Cuisinart Rice Cookers: Advantages and Disadvantages
There are currently two Cuisinart rice cookers: the 4-cup Cuisinart CRC-400 and the 8-cup Cuisinart Rice Cooker CRC-800. These two rice cookers almost look identical, the size being the only major difference. Both the 4-cup CRC-400 and the 8-cup CRC-800 look good with the stainless steel exterior. Both have a stainless steel basket and nonstick bowl, perfect for steaming veggies, seafood, or poultry.
Both models use an easy-to-use boiling method. You'll also get a removable glass top lid, a measuring cup, and a plastic rice spoon. Each rice cooker also comes with a manual that gives recipes that are easy to follow. But they don't feature the Fuzzy Logic technology. They also don't have advanced settings for various types of rice. Both also don't have a programmable timer. Despite all these, they can manage to cook the best rice. However, many rice cooker experts say that Cuisinart rice cookers do not give that much value.
Cuisinart 4-cup CRC-400
The Good: The 4-cup version has a very trendy design. It fits well on your countertop because of its compact size. It goes perfectly well with the overall kitchen design. This rice cooker is easy to clean and has parts that are dishwasher safe. It also allows you to cook your rice in no time.
The Bad: There are some consumer complaints about spill over. There's a solution to this: Just rinse your rice very well.And for every cup of rice, add one teaspoon of vegetable oil. This can solve the problem most of the time.
It comes with a rather small steaming tray for preparing veggies, seafood, and poultry. It's only good for a single person or a couple. Many users also complain about the water and rice ratio learning curve. But once you deal with this issue, this unit does a good job at cooking fluffy rice. This rice cooker is in fact at par with other rapid boil-style cookers.
8-cup CRC-800
The Good: This rice cooker has a modern and sleek feel to it. The outside of this rice cooker sports a brushed and sleek stainless steel. It's one of the prettiest kitchen appliances you'll ever have on your counter. It also features a touch friendly chrome plated handles. Your hands won't get burned when you move the cooker.
The Cuisinart 8-cup CRC-800 has standard lever control and warming settings. It also has retractable cord storage. You'll also get a measuring cup and a rice paddle. It comes with a 3-year warranty.
The Bad: While the cooking pot has a nonstick coating, many consumers nag about the sticking rice. The manual says you've got to spray the bottom to prevent sticking. But if it features a nonstick bowl, then the rice shouldn't stick. Although many people claim they have no problem about it.
Like the 4-cup version, the 8-cup version also has splattering issues. Sure, it has a steam vent designed to prevent spilling. It won't spill if you don't cook more than 6 cups. Spilling becomes an issue with much rice, say 8 cups.