Can you cook rice a roni in a rice cooker?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “can you cook rice a roni in a rice cooker” with an in-depth analysis of the cooking methods practiced now-a-days to prepare this delicious side dish. Moreover, we are also going to discuss how cooking rice a roni in a cooker is beneficial in terms of reducing the time spent in cooking by presenting the recipe one can use to make this product.

Can you cook rice-a-roni® in a rice cooker?

Yes, you can cook rice-a-roni® in a rice cooker. Rice cooker can be used to cook not only rice, but also soups, meat and vegetables, pasta, breads, cakes, and many others (1).

Cooking rice-a-roni in a rice cooker is also one of the quickest methods to prepare this side dish that is helpful in providing healthy nutrients to the body.

However, according to the manufacturer’s website, the rice-a-roni® products are optimized for range top and microwave preparation methods so they cannot guarantee the results with various rice cookers and other appliances (2).

Rice-a-roni® is an instant small boxed product available in markets. Inside the box is a mixture of rice and vermicelli pasta and a packet of seasonings is also available. It is one of the delicious side dishes you can serve at the dining table along with the main meal course to enhance the captivity of the table.

What are the benefits of cooking Rice-a-roni® in a rice cooker?

The benefits of cooking rice-a-roni® in the rice cooker are related to the many benefits of using a rice cooker, such as (1,3):

• The rice cooker is programmable and is able to cook within a wide range of temperatures and time settings, which permit the precise cooking of the rice-a-roni
• The rice cooker can be programmed in advance and you don’t need to be home to cook the rice-a-roni
• The rice cooker then turns itself off and therefore needs no supervision while cooking
• Cooking of rice-a-roni rice cookers can keep you cooked rice-a-roni warm for many hours safely after being cooked
• The rice cooker has a better energy efficiency than stove top and therefore helps save energy 

What are the drawbacks of cooking rice-a-roni® in a rice cooker?

The drawbacks of cooking rice-a-roni® in the rice cooker are the following (1):

• The product is not developed to be cooked in a rice cooker, in this way, the sensory results of rice-a-roni cooked in the rice cooker may not be optimal as when rice-a-roni is cooked in the stove or microwave
• The cooking procedure of rice-a-roni requires the mixture to be browned first. Browning the rice-pasta mixture keeps the rice from becoming mushy and sticky. It also adds a pleasant, delicate toasted flavor. In the rice cooker browning is not possible
• Rice cookers need electricity to operate. Besides being an energy of high cost  in several countries, electricity can eventually go out.
• By programing your rice-a-roni in the rice cooker in advance, it can cause the rice to be too soft and mushy 

How should you cook rice-a-roni® for best results?

For the best results, you should cook rice-a-roni® following instructions mentioned on the box. The classic method to cook this instant product is very easy. One needs to follow the different steps as below (2):

1. Add water in the pan as mentioned on the box and mix seasonings in it. Heat the mixture till boiling and then bring the temperature to low that allows the simmering of mixture only as the excessive temperature can cause the main ingredients, we are going to add later, fluffy and soggy or burn them at the bottom of the pan.
2. Add the main ingredient and cover the pan with lid tightly so that no steam can remain intact in the pan. Cook the mixture in a pan or pot covered with a lid for 15 minutes at a low simmering temperature.
3. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and stir the mixture once to allow the heat to uniformly distribute throughout the mixture and prevent the burning at the bottom of the pan.
4. After another 2 minutes, turn off the stove and let the mixture stand in the pan for 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the cooking of any remaining particle in the pan.
5. At last, take out the cooked mixture from the pan to the plates or dishes you have already decorated and serve this delicious and easy cooking dish.

How should you cook rice-a-roni® in the microwave?

To cook rice-a-roni® in the microwave, you should follow the instructions mentioned on the product packaging box (4):

Pour the rice-a-roni ingredients from the packaging into a microwavable dish. Add water to the level that all the ingredients are dipped in water (or according to instructions printed in the product packaging) and stir the mixture. 

Cook using 600 to 1000 Watts according to the instructions for each specific product, pausing in the half time to stir the dish. Turn off the microwave and let it stand for 2 minutes.

The lower the wattage of the microwave, the longer the cook time will be for the product.

How should you cook rice-a-roni® in a rice cooker?

To cook the rice-a-roni® in a rice cooker you should follow the instructions provided by the rice cooker manufacturer. Each rice cooker model works differently and has different cooking programmes with different cooking temperatures and cooking times (1). 

As a suggestion, follow the steps:

1. Add the main ingredient and seasonings in the rice cooker.
2. Stir the mixture and make an even level uniformly spreading the mixture with a spatula or spoon.
3. Add water in the rice cooker to the level that all the ingredients are totally dipped into it or an inch above the ingredients.
4. Turn on the power to the rice cooker and set it for white rice. Wait until the beep is heard and take out the cooked rice-and-roni into the plates or dishes to serve.

Conclusion:

In this brief guide, we answered the question “can you cook rice a roni in a rice cooker” with an in-depth analysis of the benefits associated with cooking this dish in a rice cooker. Moreover, we discussed the preference of this method over others due to its applications in terms of the easiest and quickest method used for cooking rice. 

Citations:

1. Cang, Voltaire. Rice Cooking in Japan. The Development of the Rice Cooker and the Vagaries of Rice Consumption in Japan. e-Phaïstos. J history technol, 2022, X-1.  
2. Can I make Rice-A-Roni® in a rice cooker or steamer? FAQ form Rice-a-roni.com
3. Lhaden, Jigme, et al. Household Energy Use–Clean and Energy Efficient Cooking Solution–a case study of Chhukha Dzongkhag. Int J Scient Res, 2019, 2, 291-297.
4. There is a range of cooking time in the microwave directions. FAQ form Rice-a-roni.com