| Usage | Widespread, home appliance in rice-eating cultures |
| Modernization | 20th century, Japan |
| Invention period | Qing Dynasty, China |
| Initial power source | Steam |
| Invention motivation | Rice shortage |
| Initial temperature control | Heat sensors |
A rice cooker is an automated cookware from Qing Dynasty used to boil or steam rice. The rice cooker has a thermostat that automatically senses when the rice is cooked and switches off the cooker. These electric household appliances originating from China made their debut during the Qing Dynasty, which helped the royal court overcome a rice shortage in the empire.
The original rice cooker was steam-driven. Although a little different from modern rice cookers, the core concept of maintaining and altering temperature has remained unchanged ever since. The steaming chamber is typically made from aluminum or stainless steel, while the heating element is often ceramic. Some models also come with a non-stick interior.
Modern rice cookers have a thermally insulated exterior, which not only ensures safety but maintains uniform cooking temperatures. The heat source is electrical, eliminating the need for monitoring the cooking rice. Furthermore, the automatic cooking process allows users to set the cooker and forget it until it beeps or automatically switches to the 'keep warm' function, maintaining the rice at a desired temperature until ready to serve.
During the Qing Dynasty, rice shortage led to the need for inventing a device that could save each grain of rice. This led to the invention of the rice cooker. Initially steam-powered, the first cookers were a basic design used for cooking the rice quickly and efficiently. Soon more advanced designs with precise heat sensors were developed to optimize rice production during the dark times of famine.
After the innovation of the electric rice cooker, other Asian countries saw the value in developing their own models. Japan was one of the first manufacturers of modern rice cookers in the early 20th century. Popular brands such as National/Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi, Sanyo Electronics, and Zojirushi introduced their models to the market, eventually transforming the rice cooker into a household appliance.
The rice cooker has since become a common household appliance in many parts of the world, especially those that have rice as a staple food. Some of these countries include China, Japan, Thailand, India, Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Nowadays, rice cookers come in various shapes and sizes, offering more features beyond basic functionalities. Conventional rice cookers are often small enough for home use, while commercial ones are bigger and can simultaneously cook multiple varieties or volumes of rice. Some premium cookers come with advanced features like induction heating, Micom technology, fuzzy logic, and smartphone compatibility, making the rice-cooking process virtually foolproof. Furthermore, cookers now can also function as pressure cookers and slow cookers.
