Almost a year ago I unboxed the Tiger IH 5.5 Cup Rice Cooker and shared with you my initial thoughts. Since then I’ve had ample time to use the multi-cooker to make rice daily, prepare simple dishes, tryout new recipes and functions and test with my recipes. I am pleased to share I am really satisfied with my purchase. The Tiger IH Rice Cooker is truly an easy-to-use, smart appliance offering multiple cooking functions in an attractive, compact design.
In my earlier post, Unboxing Tiger IH 5.5. Rice Cooker, I shared my key considerations before purchasing the Tiger IH Rice Cooker. Please check out this post for the details and the exciting unboxing pictures. Initially, I tested my new appliance by cooking jasmine rice and then promised I’d share a follow-up post. Well here it is! I tested all the functions, making a variety of dishes. Some are my own recipes and some are from the recipe book accompanying the Tiger IH Rice Cooker. As a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ve included lots of pictures in this post to share my results.
Tiger IH Rice Cooker
Overall, the Tiger IH Rice Cooker is an excellent rice cooker. The appliance is expensive and if it didn’t handle cooking various types of rice well, I would have been very disappointed.
Long-grain jasmine rice is my preferred choice for daily eating. For this I use the “Jasmine” setting. 2 cups rice cooks in about 24 minutes (which is pretty fast) with awesome results.
The “Brown” rice setting, another favorite, makes fluffy and delicious long-grain brown rice.
I use the “Mixed” setting for cooking peeled split mung bean and glutinous rice or sweet rice. The results are really good. Everything is cooked just right and not too dry or wet.
One of the first dishes I made was Peanut Sticky Rice (Xoi Dau Phong). I used the “Mixed” function to cook both the peanuts and glutinous rice.
The “Porridge” setting is really easy to use. I use the markings on the inner pot to add the needed amount of water. I personally prefer a softer porridge so add just a bit more water than recommended. I also made congee in the Tiger IH Rice Cooker by lightly roasting the rice in a skillet first and then cooking using the “Porridge” function.
“Plain”, “Ultra” and “Quick” are settings for cooking short-grain or rinse-free rice. (Rinse-free rice is processed to remove the bran and excess surface starch and does not require washing.) Each function combines different soaking and cooking times to optimize rinse-free rice. Rinse-free rice is not a type of rice I eat but I gave it a try to test out the functions. The rice is good and a bit stickier than I am accustomed to eating. The overall time is longer due to the soaking time.
Used in conjunction with the provided rice measuring cup, the markings on the inner pot are helpful guides for adding the right amount of water. I did not use the markings at first, preferring to measure out the water myself. However, the Tiger IH has markings by type of rice so I decided to give it a try and it worked out great. If you’re not familiar with how to use the inner pot markings, here’s a summary: Measure the rice using the provided rice measuring cup. Wash the rice as needed. Transfer the drained rice into the inner pot. Add water filling to the line corresponding to your rice type (Plain, Jasmine, Brown, etc.) and the number of rice cups used. Easy right?! No guesswork, no eye-balling while sticking your index finger into the water. 🙂
Tiger IH Synchro-Cooking
The Tiger IH Rice Cooker features synchronized cooking allowing the cooking of rice and a main dish at the same time. Put the main dish in the cooking plate and then place it over the rice. Use the “Synchro-Cooking” setting and cook everything at the same time. Super easy! The approximate cooking time for the Synchro-Cooking is 41-48 minutes which is plenty of time to cook most foods without over-cooking it.
To try out the synchronized cooking, I made a simple teriyaki-glazed tuna steak with baby carrots and onions.
The results: a deliciously simple one-pot meal.
If this is a feature that intrigues you, I recommend checking out the Tiger recipe book. There are lots of great recipes to try.
Tiger IH Slow Cooker
Using the “Slow Cook” function, I made a simple dish, Braised Pork with Eggs (Thit Kho Trung). I parboiled the pork first and then slow-cooked for 2 hours. The pork was really juicy and tender.
The “Slow Cook” function is a bit limited with a preset heat setting and maximum cooking time of 3 hours. I would love options for longer cook times with varying temperatures. Perhaps Tiger will enhance these functions in the future models.
Tiger IH Bread Maker
The bread making function was the most intriguing. I have a bread machine and was really curious to see how Tiger’s bread making capabilities compared. I was not disappointed. Using the White Bread recipe from the Tiger cook book, I made amazing homemade bread. My only change to the recipe: I used my KitchenAid stand mixer to knead the dough instead of kneading by hand. The fermentation and baking process took about 2 hours and 10 minutes.
I was a skeptical whether the bread would be crusty and golden brown. Well, the simple trick of flipping the bread over and baking for 10 more minutes produced a perfectly golden loaf of bread. Beautiful and delicious!
Tiger IH – Not a Pressure Cooker
The Tiger IH Rice Cooker is not a pressure cooker. I have two Instant Pots (a 6 quart Instant Pot and an 8 quart Instant Pot) and did not need another appliance for pressure cooking. If you are interested in a rice cooker with pressure cooking capability, both Tiger and Cuckoo offer models with this function.
Tiger IH – Wear and Durability
So far everything seems to be functioning as expected and I don’t have any technical issues to report. My Tiger IH Rice Cooker is wearing well and almost as new as the day I unboxed it.
After every use, I remove the inner lid and inner pot and wash by hand. The inner pot has a non-stick coating and I haven’t had an issues with food stubbornly stuck to it. When there’s a bit more stickiness than usual, I fill the inner pot with hot water and let it soak for 5-10 minutes and that usually does the trick. I only use the soft side of a cleaning sponge to avoid scratching off the non-stick surface. I do not put these item into the dishwasher as per the instructions.
I’ve made a few changes to help preserve the special coating on the inner pot. 1) I don’t wash rice in the pot. Instead, I wash the rice in a separate bowl and then transfer to the inner pot. 2) I don’t mash mung bean directly in the pot as I did with my old rice cooker. I transfer the mung bean to a separate bowl and then mash it with a paddle spoon.
Even with only using the provided rice paddle, the bottom of the inner pot is slightly scratched. These are just surface scratches and the non-stick surface is still intact. This is hardly a complaint but rather something I’ve noticed with use.
Tiger IH – One Year and Beyond
I hope my Tiger IH Rice Cooker, Slow Cooker and Bread Maker continues to help me make delicious foods quickly and easily for many years to come. As I learn new recipes, I’ll be sure to share them. If you have a Tiger IH Rice Cooker, please share your comments and/or recipes with me. I love hearing from you! Happy Cooking!
If you enjoy this Tiger IH Rice Cooker – One Year Update post, you may also like:
Cuckoo ICOOK Q5 – Unboxing the Electric Multi Pressure Cooker
Tools and Products I Love and Enjoy
All I want to know is how to cook meals in the orange apple basket without cooking the rice at the same time. I have had my tiger rice cooker for some time and I get sick of having to cook all that rice which I don’t eat. The recipe book that comes with the tiger machine does not seem to explain how to cook the meal without cooking the rice. Is it the steam function?
Hi Alan,
Fill the rice cooker with 2 -3 cups water instead of rice. Add the orange basket with your food and cook using the Plain or Syncho-Cooking modes depending on the density of your food. Good Luck!
Just used mine for the first time and noticed it does not have a water drain resevoir. Am I not seeing things?
In your unboxing post, you wrote
“The outer lid is more difficult to remove. You have to pull the lid up and back to remove it from the plastic groves on either side. I am concerned this constant motion may cause the lid to become loose over time.”
1.5 years later, is the fit of the outer lid still tight, or has it become loose? Do you always remove and clean it, or just the inner lid?
Thank you.
Hi Christian,
Good news! To date, there’s been no issues with the fit of the lid even though I’ve removed it many times for cleaning. It’s still tight and fits snugly. When cooking rice, I’ve found I don’t need to remove the the outer lid for cleaning every time. I just remove and wash the inner lid and wipe down the outer lid with a damp cloth. I wash the outer lid when I make saucy dishes or stews as they often splatter onto the outer lid. I hope that helps!
Hey Trang
Have you had issues with oiliness and how do you go about cleaning the rubbery bits and nook and crannies? I had a zojirushi food flask which i made the mistake of soaking in soapy water for too long (rookie error i know) and the rubbery bits absorbed the detergent – it would taste like detergent for days. I washed the inner lid and the steam gasket with soapy water and dried immediately but still worry that soapy water might get into the crevices of the rubbery bits.
Hi Jo Ann,
If you’re not worried about scratching the surface, you can make a natural cleanser using baking soda and lemon juice. (Lemon juice has essential oils which binds to the existing oil. Baking soda is the abrasive cleanser.) Pat the paste on the oily areas and leave on for about 10 minutes. Rinse with hot water. For the nooks and crannies, use a toothbrush or bottle brush. Good luck!
Hi Trang,
It would be interesting to see a comparison between IP and Tiger rice cook’er’-off. Since getting an IP a while ago, that has been my go-to appliance for cooking any type of rice. My 3-cup short grain rice cooked around 20 minutes in the IP. Not that much different from your 24 minutes in the Tiger.
Hi Thuy,
I love both my Tiger ricer cooker and IP but for different reasons. In my opinion, the Tiger cooks a better rice. If I had to choose just one appliance, the IP is my pick. It’s more versatile with the varying pressure cooking modes. Now if someone would invent an multi-function cooker which could replace my KitchenAid stand mixer, Vitamix blender and Rival bread maker, I’ll be the first to purchase! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂