I found the ratio of rice and water to be the main issue - and the rice cooker didn't fix that. I stumbled upon a recipe with a different approach that I use now.
Take plenty of water and get it to a boil. Add any amount of rice to the boiling water, and let it boil for 8 minutes. Then drain the water, remove the pot from the stove and put the lid on for a few minutes. Reduces the need for measuring quantities.
I always use a ratio of water to rice (by weight) of 4 to 1 (e.g. 500 g of water for 125 g of rice).
I cook the rice in a microwave oven in a covered glass vessel (preventing the escape of water) and it is very good with this ratio.
For most other cereals that are either coarsely ground or whole grains, e.g. cornflour, semolina or wheat grains, the same 4 to 1 by weight ratio works fine when boiled in a closed vessel.
Most other kinds of starchy seeds absorb less water when boiled, so the ratio must be lower.
I assume that a dedicated rice cooker is useful only for those with numerous family members, who might want to cook large quantities of rice at the same time.
For smaller quantities, e.g. suitable for a couple of people, a microwave oven is very fast and reproducible, so there is no need for dedicated equipment.
It is controllable, but for rice and other cereals I use the maximum of 1000 W. Small powers are needed for things like meat or eggs, but very seldom for vegetables.
The time depends on the quantity. For around 125 g of rice + 500 g of water, the time is between 12 and 15 minutes.
An advantage of using a microwave oven is that no stirring is needed during cooking, unlike when boiling rice or other cereals on a traditional stove.
> Small powers are needed for things like meat or eggs, but very seldom for vegetables.
I understand why you would use low power for eggs, but meat? I always applied power in proportion to the product's water content, as it has high specific heat and absorbs microwaves readily. Meat is largely water so high power it is.
This may depend on the kind of meat. I cook mostly turkey, chicken or fish.
At high powers over 500 W my meat would explode.
Moreover, when cooking meat at a lower power for a longer time (e.g. up to between 20 and 30 minutes), the cooked meat is much more tender than when cooked faster.
If I boiled the meat, then maximum power could be used. However I do not boil it, but I roast it in the microwave oven in a covered glass vessel, with nothing added, except salt and condiments. Thus it is much more tasty than boiled.
Works great indeed. Another useful trick is to use a microwave. Simply put rice and the water in an open container in the microwave. Let it go at full blast for 14-15 minutes. Keep going until the water is gone. Let it sit for a few minutes and done. You get perfectly fluffy rice every time. Works great for small portions and it won't boil over.
I learned about this trick only a few years ago and when I tried it, I basically got a perfect result. Which was not what I was expecting.
Take plenty of water and get it to a boil. Add any amount of rice to the boiling water, and let it boil for 8 minutes. Then drain the water, remove the pot from the stove and put the lid on for a few minutes. Reduces the need for measuring quantities.