Rice Cookers: Simple or High Tech?

[Bobonli]

Try a longer soak and add melted butter to the result and toss.

Nic is right, nothing beats a slow torture on stovetop with a good pot.

I'm a caveman, most of the time I can't pay attention long enough to make good stovetop rice.

Tell me more about the butter, please.
I’m still producing gummy nonsense in the Zojirushi. At this point I think it’s the rice and not me, since I rinse, polish, massage....everything listed above. Last night the wife and I were making some Indian food and I couldn’t stand to put it over the gummy rice. I remembered seeing Alton Brown do a recap of his 20 minute method. He starts by toasting the grains in a pan with butter and salt then adding boiling water and covering 20 minutes. It was the best rice I’ve made in years. I almost threw the rice pot onto the law. BTW, used the same rice in the cooker for comparison: wife chose to throw it out!
So.....why not toast the rice before throwing it in the Zojirushi? Or would just adding the butter into the pot accomplish the same thing?

[skiezo]

I was low tech for years till my son had us over for dinner for beans over rice. I can tell you that his rice was just perfect. Each grain was separate and the texture was just right,not gummy and over cooked undercooked and crunchy.
I ended up getting a zojirushi NP-GB05 and use it at least once a week and the finished product is always perfect.
I use mostly japanese medium grain rice. It also makes sweet or sticky rice great for mango rice.

[caleb]

Tell me more about the butter, please.
I’m still producing gummy nonsense in the Zojirushi. At this point I think it’s the rice and not me, since I rinse, polish, massage....everything listed above.

The rice matters. Whole Foods 365 white basmati is great and has been my go-to for years. At the start of the quarantine, there was a run on rice, and we had to investigate alternatives. We ordered a 10 pound sack of Daawat off Amazon, and I'd say it's at least as good as the 365 rice.