As the saying goes, "To do a good job, one must first have the right tools." To cook a pot of good porridge, you must first find a good pot. Porridge is the most easily digestible food, mainly because rice undergoes gelatinization at temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius, becoming soft, cooked, and sticky. So what kind of pot is best for cooking porridge?
Clay Pot
The texture of a clay pot is simple, it heats up slowly, has strong heat retention, and slow cooking over low heat not only prevents spilling, but also results in a soft and delicious porridge with a special aroma and smooth texture. The most famous Chaozhou-style porridge is cooked in a clay pot. Nowadays, there are electric clay pots available in the market, which not only save electricity but also allow for time reservation. You can reserve in the morning and come home to enjoy a fragrant pot of porridge in the evening.
Earthen Pot
Earthen pot porridge, particularly famous in the Huai Shan area, is similar to firewood rice. It is cooked using an iron pot heated by firewood. First, the porridge is brought to a boil, and then slowly simmered using the residual heat of the charcoal, resulting in an exceptionally fragrant porridge.
Pressure Cooker
A pressure cooker, especially an electric pressure cooker, is a handy tool for cooking porridge. The high pressure inside the pressure cooker easily cooks the porridge to a soft consistency in a short amount of time. Additionally, electric pressure cookers allow for time reservation and intelligent time control, preventing the porridge from becoming overcooked.
Double Boiler
A double boiler, also known as a simmering pot, is characterized by slow and gentle cooking, resulting in a smooth and fragrant porridge that doesn't spill. It is most suitable for cooking porridge in the evening to be enjoyed the next morning. The downside is that it is very slow, as the porridge is cooked in a water bath, and the temperature does not exceed 100 degrees Celsius. It generally takes 3 to 4 hours to cook a pot of porridge for two people.
How to Prevent Spilling When Cooking Porridge
The most troublesome thing when cooking porridge in a rice cooker is spilling, which not only wastes food but also requires effort to clean the pot and table. To prevent spilling, you can add a few drops of cooking oil on the water surface while cooking porridge. This is mainly because oil floats on the water surface and has a higher boiling point. By covering the surface of the porridge with a layer of oil, it prevents the rice from bubbling and overflowing.
