Manda Ruby > wrote:
>
>
> The rice cooker I bought with multiple feature was useless for brown
> rice.

I don't understand this. Rice cookers use a thermostat to
determine when to turn off. Once the liquid water has
disappeared it turns off, done. As long as you use the
correct ratio of water to rice the rice cooker will work just
fine every time for every type of rice of other grain.

I suspect that's the problem you're having - Every rice
cooker I've seen has included water ratios for white rice
but not for brown rice. If it comes out too crunchy from
the rice cooker, increase the water in the water to rice
ratio and try again. Lather, rinse, repeat until it comes
out correct once. At that point you'll know how much
water to add per brown rice and the problem will be
solved permanently.

PS Anyone who has already done the experiment and
wrote it down please post. I did it many years ago and
I have since lost the written ratio. I don't have enough
brown rice these days to redo the experimental sequence.

PPS This should work for other grains. Oatmeal will work
in a rice cooker but having done that once I figured it was
not worth the extra effort. Making barley in it should work
fine once the water ratio is determined by experiment.
Having steamed barley instead of rice is not bad on
occasion.