An electric rice cooker is a convenient household appliance that helps you cook rice seamlessly and perfectly. A typical rice cooker usually comes with a steamer basket as well. This helps you cook more than just rice as you can steam vegetables and other foods in a quicker and efficient way. Make sure you research well so that you can find the best available rice cooker price. If you are new to cooking with this appliance, here is how you can use the steamer basket of the rice cooker.

How to cook food using the steamer basket

Using the steamer basket is fairly simple. All you have to do is clean and cut the vegetables before putting them into the basket. If you are steaming meat or fish, see that you place a foil inside the tray of the steaming basket. The foil also helps keep all the flavours intact while steaming. Using a steamer basket to cook your food is always a good idea. While it helps to do away with clogging on your cooktop, it also works to provide soft delicious serve.

Time duration required for cooking

Different food items consume different time durations to cook. This holds true even with the traditional modes of cooking. So some vegetables could cook fast in a steamer basket while rice takes a longer duration. Vegetables usually take about five to ten minutes to cook. Rice, on the other hand, needs approximately 35 minutes or so to become soft and edible. Vegetables with a tough peeling and those that are generally hard can take a longer time to cook. 

Important points to consider while using steamer basket

  • Read the guide book and follow its instructions carefully. This ensures that you always stay on the safer side. You get a basic idea about the steaming time and how they differ depending upon humidity level and altitude.
  • You can use a meat thermometer to examine safe cooking temperature. This makes certain you are cooking the meat in an appropriate way. See that you pay equal attention to the cleaning guide and keep your rice cooker and its steamer basket hygienic and safe at all times.
  • Make sure you cut vegetables like pumpkin or squash that are large in size and hard. This ensures they are evenly cooked. You need to cut them into pieces that fit into your basket. Do not overcrowd the appliance. If required, steam them in batches. Since less cooking time is required in a rice cooker, you are sure to get your dishes prepared well in advance.

Advantages of a steamer basket

It is always best to be lenient towards about the rice cooker price, after considering all the other features. This is because you can use the rice cooker’s basket for cooking a variety of items. You can steam rice, vegetables and even tenderize different meat like pork or mutton, and also use it for preparing scrumptious steamed desserts. Make sure you check the size of the cooker prior to its purchase. This can help you assess the maximum capacity of the rice cooker.

The above mentioned tips are likely to yield great benefits in your cooking. These tips will help you get the best advantages and make maximum use of your rice cooker. Always choose a renowned brand that offers cookers at an affordable price. This ensures quality and affordability is on your side at all times.