Sitting on the top of my kitchen counter is an appliance that takes up about half the size of a microwave. Its existence is one of the most prized possessions in many Asian households. This appliance can be found in most Asian households because it is used to cook a staple that we have with most of our meals, rice. Not only do we have a regular rice cooker that cooks about six cups of rice, we also have a mini rice cooker that cooks the perfect serving for two people. Both of which are white in color, with a shiny finish. The creators of these appliances could not have made it any easier for their consumers. Both rice cookers only have two options, cook and warm. All you have to do is pull the switch to start the cooking process. Then whenever it’s done cooking, it automatically jumps to the warm function, keeping the rice warm for you and your family when you get home.
Our last rice cooker has been with us for more than 10 years, and we finally got a new upgrade. The last one has done us a lot, working hard every day to provide hot, steamy rice for our family every night. As an Asian, we eat rice at least once a week. Ever since I was little, my mom had taught me how to cook rice. She told me to scoop a couple cups of uncooked rice into the rice cooker pot and wash it by running it through cold water until the water turned clear in color. Then she said the trick to measuring the water is to stick your index finger into the pot to measure the water. She said that it should go up to the second line of your index finger. After measuring it, all we do is close the lid and pull the switch. The rice cooker will do its job and hot steamy rice will be ready in about forty minutes.
Writing this blog post made me realize our huge reliance on this machine. The hardest part was trying to describe the item in the beginning without naming the object.