My quest for consistently perfect rice has been a long and often frustrating journey. For years, I battled with stovetop cooking, a method that promised simplicity but delivered a rollercoaster of results. One night, I’d get fluffy, perfectly separated grains, and the next, a sticky, mushy mess or, even worse, a pot with a burnt, crusty bottom. It was a culinary gamble that could make or break a meal, and I was tired of losing.
Before you dive into purchasing a dedicated rice cooker, it’s important to understand what you’re looking for. These appliances are designed to solve one primary problem: cooking rice and other grains to perfection with minimal effort. They take the guesswork out of the process, ensuring consistent results every time. The ideal customer for a rice cooker is anyone who eats rice regularly, from busy families needing a reliable side dish to college students looking for an easy meal solution, or even single individuals who appreciate convenience. If you want to “set it and forget it,” a rice cooker is for you.
However, if you’re a culinary enthusiast who enjoys the hands-on process of stovetop cooking or you only eat rice once in a blue moon, a dedicated appliance might just be another gadget cluttering your counter space. For those who need advanced features like pressure cooking, slow cooking, or yogurt making, a high-end multi-cooker would be a more suitable investment. Before buying, consider these key factors: capacity (how many people are you cooking for?), simplicity (do you want one-touch operation or multiple settings?), ease of cleaning (are the parts dishwasher safe?), and versatility (do you want to steam vegetables simultaneously?).
- COOK ENOUGH FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: The large rice cooker steamer holds up to 10 cups of cooked or 5 cups of uncooked rice to easily feed...
- EASY TO USE WITH ONE-TOUCH CONTROLS: Just press one button to cook rice, steam vegetables and more. The electric rice cooker...
Introducing the Proctor Silex 37533G
The Proctor Silex Rice Cooker & Food Steamer, 10 Cups Cooked (5 Cups Uncooked), model 37533G, is the embodiment of simplicity and reliability in the kitchen. It doesn’t promise to be a do-it-all machine with a dozen confusing buttons. Its promise is straightforward: to cook perfect rice with the press of a single switch. When you open the box, you’ll find the main cooker unit, a non-stick removable inner pot, a glass lid, a 2-in-1 steamer basket that also functions as a rinsing colander, a rice measuring cup, and a plastic spatula.
This specific product is perfect for individuals, couples, or small families who value efficiency and no-fuss operation over complex features. It’s for the person who wants a dependable appliance that does its job well without a steep learning curve. It’s not for the gourmet chef looking for precise settings for ten different types of grains or for a large family that needs more than 10 cups of cooked rice for a single meal.
Pros:
- Extremely simple one-touch operation.
- Automatic keep-warm function.
- Includes a versatile food steamer basket.
- Removable parts are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
- Budget-friendly and great value for the price.
Cons:
- Can splatter starchy water from the lid’s steam vent.
- The 5-cup uncooked capacity is a stretch for some rice types, leading to overflow.
- The “Cook” and “Warm” labels on the unit may wear off over time.
- Easy-to-use programmable digital controls complete with an automatic Keep Warm mode after each cycle
- Perfectly prepares 2 to 6 cups of any variety of cooked rice
- 𝟭𝟴 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿: Choose from different types of white and brown...
A Deep Dive into its Capabilities
After using this rice cooker for a significant amount of time, I’ve come to appreciate its features not just for what they are, but for how they seamlessly integrate into my daily cooking routine. It has become a trusted workhorse in my kitchen.
Generous Capacity for Family Meals
The cooker is advertised with a capacity of 10 cups cooked rice from 5 cups of uncooked rice. For my family of three, this is more than enough for dinner with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. On most nights, I cook 2 or 3 of the included measuring cups of uncooked rice, which yields a substantial amount. This is perfect for meal prepping or when we have guests over. However, it’s important to note a key finding from my experience and that of other long-time users. Pushing the cooker to its absolute maximum 5-cup uncooked limit, especially with starchy white rice like calrose, can be risky. The rice can expand so much that it pushes against the lid and may not cook evenly, sometimes causing the unit to overflow. I’ve found the sweet spot to be around 4 cups of uncooked rice, which still produces a very large quantity without any issues. This ensures every grain is perfectly fluffy from top to bottom.
One-Touch Simplicity
In a world of increasingly complex gadgets, the beauty of this simple electric rice cooker lies in its absolute simplicity. There is no digital screen, no timer to set, and no menu to navigate. There is a single switch. You press it down to “Cook,” and when the internal sensor detects that the water has been absorbed and the rice is done, it automatically clicks up to the “Warm” setting. This “set it and forget it” functionality is a game-changer. I no longer have to anxiously watch a pot on the stove, adjusting the heat and worrying about it boiling over or burning. I can add my rice and water, flip the switch, and walk away to focus on the rest of the meal. The automatic keep-warm feature is a lifesaver, ensuring the rice stays at a perfect serving temperature without overcooking, whether dinner is on time or delayed by a few minutes.
The Versatile 2-in-1 Steam Basket
What truly elevates this appliance from a simple rice cooker to a multi-functional kitchen tool is the included steam basket. This isn’t just an afterthought; it’s an incredibly useful accessory. Its first function is as a colander. I use it to rinse my rice directly in the basket, which helps remove excess starch for fluffier results. Its main function, however, is as a steamer. You can place it on top of the inner pot while your rice is cooking below. This allows you to steam vegetables, fish fillets, or dumplings using the same heat and steam that’s cooking your rice. It’s incredibly efficient, saving time, energy, and an extra pot to wash. I frequently toss in some broccoli florets or sliced carrots for the last 10-15 minutes of the rice cooking cycle, and they come out perfectly tender-crisp. One tip: if you’re using the steamer, it’s best to cook a smaller amount of rice (around 1.5 to 2 cups uncooked) to leave enough room for the steam to circulate properly. With this feature, this versatile cooker can help you prepare a healthy, complete meal all in one pot.
Effortless Cleanup
One of my biggest pet peeves with cooking is the cleanup, and this Proctor Silex model makes it remarkably easy. The inner cooking pot has a non-stick coating, which means rice rarely sticks to the bottom, especially if you let it rest on the ‘warm’ setting for a few minutes after cooking. The pot, the glass lid, and the steamer basket are all removable and dishwasher safe. After dinner, I simply place them on the top rack of my dishwasher, and they come out perfectly clean. For those who prefer hand washing, a quick rinse with a soft sponge and soapy water is all it takes. One user noted that their aluminum pot’s exterior finish dulled after a dishwasher cycle, so if you want to maintain its original shine, hand washing might be the better option. For me, the convenience of the dishwasher outweighs this minor cosmetic change.
Thoughtful Accessories
The included accessories are simple but practical. The rice measuring cup is crucial for getting the right proportions. It’s important to know that this is not a standard U.S. 8-ounce cup; it’s a traditional Japanese rice cup, which is about 3/4 of a U.S. cup. You should always use this cup to measure your rice and then use the corresponding water-level lines inside the cooking pot for perfect results. The plastic spatula, or rice paddle, is designed not to scratch the non-stick surface. The handle of the cooker features a clever integrated slot that holds the spatula, keeping it off your counter and conveniently within reach when it’s time to serve.
What Others Are Saying
I spent some time looking through online reviews to see if my experience matched that of others, and the consensus is overwhelmingly positive. Many users praise the cooker for its simplicity and incredible value, calling it a reliable workhorse that makes perfect rice without any fuss. People appreciate how easy it is to use and clean. A common piece of advice I saw was a solution to the one consistent downside: the splattering. Many users of this affordable rice cooker have discovered that placing the included spatula over the steam vent in the lid effectively deflects the starchy water, preventing any mess on the countertop.
The Final Verdict
The frustrating problem of inconsistent, poorly cooked rice can ruin an otherwise perfect meal. It’s a common issue for those who rely on the stovetop method. For that reason, this Proctor Silex rice cooker is an excellent solution. It offers foolproof simplicity with its one-touch operation, making it impossible to mess up. Furthermore, its dual-function steamer basket adds a layer of versatility that allows you to cook healthier, more complete meals with less effort and cleanup. For its budget-friendly price, it delivers exceptional value and reliability. If you’re tired of guessing games and want perfect rice every time, this is the appliance you’ve been looking for. Click here to check the latest price and purchase it today.
Last update on 2025-10-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API