Aroma ARC-1033E 30-Cup Commercial Pot-Style Rice Cooker

Posted by best buy on June 16, 2010 under Aroma | Be the First to Comment

Aroma ARC-1033E 30-Cup Commercial Pot-Style Rice Cooker Review

Bought this for Sous Vide due to its large capacity (30 cups uncooked, 60 cups cooked, 12 liters water only capacity) and cheap cost compared to other large rice cookers. Immediately discovered it had problems when used with a PID device such as FreshMealSolutions SousVideMagic TM-1500D which cycles power on and off quickly to control the output percentage of heat/power. Without modifying the device I would not want to use it for Sous Vide with such a controller, and would rate it 1 star. Modified I’d rate it a 4 for lack of insulation, but due to its very low cost, I will give it 5 stars.

The problems with the unmodified cooker are that the unit beeps loudly when first plugged in (so every time the PID cycles the power on), and it uses a mechanical relay to provide power to the heating elements. The electronics/relay take a while to active after the power comes on, much slower than the fraction of a second power that the PID wanted to provide to the cooker at its lowest percentage power settings (so most of the time that the unit is at or very close to the set temperature). The end result was a cooker that beeped extensively and would not actually provide heat until the PID gave it power for at least a second at a time. I also question how long that mechanical relay would last cycling that often.

Thankfully the device is very simply constructed and simple to modify, and return to its unmodified state if desired. [EDIT: HERE IS AN IMAGE [...] SEE FOR REFERENCE] The bottom cover plate has three screws. The heating elements, electronics/relay, and wall power are all cables attached to easy to access screws (heating elements) or threaded posts with nuts and lock washers (wall power). Simply disconnect the power leads that supply power to the electronics/relay and secure them so they will not accidentally contact anything. Then provide and connect your own 8″ cable (existing ones looked like 16awg, use 14awg or thicker to be safe) with appropriate terminations and heat protective covering, and connect the heating element directly to the A/C supply. If you had the cable provided it would be about 5 minutes of work. It took me about 5 minutes to make the cable (already had wire, posts, post crimper, heat protective wire covering, and heat-shrink tubing).

WARNING: Once modified in this way the cooker is always at 100% power when powered/plugged in, with no weight sensor active, no front electronics lights on the front to indicate it is on, and no other protections for the heating elements/cooker – SO CAUTION IS REQUIRED WHEN MODIFIED, as damage to the cooker or worse (fire) could result if the device is plugged in with no pot/water. Standard disclaimer applies; modify at your own risk, not responsible for damages or injuries, etc etc.

As to the actual rice cooker, the only problems I have with it would be energy efficiency for longer cooking times. The whole lip of the metal pot is directly exposed to the air, and the cover provided is stainless steel which quickly matches the temperature of the pot, leading to a lot of exposed metal surface area at the full temperature of the water. The actual device is also not insulated at all, however the sides do not get particularly warm, meaning the most benefit to adding some insulation would be a simple cover of the cover and lip of the pot.

Without any sort of insulation covering the auto tune function (in Fahrenheit mode on my TM-1500D) come up with settings of P=10, I=1230, D=38. I’ve not had much time to see if these are ideal, and will update this review later after more experience. I did find it overshot by about .7 to 1 degree after adding some food with those settings, while coming up to temperature quickly.

Aroma ARC-1033E 30-Cup Commercial Pot-Style Rice Cooker Feature

• 30-cup commercial rice cooker prepares up to 60 cups at a time
• Electronic controls with “on/off” button, “mode” button, and “cook” and “warm” indicator lights
• Audible signal when finished cooking; automatically switches to keep-warm mode
• Stainless-steel lid; stay-cool handles; 2 measuring cups and rice paddle included
• Measures approximately 17-2/3 by 17-2/3 by 12-3/5 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Aroma ARC-1033E 30-Cup Commercial Pot-Style Rice Cooker Overview

Save time and energy with this 60-cup commercial rice cooker from Aroma. Just add water, push a button and walk away! It automatically senses when rice is finished and switches to keep warm mode, leaving you free to work in the kitchen–or anywhere else. The heavy duty lid and nonstick cooking pot are designed for continuous use and maximum durability so you can count of batch after batch of perfect, fluffy rice for years to come. Includes measuring cup and rice paddle.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 16, 2010 12:40:18