Some time ago, when I was surfing the Internet, I found a post that made people crack - some netizens found cockroaches at the bottom of a rice cooker that had not been cleaned for a long time:
Image source: Xiaohongshu
Who knows, I used to only wash the inner liner of the rice cooker every time, thinking that it would be very clean......
How should the rice cooker be washed? Let's talk about it today~
Rice cooker these 4 positions
Be sure to clean it in time!
Many people think that rice cookers do not need to be cleaned, or simply wash the inner liner, but in fact, the structure of rice cookers is complex, and there are many places where dirt and dirt are hidden, and if they are not cleaned for a long time, bacteria and mold will grow. In addition, the steam-style cooking method of the rice cooker will also contaminate the ingredients along the water droplets generated by the steam after boiling.
So, in addition to the rice cooker liner, there are also these parts that need to be washed – the air vent, the detachable top cover and seal, the anti-overflow box, the bottom heating element (electric heating plate), etc.
Schematic diagram of an early mechanical rice cooker. The picture comes from the Internet
1
Jet port
If the rice soup left in the air vent of the rice cooker is not cleaned in time, it will produce Salmonella species, Escherichia coli, Staphylophylocous aureus and Aspergillus flavus, a first-class carcinogen. These bacteria can flow back into the rice cooker the next time you use it, contaminating the food and endangering your health.
Many people like to use rice cookers to stew meat, and the soup and oil stains from the spill can create a more complex colony environment, and the oil can also clog the air vent, which can even cause an explosion in the case of a high-pressure rice cooker.
Cleaning Recommendations:
Nowadays, many brands of rice cookers have designed a detachable steam hole cap in order to facilitate cleaning, and this detachable structure removes all the parts that can be removed (such as hole caps and steam hole rubber rings) when washing, and washes and wipes them dry.
It should be noted that the vapor hole rubber ring is generally delicate in structure and soft in texture, so it should be carefully damaged when disassembled.
2
Rubber seals
The sealing ring is also a hygienic blind spot that is often overlooked. Many people will open the rice cooker seal and find a layer of black viscous substance hidden inside, which will flow into the pot with the distilled water flowing down the rubber ring when you lift the lid the next time, and then contaminate the food.
Cleaning Recommendations:
In most brands of rice cookers nowadays, the rubber ring is mounted on a detachable top cover, just remove it and turn both sides of the rubber ring open and wash. In case it is the kind that cannot be removed, rubbing it with a cotton swab dipped in baking soda and white vinegar can remove stubborn dirt.
3
Anti-spill box
Some rice cookers are also equipped with a water storage box to prevent overflowing, and the location is very hidden, and if you don't wash it, it will become moldy, and sometimes cockroaches and other insects will drill into the structure along the water storage box, which is very scary.
Cleaning Recommendations:
Don't wait for the anti-overflow box to be full!!
4
Electric hot plate
When serving rice, accidentally falling under the inner tank to heat the food residues, dripping water and rice soup around the original unit, for a long time, it will cause the electric heating plate to turn yellow and black, forming thick dirt, and then damaging the performance of the rice cooker.
Cleaning Recommendations:
Use a small brush dipped in baking soda or professional detergent, clean along the lines of the electric plate, and wipe with a semi-dry soft cloth after cleaning.
It should be noted that when cleaning the electric heating plate, it must be powered off and not soaked in water, otherwise it may cause a short circuit and may be electrified.
In addition to these, those who are in the south may have to shake it often to observe whether there is any movement inside the shell of the rice cooker, and if you feel that something is something, or impurities have fallen from the heat dissipation port, you may have to take it apart to see...... I won't say why, you know.
Be careful when using rice cookers
Although rice cookers are easy to use, they can still be dangerous if used incorrectly. In addition to not soaking in water and having to turn off the power when cleaning the heating element, there are actually many precautions to be taken when using and cleaning the rice cooker.
1
Wash and dry before covering
Because the rice cooker itself has the function of heat preservation and moisturizing, when cleaning the rice cooker, all detachable parts, including the detachable top cover and inner tank, must be dried or wiped with a clean soft cloth before installation after cleaning.
After using and cleaning the rice cooker, it is best to open the lid and let it dry in a clean and ventilated place for a period of time before covering the lid, otherwise bacteria and mold may still grow in the humid internal environment.
2
Turn off the insulation and unplug the power at the same time
The heat preservation function of the rice cooker is very useful, but remember to unplug the power after use, and never leave the warmer on. The sour rice in the pot is a trivial matter, but the fire hazard is a big one.
3
If the lining coating is damaged, it should be replaced in time
Older rice cookers are usually made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel, but in recent years iron, ceramic, and composite liners have become more common. There are relatively more materials for liner coating, and the common coating materials are Teflon, ceramic crystal, PEEK, etc., each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
However, no matter what kind of inner tank, try not to use hard materials such as steel wool balls to brush, otherwise it is easy to damage the coating, resulting in the leakage of harmful substances, and the coating particles are mixed into the food, which will affect health. If you find that the lining coating is broken, be sure to replace it in time.
4
Don't buy an inferior rice cooker
When the rice cooker is used, the power and heat generation are relatively large, if you encounter some products that use low-quality wires and electric heating plates, it is easy to cause short circuits or even fires, which is very dangerous.
In addition to the circuit components, the factors that affect the quality of the rice cooker are also the material of the inner tank and the top cover. Some unscrupulous manufacturers use shoddy materials for production and choose non-compliant materials for production, which is prone to high boiling smell and pungent odor, which is not conducive to health. In any case, choosing a well-known brand and a product with a good reputation can better guarantee the safety of the product and after-sales service.
5
The high-pressure rice cooker should not clog the jet port
Keep in mind that a high-pressure rice cooker is also a pressure cooker, and if the jet port is blocked, it can explode within minutes, which is very dangerous. So, don't be afraid of splashing food soup and put a towel on it, and don't put anything on the top cover during use. Before using this rice cooker, read the instructions carefully.
The stock copyright picture, reprinting and using may cause copyright disputes
To sum up:
The rice cooker must be washed, and it must be washed well. After washing, be sure to dry it before covering the lid, and always observe the wear and tear of the inner tank and top cover to prevent foreign objects from entering. The most important thing is that as a household appliance, the rice cooker must be used and cleaned safely.
Now, hurry up and check your rice cooker~
(To add again, even if there are cockroaches, don't be afraid, in addition to the diaphragm in your heart, you can actually eat it, and there is no safety problem.) Insect protein is the way of the future
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Source: Popular Science China