Rice cookers tend to be a hands-off appliance -- you simply throw rice and water into the pan and turn the machine on. Occasionally, though, there will be strange burning smells coming from your rice cooker. In some cases, there is a quick fix to the problem, but in others, you may need to get a replacement.
New Rice Cooker
It's common for new rice cookers to emit a slight burning smell, as the protective coating on the warming apparatus begins to burn off. This will not affect the rice that you're cooking, and it should go away after you've used the cooker a few times.
Dirty Heating Element
The rice cooker has a heating element that you place the pan on top of before closing the lid. If you've accidentally dropped rice onto this element, it will heat up and burn, causing an odor. To prevent this, always check inside the machine before you insert the pan and remove any food debris.
Scorched Rice
One of the biggest advantages of a rice cooker is that it doesn't burn rice. If your rice is getting burned, though, you've got a problem. This can happen when you don't add enough water to the rice, when you don't thoroughly wash the rice or when you leave the cooker on the "warm" setting too long. Follow the manufacturer's suggestions about how much water to add when cooking different types of rice and the maximum amount of time you can use the warm setting.
Electrical Smell
A common mistake is to accidentally throw the rice and water into the cooker without the pan inside. When this happens, the water and rice goes all over the burning element. It's also possible to leak into other unseen areas. Without a thorough cleaning, this can cause a burning smell. You may also notice an electric burning smell if the cooker is old and needs replacement.
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