The Rice is Right! (Cookworks Rice Cooker)

Member Name: mummy2harry

Product:	Cookworks Rice Cooker
Date:	10/08/09 (290 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cooks rice well, easy to use, the bowl is totally non stick which is great

Disadvantages: Looks a bit cheap, takes a few attempts to get used to

We do love our curry, chilli con carne and lots of other rice dishes in our house, so I don't quite know how it has taken me 3 years to invest in a rice cooker for my kitchen! I've insisted on using a saucepan and boiling water, which always ends up making a rice mess of my lovely halogen hob, but still I could not be swayed. Upon the delivery of my shiny new cooker, I decided to bite the bullet and invest some money in a rice cooker. I didn't want to spend too much in case I hated it so I decided to buy the cheapest one I could in Argos, which is how I ended up with the Cookworks Rice Cooker, and being on a half price offer, it only cost me £9.99. What did I have to lose?

*The Cooker*
Being cheap, it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing electrical appliance you are going to have in your kitchen. The main body of the cooker is white plastic which is slightly garish, but never mind. There is a clear glass lid with a big white knob on the top, 2 plastic handles on the sides of the main unit, 2 lights and a switch. It has the brand name on the front in blue writing, which does look a little cheap, but then again for £9.99, you can't expect all that much. It doesn't look too bad on my worktop, and it does the job that is asked of it, so I can't moan too much really. Some of the more expensive ones are better looking, but I don't want to pay money just for something looking nicer. You get a plastic cup and spatula with the product too.

*How To Use It*
The rice cooker is very simple to use. It comes with a small plastic cup and plastic spatula, so you don't need anything else to use the cooker. You measure out the dry rice using the plastic cup, but you must then wash it in cold water. This removes the starch from the rice and stops it getting all sticky in the rice cooker pot. I did this once and it was awful, so a few minutes washing it in a sieve really is worth it, just until the water runs clear. Then you put it into the (removable) non-stick bowl, and add in the water. Now, the guide says if you use, for example, 2 cups of water if you use 2 cups of rice. I disagree. My mother-in-law goes with the "1 cup of rice = 1.5 cups of water". So if you use 2 cups of rice, it's 3 cups of water. I have found this gives perfect rice everytime so I'm quite happy.

Anyway, once you've put your rice and water in (adding salt to taste if you want), pop the lid on the top and press the switch down. A red light should illuminate above the word "cook", so that's it. After around 12 minutes, the switch will ping up and the orange light will come on, indicating the cooker is now keeping the rice warm. The guide recommends you leave it there for a further 10 minutes to let the rice cook through thoroughly which I always do. After that, turn it off at the wall and remove the lid, but be careful because steam will billow from it at first. Then it's ready to serve with the plastic spatula provided.

*The positives*
I must say that aside from the first few times I used it, it has given me perfect rice every time I have cooked it. As long as I stick to the "1=1.5" ratio, it works perfectly and the rice is soft and fluffy, not sticky and hard at all. I was really impresssed by it, and I could kick myself for not having bought one sooner. The non-stick bowl hasn't let me down at all, and none of the rice has ever stuck. You do get a layer of rice matted at the bottom so just be careful when you are scooping it out, but this lifts out problem free to pop in the bin. I just have to put some warm soapy water in to wash it and then its clean, super easy and I'm really pleased with that.

*The negatives*
To be honest, I haven't really found a lot of negatives with this product at all. It isn't the best looking product in the world, but for the price you wouldn't expect too much from it. It does take a while to cook the rice compared to the traditional "boiling it in water" method but it's mess-free and stops accidents such as burning with the hot water and ruining your hob as well. It takes a couple of attempts to get used to cooking the rice, my first attempts were a bit too soggy, and the next was too hard, but I soon got used to it and it's now perfect each time.

If you're looking for a cheap yet usable product, then I can definitely recommend the Cookwares Rice Cooker to you. It delivers perfect rice in 20 minutes and allows you to keep your hob nice and clean. You have to make sure that you wash the rice before use because of the starch and this can make it sticky and gooey, but other than that, it's all plain sailing. The non-stick bowl is brilliant and hasn't marked at all, and washes with just a little effort. It's fairly sizeable so you need to make sure you have space on your worktop for it, but it is definitely a gadget I can recommend if you cook rice a lot! It's great value for money, especially if you can get it for half price at £9.99 like I did.

Water Capacity: 1.8 litres / 10 cups of rice

Website: http://www.argos.co.uk

Item Number: 422/4765

Thank you for reading!

Summary: A very good rice cooker