How to Use a Black+Decker Rice Cooker: Foolproof Tips for Perfectly Cooked Rice Every Time!

I have bought the cup Black and Decker rice cooker and no matter what, the rice always sticks to the bottom of the pan and is crusty, brownish, and overcooked)

I have followed the ratio of water and rice, rinsed the rice, and use a different kind of rice…but the problem remains. How can I stop this from happening? I bought this rice cooker so as not to have to keep a close eye on the rice while cooking but it is as much more demanding than cooking in a pan over the stove.

After reading and searching many sources of manual pdf and videos on how to use a black plus decker rice cooker, I knew the problem come from my side, and I haven’t used the black plus decker rice cooker the right way.

I’m Here to share my experience on How to use a black+decker rice cooker the right way, so follow my steps below and don’t skip any of them, stay tuned!

Using a black decker rice cooker, Cooking takes just 20-40 minutes, and the unit keeps the delicious, fluffy rice ready to serve long after cooking is complete with an automatic “keep warm” function.

Use it as a steamer too! The included steaming basket lets you prepare healthy meals with vegetables, fish, and more. Cleanup is a cinch with the dishwasher-safe, nonstick bowl and tempered glass lid. Plus, you can use the cooker to prepare soups, stews, and even oatmeal!

Without further ado let’s jump in!

How To Use A Black+Decker Rice Cooker: Step-By-Step?

1. Cooking rice

Step 1: Measure the desired amount of rice with the provided measuring cup and add it to the cooking bowl. The maximum amount of dry rice is 1 ½ rice cups measured.

Note: When measuring uncooked rice, do not use a standard 1 cup (8 fluid oz.) measuring cup. A standard rice cup is ¾ cup (6 fluid oz.), the same size as the provided rice measuring cup.

One rice cup measure of dry rice will yield 2 standard cups of cooked rice.

Step 2: Rinse the rice with water to remove any excess starch and then drain.

Step 3: For white rice, fill the cooking bowl with water to the line that matches the number of rice cups being cooked. Add butter, oil, or seasonings as desired.

Step 4: Place the cooking pot into the cooking base and then place the lid on the pot.

Step 5: Plug in the appliance; the warm indicator light will automatically illuminate. The appliance will start heating on warm as soon as the cord is plugged into the outlet.

Step 6: Push down the control switch. The cook indicator light will illuminate and the cooking will begin.

Step 7: When the rice is ready, the control switch will flip up and turn to warm.

Step 8: For best results, allow the rice to rest warm for 15 minutes with the lid in place. This will help further steam the rice. Always stir the rice with the serving spoon before serving.

Step 9: Unplug the appliance when not in use and always allow the rice cooker to completely cool before cleaning.

2. Cooking soups, stews, and more

Step 1: Add ingredients to the cooking bowl.

Step 2: Place the cooking bowl into the cooking base, then place the lid on the pot.

Step 3: Plug in the appliance; the warm indicator light will automatically illuminate. The appliance will start heating on warm as soon as the cord is plugged into the outlet.

Step 4: Push down the control switch. The cook indicator light will illuminate and the cooking will begin.

Step 5: If desired, set a kitchen timer for cooking time. Manually switch the appliance to warm when the food is ready by pushing up the control switch.

Note: The rice cooker will not switch to warm until all the liquids are boiled away. For best results, monitor the cooking progress closely and do not leave the rice cooker unattended.

Step 6: Unplug the appliance when not in use and always allow the rice cooker to completely cool before cleaning.

Rice tips:

1. If rice or other foods start to boil over, remove the lid and stir for a couple of minutes. Leaving the lid off for a short period will allow some of the liquids to boil off and for the mixture to slightly cool. Place the lid back on the rice cooker and repeat if needed.

2. Kosher salt has no impurities and dissolves faster than table salt. If using kosher salt, you may find you want to add a little more than if using table salt.

About ¾ tsp. of kosher salt is recommended for each rice cup (6 fluid oz.) of uncooked rice.

3. White rice can be stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to one year.

4. Brown rice can be stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to six months. Refrigeration or freezing extends its shelf life.

5. Try using broth, stock, or reconstituted bouillon in place of water for additional flavor. If you do, no additional salt may be necessary.

6. Do not keep small amounts of rice in the warm cycle for extended periods because it can dry out the rice.

7. During cooking, a thin crust may develop on the rice at the bottom of the bowl. If you do not like rice with a crust, you can easily peel it off and discard it.

8. Taste/hardness will vary depending on the quality/type of rice and the length of time it is cooked. For softer, fluffier rice, add a little more water. For firmer, crunchier rice, use less water.

9. For other types of grains not listed in the cooking chart above, follow the package directions below.

What Are Additional Uses For Black+Decker Rice Cooker?

Packaged foods:

Condensed and ready-to-serve soups, pasta, and stews

1. Do not fill the bowl above the largest water-marking cup level on the cooking bowl.

2. For even heating, stirring occasionally.

3. Always use a kitchen timer. Do not rely on the control switch on the cooker since it is not intended to be an indicator of cooking time for soups and stews.

4. Use only boneless meats and poultry that are cut into cubes no larger than 1½ inches. It is not necessary to brown the meats before cooking.

5. When cooking rice or pasta in the soup, add additional liquid to the recipe.

6. Since most frozen vegetables cook very quickly, it is best to add them at the end of the cooking time. Stir them into the soup or stew and allow the mixture to cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Choose recipes that will cook in 1 hour or less.

Oatmeal or Hot Cereals:

1. Steel Cut Oats work best.

2. Do not fill the bowl more than halfway with liquids, as the oatmeal will expand during the cooking process.

• For even heating, stirring occasionally.

3. When the oatmeal is done, the rice cooker will switch to warm. Please note that this is for well-done oatmeal.

If you prefer a different consistency, monitor the cooking process to manually switch to warm for desired results.

4. Choose recipes that will cook in 1 hour or less. 10 If desired, add seasonings and oil or butter with rice before adding water.

5. Allow rice to rest warm for at least 15 minutes before serving.

How Much Rice And Water Do I Put In A Black+Decker Rice Cooker?

For white long-grain, jasmine, basmati, yellow, or medium-grain rice:

Amount Of Rice	Amount Of Water	Approx. Cooking Time	Yield (Standard 8 Oz. Cups)
½ rice measure	to 0.5 mark	18 to 23 minutes	1 cup
1 rice measure	to 1 mark	19 to 24 minutes	2 cups
1 ½ rice measure	to 1.5 mark	20 to 25 minutes	3 cups

For brown rice:

Amount Of Rice	Amount Of Water	Approx. Cooking Time	Yield (Standard 8 Oz. Cups)
½ rice measure	1 cup	25 to 30 minutes	1 cup
1 rice measure	1 ½ cups	26 to 31 minutes	2 cups

How To Clean A Black+Decker Rice Cooker?

Important: Never immerse the cooking base in water or other liquids.

Step 1: Always unplug the rice cooker and allow it to cool completely before cleaning.

Step 2: Wash the cooking bowl and glass lid in warm, soapy water. If food sticks to the cooking bowl, fill it with warm, soapy water and allow it to soak before cleaning it with a plastic scouring pad

Note: Both the cooking bowl and glass lid are dishwasher safe.

Step 3: Rinse and dry thoroughly.

Step 4: Wipe the interior and exterior of the cooking base with a soft, slightly damp cloth or sponge.

Important: Never use abrasive cleaners or scouring pads to clean the cooking base, as they may damage the surfaces.

Step 6: If water accidentally gets into the switch area or onto the heating plate, allow the rice cooker to dry completely before using it.

How does a Black+Decker rice cooker work?

The switch that keeps the circuit to the heater closed is held in place by a magnet. Like all magnets, they lose their magnetic properties when they get hot enough, and the magnet in rice cookers is tuned to lose its magnetism at slightly over 100° C.

The cook/warm switch can send electric power to the heating element through one of two leads: low power in the warm position, and high power in the cook position. When you put the rice cooker on “cook”, the magnet keeps the switch closed, and the heater operates at full power.

As long as there’s water in the pot, the heat dumped into the pot by the heater will only turn the water into steam. It won’t get hotter than 100° C as long as there’s water in the pot. The pot will also keep its temperature at 100 °C, which means that the magnet still works.

When the water is gone, there’s no longer any water to dump the heat into, only the pot and the rice. And both pot and rice can get a lot hotter than 100° C, so the temperature of the pot rises – and so does the magnet. The magnet gets too hot, loses its magnetic properties – just as planned – and lets go of the switch, which opens to the “warm” position.

Even if you push it down to “cook” again, the pot quickly heats and the magnet loses its magnetism and opens the switch again.

There are more advanced rice cookers that also can be used as slow cookers, which by their nature will have to have more advanced thermocouples and control circuits for the heater, but the basic idea of the patent from the 1950s just uses the magnetic switch – and it is still used today in many cheap rice cookers.

Read Also:

Frequently asked questions:

How do you steam rice in a Black+Decker Rice cooker?

So I actually have an answer to this as I recently purchased a rice cooker that didn’t come with instructions.

1. For every 1 cup of rice add 2 cups of water.

2. Add salt to taste (1 tsp is what I do).

3. Add 1 Tbsp of oil (optional).

I add lots of different seasonings, and so can you! It’s all up to what you are making. The seasoning won’t change the making of the rice.

Now my rice cooker has a timer on it and I put the timer to 40 min. I often check it when it hits the 10 min mark, and sometimes I turn it off so it is more fluffy.

If your rice cooker doesn’t have a timer, just use the prompts on the cooker for what you’re making (it will say white rice, brown rice, steam, etc).

I hope this helps, and happy rice cooking!

Does the Black+Decker rice cooker cook brown rice?

Generally yes, you will need more water, look to your rice package for ratios, there’s not much difference between cooking stovetop vs. rice cooker in that regard.

The ingenious thing about most rice cookers is that they don’t cook by time, but rather by temperature. Brown rice takes longer to cook because it absorbs water more slowly, your rice cooker doesn’t care.

It cooks ’til the water is gone. As long as there is water in the cooker, the temperature can’t rise above 212F/100C, as soon as the water is absorbed, the temperature starts to rise. The cooker senses this and stops cooking.

When you first try brown rice in your cooker, keep an eye on it. When the water level gets low, check the rice for doneness. If it’s undercooked add a small amount of water and continue cooking.

Repeat this process until the rice is cooked. Keep track of how much additional water was needed and make a note of it.

Is it possible to overcook rice in a black+decker rice cooker?

A lot of these answers use incorrect knowledge of how a rice cooker operates. (most) rice cookers do not have a set program or timer.

You can try this for yourself – try starting an empty rice cooker. After a short time, it will switch off. If you try and switch it on again, it will stop almost immediately.

In fact, most rice cookers don’t have timers at all. They will sense the temperature of the contents. Since liquid water will never exceed 100C, if the cooker reaches a temperature of 103C, all water must be either evaporated or absorbed by the rice, at which point the cooker will switch off.

If you have the right proportion of water, this means the rice is finished. But if you added too much water, the rice could have cooked longer than it needs to.

So it is in fact possible to overcook rice in a black+decker cooker. If you want to avoid this, use standard rice: water ratio and adjust it as you see fit. Most rice cookers and tastes vary, so you’ll have to see what works for you.

If you are looking to buy a new rice maker & cooker, i recommend you Black+Decker rice cooker.