Electric Cookers

!: Electric Cookers

Electric cookers can be defined as cookers that use electricity to work. There are several types of electric cookers such as electric range cookers, rice cookers, electric pressure cooker etc.

Let us take a look at each of the types of electric cookers:

Electric range cookers: Range cookers can be either gas, electric or dual fuel. These cookers have distinct advantages over gas cookers. These are:

· Safety: Gas cookers have caused many accidents in the past and most of them were fatal in nature. As against this, electric cookers are relatively safe. Suppose you forget to switch off the electric cooker, the coil would remain hot but it won't result in any fatal accidents.

· Cheap: These cookers are comparatively cheaper than gas cookers.

· Auto start: These cookers start at a push of the knob. You don't have to look for a lighter to ignite the cooker.

· There are several other features such as broil which may not be available in gas cookers.

Rice Cookers: The base of the rice cooker contains the electrical device. The circular top portion is used for cooking rice. Some rice cookers have two compartments, so that you can cook rice and steam vegetables at the same time. Rice cookers offer a convenient and easy way to cook rice and are a boon for rice lovers. These come with a timer and auto off so, cooking rice becomes fairly simple. Moreover, it is easy to clean this cooker.

Electric Pressure cookers: These are similar to the normal pressure cooker with an additional advantage of a timer and auto off.

Points to be remembered while buying an electric cooker:

· Electric cookers are free standing cookers and are available in various sizes. Depending on the space available in your kitchen and your cooking requirements, you can decide upon the size of the cooker.

· Dual fuel cookers offer the advantage of using both gas as well as electricity and have more hobs, but these occupy greater amount of space.

· If you have a large family, you can opt for double oven electric cookers.

· The number of hobs in electric cookers varies from 4 to 6, where as in dual fuel you get as many as 8 hobs.

· The hobs could be hot plates or ceramic hobs. With in hot plates, you have an option of rings, halogen or the hot plate. Hot plate hob is costlier than rings, but cleaning the rings is a time consuming task.