rice cooker
Japanese Name:
炊飯器
Romaji Name:
suihanki
Description
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A rice cooker is an electric kitchen appliance used to cook rice easily. You just need to put rice and water into the pot, press a button, and the rice cooker will cook the rice automatically.
History
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Before rice cookers, people in Japan and other Asian countries cooked rice over a wood or charcoal fire, which required skill and careful attention.
The first electric rice cooker was developed in Japan by Toshiba in 1955. It was a simple device with a double-layered pot and a heating coil, but it was a breakthrough in convenience for Japanese households.
In the 1960s and 1970s, rice cookers became more advanced, adding features like:
Automatic shut-off
Keep-warm functions
Non-stick inner pots
By the 1980s and 1990s, Japan developed microcomputer (micom) rice cookers, which could adjust cooking time and temperature for different types of rice. Later, IH (induction heating) rice cookers and pressure rice cookers provided even better texture and flavor.
Today, rice cookers are used not only in Japan but all over the world, and many can also cook porridge, soup, cake, and more.