HomeSmall AppliancesRice CookersStainless Steel Rice Cooker Model ME81 (Formerly ME8) - by Miracle Exclusives |
|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review: ( 30 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
125 of 125 found the following review helpful:
 A nice shiny new rice cooker Nov 18, 2010
By PT Cruiser
"PT Cruiser"
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R9JI218TP0SN3 I bought this rice cooker to replace an old aluminum bowl rice cooker that was starting to show a lot of wear and tear after many years of use. I spent a lot of time searching for a rice cooker that wasn't made with aluminum or those non-stick surfaces. I was delighted to find this one that has a stainless steel bowl and steaming basket. It really looks a lot nicer than the picture on the page shows, so I thought it would be great to do a video so you could see it.
I use it practically every day for one thing or another and like the nice 8 cup size. I make brown rice, wild rice, lentil soup, pea soup, steel cut oatmeal, quinoa, barley and other whole grains. Everything seems to come out perfectly and clean-up is easy. I usually set the bowl in the sink with some warm water in it for about 10 minutes and then just sponge out any remaining residue.
Two thumbs up for this great rice/grain/other stuff cooker!
59 of 62 found the following review helpful:
No Toxins! Oct 02, 2008
By CA reader
After an exhaustive search for a rice cooker without a non-stick coating I was pretty much left with the ME81 from Miracle. On this basis alone, I would have given it 5 stars. It's very basic; when you plug it in, it goes to a warming mode (the directions state brown rice should be warmed for 15 minutes prior to cooking). When ready to cook, you simply depress the cook button. It then heats the contents to boiling and when ready, automatically switches back to the warming mode. The rice can continue warming for a couple of hours. Whenever ready to stop, simply unplug the unit and fluff the rice.
I must admit I have no experience with rice-cookers so my experience with the Miracle could be affected by my own ineptitude. To date, as far as grains are concerned, I've only made brown rice. My first attempt was 2 cups (the little plastic cup size which comes with the machine is smaller than one cup) and it worked fairly well with only a little rim of sludge around the edge of the glass top that occurred when it was pushed up during the boiling phase. The rice also stuck slightly to the bottom of the pan and was more moist in some areas than others, but I might have put in too much water. The directions call for extra water when cooking brown rice so with experimentation, I hope to improve on this. Next, I tried making 3 cups of brown rice and had quite a bit of boil over, with sludge running down the face of the cooker. I wonder what kind of mess results if you try to make all 8 cups? Obviously, I need more experience.
That aside, I have to say my efforts resulted in the best rice I've ever tasted! I feel like I can now get into all those healthy grains like millet, quinoa - and of course, brown rice - and switch from wheat-based products. I also steamed some vegetables in the steaming basket. They cooked in less time than I anticipated and even though I overcooked them (they never changed their bright colors so I thought they weren't done), they tasted fantastic. I've always felt uneasy about cooking vegetables in the microwave and now I'm finally liberated! The taste improvement alone is worth the investment in this cooker!
When initially searching for a rice cooker, I was disappointed all the fancy, multi-function rice cookers didn't come with stainless steel pots. Fuzzy-logic sounds so cool. But, according to a NY Times article (Sept 30 '08, "The Steamy Way to Dinner") one button varieties actually may have more flexibility. "It's easy to override the machine's small brain. Press the "cook" button, melt butter in the bowl, and sweat a finely diced shallot in it until soft - then add rice, broth and saffron strands, and start the machine again to make a daffodil-yellow pilaf". (Although, I think the directions enclosed with the ME81 stated you shouldn't repress the cook button, probably for risk of burning the contents of the pot.) According to the NY Times, "The most intriguing recipes are those that have been developed, out of necessity or curiosity, entirely for the rice cooker, like the ones here" and then introduces food blogger Hui Leng Tay teczcape.blogspot There are also some recipe links. Just looking at the pictures makes me want to start experimenting.
Anyway, despite the slight messiness, I love this rice cooker, love the tastes it is producing, and look forward to many more healthful meals in the future.
28 of 30 found the following review helpful:
stainless steel pot Jul 22, 2008
By cybershopper46
I bought this rice cooker because of the stainless steel pot. Learning about the dangers of non stick coatings and alum. pots made me invest in this product. I have no big complaints. I do wish it were a larger size (large family) Cooks rice well- if you spray the pot with PAM type product in the bottom. If not, it will stick. Overall it is a good purchase.
16 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 Be prepared to lose a bunch of rice Sep 14, 2011
By EYU
Like basically everyone else, I bought this rice cooker to replace an old one, whose non-stick coating was starting to flake. The idea of a stainless steel bowl really appealed to me, but the reality of it is that you're going to lose a lot of rice when cooking a batch.
There are a few recommendations for reducing the effect of this, the most helpful being to coat the bowl with oil (I haven't tried a cooking spray yet) prior to adding rice and water, but it won't completely solve the problem and it also affects the taste of the rice.
Soaking the bowl overnight does allow for easy cleaning, but it's still a bummer to have a substantial layer of rice go down the sink (or, if you don't have garbage disposal, to be fished out of the strainer and into the trash).
This might just be the trade off, for being able to avoid aluminum or non-stick coating, but be prepared for it.
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
stainless steel pot! Jul 21, 2009
By ASAmom
This is the best rice cooker ever. My mom and I love it! I avoided rice cookers because of the aluminum and I did not need another kitchen gadget. Everyone in my extended family uses them. Now I can live without this Mircale cooker! It has the stainless steel pot I was searching for. And it cooks rice perfectly in 20 minutes. It has the generic two modes - cook and warm. I tend to use 1 cup of rice to about 2.2 cups of water. If using a 1 to 2 ratio for your rice, do not let the rice go to warm mode two long. It will dry out. Now my aunt wants it too. No more non-stick or aluminum. Healthy and safe!
See all 30 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
| |
|
|
|
