Spent $8 on a rice cooker at a garage sale in Fresno and it ruined my dinners
Bought it three months back thinking I'd save time on weeknights. Turns out the thing cooks rice into a gummy paste no matter what ratio I try, and I've wasted maybe 4 bags of rice testing it. My old pot on the stove took 20 minutes and came out perfect every time. Now I'm stuck deciding if I toss it or keep fighting with it. Anyone got a cheap rice trick that actually works when you're tired after work?
Been there, my friend. My track record with cheap kitchen gadgets is basically a comedy show at this point, I once bought a blender at a flea market that just kinda vibed with the fruit instead of blending it. For rice though, the trick that saved me was going way lower on the water than feels right, like barely covering the rice by a knuckle, and then letting it sit covered off the heat for ten minutes after it clicks. Also rinse the rice first until the water runs clear, that sticky starch is half your gummy problem right there. If it still turns out like paste after that, the thing is just cursed and you got eight bucks of garage sale regret, which honestly is cheaper than most of my mistakes.