My rice cooker gave up halfway through dinner prep last night

I was making a big batch of rice to go with a stir fry for meal prep, and the cooker just stopped heating after 10 minutes. The rice was still hard and watery, a total waste of $3 worth of jasmine rice. I had to dump it all into a pot on the stove and finish it that way, which took another 20 minutes. Turns out the heating element inside finally died after 4 years of heavy use. Now I'm stuck debating if I should replace it with a cheap $15 model or try cooking rice in a saucepan from now on. Has anyone else had a small appliance fail right when you needed it most? What did you switch to?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia_hayes6d ago

Wait, you guys only got 4 years out of a rice cooker? Mine was a hand-me-down from my grandma that lasted like 15 years before the lid broke off. But yeah, my toaster died on me last week right when I had a bagel in it halfway toasted. Had to finish it under the broiler and nearly set off the smoke alarm. Honestly, I just went and bought a new cheap one for $12 at the store because cooking rice in a pot always turns into a sticky mess for me. The nonstick coating flakes off after a year but by then I figure I got my money's worth. Some things are just not worth the hassle of doing the old school way.

wren_jackson6d ago

Oh man, I used to be the total opposite! I was all about doing it the old way, like telling people they just needed a good pot and some patience. But yeah, after burning rice three times in a row last month and having to scrape a crusty pot for twenty minutes, I finally caved and bought a cheap rice cooker for like $15. You're right, sometimes the convenience is just worth it even if it doesn't last forever.