This $20 Tool Makes Fluffy Rice Faster Than Your Rice Cooker — and It Takes Up Zero Counter Space

My rice cooker and I are at a weird place right now: I think it takes too long to cook, so I rarely use it, and instead of cooking the rice that’s already in my cupboard, I start buying frozen microwavable rice packets that are quick and easy (and don’t mind if I forget to start making the rice until I’m done cooking everything else). After zapping packet after packet, I realized that my microwave might be onto something. As it turns out, it is.

The more economical way to make perfectly fluffy rice in minutes, and use an appliance you already have, is with Joseph Joseph’s microwave rice cooker. It goes right inside your microwave and steams up a full container’s worth (2 cups) in just 15 minutes. And, from a purely decluttering aspect, I personally like that Joseph Joseph designed it to use every part — cooking vessel, straining basket, vented lid, and rice paddle — as it cooks.

Cooking rice in this is as easy, if not easier, than a traditional electric rice cooker (and way easier than any stovetop or oven-bake method). After rinsing your rice in the colander, set it in the vessel, add water, and lock the lid in place with the paddle. Joseph Joseph includes a guide that tells you how much water to use and how long to microwave any amount of rice, so there is zero guesswork. A two-person serving of long grain white rice takes 10 to 12 minutes to cook, which is way shorter than my rice cooker’s 20 minute minimum.

The entire cooking process is so quick, you can choose to make rice when you start cooking (and leave it in the microwave to stay warm), or you can make it when your main dishes are about done and you realize you forgot about your carb (hi, me again). I love that I could stash this in a cupboard and take it out only when I need it. My current — and soon to be ex — rice cooker is bulky and heavy enough to make it a pain to store it in my cabinets, so it continues to take up space on my open shelves.

Microwaves are cooking devices that are waiting and willing to surprise you with the dishes they can make. Yes, they’ll always be there to reheat leftovers and pop popcorn, but they’re also here to help you get dinner together more quickly and easily. I’m already basically on the microwaved rice bandwagon, so it’s about time I made things official!

Buy: Joseph Joseph M-Cuisine Microwave Rice Cooker, $20.00 (normally $25.00).