Chef Reviews Kitchen Gadgets and Tech!

Who’s ready for more KITCHEN GADGETS?! Our chef Ben reviews kitchen gadgets and tech and gives his honest opinions!

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[Embarblaze]

They say they don’t need a rice cooker but tell me how many times have they screwed up rice during a battle or a pass it on?

[KidTheFail]

As someone who is damn good at cooking rice on a stove, my rice cooker is honestly the best thing I've ever bought. I have rice at least five times a week, in different forms, and I also bake all the bread the family eats. And if I had to choose between my rice cooker and my Ankersrum kitchen assistant, I would choose my rice cooker every single time.

[Vyhox]

As a Korean, the idea of NOT having a rice cooker is so strange to me

[dicenandy]

There needs to be an episode with an expert where they try out all the different things you can do/make with a proper rice cooker.

Seriously, I've made many different stews and soups, pastas, plain porridge, fish porridge, different forms of rice like tomato rice, briyani, nasi kerabu, & nasi lemak; stir fry, ramen, Japanese curry, Indian curry, Thai curry, tom yam, steamed bread and dumplings, the list goes on and on.

We need them to understand the magic and majesty that is the rice cooker!!!

[rtk-yt]

I have that exact rice cooker & it is only mushy when you leave it on the hot setting for ages. If you stir the rice as soon as the cook time finishes & then leave it on hot hold for 5-10 mins the rice doesn't turn to mush because you're releasing the trapped steam from the cooking time. It's much better than pot cooked rice or microwaved rice (especially when microwaved rice usually tastes a bit plastic IMO.

[alexmachan]

Remember back when they had Uncle Roger and Elizabeth Haigh, the Michelin star chef, in the studio and they both said that the rice cooker was one of the most important pieces of cooking equipment you could have in the kitchen? Ben sure has changed his tune since then.

[jasminekusumawardani]

Maybe because I'm Asian, but I looove my rice cooker. You can cook literally anything in it! Ramen? Yep. Stir fry? Sure. Bread? Of course! Steamed brownies? HELL YES. It is *the* best cooking gadget ever. And in Indonesia (where I am), a mini rice cooker cost Rp150.000 (~$10) lol

[darlouthia]

I’d love to see each team member share the gadget they actually use regularly. GADGET not classic kitchen tool like a knife or pan.

[nolansykinsley]

The 2:1 ratio is for dry rice, when you rinse it the rice retains some water. The rice cooker automatically adjusts and can sense when the water runs out, so by adding more water you just extend the cook time. When you rinse the rice reduce the added water by something like 1/4-1/3 cup and the rice will come out more evenly cooked with no soggy bottom.

[sarahw]

My parents had a hot water tap installed over their kitchen sink (it has its own unobtrusive faucet) just pre-lockdown. I fell in love with it when I last visited and have been trying to justify the pricing/difficulty of installing my own.

This hot/cold water dispenser includes a filter and is still less expensive than installing the tap. The only problem is the space it takes up...

[haloglitcherz]

The reason your rice was overcooked was because you let it sit under the Warm setting for 17 minutes. If you had pulled it when the cooking was done it would've been perfect.

[alisgray]

Love that Baz cherishes his Nan like that.

[theotherVLF]

I've always had a nice little 2 person rice cooker at home. It's from Japan, has a delay timer, and keeps rice hot remarkably well. I can come home to fresh made rice already done.

[xcorpionxting]

As a Middle Eastern living in Malaysia, I was on Ebbers' team thinking that rice cookers are just an extra gadget doing something you can do on the hob. It's now an essential with rice being perfect after setting and forgetting, plus a large portion of rice prepared at lunch will stay warm and in perfect condition for a second go at dinner. If your rice was wet, you simply added too much water (Basmati for me needs 1.5 water to rice ratio). Every cooker may be different, so it just needs a couple of tries to find the perfect ratio of water to rice and then you are set. Literally cant live without it now.

[hevytimes]

WOO! I adore these gadget reviews! So many have been brought to my attention to keep me in the kitchen with my MS. So, genuinely, thank you. Any time you mention dexterity issues, I perk right up.

[VixeyTeh]

The water filter kettle is probably a lot more worth it if you live in a place that needs to filter water.
Also if you are a tea drinker.
Or as Barry said, if you have some mobility issues.
I think having complete control over the temperature is also a really cool feature. Seems to work very fast too.
Looks like a good kettle upgrade if you need to replace your kettle. These days a nice steel kettle is pretty pricey to begin with too.

[albedopoint]

Those mini rice cookers are great for travelling. They’ll heat stuff like soups and small ready meals if you’re in a hotel room… they’ll even boil a cup of water at a push. Really useful gadget.

[karolm]

As a person that eats rice practically everyday, even the most basic rice cooker is a must. The only time I might cook rice on a stove is 1. if my rice cooker is not around, 2. there’s no electricity, 3. I’m feeling fancy and/or I have special rice, then I use a stovetop rice cooker. I’m also traditional so I always wash my rice a couple of times at least 😂 The water from the second wash can be used for cooking.

[이거아니지]

Its super interesting to know what their feels about rice cooker from brits persepective. I mean, how they said they afraid its only gonna eat their kitchen space lit blew my mind. Bcs i personally cannot live without my ricecooker😂 and i thought everyone feels the same😂😂

[sarkzar]

I'm from the US and my family always made rice on the stove growing up... A rice cooker is the only way I make rice now. I only make it about once or twice a week, but I refuse to do plain rice any other way. It's a 1 button appliance that completely takes care of half my meal while I cook the protein or veg. (though mine only takes 20 minutes not 30)