this most
important of inventions.

I only know how to cook Japanese short grain sticky rice. First rinse
the rice until the water runs clear. I can't give you the correct
proportion of water to rice since I just add water until it looks right.
Let the rice soak for about 20 minutes. Turn on the heat and bring the
water to a boil, turn the heat down to a low simmer until the water has
just boiled off, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Do not stir the
rice while cooking - the rice develops many small channels of venting
steam that should not be disturbed. In the last stages of rice cooking,
the rice grains are steamed seperated. It's a fascinating process,
actually.


It looks like a soup pot with a lid along with a perforated flat
bottomed insert which hangs inside the main pot so its bottom is about
2/3 of the way down inside the outer pot.

The metal pot lid has a circular transparent glass insert surrounding
its center knob.

I'm assuming we put water in the main pot, keeping its surface level
below the bottom of the insert and then put the rice to be cooked into
the perforated insert, and heat the pot on a stove burner so the water
inside boils and steam from that passes through/into the rice.

Some advice on how to do this properly would be appreciated:

Should the rice be dry or wet before heating begins?

How long should we let it cook once the water starts steaming?

Is the glass in the pot lid merely decorative or should we be keeping an
eye on the rice during cooking waiting for some change to appear?

When it's done, the rice will have grown to over twice it's volume. All
the water will have boiled off and the rice will make a small hissing
sound. Good luck!


Any other tips?

Thanks folks,

dsi1 wrote on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:27:35 -1000:

On 4/21/2010 12:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week,
but the only instructions for it were on the outside of the
carton in an asian language we don't read.

We used to have a non-electric rice pot back when I was a kid.
It was cast aluminum with a raised lip that, as far as I can
guess, let the condensed steam drip back into the pot. The
invention of the electric rice cooker in the early 60s pretty much
made that pot obsolete. My guess is that the majority of Japan
households will use this most important of inventions.

That's certainly the case. You can even buy rice cookers with timers so
that the rice is ready for a Japanese breakfast.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On 4/22/2010 4:35 AM, James Silverton wrote:
dsi1 wrote on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:27:35 -1000:

On 4/21/2010 12:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week,
but the only instructions for it were on the outside of the
carton in an asian language we don't read.

We used to have a non-electric rice pot back when I was a kid.
It was cast aluminum with a raised lip that, as far as I can
guess, let the condensed steam drip back into the pot. The
invention of the electric rice cooker in the early 60s pretty much
made that pot obsolete. My guess is that the majority of Japan
households will use this most important of inventions.

That's certainly the case. You can even buy rice cookers with timers so
that the rice is ready for a Japanese breakfast.


They do take their rice cookers seriously, don't they? There's a cooker
that utilizes "fuzzy logic" in some way. I've never been able to figure
out of me what that's about.

A question I have is that the cookers I've seen utilize a magnetic
switch that latches on to the bottom of the pot. Do rice cookers use
curie point switching? The pan appears to be made of aluminum but that
can't be cause that's a non-magnetic material - right? Anyway, the
method they use to regulate cooking time is exceedingly reliable - I've
never seen one fail or malfunction. This is one appliance whose basic
workings is a bit of a mystery.

dsi1 wrote on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:07:21 -1000:

On 4/22/2010 4:35 AM, James Silverton wrote:
dsi1 wrote on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:27:35 -1000:

On 4/21/2010 12:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week,
but the only instructions for it were on the outside of the
carton in an asian language we don't read.

We used to have a non-electric rice pot back when I was a
kid. It was cast aluminum with a raised lip that, as far as I can
guess, let the condensed steam drip back into the pot.
The invention of the electric rice cooker in the early 60s
pretty much made that pot obsolete. My guess is that the
majority of Japan households will use this most important of
inventions.

That's certainly the case. You can even buy rice cookers with
timers so that the rice is ready for a Japanese breakfast.

They do take their rice cookers seriously, don't they? There's
a cooker that utilizes "fuzzy logic" in some way. I've never
been able to figure out of me what that's about.

Fuzzy logic is one of the latest buzz words in Japanese rice cookers. I
do know a little about fuzzy logic (allowing choices other than just on
or off) but it escapes me how it is needed to keep rice warm after
cooking, which is what it is used for.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On 4/22/2010 11:07 AM, dsi1 wrote:
On 4/22/2010 4:35 AM, James Silverton wrote:
dsi1 wrote on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:27:35 -1000:

On 4/21/2010 12:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week,
but the only instructions for it were on the outside of the
carton in an asian language we don't read.

We used to have a non-electric rice pot back when I was a kid.
It was cast aluminum with a raised lip that, as far as I can
guess, let the condensed steam drip back into the pot. The
invention of the electric rice cooker in the early 60s pretty much
made that pot obsolete. My guess is that the majority of Japan
households will use this most important of inventions.

That's certainly the case. You can even buy rice cookers with timers so
that the rice is ready for a Japanese breakfast.


They do take their rice cookers seriously, don't they? There's a cooker
that utilizes "fuzzy logic" in some way. I've never been able to figure
out of me what that's about.

All the better ones do. Not sure how they use it exactly but they do
make nice rice.

A question I have is that the cookers I've seen utilize a magnetic
switch that latches on to the bottom of the pot. Do rice cookers use
curie point switching? The pan appears to be made of aluminum but that
can't be cause that's a non-magnetic material - right? Anyway, the
method they use to regulate cooking time is exceedingly reliable - I've
never seen one fail or malfunction. This is one appliance whose basic
workings is a bit of a mystery.

Are you sure those aren't induction-heating with the magnetic switch
just there as a pot sensor? In any case they don't use timers per se,
they monitor the temperature and look for it to start to rise when the
water is all absorbed.

On Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:13:58 -0400, George wrote:

On 4/22/2010 8:10 AM, George wrote:
On 4/22/2010 7:53 AM, Bogbrush wrote:

Extremely inefficient.

Boil water. Add rice. Turn heat OFF. Cover pot with lid. Wait for 10
minutes. Rice done. Ratios of rice to water vary depending on the
rice. better too dry than too wet especially if you want to mix it later
into stir frys for example.

Your post reminds me of a line from "My Cousin Vinny"..

Found it:

"Vinny Gambini: How could it take you five minutes to cook your grits
when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes?
Mr. Tipton: Um... I'm a fast cook, I guess.
Vinny Gambini: [across beside the jury] What? I'm sorry I was over
there. Did you just say you were a fast cook? Are we to believe that
boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than any place on
the face of the earth?
Mr. Tipton: I don't know.
Vinny Gambini: Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove.
Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack
his beanstalk beans? "

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes

i was thinking the same (without the movie reference). hell, i leave
hard-cooked eggs off the heat for fifteen minutes.

maybe it's uncle ben's or something.

your pal,
blake

On 4/22/2010 8:11 AM, J. Clarke wrote:
On 4/22/2010 11:07 AM, dsi1 wrote:
On 4/22/2010 4:35 AM, James Silverton wrote:
dsi1 wrote on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:27:35 -1000:

On 4/21/2010 12:26 PM, jeff_wisnia wrote:
SWMBO bought a non-electric "rice pot" at H-Mart last week,
but the only instructions for it were on the outside of the
carton in an asian language we don't read.

We used to have a non-electric rice pot back when I was a kid.
It was cast aluminum with a raised lip that, as far as I can
guess, let the condensed steam drip back into the pot. The
invention of the electric rice cooker in the early 60s pretty much
made that pot obsolete. My guess is that the majority of Japan
households will use this most important of inventions.

That's certainly the case. You can even buy rice cookers with timers so
that the rice is ready for a Japanese breakfast.


They do take their rice cookers seriously, don't they? There's a cooker
that utilizes "fuzzy logic" in some way. I've never been able to figure
out of me what that's about.

All the better ones do. Not sure how they use it exactly but they do
make nice rice.

A question I have is that the cookers I've seen utilize a magnetic
switch that latches on to the bottom of the pot. Do rice cookers use
curie point switching? The pan appears to be made of aluminum but that
can't be cause that's a non-magnetic material - right? Anyway, the
method they use to regulate cooking time is exceedingly reliable - I've
never seen one fail or malfunction. This is one appliance whose basic
workings is a bit of a mystery.

Are you sure those aren't induction-heating with the magnetic switch
just there as a pot sensor? In any case they don't use timers per se,
they monitor the temperature and look for it to start to rise when the
water is all absorbed.


My guess is that the pot is made of an alloy that is ferromagnetic and
has a Curie point of a little over the boiling point of water. The
magnetic latch is part of a switch that controls the current to an
induction coil located under the pan. The pan acts as the heating
element when placed on the 60 Hz alternating magnetic field.

The beauty of this system is that there's no heating element to burn out
or any bi-metallic temperature regulation - two components of appliances
that tend to be troublesome.

OTOH, this is all a guess on my part. :-)