Reddit reviews Aroma Housewares 6-Cup (Cooked) Pot-Style Rice Cooker and Food Steamer, Black ARC-743-1NGB

I don't think anyone's said this yet, but when you have a chance, I'd spring for a slow cooker. Someone also mentioned a rice cooker. If you have these two things, you can make endless meals. You can cook any kind of meat (I think, I've yet to encounter one I can't) by pretty much covering it in a liquid/sauce and leaving it there on low for 6-8 hours. A lot of recipes involve putting in a meat or legume, throwing a few cans of things in, and you get out some sort of chili. The meat's always done. Also, you can make cheaper cuts of meat taste better.

And the rice cooker, as someone said, is completely idiotproof. I like the 6-cup Aroma rice cookers, and they double as fresh veggie steamers. All you do is throw rice and water in the pot and it does the rest. Add a tiny bit of oil if you have problems with the rice sticking.

If you cook rice even once per month, do yourself a favor and buy a rice cooker. It's what all the asians use, trust me. All you have to do is combine rice and water in the right ratio (read the pot's instructions) and push the "cook" switch. It automatically switches off when the rice is ready, and keeps it warm for hours later if that's what you need without overcooking.

Protip: add a pinch of salt and a pat of butter before cooking to improve your rice. Washing your rice and adding a dollop of vegetable oil will also help keep it from getting overly sticky, if you don't like it that way

I want this rice cooker because I suck at cooking rice and pretty much burn it or make it goopy every time unless I bought an over priced bag of 60 second microwave rice. I don't need it because I should really learn as an adult how the fuck to make rice.╰༼◉Д◕༽〜┣▇▇▇═──

Random fact: I have a dent in my forehead. Or more technically...ya know, my skull. When I was little I always watched my sister stand on the toilet seat to reach into the bathroom cupboard, and so one day when my Mom had people over, I did what I saw..the toilet lid slipped to the side and little me fell and hit my head on the tub and got knocked unconscious. Cue my sister running to my Mom and her finding me in a pool of blood. ..good times, good times.

I don't really have any suggestions as to the brand. I used a $10 rice cooker that I bought at Walgreens for years-it always worked just fine. I moved cross country and bought this one--it comes with a little tray to steam veggies which is cool. If I had more money to spend, I'd go for one with a stainless steel inside, but those get kind of pricey.

One suggestion I have is to not bother washing it right away. Rice gets stuck to it and it's much easier to clean if you soak it overnight first. Especially if you get one with non-stick coating, which becomes carcinogenic if you scratch it.

If you are in college, the mechanisms by which you cook matter as well. Make sure you have a rice cooker and preferably an electric wok

Also, finding the best places and times to shop. Some stuff is cheaper to buy in bulk. Some goes on sale once a week. Farmers market, amazon, etc.

Plus the cookers are really cheap and you don't have to just cook rice \^_\^

I have an Instant Pot and a $100 fancy rice cooker but I still use the cheap, small $16 one I got off Amazon the most - https://www.amazon.com/Aroma-Housewares-UNCOOKED-Steamer-ARC-743-1NGB/dp/B004O83YVQ/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1466108785&sr=1-7&keywords=rice+cooker