The rice cooker makes cooking rice so easy. It is one of the appliances to have around if you cook rice occasionally.
Besides cooking rice faster and conveniently, the rice cooker boasts other benefits. It is designed to stop when the rice finish cooking and boasts other features.
Just add water and ingredients to the rice and start cooking. You can cook rice in this appliance while doing other chores in the kitchen.
So, it is a handy kitchenware. But then, can you leave the house with a rice cooker on? We will address this question shortly and shed more light on the rice cooker. So, read on for more details.
Is It Safe To Leave The House With The Rice Cooker On?
No, it is not safe. So, please, don’t leave the house with the rice cooker on. Avoid taking such a huge risk that can prove costly.
The rice cooker was designed to make cooking rice hassle-free. This means you can simultaneously cook rice while doing other chores in the kitchen.
The modern rice cooker also comes with a range of features that makes leaving the house with the appliance on a tempting move. For example, the latest rice cookers now have the “keep warm” feature.
The keep-warm feature stores the rice at optimal temperature for hours. But this feature isn’t enough to convince anyone to leave their homes with the rice cooker on.
For the record, you might waste more time outdoors than anticipated when you step out of the house. There’s also a possibility of an emergency that may cause you to stay outdoors longer. You can’t predict these things.
So, turning off your rice cooker before stepping out of your house is best. Don’t take a risk that will cost you dearly.
Can I Leave My Rice Cooker Unattended?
It depends on how long you want to leave the rice in the cooker while the appliance is on. If you plan to leave the rice cooker unattended, note that you can only leave it on the keep-warm feature for 11 to 12 hours.
But don’t leave the rice cooker on for more than 11 to 12 hours without attending to it. It is a huge risk you shouldn’t that you shouldn’t even consider.
How the rice cooker operates is automatic. It can switch off when it has finished cooking or activate the “keep warm.” But keep in mind that leaving this appliance unattended for an extended period is a risk that’s not worth taking.
Can You Leave a Rice Cooker on Warm Overnight?
It would depend on how long you want to keep the rice cooker on. Note that the appliance should only remain on “keep warm” for a maximum of 12 hours. And the lesser you leave it on, the better.
However, leaving your rice cooker on warm mode overnight isn’t a wise decision. There’s a chance that it can overcook your rice. Even the bottom part can become super dry.
So, turn off your rice cooker before going to bed. There’s no point in keeping it on throughout the night.
Dangers Of Leaving Your Rice Cooker Unattended
The dangers of leaving a rice cooker unattended are real. There have been reports of fire outbreaks from rice cooker left unattended. And these aren’t some made-up stories.
So, there could be consequences when you leave your rice cooker unattended for many hours. Check them out below.
1: Change in quality of the taste:
Even if you have a good appetite, you won’t fancy consuming tasteless rice. Surprisingly, this is what a rice cooker left unattended can cause.
Most persons have complained that their rice cookers dried up rice left in warm settings. Others claimed their rice didn’t experience a change in taste when left in the rice cooker for an extended period.
Why is this so? Well, the quality of your rice cooker would decide how long it would hold the rice’s taste and texture when left in the warm setting for long hours.
While high-end rice cookers can ensure that your rice retains its taste and texture for many hours, cheap ones or budget rice cookers can only do so for 4 hours or less.
So, if you want your rice’s texture and taste to remain the same for hours or even days in warm mode, splash the cash on high-end rice cookers. The cheaper ones cannot offer this.
A Handy Tip: The best thing to do is observe your rice cooker. Try to find out how long it can retain your rice’s texture and taste in warm mode, as this will help you decide whether to finish up your rice on time or confidently leave it in the cooker for hours.
2: Possibility of fire hazard:
Every electronic appliance, especially those that functions with electric power supply, can cause a fire hazard. And the rice cooker is not an exception.
Failure to use the rice cooker appropriately can pose a fire hazard risk. The rice cooker can also pose dangers that could be beyond your control.
However, you can follow appropriate safety measures to prevent fire hazards when using a rice cooker.
Let’s discuss the steps you can take.
- Always endeavor to unplug your rice cooker before you start cleaning it. Don’t clean a rice cooker plugged into the electricity supply, even though you have turned the wall socket off. Remove the plug in the wall socket altogether.
- Don’t make the mistake of leaving your rice cooker unattended. Similarly, don’t leave your rice cooker on overnight or step out of the house.
- Cookers generate heat when in use. So avoid putting your rice cooker next to anything that could melt, or get spoilt because of the heat.
- Avoid overfilling your rice cooker with food or water. It is a risk that’s not worth taking.
- Turn the rice cooker off when not in use. You can turn it off from the appliance and on the wall socket to be on the safe side.
- When you insert the cooker’s plug into the wall socket, ensure it is tight enough. Not properly fixing the plug can cause leakage of electricity, which can damage the appliance or start a fire.
3: Possible health risks:
Has your rice been in the cooker for over 24 hours? If yes, then it is unsafe to eat. Rice left in the cooker for a day or 24 hours should be discarded.
However, the FDA recommended that when warm and the temperature kept above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, pathogens will find it hard to grow in foods. So, you can keep your rice in warm mode for hours.
Do Rice Cookers Automatically Shut Off?
The simple answer is yes, which is why rice cooked in a rice cooker doesn’t get burnt easily.
The rice cooker is designed to shut itself off automatically once it senses the rice has been cooked.
But keep in mind that some cookers might not shut off when the rice finishes cooking. Instead of shutting down, these latest rice cookers can switch to “keep warm” mode. The machine will ensure the rice remains warm for hours in this mode.
How Long Can You Leave a Rice Cooker on Warm?
It is possible to leave rice in the rice cooker in the “keep warm” mode for 12 hours. But ensure the rice doesn’t stay more than 12 hours in the machine. And remember, the shorter the time, the better.
However, putting leftover rice in the freezer is better than leaving it in the rice cooker. Remember that rice left in the rice cooker past 12 hours may become dry and lose taste.
Is a Rice Cooker a Fire Hazard?
There have been reports of rice cookers causing fire outbreaks. But how do these fires happen? There’s a chance that the users were careless or didn’t read the instruction manual thoroughly to understand how to use the machine appropriately.
Cleaning the rice cooker is essential too. You might prevent the appliance from catching fire or spoiling the taste of your food when you clean it properly.
Again, note that rice cookers don’t pose any fire hazard risk than the other electric appliances you have in the kitchen. So there’s no need to panic when using this appliance.
A Handy Tip: If the cooker’s pressure release mechanism becomes faulty, the rice cooker may overheat and start a fire.
Conclusion
So, can you leave the house with the rice cooker on? Please, don’t. It is too big a risk. It is not advisable to leave your rice cooker unattended too.
The Rice cooker can be left on warm mode for 12 hours. But that is not to say leaving the appliance in warm mode throughout the night is advisable.
The rice cooker may be able to keep your rice warm throughout the night. But note that keeping an electrical appliance on throughout the night isn’t safe. It is better to turn off your cooker before going to bed.
