How to Make Porridge in a Rice Cooker: Oats, Rice and Ratios
Yes, you can make porridge in a rice cooker. For oat porridge, Aroma uses 1 cup of oats to 2½ cups of water (or apple juice) on the White Rice setting, which takes about 40 minutes on its digital cooker.
Use the Porridge setting if your cooker has one. For rice porridge (congee), use far more water: about 1 part rice to 8 to 10 parts liquid.
- Oats: about 1 cup to 2½ cups liquid. Rice: about 1 cup to 8 to 10 cups liquid.
- Steel-cut and pinhead oats suit rice cookers best. Rolled oats foam more and can boil over.
- Never fill the pot more than halfway with porridge. It bubbles up as it cooks.
- Lightly grease the pot to stop porridge sticking.
- Add milk, sugar and fruit after cooking, not before.
Can you cook porridge in a rice cooker?
Yes. A rice cooker is good at porridge because it heats gently and switches itself to Warm. Aroma even lists oatmeal among the recipes its classic pot-style cookers can make, alongside soup and jambalaya.
Many cookers, such as some Zojirushi, Cuckoo and Tiger models, have a dedicated Porridge setting. It cooks more slowly at a lower heat, which stops thick, starchy mixtures from bubbling over. Without one, the White Rice setting still works with a few precautions.
Porridge ratios for a rice cooker
| Porridge | Dry amount | Liquid | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel-cut or pinhead oats | 1 cup | 2½ cups (Aroma) | Porridge, or White Rice |
| Rolled (old-fashioned) oats | 1 cup | 2 to 2½ cups | Porridge; watch closely on White Rice |
| Rice porridge (congee) | ½ cup rice | 4 to 5 cups | Porridge or Congee |
| Cornmeal porridge | ½ cup fine cornmeal | 3 cups, whisked in cold | Porridge, stirring once or twice |
Use a standard measuring cup for both the grain and the liquid. Ignore the rice water lines inside the pot. They are marked for cooked rice, not porridge.
How to make oat porridge in a rice cooker
- Grease the pot. Wipe a little butter or oil on the bottom and sides of the inner pot. This stops sticking.
- Add oats and liquid. Add 1 cup of oats and 2½ cups of water. Aroma rinses the oats first; this is optional but reduces foam.
- Add salt. A pinch of salt brings out the flavor. Leave milk and sugar until later, as they scorch and foam.
- Cook. Choose Porridge if you have it. Otherwise press White Rice or Cook.
- Stir. When the cooker switches to Warm, stir well. Add a splash of milk or hot water if it is too thick.
- Serve. Top with fruit, nuts, honey, brown sugar or peanut butter.
Porridge foams far more than rice. Keep the pot no more than half full, and stay nearby the first time you try it, especially on a basic cooker without a Porridge setting.
How long does porridge take in a rice cooker?
Aroma lists 40 minutes for its oatmeal on a digital 8-cup cooker. Dedicated Porridge settings heat more slowly and can take an hour or more. A basic one-switch cooker is quicker, but needs more watching.
Overnight porridge with the delay timer
If your cooker has a timer, add oats and water at night and set it to finish when you wake up. Use water only for timed cooking. Milk should not sit at room temperature overnight.
Rice porridge (congee) in a rice cooker
Rice porridge uses much more water than rice. Rinse ½ cup of jasmine rice, add 4 to 5 cups of water or stock and a few slices of ginger, and cook on Porridge or Congee.
No porridge setting? Use about 1 part rice to 8 parts water on Cook, then leave it on Warm for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring now and then. Our full guide covers making congee in a rice cooker.
Cornmeal porridge in a rice cooker
Cornmeal porridge, popular in Jamaica and the Caribbean, works too, but cornmeal clumps if added to hot liquid. Whisk the cornmeal into cold water or milk first, then pour it into the pot.
Cook on Porridge, stirring once or twice to break up lumps. Sweeten with condensed milk, nutmeg and vanilla after cooking. For a similar dish, see our guide to grits in a rice cooker.
Why porridge sticks to the rice cooker (and how to stop it)
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sticks or burns on the bottom | Milk or sugar added at the start, or left on Warm too long | Cook in water, grease the pot, serve soon after cooking |
| Boils over | Pot too full, rolled oats, or no Porridge setting | Halve the batch, use steel-cut oats, rinse oats |
| Too thick | Not enough liquid, or left on Warm | Stir in hot water or milk a little at a time |
| Too thin | Too much liquid | Leave on Warm 10 minutes with the lid open, stirring |
Soak the pot in warm water as soon as you serve. Dried-on porridge is much harder to remove, and scrubbing can damage a nonstick coating.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make porridge in a normal rice cooker?
Yes. Use the White Rice or Cook setting, keep the pot no more than half full, and stay nearby in case it foams. Aroma’s own oatmeal recipe uses the White Rice setting.
What is the ratio of oats to water for porridge in a rice cooker?
About 1 cup of oats to 2½ cups of water, the ratio Aroma uses. Add more water for a thinner porridge.
How long does a rice cooker take to cook porridge?
Around 40 minutes for oats on a digital cooker’s White Rice setting, according to Aroma. Dedicated Porridge settings are slower and can take an hour or more.
Can I make porridge with milk in a rice cooker?
It is better to cook with water and stir milk in at the end. Milk foams and scorches on the bottom of the pot.
Can I make rice porridge in a rice cooker?
Yes. Use about ½ cup rice to 4 to 5 cups of water on the Porridge or Congee setting.
The bottom line
A rice cooker makes easy porridge. Use 1 cup of oats to 2½ cups of water, cook on Porridge or White Rice, and add milk and toppings after cooking.
- Aroma Housewares, Rice Cooker Oatmeal.
- Aroma Housewares, How Long Does It Take in an Aroma Rice Cooker?
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