Most electric rice cookers have inner cooking bowls that are made from aluminum, which are then coated with a nonstick coating such as Teflon. If you do not like these nonstick coatings, then consider getting a rice cooker with a clay cooking bowl.
Why use rice cookers with clay pots?
Clay cooking bowls do not have nonstick chemical coatings or aluminum metal. It is a healthier alternative to rice cookers with nonstick cooking pots.
The clay bowl has better thermal properties and retains heat for longer. However, it needs special treatment because a clay pot cracks or breaks much easier than a metal pot.
Unfortunately, rice cookers with clay inner pots are very rare. The Vitaclay company is the only manufacturer that we know which makes electric cookers with non-toxic clay cooking pots.
Vitaclay Rice Cooker With Clay Pot
The Vitaclay VF7700-6 rice cooker can accommodate 6 cups of uncooked rice. There is also an 8-cup uncooked rice model available (VF7700-8).
Its main feature is the clay cooking pot, which has no Teflon coating or aluminum surface. There is no worrying about a nonstick coating starting to chip and leaving unhealthy residues in the rice or stew.
Its control panel features buttons for selecting the timer function, warm/off function, rice, brown rice, stew or soup setting. It can act as a slow cooker so you can cook soup or stew.
The appliance is made mostly of metal, weighs around 10 pounds and has the following dimensions: 10.2 inches high, 9.6 inches long, 10.6 inches wide.
Costs
- Clay pot does not have a nonstick surface: rice might stick to the inside.
- Handle clay pot with care: knocks, or extreme temperature changes, might cause cracks.
Benefits
- Rice and food cooked in the clay pot tastes fantastic.
- Clay pot: no Teflon coatings, glazed surfaces or aluminum pots.
Summary
The biggest attraction of the Vitaclay VF7700-6 is its clay cooking bowl. Rice cookers with clay pots are difficult to find. Rice can stick to the inside of the clay pot, but it is not such a problem.
The brittleness of the cooking bowl might be the biggest disadvantage of the Vitaclay VF7700-6. Please be careful when cleaning the pot. Do not take a warm clay cooking bowl and pour cold water into it. Handle the pot with care or it might crack. You will probably need to buy a replacement clay pot every few years.
This clay pot rice cooker from Vitaclay is good, but do not leave the rice on the keep warm function for too long. The rice tends to stick and dry out when left in the cooker to keep warm. You might find prices for the Vitaclay VF7700 6-cup clay pot rice cooker at Amazon.
Vitaclay Multi-Cooker With Clay Pot
The cooking pot that comes with this VitaClay rice cooker is made from Zisha clay, which has beneficial thermal properties, ensuring better cooking results. There are no nonstick coatings or glazes to worry about because it is a cooking bowl made from natural clay.
The control panel has the following settings: white rice, brown rice, sweet rice, reheat, stew, soup or porridge. It is used as either a rice cooker or a slow cooker. Use the slow-cooking function to cook soup or stew. Other features are the programmable 5-hour delay timer and LCD.
There are two sizes available, which can hold either 6 cups (VM7900-6) or 8 cups (VM7900-8) of uncooked rice.
Costs
- It is more expensive than rice cookers with stainless steel or ceramic pots.
- Clay pot needs to be handled and cleaned with care to prevent cracking.
- The clay pot does not have a nonstick surface: rice might stick to the bottom of the pot.
Benefits
- Multi-cooker can cook rice, slow cook food and even prepare yogurt.
- The clay pot does not have a nonstick coating or a chemical glaze.
- It has more menu settings than other rice cookers with a clay pot.
Summary
The most negative thing about the Vitaclay VM7900 is the durability of its clay pot. The clay pot might crack due to sudden temperature changes. Do not immerse a hot clay pot in cold water or a cold clay pot in hot water. If you take good care of the clay pot, it will take good care of cooking the rice.
The most positive feature of the Vitaclay VM7900 is, of course, its clay cooking bowl. It is free from nonstick coatings as well as aluminum. You can view prices, get more details and read customer reviews by visiting Amazon.
Conclusion
The Vitaclay VF7700 is cheaper and has fewer settings than the Vitaclay VM7900, which costs more but has more options. Both of these rice cookers are available in 6-cup or 8-cup uncooked models.
We hope our review of these Vitaclay rice cookers with clay inner pots gave you something to think about. You might also be interested in rice cookers with stainless steel pots.