To truly appreciate this product you must realize that it is not just a rice cooker. It is a crock-pot (slow cooker, actually) and a yogurt maker.
First, as a rice cooker, it did a great job. Directions say that the smallest amount you can make is two cups of raw rice, but the technician I spoke says he makes one cup all the time, so I tried both. And both times the rice was excellent. The nice thing is that since is a temperature-controlled cooking situation, evaporated water is not much of an issue. One cup water to one cup rice and then an extra half-cup of water for the small amount of evaporation that occurs. And, although the recipe's strategy for making a combined white/brown rice combo is to start with the brown rice and half-through throw in the white rice (again, not a problem as it might be when using the old boiling water method), I tried both at the same time. The brown rice came out tasty and not crunchy -- with some chewy texture that actually (for me) enhanced the dish. The main thing is that you can rely on the quality of the rice and tinker with the recipe to achieve your preferred state of stickiness and separation.
Note, that the pot handles other grains well, too, providing a tasty quinoa and wild rice. I will try it soon on buckwheat.
As I mentioned, it is also a crock-pot. Well, okay, not a "crock-pot" because there is no crockery involved; but it does the sustained low temperature cooking that crock-pots are designed for. Cooking times are the same, so you can stick to the same recipes; and the results matched any of all my previous real crock-pots.
Next, and of special importance to me, is that it is a yogurt maker. Yogurt is an acquired taste and now that I have acquired it, I love it. Especially Greek yogurt, which my daughter turned me on it. Of the rest of my family, we had one other eager enthusiast and two rather tepid ones. Until last weekend.
The recipe for making yogurt is incredibly simple. Because the pot has its own temperature controls based on what you are making, I only had to put in milk, wait for it to heat and then cool the milk, at which time it chimed for me to add yogurt (a teaspoon of store-bought yogurt stirred in per quart of milk (1 - 4), push a water, wait for 8 hours (up to 12 hours, based on desired thickness-vs-tartness) and remove and chill. Since I wanted think Greek-style yogurt, I followed the suggestion to line a colander with cheeseclooth, pour in the warm yogurt and chill over a bowl for about 8 hours. The result was the best yogurt I have ever tasted; and now the two uncommitted members of my family have decided they too want yogurt and fruit for breakfast. My total invested time was about 15 minutes.
The entire beast is as large as a large crock-pot (taller and less wide than most); it holds four quarts in a nonstick removable container. But what it takes in counter space it remedies in removing the need for a standalone crock-pot. It is light and easy to carry.
Keep in mind that it feels flimsy. My first thought was that I had thrown away my money. But after the half-dozen uses I have made of it, I am starting to have confidence in it. I think my expectation that this would have the heft of a pressure cooker or professional rice steamer had too great an impact on me.
It now takes one of the top places of honor among my kitchen cookware.
It doesn't travel through time, but the 3 Squares TIM3 MACHIN3 Rice Cooker/Slow Cooker/Food Steamer/Yogurt Maker will make a lot more time for you while making great meals for your family. The TIM3 MACHIN3 cooks rice up to 45% faster than competing rice cookers. While Fuzzy Logic 2.0 and a 20% thicker cooking pot ensures that quickly cooked rice comes out delicious- with no burning! The TIM3 MACHIN3 is also a fully functional programmable slow cooker. High, medium and low settings work just like any single-tasking slow cooker. It's a food steamer too. With a programmable timer that counts down the time your food steams after water reaches a boil in the pot. The included steam tray can also steam food while rice cooks below! And it's a yogurt maker unlike any other. The entire yogurt making process is done within the TIM3 MACHIN3- there's no pots, pans or thermometers to futz with! It will heat milk, hold it at a boil, allow it cool, tell you when it's time to add the culture and cook your yogurt automatically. In addition to all that, it also has an awesome quinoa function that makes that super food super easy to cook. It unlocks the true flavor potential in quinoa so it's not just a gruely bowl of disappointment. The oatmeal function is ideal for steel cut oatmeal (and really all kinds of oatmeal). Fuzzy Logic 2.0 produces deliciously cooked results and keeps it from boiling over! There's also a programmable delay timer that sets up to 15 hours in advance to have rice or oatmeal ready when it's needed. Includes steam tray, rice paddle and rice measuring cup. The nonstick cooking pot and all accessories are dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
- Enter your model number above to make sure this fits.
- Faster: cooks rice up to 45% faster than competing rice cookers
- Smarter: Fuzzy Logic 2.0 monitors temperature above and below the cooking pot and makes adjustments automatically
- Does more: also includes specialized functions for steam, slow cook, quinoa, yogurt and oatmeal
- Built for quality: extra-thick cooking pot, more powerful heating element and smart digital display
- Includes steam tray, rice paddle and measuring cup,This is NOT a pressure cooker.
- NOTE: Please ensure to measure rice in the cup that comes along with the product ONLY
