Rice can be a delicious meal, especially if you’re an adept cook. It also goes with a range of dishes. It’s versatile even on its own; there’s a variety of meals you can achieve with rice.
As such, you may find yourself cooking rice pretty often. A rice cooker certainly makes it easier to prepare this dish, but there’s a downside. Rice sometimes sticks to the inner pot, and this can make it difficult to clean it. It can also be time-consuming.
Of course, there’s always the option of putting the rice cooker in the dishwasher. However, is it safe? In this article, we’re going to answer that question. If you also want to know if you can put your rice cooker in the fridge or even the oven, then please, dive right in!
Are Rice Cookers Dishwasher Safe?
This is a valid question, considering how difficult it can be to wash a rice cooker that has rice stuck in it. Thankfully, we can detach the pot from the cooker itself.
As such, a dishwasher can take on the job for you. It’ll also wash the pot much faster and even more effectively than you can imagine.
However, you need to check if a dishwasher can clean your rice cooker. You’ll find out from the instructions if it’s dishwasher safe.
You need to prepare the pot adequately before putting it in the dishwasher. For instance, you may burn a batch of rice, thereby causing it to stick to the pot. If that’s the case, then you’ll need to soak it in water for a while before putting it in the dishwasher.
As for the outer part, you have to clean it yourself. It’s too big to fit into a dishwasher. Additionally, some parts of the rice cooker shouldn’t come in contact with water, so you’ll have to use a washcloth and soapy water to wipe off the dirt yourself.
Various Parts of a Rice Cooker
A rice cooker is an appliance that simplifies rice cooking. Everything you need to make a delicious dish is in place; you simply need to add some water to the pot and put your rice in it. In addition, there are measurement indications on the body of the rice cooker that make measurement easier.
Now, knowing the different parts of a rice cooker helps you understand how it functions. It also makes it easier to determine the faulty component if your rice cooker suddenly starts acting up. That way, you don’t necessarily have to take it to a hardware repair store; you can simply replace the faulty parts or have them repaired.
The Body
The body is the part that holds all the components of the rice cooker. It contains sophisticated-looking features that are pretty easy to operate. It’s where you place the inner bowl that cooks your rice.
The Inner Pot
This is where you place your rice and water. It’s like a conventional pot, except that you can only use this with a rice cooker. It’s also aluminum like most pots, and some even have a non-stick quality because they have a layer of Teflon on them.
However, Teflon can release dangerous chemicals into your food if it’s scratched or overheated. As such, if you won’t be cautious about scratching or overheating the pot in your rice cooker, then it’s best to buy one that doesn’t have a Teflon non-stick feature.
Thermostat
The thermostat is responsible for regulating the temperature in the rice cooker. It ensures that it’s not too high to burn your rice and also ensures that it’s not too low to prevent it from cooking.
Control Panel
A rice cooker makes cooking rice much easier because you don’t need to check on your food constantly. Instead, you can just set a timer that goes off once your rice is cooked. Then, you operate that timer through the control panel.
The control panel is also where you turn on and off your rice cooker and determine the type of rice you want to cook.
The Heater
Your rice cooker will be incomplete without the heater. The heat that cooks the rice comes from here, and the heater sits directly on the inside of the cooker’s body. You need to place the inner bowl on it to cook your rice.
Is the Inner Pot of a Rice Cooker Dishwasher Safe?
The inner bowl of your rice cooker can have a non-stick feature. However, that means it’s made from Teflon; that’s the material that gives it its non-stick quality.
Rice is pretty starchy, which means that there are high chances of your food sticking to the pot. As such, a non-stick rice cooker will certainly come in handy.
However, Teflon also has some downsides. For instance, scratching or overheating it can elicit the release of dangerous chemicals into your food. As a result, you can get food poisoning from it.
So, you need to take care not to overheat your inner bowl or scratch it while cleaning it. It has a layer of a non-stick feature, so the chances of scoring the pot while scraping burnt rice off it are almost nonexistent because you’ll not need to exert much force to take out the rice.
However, using a metallic spoon to serve your food can attract the scratches you’re trying to avoid if you aren’t cautious enough.
You can also regulate the temperature of the rice cooker and set a cooking timer. Therefore, you have little chance of overheating your pot.
However, it still happens. So, if you’re one of the people who don’t like to take chances, it’s best to simply buy a rice cooker that doesn’t have a non-stick feature.
Now, when you want to wash the inner pot of your rice cooker, if it doesn’t have a non-stick quality, you may find it challenging to wash out the rice, especially if some of it has gotten stuck to the body of the pot.
You can choose to put some water in it; it should be relatively easier to wash the pot after a few minutes.
Alternatively, you may leave this chore to your dishwasher. So, yes. If you’re wondering if you can put the inner part of the pot in a dishwasher, you can. However, some pots are made from materials that dishwasher chemicals can damage.
As such, it’s best to check your rice cooker’s manual to find out if yours is suitable for a dishwasher. Of course, only the inner bowl can go in a dishwasher. You’ll have to clean the outer part yourself, and some soapy water and a washcloth will do.
Can You Put the Rice Cooker in the Fridge?
If you have a batch of leftover rice, you can make so many dishes from it. As such, you shouldn’t throw it away. Instead, you can put it in your fridge.
Now, you may consider leaving it in the inner bowl and placing it directly in the fridge. Well, there’s no problem with that. It’s made from aluminum and is perfectly fridge-worthy.
However, it’ll be taking up a substantial amount of space in your fridge. Furthermore, it’s leftover rice, which means it’s probably in a small quantity. So, it’s best to resort to other packaging methods instead.
For instance, you can put the leftover rice in Tupperware or any smaller container that’s safe for the fridge. That way, you’re freeing up space in your fridge. Your rice cooker will also be washed and available for the next time you use it.
Since it’s safe to put the rice cooker in the fridge, then you may seriously consider it, especially if you’re out of Tupperware or storage containers.
Well, you can do that, but note that when you bring the inner bowl out of the fridge, there will be condensation on it. So, at this point, you’ll have to wait until the condensation dries off before putting the inner bowl back in the body of the rice cooker.
You can use the rice cooker to heat the rice when you bring it out of the fridge. Since you can regulate the temperature, you can control how much heat it needs to get warm enough. You’ll also use a shorter period to heat the rice.
Can Dishwasher Wash Pressure Cooker?
Dishwashers make doing the dishes much more effortless. They save time and energy too. These days, manufacturers design dishwashers to accommodate various cooking tools, items, and plates.
However, there are some cooking items you should never put in a dishwasher. For example, while you can put some parts of a pressure cooker in the dishwasher, you should never put the lid in it.
The lid has several valves that facilitate the pressure that cooks your food. First, air and moisture have to be able to escape and stay trapped accordingly. Now, putting the lid in a dishwasher can forcefully lodge food particles in the valves because of the strong motions the dishwasher elicits while cleaning your dishes.
Of course, these particles of food come from dishes you’ve washed earlier. If the motion of the dishwasher lodges the particles in the lid of your pressure cooker, then it can be a recipe for disaster.
If the cover doesn’t let out enough steam when you’re cooking, it can lead to an implosion. It is hazardous, especially if there’s anyone in sight when it happens.
Dishwashers also use harsh chemicals that can damage the silicone and rubber seals on the lid of your pressure cooker. If that happens, the pressure cooker will become useless unless you find a replacement for them.
Now, another part you should never use a dishwasher to clean is the pressure cooker’s base. It’s where we can find all the controls. It’s also where the heating pad and microprocessor are.
Placing it in the dishwasher can damage it because of all the tumbling motions. Aside from that, the base of the pressure cooker should never come in contact with water. Ensure that it always stays dry.
Of course, it’ll need the occasional cleaning. You can do it by getting wetting a soft cloth with just enough water and wiping the body carefully. If you have particles lodged in the edges, you can use a toothbrush to wipe them out gently.
The other parts of the pressure cooker can safely go into your dishwasher.
Conclusion
Doing the dishes can be pretty energy-draining and time-consuming, especially if you have a large family. That’s why dishwashers exist! They take this chore off your hands and free up time for other activities.
While dishwashers can wash an array of dishes and cooking tools and utensils, there are some parts that you should never put in it. We’ve explored the components that are dishwasher safe and those you should clean by hand. So, please read up and make informed choices.
