A dream item where you can cook rice in the microwave. That is the "microwave oven cooker" rice cooked "" sold at the 100-yen shop Daiso.


If you buy a rice cooker, it costs 5,000 yen even if it is cheap. Moreover, it is a good place to block. However, if you buy a "microwave oven" rice cooker ", you can buy it for 108 yen and it doesn't take up much space. Is it okay to have such a dream-like product?



■ Can you forgive the rice "al dente"?

However, there are two weaknesses in this "microwave oven cooker" rice cooker "" when you actually use it.

The first is that it takes a lot of time. To cook rice, first soak the rice in water for at least 30 minutes. Then put it in the microwave and heat it for 17 minutes. During that time, the microwave cannot be used for other cooking . 17 minutes is long! In addition, it should be staggered for about 10 minutes after heating is complete. In other words, it takes a total of 57 minutes to cook rice with the “microwave oven“ rice cooker ””.


Even when cooking rice with a rice cooker, it is the same that you have to soak it in water for about 30 minutes. However, even if you skip the process, the rice cooker will cook the rice properly. However, this 30 minutes is indispensable for the "microwave oven" rice cooker "".

Besides, microwave ovens are used when you say "I'm hungry! I want to eat something soon!". But 57 minutes ... Then, the rice cooker "white rice quick-cooking 20-minute course" can cook much faster.

The second weakness. That is, the rice cooked for 57 minutes is "al dente" . Yes, there is a core left in the rice. Even though it's been soaked in water for 30 minutes ... Japanese people can forgive pasta al dente, but not the core of rice. This is intolerable.


Then, what should I do to cook delicious rice with the "microwave oven" rice cooker "? Here are two tips.

■ Tips for cooking delicious rice # 1: I tried soaking the rice in water from the morning to beat it at dinner.

To solve the al dente problem, I cut the rice for dinner from the morning and soaked it in water for a long time (the rice soaked in water was put in the refrigerator).


That's all, but this eliminates the first drawback of the "microwave oven" rice cooker "", "it takes a lot of time to cook rice". 30 minutes before cooking rice This is because it doesn't need to be soaked in water. No, it's not unnecessary, but somehow it makes me feel like I don't need it anymore.

After returning from work, take out the rice that was in the refrigerator in the morning and put it in the microwave. You just have to change clothes, take a shower, and so on during the 17 minutes of heating. By the time it's finished, the rice is cooked, and if it's delicious, you'll feel like you've got it.

And with the rice cooked in this way, the second drawback, "rice is al dente," was also eliminated. I was worried that the rice would be sticky because it was soaked for a long time, but it wasn't absorbing too much water, probably because it was chilled in the refrigerator. Even if you compare the rice cooked in the rice cooker with the rice cooked in the "microwave oven" Rice Ichigo-cook "", it seems that not many people can tell the difference.


For those who are worried about the core problem of rice cooked in the "microwave oven" rice cooker "", we recommend immersing the rice in water from the morning!

■ Tips for cooking delicious rice # 2: Add sake and cook

It has long been said that if the rice has a core left, you can add sake and re-cook it. This is because sake has the function of making the ingredients plump. Then, why not incorporate this into rice cooking with the "microwave oven" rice cooker "?

Add rice and water to the "microwave oven" Rice Ichigo-cook "" and add cooking liquor. After that, cook the rice according to the instructions in the instruction manual.


The rice cooked in this way also has no core and is deliciously finished. The smell of alcohol filled the room because I put too much alcohol in it, but it can be solved by adjusting the amount of alcohol. This is recommended for those who are not energetic to sharpen rice from the morning.

However, in order to cook delicious rice, you need some delicious sake. That said, if you use too much alcohol, you may end up saying, "It was cheaper to buy a rice cooker." You may need a sense of balance around that.

■ Who should buy the "microwave oven" rice cooker ""?

Many microwave oven cookware are sold at the 100-yen shop. Among them, the product of boiling pasta in the microwave is a big hit. You can boil the pasta with a little water and you don't have to clean the pot. It is also a point that you can boil somen noodles and cold wheat. This is a product that can be used in any home.

My favorite is to make ramen in a bag with a microwave oven, "I don't need a ramen bowl with a microwave oven ." This is a product that can be used as a bowl while being a cooking utensil. After all washing is reduced and it is convenient. This is a product for college students living alone.


And, the "microwave oven cooker" rice cooker "" introduced this time. This is an excellent product that can cook rice without an expensive rice cooker. I found that it could be solved.

But is it a necessity in every home? That doesn't seem to be the case. The number of people who should buy this product is likely to be limited.

For example, those who have a small kitchen and cannot use both a rice cooker and a microwave. Those who are assigned to work alone but have a short assignment period and think that it is a waste to buy a rice cooker just for that period. And those who want to eat rice at overseas travel destinations. For such people, the "microwave oven" rice cooker "" is useful. Especially recommended for overseas travel. There are many hotels with microwave ovens overseas. It is lightweight. It is also a point when traveling abroad that you will not regret it even if it is stolen.

The price is, of course, 108 yen.