It’s crucial in meal prep and a staple in every Japanese household
“Gohan dayo!” my mom yelled from inside the kitchen.
I bustled out of my room and began helping set up the table. Grabbing the rice paddle out of the drawer, I opened the rice cooker. The fresh steam escaped the pot, and left a warm and slightly sweet aroma lingering in the air– ah.
I gently fluffed the rice, and portioned them out into small porcelain bowls. The grains were both perfectly moist and sticky, yet not too soft– the al dente equivalent of rice. There is no better accompaniment to Japanese dishes.
Why You Should Invest in a Rice Cooker
Today I can not imagine living in a household without a rice cooker. It is a staple piece of equipment and plays a core part of the way I cook, as important as a chef’s knife or frying pan.
Not that you need a rice cooker to make rice, as it can be made with just a pot and some hot water, but unlike a pot, a rice cooker distills the process down to three easy steps: rinse, add water, and press a button.
This is the best part about a rice cooker, because it requires no attention. It allows me to save stove top space, cutting board space, and most importantly head space– as my rice pressure cooks in a corner, I can focus my energy in cooking other side dishes. When I’m done cooking, my rice is done, and I already have a full meal.
What I have found out about my own cooking habits and psychology around healthy eating is that rarely is it about me not wanting to eat healthily, but rather eating healthily can feel difficult when I’m already juggling 100 other tasks in my mind. After work I’m exhausted and the prospect of trying to make something healthy at home is unattractive; it would be much easier to just order some takeout or buy something packaged on the way home.
Healthy eating is rarely about not wanting to eat healthily, but rather eating healthily can feel difficult when you’re already juggling 100 other tasks.
But cooking for yourself matters, because it’s about being in control of what goes in your own body. Preparing your own foods puts you in touch with what you eat and how it affects your body, in ways that takeout meals can’t.
This insight has shown me the value in investing in anything that makes the process of home cooking more relaxing and enjoyable, rather than time-consuming and stressful, i.e. my prized rice cooker. Because that’s the key to maintaining a healthy diet: enjoying the process and enjoying the foods you put into your body. If you can accomplish these two things with fruits, vegetables, and nourishing proteins and grains, then your health goals– whether that be weight loss, stopping fatigue, feeling energized– naturally fall into place.
Quality Matters– Invest in Perfection
There exist many different rice cookers, some starting at $30 and others over $300. But is the higher price tag worth it? Short answer is yes.
Using a rice cooker is about saving time, so timers and automatic pressure sensors are must-have features, but it’s also about making perfect rice– if the rice you make doesn’t turn out great, then your meals don’t bring you joy, and you lose the inspiration to cook at home. So if you want to develop sustainable healthy eating habits, it’s worth investing in something you’ll want to use again and again.
If you want to develop sustainable healthy eating habits, it’s worth investing in something you’ll want to use again and again.
My rice cooker has paid for itself 100-fold, simply by the fact that it’s well-made so it has lasted 6+ years and the rice comes out perfectly every time so I want to keep it and take care of it. I would much rather buy one $300 rice cooker that inspires me to cook at home than find myself with a $30 rice cooker I never use and a bunch of takeout meals instead.If you’re going to eat rice often, it’s worth investing in the quality. I promise I’m not sponsored, but if you’re curious the one I use at home is Zojirushi’s Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker & Warmer NP-NVC10/18.
To Eat Healthily, You Need to Love What You Eat and the Process of Making It
The thing with adopting healthy eating habits is that rarely do we dislike healthy foods themselves, but often we find it at odds with our lifestyle. Rarely do we find ourselves with lots of energy to cook after a long day at work, and takeout meals of salad and grain bowls can get boring day after day (not to mention taxing on the wallet).
To eat healthily, you need to love what you eat and the process of making it. This means making your life easier and investing in the tools that make cooking easier, less expensive, and taste that much better in the end.
Instead of 10000 hacks or “clean eating” shortcuts, to eat healthily we should be thinking about investing in the long-term, and the tools which will help us make quality meals and foods. For me, this is my rice cooker.
It helps me with my meal prep, clears head space so I can focus my attention on other parts of a meal, and keeps me consistent in my home cooking habits. While I can’t recommend a rice cooker if you don’t eat rice, if you do, there’s a good reason why it’s a staple in almost every Japanese household– there’s really no better accompaniment than perfect steamed rice.
If you enjoyed this piece please let me know at kokumura@kakikata.space! I would be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you in your own health journey 😊
Best regards,
Kaki
