Rice cookers (also known as rice cookers) are mainly used for cooking rice, but they also bring a lot of extra convenience features. However, there are some low-quality rice cookers on the market, which may release toxic substances during long-term use, and their inner liner materials are of poor quality, which has caused health effects on consumers and even has the risk of causing cancer. This has led some to question whether the rice cooker is just an IQ tax product. So, is the rice cooker an IQ tax? As a professional home appliance evaluator, I will analyze the working principle and characteristics of the rice cooker, and expose the five major cats in the industry to help you fully understand the real situation of the rice cooker.
Below are some of the rice cookers I have used in my review:
1. Is a rice cooker an IQ tax?
Before exploring this question, we need to understand what specific advantages rice cookers have in our daily lives. A high-quality rice cooker not only enhances our cooking experience, but also ensures the health and safety of our food. In addition to this, the rice cooker also has a variety of cooking functions, setting specific cooking times and temperatures according to individual needs, etc. Therefore, high-quality rice cookers are by no means IQ tax, and those rice cookers that are not up to standard are the IQ tax products that we should be wary of.
The main working principle of the rice cooker is to monitor the temperature of the main thermostat and the sensor on the upper lid through a microcomputer chip. When the set operating temperature is reached, the rice cooker automatically activates the built-in hot plate and starts generating heat. In this process, the electric heating plate is in close contact with the inner pot, effectively transferring heat to the inner pot, and then heating the rice and water to make it evenly heated. Below, I will introduce you to the advantages of a multi-functional smart rice cooker.
Advantage 1: Intelligent and convenient cooking methods
The high-quality computer chips and sensors built into the rice cooker make the temperature control more precise. These advanced technologies intelligently adjust the heating intensity and time according to the cooking needs of different ingredients, making the cooking process easier and more efficient.
Advantage 2: Excellent cooking results
To meet people's demand for cooking results, premium rice cookers utilize convection technology to ensure that the heat is evenly distributed and the rice is heated quickly. This design makes the cooking process more convenient, greatly improving the cooking efficiency and the quality of the meal.
Advantage 3: Improved security performance
The smart rice cooker is equipped with an advanced sensor and control system that monitors the temperature and pressure inside the pot in real time, and automatically adjusts the heat and time. These smart features greatly reduce safety risks during operation, providing users with a more secure cooking experience.
Advantage 4: Optimization of environmental performance
Smart rice cookers have significant advantages in terms of energy saving. With efficient heating technology and energy-saving design, it saves energy and reduces environmental impact compared to traditional rice cookers. In addition, the wastewater recycling and reuse function of the smart rice cooker further reduces the burden on the environment.
2. Strictly prevent the four hidden dangers of inferior rice cookers
From the previous discussion, we learned that high-quality rice cookers do have many advantages in daily life. But with the expansion of the market, there are also some inferior quality rice cooker products. Not only are these products manufactured with poor quality and materials, but they can also pose multiple risks during use. Therefore, when choosing a rice cooker, you do need to be wary of these potential dangers. Here are the top four risks you may encounter while using a rice cooker.
Hidden danger 1: uneven cooking, paste bottom
When cooking rice in a rice cooker, if there is a phenomenon of half-cooked or pasted bottom, it is likely to be caused by uneven heating. If the temperature control of an inferior rice cooker is not accurate, it may be difficult to effectively control the heating process, and long-term high-temperature heating will easily cause the bottom of the rice to burn.
Hidden danger 2: The inner tank is not stable
In some rice cookers, the contact between the inner liner and the body of the pot is insufficient, causing the inner liner to shake loose inside the pan. This situation will affect the bottom heating efficiency, which in turn will cause the rice to not heat evenly and affect the cooking effect.
Hidden danger 3: product quality problems
Many low-quality rice cookers have blemishes and scratches, usually for two reasons: insufficient material abrasion resistance or damage during transportation. In addition, the use of second-hand or recycled materials can also lead to this problem, affecting the overall quality and longevity of the product.
Hidden danger 4: unstable performance and short life
The quality and durability of a rice cooker depends on the quality of its internal components and materials, such as the shell, inner tank, heating plate, temperature control device, and microcomputer chip, etc. If the quality control of these parts is not strict, it will not only make the operating performance of the rice cooker unstable, but also accelerate the performance degradation, resulting in a shortened service life and may bring electrical safety hazards.
3. Expose the four major industries of rice cookers
After previous analysis, we have an in-depth understanding of the advantages of high-quality rice cookers and the hidden dangers of low-quality rice cookers. These analyses have helped us understand why some low-quality rice cookers are called IQ tax products. However, the question arises: why do these hidden dangers arise when using rice cookers? In order to explore this problem in depth, I refer to a chart of negative reviews of old rice cooker users compiled by an authoritative organization. The analysis shows that the emission of hazardous substances and poor manufacturing quality are the main reasons for the large number of criticisms. In order to help consumers avoid buying inferior products, below I will introduce the four major cats that exist in the rice cooker industry.
Industry greasy 1: price war leads to a decline in quality
With the popularity of rice cookers, some merchants use inferior raw materials in order to reduce costs, resulting in a decrease in the price of rice cookers but a corresponding decrease in quality. These low-quality materials not only have poor heat and corrosion resistance, but also may produce harmful substances that are not good for health in the long term.
Industry catty 2: Over-reliance on Internet celebrities and celebrity endorsements
In the craze of online celebrity live streaming, many brands choose to promote their products through online celebrities in order to increase their visibility and sales. But this does not guarantee the quality of the product. At the same time, in order to save costs, some businesses have reduced product research and development and material investment.
Industry greasy 3: "0 coating" advertising misleading
Some merchants advertise their rice cookers as having a "0 coating" for promotional purposes. However, these products often use stainless steel liners, which are inexpensive and prone to sticking and bacteria growth.
Industry greasy 4: high power does not equal good products
Many consumers mistakenly believe that the more power the rice cooker, the better, thinking that it will speed up cooking. However, high-power rice cookers not only consume more electricity, but also may accelerate the aging of electric heating elements and increase safety risks.
In the previous discussion, we have fully understood the hidden dangers of inferior rice cookers in the market and the industry is frustrated, and understand the importance of avoiding these low-quality products. However, there are several aspects to consider when choosing a quality rice cooker. Although many brands advertise their products a lot, the actual experience may not be as expected. In order to help consumers make a more informed choice, I referred to the statistics of a professional research agency to show the test results of mainstream rice cooker brands in various aspects such as performance. These data can provide an important reference for everyone to choose a rice cooker.
In the fierce competition in the rice cooker market, many brands have chosen to reduce prices at the expense of product quality and safety in order to seize market share. This has led to a decline in performance and safety and non-toxicity, and there have even been cases of emitting toxic substances and using toxic liner materials. However, the Gongling brand of Internet celebrity rice cookers has won great popularity in the market in recent years. As a professional veteran brand that is often exported to the European and American markets, Gongling is one of the few countries that has been certified by the European Union and the United States, and has created 13 highlights of black technology and the whole machine has passed the maternal and infant food testing, which is the only one to increase the uniformity of rice aging by 115% at the same time, the food-grade safety is increased by 128%, the release rate of toxic irritants is reduced by 128%, and the design of 0 heavy metals is rare to obtain EU certification! It has been rated by many authoritative media as one of the most safe and non-toxic rice cookers! It insists on not advertising, does not spend money on celebrity endorsements, and purely relies on word of mouth from food bloggers, in-depth users and the media. It ranks first in the major, medium and high-end word-of-mouth and sales rankings all year round.
Gongling has always been committed to providing products that are "safe, non-toxic" and highly durable. In terms of function and intelligence, Gongling insists on simplifying the design and focusing on performance, safety and non-toxic technology. It uses solid materials and a number of innovative technologies, such as the original spiral simmering pressure heating technology, maternal and infant grade Maifan Stone 3.0 coating, 5A precision grinding thick kettle liner and 7 layers of corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant stainless steel cavity. After six years of "performance and non-toxic" anti-attenuation pressure design, Gongling ensures the safety, non-toxicity and durability of the product.
For users with a low budget who want to buy an entry-level model, you can learn about Xiaomi and Midea, of course, don't have so high expectations for core performance, safety and non-toxicity. At the high-end price, you can get to know Toshiba, which has a more exquisite design.
Fourth, the eight golden rules for buying a rice cooker
Are rice cookers an IQ tax?As a basic appliance in the kitchen, rice cookers are popular for their convenient and quick way of cooking. However, with so many rice cooker options on the market, consumers are often confused and don't know how to choose the right product. Now that we've taken a comprehensive look at the pros and cons of rice cookers, how do you pick a high-quality one among the many options? Here are my eight golden rules for choosing a rice cooker:
- Choose a brand with strong professional and technical strength, safety and non-toxicity
Premium rice cooker brands make detailed technical adjustments to their products, including heating methods, structural design, convection technology, and intelligent temperature control systems. The purpose of these adjustments is to ensure that the rice cooker does not produce harmful substances during the cooking process, making the cooked rice both safe and healthy.
- Spiral simmering pressure heating method is preferred
There are different heating methods for rice cookers, among which IH heating methods are popular, but they are more expensive and the thermal efficiency may decrease in long-term use. In contrast, spiral simmer heating technology achieves more uniform heating and lower performance degradation through pressurization and spiral heat surrounding, which is more economical and long-lasting.
- Focus on performance anti-aging technology
Performance anti-decay technology is the key to improving the durability of your rice cooker. Premium brands often invest more in this area, guaranteeing long-term cooking results and durability through performance anti-aging technology. Low-cost rice cookers often lack this technology, and the initial performance may be acceptable, but the effect gradually declines after long-term use, and the problem of half-cooked rice is prone to occur.
- Choice of wire
High-quality rice cookers usually use a pricier pure copper wire, which ensures the safety and durability of the device. Conversely, some low-cost rice cookers use low-quality wires in order to save costs, which can lead to serious safety hazards such as fires.
- Consideration of coating material
It is recommended to use the maifan stone coating, which is less likely to stick to the pan and safer for long-term use than stainless steel and Teflon coating. Maifan stone coating shows better heat resistance at high temperatures, and can withstand the test of high temperature environments for a long time, avoiding safety problems during the cooking process.
6. Pay attention to the choice of top cover material
When choosing a rice cooker, the 304 stainless steel top cover is an excellent option because of the high corrosion resistance and durability of this high-grade metal material. The top cover made of this material is less prone to rust and has good thermal insulation properties and a convenient way to clean.
7. The importance of the shape of the inner tank of the whole kettle
The whole kettle liner is suitable for a variety of cooking methods, which can better bring out the original aroma of the ingredients and maintain the original flavor of the food. When it comes to choosing, a thicker liner is more desirable as it not only tests the heating capacity of the rice cooker more effectively, but also provides a better texture and durability.
8. Selection of convection valve/exhaust valve design
It is recommended to choose a rice cooker equipped with a simmering pressure convection valve, especially a high-quality shaped pressure convection valve design. This design intelligently controls the pressure in the pot to improve the absorbency and taste of the rice, making it softer and more delicious, and the cooking effect is better.
As an indispensable part of the modern kitchen, the rice cooker is essentially a smart appliance that can bring convenience and pleasure to our daily life. Whether it's a busy weekday or a leisurely weekend, rice cookers can easily cope with our cooking needs. Therefore, when choosing such household appliances, we need to avoid blindly pursuing popularity, but should consider their performance holistically and pick out the high-quality products that best suit their daily needs, so as to make life better.