With winter at our doorstep, I decided to pull out my old rice cooker to make sure my beloved appliance was still in working order after nearly 10-years of use. I was pleasantly surprised it could still make my favorite chili, soup, and curry rice dishes as if it was a brand new model.
The general consensus is that high-quality rice cookers will last upwards of 7-8 years of regular use or 3-5 years of heavy use. Most rice cookers will come with a 1-year limited warranty and the option to extend it by 2-3-years depending on the brand. If you have a pure-mechanical model it can last upwards of 10+ years, while modern models will last 2-6-years depending on use and maintenance [1].
Why Do Rice Cookers Stop Working?
As with all small kitchen appliances, rice cookers will eventually run into technical problems that prevent it from working properly or run its course and stop working entirely. Look for the following issues and either replace the parts, wipe it down, or get a professional to take a look.
Dents, Deformities, or Debris Between the Heating Plate & Inner Pot.
If you’ve noticed that your rice isn’t coming out fluffy or fully cooked, remove the inner pot and check for any type of dents, scratches, or other deformities. If you are removing after a cook cycle, use padded gloves to protect your hands.
- If your pot has been recently dropped, damaged, or dented, it may be sitting on the heater plate wrong.
- There may be rice grains or food debris sitting on the heating plate. This can interfere with the heating of subsequent batches of rice.
Power Cord Problems.
While loose wiring and thermal issues are generally the cause behind why rice cookers stop working, a power cord can also be the culprit. If your power cord is damaged, it can prevent a proper power connection from being formed between the power outlet and your rice cooker. Look for cuts or frays in the power cord and replace it if it has them.
Problems With Internal Circuitry.
Electronic appliances have a hard time working if they have a loose wire. This type of problem can short out the internal circuitry or prevent power from reaching the appropriate place.
You can look for broken connections or loose wiring by opening your rice cooker up, but getting an electrician to assess the problem is safer. If you have a warranty still valid on your rice cooker, it is better to send it in for repair if you suspect this is the issue.
Issues With the Thermal Fuse.
It is common for rice cookers to run into thermal cutoff problems if they are overheating during use. When the maximum temperature crosses a set threshold level on your rice cooker, it begins to overheat.
It will trip/break the thermal fuse, resulting in the rice cooker to cut off power. This is to prevent serious damage to the rice cooker or to your home (catching fire). While you can check to see if the thermal fuse is tripped, it is best to get a professional to take a look.
Dead Battery From Models That Use Them.
Are you using a model that has a lithium battery powered display? If so, your battery may be dead or damaged. You will need to remove the battery from the old compartment and install a new one. Your rice cooker manual will have further information on its lithium battery.
Old or Cheaper Model Version.
If you have a rice cooker that has surpassed it’s approximate life span and use, it may have stopped working due to it being worn out.
Other than this, if you have a cheaper model of rice cooker that is low quality, it can retire at a much quicker age than approximated due to an accumulation of problems.
If your rice cooker has run into problems before and you’ve fixed them, this may lower its lifespan. The fix for this is to either buy a high quality rice cooker or replace parts as problems pop up.
Is It Safe To Use a Scratched Rice Cooker?
If your rice cooker has a teflon coating in it to prevent rice from sticking and it becomes scratched, then it is not safe to use your rice cooker.
When this coating becomes scratched, it can begin to leach toxins into your rice while it is cooking, causing you to consume low-levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) [2].
If this plastic polymer leaches into your food or is heated above 572 degrees Fahrenheit, it can lead to polymer fume fever which is dangerous to humans [3].
You can avoid this issue by ensuring your inner pot does not come with any Teflon coating or by replacing the inner pot when it becomes damaged. If your inner pot is scratched but doesn’t have any Teflon and you’re simply tired of scraping rice from the sides and bottom, there are plenty of other uses for old rice cookers beyond this base functionality.
What Can I Do With an Old Rice Cooker?
Small appliances are tricky to know what to do with as they are difficult to recycle, and modern ones are built to be replaced when they break. If your rice cooker is truly past the end of its life, it is still possible to recycle parts of it, such as the cooking pan, at most recycling plants.
If you use a Hamilton Beach cooker, the company offers a free recycling program for all of its small appliances.
If your rice cooker still has some life in it, then there are literally dozens of other things it can cook beyond just rice. From simple tasks such as boiled eggs and oatmeal, to more complex recipes like soups, frittata, and even cakes and scones.
Common Problems When Preparing Rice in a Rice Cooker
- How to Deal With Undercooked Rice? If you cook your rice at a high temperature and all the water gets absorbed but it still comes out undercooked, add ¼ cup of water to it and cook for another 5-minutes.
- How to Deal With Overcooked Rice? Use less water in your next batch. Overcooked rice typically happens when too much water is absorbed and it becomes a mushy mess. If you have overcooked rice and don’t want to throw it away, turn it into a delicious rice pudding or rice porridge.
- What to do With Gummy Rice? This is likely caused by excess starch. If your rice kernels are sticking together, make sure you are rinsing the excess starch off before you cook the rice. The easiest ways to do this are with a mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
- Do You Have Leftover Water? Don’t try and cook away the water. Instead, just pour out or dump the extra liquid and return the pot to heat. Just make sure to keep the pot cover off. You can also strain the extra water out with a mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
- Is Your Rice Sticking to the Sides of the Inner Pot? If you try and serve rice right after it is done cooking, you’ve probably noticed that it is prone to stick to the sides of the inner pot. To prevent this, let your rice simmer down until the water bubbles have settled for a few minutes – do not remove the lid. Once the bubbles have settled, open the lid up and let the rice cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Are Bubbles Forming and Spilling Over the Sides? Either your rice is cooking at too high a temperature, or you are trying to cook too much at once. Reduce your batch size, or invest in a larger cooker with higher sides.
- Burning Your Rice Accidentally? You may not be using enough rice for the capacity of your rice cooker. Read through your rice cooker’s manual to figure out the right rice to water ratio. Your rice cooker may come with a measuring cup with designated lines for this.
- 2. See if you are keeping the “keep warm” setting on for too long. This setting is meant to keep your rice warm for a short period of time, but if left on for too long, it will crisp or burn the rice.
- 3. Cook your rice on a lower heat setting.
- 4. Try to not use the “quick cook” method on your rice cooker. This uses a higher temperature to cook your rice, which may result in burning if your rice to water ratio is off.
Given the longevity and general usefulness of a rice cooker, it is definitely a sound investment, as it can last up to a decade and cooks far more than rice alone. If you’ve ever wondered if a rice cooker would be beneficial to you, I highly recommend you get one and try it out for yourself!