biig wrote on 11 Jul 2006 in rec.food.cooking

>
> I have a Black and Decker steamer/rice cooker, but the instructions
> don't say whether to start with cold water or hot.....anyone know????
> tia.....Sharon
>

I to have a black and decker rice cooker (the Rice Cooker Plus
model)...It doesn't really matter which temp you use. I think room temp
or directly from the cold tap would work well. A bigger worry is the no
stick lining...It is rather soft so NO metal tools please, or it will
scratch up quickly. But mine isn't a steamer as per say, just cooks rice.
It kinda looks like a smallish (say 2-3 qt at a guess) round crock pot if
you squint. I think it will take about 4 cups raw rice...But I've never
cooked more than 2 cups of raw rice in it. Never needed to.

My kenmore electric veggie steamer doesn't care about water temp either
but I imagine it would take less time get to temp. with hot water. But I
just use water from the cold tap.

Rule of thumb: Hot water from the hot water tap is usually frowned upon
in cooking as it can have more impurities in it (sludge from the hot
water heater).

I used to put in 1 cup rice, a 10 oz can of cream of chicken soup
(cupboard temp.) and 6 oz of water (from the cold tap)...pluse some
sliced mushrooms and or onion and maybe some chicken thighs. Stir well
and flip the switch...a one pot meal in about 17 minutes. But these days
I'm low carbibg it and have given up rice.

Puting a crushed bullion cube in the cooking water works nicely to
flavour the rice as well.

When I say from the cold tap I mean turn the tap on and then fill the
measuring cup...no waiting for colder water...

--
-Alan