I was introduced to a rice cooker two decades ago – it’s now the kitchen staple I can’t live without

There is one item in my kitchen that I simply could no longer live without - my Russell Hobbs rice cooker. Since living on my own in 2019, I think I have used it almost every week, and that's no exaggeration.

Back two decades ago, I was lucky enough to live with a man who went on to become one of my best friends. June is Filipino, and as such, rice makes up a large part of his diet. I was used to cooking white rice in either a pan, or using microwavable packets before meeting him. But the fluffy, filling and much more purse-friendly rice cooker version he introduced me to quickly became my staple - and 20 years later, it still is.

While I am single and live alone, it is perfect for a household of any size, as you can add as much or as little rice as you like. Using a cup measurement, you simply fill it with rice, and how many cups (say four), you simply measure the water to the number four level that is visible inside the removable bowl. Pop the lid on, turn it on, and hey presto, you’ve got gorgeous rice every time.

Russell Hobbs Rice Cooker review

Design and build of the Russell Hobbs rice cooker

If you want spicy rice, add some chilli; if you want super savoury rice, add salt, garlic powder and some bay leaves - the world is truly your oyster.

I keep my rice cooker in the same cupboard I put my slow cooker, large wok, air fryer and griddle pan in, basically any bulkier item that I don’t want on display every day.

However, because I tend to create my meals in bulk and batch cook, I simply remove the bowl and keep it in the fridge until I have used up all the rice.

And this is the best thing I love about rice - the ability to easily calorie count just how much I am eating. Compared to other starchy carbohydrates I might have for any meal, say potatoes or pasta, I feel I can much more easily know exactly how much I am eating. I use a wooden spoon and roughly two heaped servings equates to one portion. For anyone dieting, it’s incredibly useful. And it always seems much more filling than other carbs, for me at least!

What is the Russell Hobbs rice cooker like to use?

In fact, you can even cook a complete meal in it. There are loads of influencers online who create delicious dishes, adding some chopped up chicken breast, soy sauce, spring onions and anything else you can imagine.

As it is cooked by weight (there is a small automatic scale that is in the bottom of the main component), it does it perfectly every time. Once done, simply mix it all together and portion out. Compared to cooking rice in a pan, which I never truly mastered - and ended up with burnt bottoms or undercooked offerings - you'll simply never have that problem any longer.

There is even a plastic steamer that came with mine, which means you could steam broccoli, green beans, or any other veg you fancy - and truly, it is gorgeously tender every time I’ve used it.

Budgetary and taste-wise, it is a no-brainer. I purchased a large bag of rice, say 10kg, and it lasts me easily six months. Costing around £15, depending on the brand, the savings compared to microwavable packets - or even the much smaller packets of dried rice - is incomparable.

For entertaining too, the rice cooker is a great option. If you have a big crowd, simply add more cups of rice and more water. Alongside a big pot of chilli con carne, a vegetable curry or a beef stir fry, you’ll have a perfectly curated meal. If you keep it in the cooker itself, it will also keep the rice perfectly warm.

Doing that has even led to my friends purchasing them, as they’ve seen how much of an essential it has become in my kitchen. There are fancier ones, where you can have different settings - but for me, the simplicity of my Russell Hobbs rice cooker, which simply has an on switch, and turns off automatically when done, is perfect.

If you’re looking for a new, long-lasting, easily usable kitchen gadget, the rice cooker is truly the one for you. I promise, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.