I have no instructions for a Tatung 10 cup rice cooker. How do I cook white and brown rice?  Thanks

My first thought was to simply give instructions on how to use a rice cooker, but then I realized that if it were that simple, the reader wouldn't have asked.

I then did a search for Tatung's products and home office.  I found a beautifully crafted site with gorgeous products- and no way to contact them or place an order.  Most pages don't even have a way to get back to the home page, if you happened upon it by mistake.   No way to order, ask a question, find a recipe or make a suggestion (I certainly have one).  It's no wonder that  so many companies complain about poor results with their online business!  Take a look and see if you can find a contact link. 

By the look of them, and by the description, it's true that they appear to use some other cooking method than the standard, such as outlined in Perfect White Rice.

I then searched for a back door, and found a list of Asian manufacturers that included Tatung.  This led me to a map of Tatung's regional offices.  Perhaps the reader can contact the nearest office and ask how to get a manual.

Meanwhile, if anyone has a Tatung rice cooker and knows how to use it, please contact us with an explanation.

Do not know whether this lady has given up on her Rice Cooker but there was someone on the Chowhound site raving about how good her cooker was.. I am pasting the bit concerning it:  

Posted: February 22, 2002 at 11:51:47
In Reply To: Rice cooker must-haves?

"The rice cooker to get is the Tatung brand. You can find it at Asian grocery stores.  Why is Tatung so good?  It's simple and versatile.  The main body of the rice cooker is like a hot plate that you actually pour  1/4 to 1/2 cup of water into.  The metal bowl where you put your rice and water into, goes directly into this small pool of water.  When the rice cooker is on, it boils the water in the main body which keeps the temperature even and cooks the rice.  The versatility comes in that you can put just about anything into the main body of the rice cooker to steam (raised from the small pool of water of course)... you don't need a special "rice pot"... any metal container that fits into the rice cooker works!

The Tatung rice cooker is simple so it's durable and easy to clean!  My mother has had her Tatung rice cooker for as long as I can remember!  That's my recommendation.  I feel like an advertisement.

Link: Picture of a used Tatung... but they look pretty much the same now..."  (click photo to enlarge).

I have a Salton rice cooker/veggie steamer (inexpensive model) that I received as a gift several years ago.  Now that I want to use it, I can't find the manual. Basically, I don't know whether all of the water goes into the bottom of the unit (where the heating element is) and the rice goes into its holder dry and then gets cooked by steam ... or whether some of the water goes into the bottom of the unit while some water gets mixed into the rice.    Can you help set me straight?  Thanks!

Sorry not to get back to you sooner.  As I explained in our newsletter, we've had the mother of all colds here, and I'm running behind.  

After checking out Salton's website I assumed it worked the same as mine, but to be sure, I called their representative, Shirley Dilse, an uncommonly friendly and helpful person.  She confirmed what I suspected.   

Your rice cooker can be used either for rice, for steaming veggies or for both.  There is a liner (pan) and a strainer.  The water does not  go in where the heater is.  It goes in the pan with the rice.  The strainer is left out altogether if you are making just rice.  

If you are steaming veggies, put the water in the pan, and the veggies in the strainer.  Place the strainer into the pan and cover.  Steam just until the tenderness you desire.

Third possibility.  You can put your rice to cook, and put the strainer with veggies in over the rice.  The two will cook at the same time, saving both time and electricity.  Be careful not to overcook your veggies!  Tender-crisp is tastier and healthier.

Salton's manual suggests putting in the rice, then filling up to the appropriate line with water.  I don't do it that way.  See Perfect White Rice for alternative directions.  Those instructions will work equally well with Salton's or any other standard rice cooker.

Other suggestions:

• A teaspoonful of oil will keep the rice from foaming as badly.
  
  
• As a general rule, put in twice as much water as rice, but:
  *   If you live your rice moist or sticky put in a little more,
  *   If you like it well separated and almost chewy, add a tiny bit less
  *   For a single cup of rice, put in a little more than two cups water or it will be dry,
  *   For three cups of rice, six cups of water is plenty
  *   (In other words, the smaller a batch of rice, the larger ratio of water, but not much!)
  *   Brown rice requires a fair amount more water and a longer cooking time.  See package instructions to get an idea.
  
  
• Some crushed garlic, hot pepper flakes, salsa seasoning or Mrs. Dash will take the place of salt if you are on a salt-free diet.

If you still want a manual, you may call 1-800-947-3744.  That line is usually busy, so keep trying, or instead you may contact them at their website, Salton-Maxim.

Hi;   For Tatung 6 people rice cooker:

Example for 1 person:
1 cup of rice and 1 cup of water in the removable container.
1/2 cup of water between the container and the base of cooker.

That is all.  Cheers.

Thanks so much for writing.   I'm sure the person with the Tatung cooker will appreciate it greatly!

NOTE:   These instructions are ONLY for this brand of rice cooker.  DO NOT put water in between the pot and the base with the heating element on other cookers.  You'll ruin the cooker, blow the fuse or circuit breaker and maybe even electrocute yourself!  These instructions are for a rice STEAMER.

My Tatung rice cooker works like this (assume you're making 3 cups of rice):

1. Fill the small plastic cup that came with the cooker with water to the "3" line (probably only amounts to a tablespoon or two of water).  This goes in main body of the cooker (as opposed to the metal bowl which sits inside the main body).
   
   
2. Fill the small cup with rice three times and dump the rice into the separate metal interior bowl that came with the cooker.
   
   
3. The interior bowl now has rice in it but no water.  The bowl has markings on its inside.  With the rice already in the bowl, fill the bowl with water until it reaches the "3" line.
   
   
4. Put the interior bowl into the main body of the cooker - the bowl will be sitting in the small pool of water that you poured in there on step one.
   
   
5. Put the lid on and start cooking.

Thanks, Keith.   Everyone with a Tatung Cooker who has lost the instructions will be very grateful;  this is obviously an unusual piece of equipment with specialized procedures.   Note that brown rice usually needs a little more water that white, and a longer cooking time.

I got a White-Westinghouse 4 cup rice cooker that had no instruction book. Does anyone know how to use this cooker and can give me instructions on how to use my new cooker? 

Any help would be appreciated.   Thanks.

There's basically two kinds of rice makers.   The vast majority are simple to use rice cookers.  For each cup of white rice you put into the pan, you put in two cups of cool water.   If you use just one cup of rice, you'll need almost a quarter of a cup more water.  For three cups of rice, most people are happy with just six cups of water.  Your four cup rice make would take two cups of rice and four of water, plus maybe a tablespoon or two more, especially if you like your rice tender.

If you like sticky rice, use a little more water.

Set the control to "Cook", cover and wait until it turns to "Warm" and most cookers will ding as well to notify you it is done.  

I assume, if the cooker has a solid inner pan and a heating element inside, the Salton cooking instructions work.

On the other hand, if this inside thing is like a strainer, and underneath that a solid container, the Tatung instructions should be followed, as what you have is a rice steamer, rather than a plain rice cooker.  

Give it a try.  To see how I use my stainless steel rice cooker, see Perfect White Rice.

Can one make Asian style sticky rice in a Salton rice cooker????   Thanks.

I have to confess that I have never made sticky rice in my life.  Not wanting to steer you wrong, I put this question to ChefAl of Great World Chefs on his forum.  He's got a lot of interesting, amusing and informative stuff on the forum; just go to his site and click on the hamburger.   

"Hey, ChefAl, since I believe you make sushi (yeeech!) with something called 'sticky rice' I figured you'd know the answer this one.  Someone wrote to our forum on the Sneaky Kitchen and asked if you could make sticky rice in a rice cooker. How about it?"  

You can make 'sticky rice' in any cooker!   It's [1] type of rice, and [2] the seasoning, that make it 'sticky'. 

I use the NISHIKI brand, a premium sushi-rice, a short grain, variety.

IT IS THE BEST - and can be found almost anywhere!

HERE'S THE SECRET: 

1) Wash & rinse the RAW rice, several times, until the water runs clear. 

2) Then spread the rice out on your cutting board, or in a colander, and let dry, completely dry. [A Sushi Chef (Itamae-san), taught me this. Originally, was done to wash off the talc, so the rice would get even 'stickier'! But still helps, even today.] 

3) Cook your rice, your usual way, [EVEN IN YOUR RICE COOKER!]. 

4) Gently, remove the rice, from whatever you used, and spread on a wooden board, or large wooden bowl.  [The sushi guys use a 'hangiri' - those great big wooden salad bowls, the ones that cost an arm and a leg!]  NOTE: (Doesn't HAVE to be wood - but the wood, after awhile, gets 'seasoned'.) 

5) Next, gently fold in [being gentle will keep the rice 'light & fluffy'], your favorite brand of "seasoned rice vinegar" [you can make your own - but, I just buy it pre-made, in your Asian product aisle in grocery, usually labeled "Japanese Rice Vinegar - SEASONED"  [make sure it's 'seasoned', that means SUGAR was added--- a must!!]. 

6) When cool - it's ready to use. Or, if you wanna' hold a couple hours, cover with damp, lint-free cloth. 

NOTE: Lemme' know if you need PRECISE amounts, I'll forward exact recipes!  
BUT THAT'S THE TECHNIQUE, FOR MAKING STICKY RICE.

Hi,  I brought a White Westinghouse 3 cup rice cooker.   One day while the cooker was on, there was a breakdown in electricity.  From then it doesn't turn ON.  Can anybody let me know if I can find any repair service or some way I can get it repaired?    Thanks.

Most unfortunately, either at the moment of the power outage, or when it was restored, probably there was a power surge which burned out the switch, although low power or a brown-out can also damage relays and switches.

Unless this is a big commercial model, it may be cheaper to buy a new rice cooker.  However, if you wish to try, either find a small appliance repair service, call and ask, OR contact White Westinghouse small appliances to inquire.  The phone number is 1-800-272-5629, or email them at Frigidaire - Contact Us.

Hi.  I have a Salton 3 Cup Rice Cooker but I have a problem with it.  I usually make 1 to 1.5 cups of rice, and add 1.5 to 2.0 cups of water to it.  The rice in the bottom of the pan always burns though, leaving a crusty layer of burnt rice at the bottom.  I originally thought it was the cooker, so I took it back and got a new one, but it still does it.  Any advice?

I hate to admit it's a mystery to me.   First, to confirm the measurements your are using, for 1 cup of raw rice you should use 2 1/4 approximately of water.  For 1 1/2 cups of rice, you should use a tiny bit more than 3 cups of water.  In other words, the ratio is 1 rice:2 water, with a little extra water especially if you are making a small amount or if you like your rice moister.

Two other possibilities; if you like your food salty, adding more salt than normal, the water will boil away faster and you may have to increase the water.  Second, I don't know if altitude has anything to do with it.  My instructions work for sea level.  Perhaps a high altitude would need different measurements.

Experiment with increasing or decreasing water and/or salt, and if it still burns the rice, contact the company at Salton's website.

If anyone has a better idea as to what could cause this, please write, and keep us posted, Alan.

See my recipe for Perfect White Rice.    

I purchased a Salton Automatic Rice Cooker.  It did not have a manual with it. Can you please send me one?   Thank you.

What you need to do, if you bought it new, is go back to the store and demand a manual.  Otherwise, you'll have to contact the company at Salton's website.

I do not carry manuals of any kinds, only catalogs.

I have a National SR-818HN rice cooker that came only with Thai instructions.  It has an aluminum pot and the cooked rice tends to stick to this surface - it takes quite an effort to remove the rice from the aluminum surface.

I also find that the rice tends to brown if kept on warm for more that an hour.

Any ideas ?

All the rice cookers I've seen that haven't a non-stick or Teflon surface will tend to stick, and aluminum is worse at that than stainless steel.  In addition, even the heavier, non-stick ones I have used, or seen others use, tend to brown and stick worse if left on warm for a long time.  It's just the nature of things.

I have a stainless steel cooker with a great non-stick surface, which I guard like mad from scratches.  But it was fairly expensive, more than many people would be willing or able to pay.   Here's some hints.

• Make sure the cooker is dry, then oil it, or spray it with cooking spray.
• Add cold water and then the rice and any other ingredients.  
• Be sure not to use too much water; if your rice is sticky in addition to sticking to the pot, this may be part of the problem.
• Watch it closely, and as soon as it clicks to warm, fluff the rice with a plastic or wooden utensil.  Cover immediately and unplug the cooker.
• If you need to serve seconds or latecomers, and the rice has cooled, put a serving in a covered dish in the microwave for a few seconds.
• If you must leave it on warm, fluff it and stir it off the bottom every ten minutes or so.
• NEVER scour or dig at the dish.  It roughens the surface and makes it harder to clean the next time.  Put it to soak until the rice loosens.

There is another possibility which I couldn't tell without seeing your appliance.  Maybe you have a rice steamer instead of a "cooker".  This has a double set of bowls and water is put in the lower one.  See the instructions above on steamers and I'm sure you'll be able to tell.

Hope this will be a little help to you.  Take a look at the way I do it at Perfect White Rice.

Andy Chisholm, Managing Director
TraX Interconnect (Pty) Ltd

I have a strange rice cooker problem - I have bought several (different brands) and they all "burn out" on me either upon first use or within a month or two. Usually this happens while I'm in the middle of cooking rice - the unit's light goes out and the heat turns off - never to be rekindled. Am I burning out fuses? This has happened in different electrical outlets in two different houses. I'm feeling jinxed. 

Seriously, this reminds me of a problem we had some 35 years ago.  We had an old Frigidaire, and the switch kept burning out.  Calls to the repairman got expensive, so we bought a larger, somewhat newer but used Frigidaire.  The problem reoccurred.  I got more familiar with the mechanic than I wanted - or rather, he started trying getting more familiar with me than I wanted!  

On day I was at my elderly neighbor's house across the street.  She mentioned she was waiting for the fridge mechanic, for the third time, and thought maybe he was taking advantage of her because every few months it would break down again.  Light dawned.  Hers was also a Frigidaire.  When the repairman arrived, I asked some pointed questions.  He admitted that the Frigidaire switches were vulnerable to power surges, and perhaps we should check our power.   

Hubby had been wanting to spend some of our tight budget on a  meter, so I told him to go ahead.  We plugged it into an outlet and watched.  Sure enough, at random intervals the power increased to 125 or 135 volts.  We called Florida Power and Light; they replaced a transformer and no more breakdowns.

I can only think of a few possibilities:

1.  Power surges by a bad transformer or branches hitting a line.  On the other hand, something besides just the rice cooker should be breaking down.

2.  Are you using the same power cord?  It may be defective, letting too little electricity go into the rice cooker.  This can burn out motors and heating elements.

3.  Are you buying the same brand?  Maybe there's a bunch of lemons for that particular model.  And we hope you're returning them to the store for exchange!

4.  Are you getting water into the base?  Or food particles?  I always put the basin on a clean, dry paper towel to measure and add the rice and water to avoid getting contaminants on the element.  And you're not washing the base, are you?  

5.  Malicious aliens or evil imps.

Seriously, if you're having problems with any other appliances, get an electrician in there pronto, it's cheaper than having your house burn down.

Hi, I am need of instructions for a white westinghouse rice cooker. Does anyone have the instructions or should I go with the twice as much water to rice theory and see how it turns out...? Thanks. 

Most rice cookers (not steamers) are pretty straightforward.  Go with the twice the water.  If the rice is overcooked or too soft, add a tad less water less time; if it's too dry or chewy for you, add a little more.

Brown rice takes longer to cook and will need more water; you'd have to experiment.  I cook my brown rice in a pressure cooker.   

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