The Rice Cooker Setting You're Leaving On For Far Too Long - Tasting Table

"The rice cooker is, without a doubt, one of the greatest inventions known to man - or at least the home chef. Once you've mastered the essential steps of using a rice cooker, you're guaranteed to have perfect, fluffy rice for life. However, even regular users of the kitchen gadget might err, and one of the most common rice cooker mistakes is leaving rice on the "keep warm" setting for too long."

"The "keep warm" setting is intended to do just that: keep rice warm after it's already finished cooking. This is a brilliant setting if you're hosting and you don't want rice to get cold by the time your guests are looking for seconds, or if you're simply thinking ahead and want it all to be ready come dinnertime. But it's not foolproof."

The rice cooker produces reliable, fluffy rice when used correctly. The 'keep warm' setting maintains temperature of already cooked rice but is not intended for indefinite use. Most rice cookers recommend keeping rice on 'keep warm' for no longer than about 12 hours. Extended warming causes moisture evaporation, drying, a hard or crunchy bottom, and degraded flavor. Rice left too long at improper temperatures can develop dangerous bacterial growth and become a food-safety risk. Leftover rice can remain safe if cooled, stored, and handled according to recommended protocols and appliance guidance.

Read at Tasting Table