Let me start by saying I can cook rice just fine in a regular pot. As a longtime rice-eater and a trained chef, I have no problem with it. But like millions of others, I own a rice cooker — two, in fact — and use them both regularly. Why? Because they not only make…
1. Other Grains
This one might be a bit less surprising than some of the other items on this list, since a rice cooker is designed to, well … cook grain. That said, most of us tend to stick with rice in its various forms. While that’s fine — rice is cheap and versatile — there are a lot of other grains that will cook perfectly well in your rice cooker.
Consider wild rice (which isn’t actually a rice at all), cracked wheat, farro, buckwheat, quinoa, kamut, millet, and many more. I’m personally fond of freekeh (you’ll see it spelled several different ways), a whole-grain wheat that’s harvested green and then roasted. It has a pleasant hint of smoky flavor.

2. Eggs
Eggs are a quick, easy meal, and your rice cooker offers several ways to cook them with minimal fuss and cleanup. You can boil eggs in the rice pot using a silicone liner to prevent cracking, or steam them in the steamer basket, either whole or scrambled in a buttered dish.
You can also prepare them right in the cooker’s insert. Just grease or spray it, then pour in the eggs. You won’t be able to get sunny-side-up eggs this way, but it’s perfect for scrambled eggs, folded omelets, and frittatas.

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3. Beans and Lentils
Dietitians and health experts often praise legumes (peas, beans, and lentils) as some of the healthiest foods we can eat. A rice cooker makes it easier to add legumes to your diet. Dried beans, for example, need an overnight soak in cold water or a “quick soak” in boiling water. You can use your rice pot for that quick soak, then drain the beans, add fresh water and flavorings, and cook them conventionally or in the rice cooker.
Lentils are easier because they don’t require soaking. You can just pop them into your rice cooker with the recommended amount of water or broth, press the button, and walk away. If they aren’t quite done when the rice cooker switches to “Warm,” just add a bit more water and press “Cook” again. You can even make rice and lentils together, since they both cook in the same amount of time and with the same quantity of liquid.

4. Soups and Stews
A rice cooker is a simple device, but it’s all you need for soups and stews, whether you’re reheating them or making them from scratch. It’s just a matter of bringing your ingredients to a boil, after all. For stews, you can even brown your meat and onions right in the oiled insert, as long as you work in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.
If you’re looking for soup and stew recipes for your rice cooker, there are a few interesting cookbooks to choose from. I enjoyed one called The Pot and How To Use It, by legendary film critic Roger Ebert, of all people. It’s a fun read with a good variety of recipes. Ebert was no culinary superstar (he described himself as a “competent cook”), but his recipes are unpretentious and easy to customize to your own taste.


5. Porridge
You could argue that this is just another way of saying “other grains,” and you’d be right. But porridge deserves a category all its own. I have both a basic, one-button, 3-cup rice maker and a sophisticated 10-cup Zojirushi model, and I’ll sheepishly confess that I use the Zojirushi way more for steel-cut oats than I do for rice. Why? Because I can throw the ingredients in, walk away, and it will keep my porridge at a food-safe temperature until I’m ready to eat. No stirring, no burning, no fuss.
You can also use one-button rice cookers for porridge, but start with small batches until you get a feel for what your unit can handle. Porridge, especially oatmeal, has a nasty habit of foaming heavily and can spill over, making a mess on your counter. Don’t restrict yourself to oatmeal and multigrain porridge blends, either. This is also an easy way to make grits, congee, or even polenta.

6. Steamed Fish or Chicken
When you first bought your rice maker, it probably came with a steamer tray. Many of us likely just tossed it in a cupboard somewhere, but you shouldn’t sleep on its potential. While “steamed” rice is technically boiled, that doesn’t mean your rice cooker isn’t a perfectly good food steamer in its own right. You can fill the tray loosely with fresh or frozen vegetables, for example, and prepare not one but two side dishes with a single press of a button.
Where it gets really interesting is when you use the steamer for your main ingredient, with or without the rice. It’s a perfect way to prepare a healthy and tasty meal, whether it’s a chicken breast, a couple of fish fillets, or a big handful of shrimp. You can add flavor by nesting the proteins on shredded ginger and other aromatics, tucking fresh herbs in between them, or steaming them over a liquid, such as broth, cider, or wine. If you cook your fish or poultry with the rice, the juices from the meat will infuse the grain with extra flavor. That’s a win-win, even before you consider the convenience.
