Sanyo Rice Cooker Review

My Sanyo Rice Cooker is one of the kitchen appliances I use ALL the time, probably more than any other appliance I own.  I am going to admit something, before owning a rice cooker, I thought other people who owned them must not have been able to cook.  I mean rice, how hard is it to cook?  Rice, water, and some salt over heat..... Well I was WRONG.  I originally got the Sanyo Rice Cooker because it doubles as a slow cooker and mine had just broken and I had heard that it makes great steel cut oats, which is something that I wanted to get in the habit of making in the morning, but once I tried it for rice I realized how much better rice from a rice cooker can be!

Here is the full review of the Sanyo rice cooker, I elaborate on some additional points below, so scroll down after the video to read more.



This is so much more than a rice cooker.  Here are the features I use the most.

Cook Rice - Brown Rice, white rice, wild rice, this rice cooker makes them all beautifully and consistently every time.    What makes the rice that comes out of this thing so much better than stove-top rice is that there is no room for error.  The entire thing is a sealed unit so everything cooks the same every time you cook it.  All you have to do is press the button and it does the rest.

Cook Oatmeal - We use it EVERYDAY to cook our oatmeal.  You can read all about how to use the rice cooker to make steel cut oatmeal here.

Slow Cooker - This also doubles as a slow cooker with two options, slow cook high or slow cook low.  I like to make meatballs and freeze them for anytime use.  So on a pasta night, I will often throw the frozen meatballs and some sauce in the rice cooker and select "Slow Cook High" so that it defrosts and cooks my meatballs in the sauce so they are the perfect temperature whenever the pasta is finished.

Steamer - This comes with a steaming basket so you can steam veggies, eggs, or whatever else you like to steam.  Again, the consistency is amazing.  I like to steam broccoli, and I LOVE that when I set the timer to 14 minutes to steam my broccoli I get the same tenderness that our family likes EVERY time.

Keep Warm - On my days off I usually cook dinner at lunchtime.  If I happen to make a soup or stew that day, I used to wonder what to do since I would be using it in a couple of hours.  Leaving it out seemed like it would spoil, but putting it in the fridge for such a short time seemed weird to, so now I make the soup, throw it in the rice cooker and choose the "keep warm" setting so the soup is ready when we are.

Timer - You have the ability to set the timer so whatever you are making is ready when you are.  The rice cooker has a clock so you program it for the time you want it to finish at, and it does the math for you, automatically turning it on at the right time.  It will finish at the time you set.  I always set our oatmeal for 6:30AM and it is ready then.

Other Features that I Don't Use, But you Might - There are two other features of the Sanyo Rice Cooker that I don't use and those are the ability to make your own Tofu for those who like Tofu.  It also has a great handle and retractable cord on it so you can easily transport the rice cooker from it's storage place to your counter when you want to use it.  I use it so much that I just leave it on the counter all the time.

You can purchase the Sanyo Rice Cooker on Amazon.com



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How to Cook Steel Cut Oats in a Rice Cooker

The video below is part of a longer segment I recored about my Sanyo Rice Cooker, and shows how I use my rice cooker to make steel cut oats for my family VERY easily.  Scroll below the video to see a text description.



My husband got me this rice cooker for Christmas last year, but we always joke it was like he bought the gift for himself because he enjoys the steel cut oats so much.

What is awesome about this rice cooker is that you put your oats in the night before, set the timer, and when you wake up your oats are hot and ready to go.  Talk about fast food!  The "keep warm" function will keep your oats at a perfect temperature throughout the morning so each family member can scoop our their portion and eat it warm whenever they want.

To make the steel cut oats in the rice cooker, you will have to use the "Porridge" function.  I fill the measuring cup that comes with the rice cooker with oats so it is level with the top.  Then I pour the water to the 1 line on the porridge column.  Press the menu button until it gets to the porridge setting, press the "timer" button and then "start".  That is all it takes to make your oats for the next morning.

Look for my full review of the Sanyo Rice Cooker shortly!

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