Rice is eaten in almost every home, everyone loves rice and we are most times left surplus after dinner because we do not usually measure our rice properly, we most time add extra to get a good measurement, now you are smiling, right? Thankfully, after having a surplus, you can easily use a rice cooker to reheat your leftovers. Reheating the leftovers in your rice cooker will ensure that you don’t need to cook your rice again from scratch and you will also get your rice taste fresh and also have a fluffy texture as compared to when you reheat using some other methods that will give sticky and mushy rice.
The question we need to ask is how to reheat rice with your rice cooker. To reheat your rice in your rice cooker is very easy, you only need to add some water in the rice cooker, press the reheat button, and allow it to cook for an hour. You don’t need to do much because the rice can be reheated from the cold within an hour to get it warm to be eaten again.
Reheating Rice In A Rice Cooker
If you have noticed your rice cooker, most of them have the reheat button, some of them are found beside the start option. If you want to reheat your rice in the rice cooker, add one tablespoon of cold water and put the rice inside your rice cooker before you press the “keep warm” button. The rice will be reheated slowly and this is the best method to reheat your rice because if there is too much heat will heat it fast, but it could lead to the rice getting burnt and also dry out all the moisture and this will make it to hard or mushy, perhaps, it could be both. Adding water into your rice cooker will allow the rice to have enough moisture that will keep it from becoming dry but it will not give it too much of moisture that may lead to the rice being soggy.
All you have to do is to allow your rice cooker to remain on for one hour. Before this stipulated time, ensure that you check the rice occasionally until it is completely heated. The method is stress-free because you don’t have to stir, neither do you have to add more water nor do you need to check on the heat as you warm and yet you will get a nice warm and fluffy rice thanks to your rice cooker within an hour.
Like an instant pot, many of the rice cookers that we see around possess the property delay timers and that means you can delay your rice from getting ready until the stipulated time that you want. For example, if you wish the rice to take up to two hours before it gets done, then you can proceed to set it to that time and you will have your rice ready when it is needed. If you want your rice to be kept warmer for a longer time, reheating it inside the rice cooker is the best way to do it. Close the cooker’s lid and allow it to get warm for a longer time so that anybody will not have to eat their rice cold and no one will worry about rewarming it.
How To Reheat Rice Without A Rice Cooker
Having seen how to reheat your rice by using the rice cooker, it is not everybody that has this device and that means it is not everyone that can use it to reheat their rice. You may be looking for some other options to use to reheat your rice, check below for three other methods that you can use:
Oven
You can reheat your rice in an oven, though this might look odd, it does work fine. All you have to do is to mix the rice and a small amount of water and then spread it on your oven-safe baking tray. Don’t forget to use a fork break the lumps within the rice. Use aluminum foil to cover your rice and allow it to bake at a temperature of 300°F until it is heated through or for about 20 minutes. The rice will become heated quickly and evenly because it has been spread out and this will not allow too much moisture to be lost. Loss of moisture will also be prevented by the aluminum foil that has been used to cover the rice and it will not make it dry out, instead, staying hydrated.
Stovetop
You are required to steam your rice more than frying it when you are reheating your rice on a stovetop. Put the rice on a saucepan and add one tablespoon of water, break the lumps within the rice with a fork and allow it to spread out evenly. Use a lid to cover the saucepan and allow it to cooker on low heat. Remember to stir it occasionally until it has been heated through completely. The rice should not be allowed to be too hot because it might become stuck to the bottom, eventually drying out. Ensure you use a very tight lid so that any moisture will not escape from the saucepan.
Microwave
The microwave is the quickest method to use to reheat your rice but you can also consider it to be a bit risky if you don’t do it properly. It could lead the rice to become too hard and it can also allow it to stick together to become gluey. If you want to do it properly, follow the steps below:
- Put the rice inside a microwave-safe bowl and add a small amount of water.
- Use a fork to break any clump within the rice and use a wet paper towel to cover your bowl.
- Allow it to cook for just 30 seconds on high.
- Remove the rice from your microwave.
- You will have to stir your rice and allow it to stay for about 30 seconds before you repeat the process.
- When you leave the rice for a while to sit between heating, this allows an even distribution of the heat. You will have to continue to do this until it is heated evenly through.
In case you are heating only a little rice, then you can put the rice on a plate, break the lumps and use a wet paper towel to cover the rice. This will allow your rice to spread out and reheat faster. Ensure you don’t overcook it inside the microwave so that it will not turn too dry. You could add another tablespoon of water (or rice milk) if the rice requires more moisture.
Is It Safe To Reheat Rice?
It is very safe to reheat your rice though some people have the belief against that. This depends on the cooking methods, the way you have stored your rice, and how you have handled it. Rice could contain a bacterium called Bacillus cereus that may survive the cooking process. The bacteria may lead to foodborne illnesses like food poisoning. If you did not cook the rice properly or you have not stored it properly, there is a tendency that the bacteria may grow on your leftover and could cause sickness.
You must ensure that whenever you are cooking your rice, you allow it to reach a very high temperature. Bacteria breed well between the temperature of 40°F and 140°F. If you cook your rice above this stipulated temperature, any bacteria will be killed. Ensure you serve the rice immediately after you have cooked.
If you want to store your leftovers, ensure the rice is cooled quickly by dividing it into shallow containers. You can also put it directly in a refrigerator or freezer. You are not supposed to leave your rice sitting at room temperature for more than one hour. Place the rice inside an air-tight container in the refrigerator for about four days and in your freezer for about four months. Be sure that you prevent the growth of bacteria by ensuring the rice maintains a temperature that is below 40°F. Whenever you are reheating your rice, ensure that you allow it to reheat enough to become very hot so that bacteria will not grow on it.
Related Questions
Reheating Rice In A Rice Cooker
This is a device you should have in your kitchen most especially if you often cook large batches of rice. Always remember to rinse the rice before you cook. You can use your rice cooker to easily cook, reheat, and keep the rice warm so that you can enjoy the rice very hot.
What is the best way to reheat rice?
Using the rice cooker is the simplest method to reheat your rice because that is what it was made for, to cook and reheat rice. All you need to do is to put the rice in your rice cooker and add some water. Put the cooker on and allow it to warm for one hour. This will allow it to warm through and also keep any potential growth of bacteria.
Can you reheat rice after it has been in the fridge for more than a day?
You can reheat your rice that has been placed in the refrigerator, you must, however, ensure that the cooked rice is placed inside the refrigerator as soon as you can, it is preferable to be within one hour after you have cooked it. You can keep the rice in the refrigerator for about four days. The sooner the rice is reheated and eaten, the better. Ensure you thoroughly reheat the leftover rice so that any bacteria will be killed.
