Editor's note: I remember that sensei's write-up was originally a polite reply to a write-up advising the use of rice cookers. The original write-up seems to be long-gone and the first part of sensei's write-up is now somewhat non-sequitur.
Rice cookers are indeed wonderful, especially if you are making large quantities. Most of them also have "keep warm" settings that will keep the rice at a good temperature for four or six hours. This can be very convenient if you have a household of people with different schedules who want to eat at different times.
However, if you want to develop a nice crispy crust on the bottom of the pot to make Fan Nung: Sizzling Rice, it is best to use a pot and a stove. Or simply scrape it up and salt it or roll it in gomasio and have it with saké or biru (beer).
Whether for a rice cooker or a stove-top, the most sucessful proportions are 1 1/4 cups of water to 1 cup of rice.
Sushi rice is moistened by slowly adding su (rice vinegar) to cooked rice and fanning it, so please don't use too much water.
You lifted the lid! You lifted the lid! Ack! Ack!
Seriously, even if you know
How To Cook Rice, bad things happen. Some very very bad things. Ruining rice might not be anywhere near the worst of these very bad things but it can still make you unhappy.
I want you to be happy so here are a few things that might work.
Problem: The rice is still very chewy or hard in the middle after the allotted time.
Solution: Add just enough water to create a little steam, 1/4 cup or less. Put the lid on and cook the rice on very low heat for another 5 minutes.
Problem: The rice is cooked but too wet.
Solution: Uncover the pot and cook over low heat to evaporate the water. Or gently turn the rice out onto a baking sheet and dry it in a low oven.
Problem: The grains are split and the rice is mushy.
Solution: Use the rice for congee or rice pudding and start over if you have the time. If not, give them congee instead.
Problem: The bottom layer of rice has burned.
Solution: Run cold water over the outside of the pot's bottom to keep the burnt flavour from permeating the rest of the rice (don't add water to the rice itself).Tip out as much rice as you can salvage.