Pressure Cooker vs Rice Cooker: Are you in confusion to buy whether a rice cooker or a pressure cooker? Many people have this and ask someone which is better either a rice cooker or a pressure cooker.
Even though both cookers are best in their ways, if you have a chance to choose only one due to limited budget or space, we are ready to help you and make a wise decision.
Both rice cookers and pressure cookers are good at cooking different varieties of food. Here we will compare those two cookers depending on multiple factors. Also, check out their pros and cons to decide which is best suitable for your kitchen requirements.
- Rice Cooker vs Pressure Cooker
- Overview of a Pressure Cooker
- How Does a Pressure Cooker Work?
- Pros of Pressure Cooker
- Cons of Pressure Cooker
- What is a Rice Cooker?
- How Does A Rice Cooker Works?
- Advantages of Rice Cooker
- Disadvantages of Rice Cooker
- What Is the Difference Between Rice Cookers and Pressure Cookers?
- Should You Buy a Pressure Cooker or Rice Cooker?
- Which one is better rice cooker or pressure cooker?
- What is the disadvantage of using a pressure cooker?
- Can a pressure cooker replace a rice cooker?
- Is it better to cook in a pressure cooker?
Rice Cooker vs Pressure Cooker
The major differences between a pressure cooker and a rice cooker are tabulated here.
| Differences | Rice Cooker | Pressure Cooker |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking Method | Similar to stovetop cooking. | Pressure cooking method. |
| Cooking Time | Long takes almost 20 to 30 minutes based on brand and model. | Quicker than a rice cooker. |
| Pressure Levels | Constant | Adjustable |
| Versatility | You can cook limited foods. It can be used to cook rice, pasta, desserts and other grains. | Highly versatile. You can cook a variety of dishes and ingredients. |
| Checking the food mid-way | You can open the container lid during cooking and check the food status or add ingredients. | You can’t open the lid while it is cooking. Before opening the lid, you should first release the pressure and then open the cooker. |
| Supervision | Rice cookers don’t need supervision. They will switch to the Keep Warm mode or shut down after cooking. | Pressure cookers don’t need any involvement during cooking, but you can’t leave it unsupervised. |
| Precision of cooking | Rice cookers allow some margin for error. You can adjust ingredients during the cooking process. | Pressure cookers allow less room for error. It is easy to overcook ingredients. |
| Capacity | Rice cookers have a lower capacity and size. | Pressure cookers have higher capacity and are generally bigger than rice cookers. |
| Price | Rice cookers are inexpensive, but this can vary as per the brand and model. | Pressure cookers are expensive kitchen appliances. |
| Cleaning and maintenance | It is easy to clean and maintain rice cookers when compared with others. | Pressure cookers need more attention to detail while cleaning due to the small and more number of component parts. |
Based on these parameters you can decide which is best for your needs. We are also giving the pros and cons of both rice cooker and pressure cooker so that you can decide easily.
Overview of a Pressure Cooker
Pressure cookers are comfortable kitchen appliances to prepare food quickly by mixing steam with pressure. The cooker has an elastic or rubber-coated lid to seal the vessel tightly and prevent the loss of steam and pressure. Using pressure cookers we can make various dishes in a short time.
How Does a Pressure Cooker Work?
The main purpose of the pressure cooker is that pressure causes the boiling point of water to rise. The heat converts the liquid into vapour, however, the steam has no place to escape. This steam raises the pressure inside the cooker.
The increase in pressure causes the boiling point of water to jump from 100°C to 120°C. Hence food gets cooked quickly when compared with no pressure vessel.
Pros of Pressure Cooker
Here are the few best reasons to choose a pressure cooker.
Prepares Meals Quicker Than Most Methods
The pressure cooker makes it easy for you while cooking. It can cook even hard meats, legumes and even vegetables in less than 30 minutes. As the pressure inside the container is high, both the steam and temperature are useful to cook your meal uniformly.
Helps To Retain Nutritional Value and Flavor
The whole cooking process is held in a closed vessel. Hence the flavor and moisture are retained within the food. Cookin without a lid can lead to flavor loss or a change in taste.
Safer Than Most Cooking Methods
The pressure cooker is considered the safest cooking method when compared to other open saucepans as it is sealed tightly with a lid.
Pressure cooker speed up the cooking process by increasing the boiling point of water in the vessel. The faster the food is cooked, the more energy is conserved. It also helps to save time and makes cooking fun.
You can cook all items in a pressure cooker. It is one appliance you must have in your kitchen due to its versatility.
Cons of Pressure Cooker
The disadvantages of a pressure cooker are listed here:
Pressure Cookers Are Fairly Complex
To cook dishes in pressure cookers, you need knowledge and discretion. Adding a sufficient amount of water while cooking can be challenging for beginners. Furthermore, it could be challenging to predict when the meal will be ready because of the high pressure inside the vessel.
Users don’t have the facility to check the status of the cooking food in the middle. Once the lid is on, you have to check after the cooking is finished and pressure is released. If you open the lid, the generated steam will release, so the pressure drops.
Turning off the pressure cooker will be frustrating, only to find that the meal needs a few more minutes. Because you need to start the entire process again.
Altitude Differences Can Affect Meal Preparation Times
At high altitudes, the pressure is low and the water boils faster. The faster the water boils, the faster steam generates. At low heat, the steam generation is also slow and cooking is also slow.
You Can’t Leave Pressure Cookers Unattended
Unlike rice cookers and crockpots, a pressure cooker can’t be left unattended. Fewtimes, the steam gets gets vented out, and the pressure does not rise, resulting in water loss. Finally, it could burn the food and make a nasty mess difficult to clean up.
What is a Rice Cooker?
A rice cooker is also called a rice steamer. It is an automated kitchen electric appliance that is manufactured to boil or steam rice. It has a thermostat, heat source and a cooking bowl. Here thermostat measures the cooking bowl temperature and controls the heat.
It can also be used to prepare different rice-based foods. It even has handles and control settings that enable the user to check the bowl temperature and cooking time. The device works on generating steam that helps to cook rice well.
How Does A Rice Cooker Works?
A rice cooker has a pot, an inner cooking container that has rice, an electric heating element and a thermostat. When the cooker is on, the heating element generates heat. The inner container absorbs the heat. Special care is taken to ensure that the inner pot has good heat-conducting materials.
Rice and water are there in the inner pot that heats the water. As it heats, the rice is cooked with the steam. The thermostat inside the cooker is useful to maintain the temperature at the boiling point of water.
Advantages of Rice Cooker
If you are cooking a large quantity of rice, then here are some useful advantages of rice cookers.
Cooks Rice Automatically and Perfectly
Rice cookers allow you to cook the rice automatically when you turn on the switch. All you need to do is add a sufficient amount of water for the rice and on the appliance. There is no need to check in the middle as it cooks the rice perfectly all over.
Shuts Off When Cooking Is Done
All the latest models of rice cookers have an automatic shut-off feature that prevents the rice from overcooking when it is completed cooking. This feature is useful for cooking the rice perfectly.
When the rice absorbs all water inside the pot, the temperature begins to increase gradually. The built-in sensors in the cook detect the change and report to the warming cycle or switch off automatically.
Keeps the Rice Warm for Longer Period
A rice cooker allows the rice to maintain its hotness until it is served. Many rice cookers have this advanced feature along with making the perfect rice, it even keeps it warm for some time.
You don’t need any extra guidance for making rice in the rice cookers as it tells easily. It doesn’t have a lot of settings or controls to operate.
You have to add water and rice in the required portions to the bowl and place it in the device and turn it on. The cooker will automatically shut down when the rice is ready, this is one of the impressive features it has.
Useful To Prepare Other Dishes
Many people think that rice cookers are designed for cooking rice only. This is not true as they are used for making other rice-based meals.
Disadvantages of Rice Cooker
Rice cookers are best as they cook the rice automatically but they also have some limitations.
Rice cookers can’t give a guarantee on their rice cooking skills. Because the water and rice ratio in an improper manner can result in burned rice, especially in the bottom layer. So, be careful while adding water to rice.
Not As Versatile as Most Cooking Appliances
Even though rice cookers are used for slow-cooking soups, they are not best for preparing ingredients that need temperatures more than 100℃. This limits the usage of rice cookers as they can cook rice and other foods that need moderate temperatures.
Few Entry-Level Rice Cookers Come With Limited Features
Not all brands of rice cookers can turn off automatically when rice is ready. While high-end rice cookers have this advanced feature. Entry-level cookers need you to turn off the devices once the rice is ready. So it is better to check the rice cookers’ features before buying them.
Non-Stick Interior Limits the Usage of Utensils
Many rice cooker utensils have non-stick features i.e. users must use special utensils to scoop the rice from the bowl and avoid damaging the coating. Using metal utensils for scooping might damage the bowl’s surface.
Do Refer
What Is the Difference Between Rice Cookers and Pressure Cookers?
The major differences between pressure cookers and rice cookers are given here. By checking this, you can know pressure cooker vs rice cooker.
- Pressure Cookers and Rice Cookers Prepare Meals Differently
- Pressure Cookers Cook Meals Quicker
- Rice Cookers Function Differently
- Both Rice Cooker and Pressure Cooker Are Portable and Easy To Use
- Both Pressure Cooker and Rice Cooker Cook at Different Temperatures
Should You Buy a Pressure Cooker or Rice Cooker?
If you are looking for a new cooking appliance without creating a mess, then you can choose a pressure cooker. A rice cooker can be a good option if you want to prepare meals at speed and want something that will always produce perfectly cooked rice.
When it comes to versatility, the pressure cooker is flexible and can be used to prepare various kinds of foods. It needs to be attended to.
While a rice cooker cannot prepare more than one particular kind of food, it is fully automated and produces delicious rice without burning or overcooking.
FAQs on Pressure Cooker vs Rice Cooker
1. Which one is better rice cooker or pressure cooker?
The pressure cooker is better than the rice cooker as it can cook rice better and faster than the rice cooker. Pressure cookers are easy to use and can be used for making a lot of varieties.
2. What is the disadvantage of using a pressure cooker?
The disadvantages of using pressure cookers are you can’t check the food once the lid is fixed, their settings are complex, and you can’t leave the cookers unattended.
3. Can a pressure cooker replace a rice cooker?
Yes, a pressure cooker replaces a rice cooker as both can be used to cook the rice perfectly.
4. Is it better to cook in a pressure cooker?
Yes, it is better to cook in a pressure cooker as it preserves a high level of nutrients in the food and also keeps the flavor and taste.
Summary
After reading the whole rice cooker vs pressure cooker article, you might get an idea of what to choose between them. Buy a good cooker that fulfils your needs and know how to use it for making a wide range of dishes. If you have any doubts regarding the content, leave a comment below. Get in touch with our site to know more food-related articles.