Showerthought: Spending $25 on a rice cooker actually saved my food budget

I used to burn rice on the stove at least once a week. Tossed out a lot of ruined batches. Picked up a basic $25 rice cooker at Target three months ago and I haven't wasted a single grain since. Plus I make extra now and use it for meal prep lunches. Anyone else find one cheap kitchen gadget that paid for itself quick?

3 comments

3 Comments

paigep202mo ago

The real trick is using leftover rice for fried rice the next day. It actually holds up way better than fresh rice does in a hot pan. If you get good at that, a $25 rice cooker basically pays for itself in a week or two of lunches. I've also started throwing a frozen veggie mix in with the rice while it cooks, makes it a one pot meal with zero extra work.

zara5722mo ago

Wait hold on, you throw frozen veggies in WITH the rice while it's cooking? Like just dump them in there with the raw rice and water? I've been doing it so wrong this whole time, I always thought the veggies would turn into mush. That actually sounds way too easy.

daniel5931mo ago

Yeah man @zara572 the frozen veggie trick works way better than you'd think. You just toss them in with the rice and water right at the start, the steam cooks them perfectly so they're tender but not mushy at all. I do it with my rice cooker all the time, a bag of mixed peas, carrots, and corn works great. Saves a ton of cleanup compared to making veggies separate. Just make sure you don't add too much extra water since the frozen veggies will release some moisture as they cook. Easy way to stretch one meal into leftovers for the week too.