Does the inside of a lid used to cook rice or steam vegetables have anything besides water on it?

After cooking rice or steaming vegetables the inside of the lid used to cover the pot has water droplets on it - is it just water or do elements of the food make the lid "dirty" and require washing?

Edit: I should have mentioned the assumption that the food has not made contact with the lid and that if the lid is removed after cooking and placed on the counter, the next day it has no visible residue on it.

Best Answer

Most likely yes, it has stuff besides water. Although I wouldn't lay my hand in the fire that it has it every single time.

The first scenario is the bubbling from starchy water, as Chris H already explained. This is not ruled out by "the assumption that the food has not made contact with the lid", since here it is the cooking water that makes contact with the lid, not the food pieces, and while it doesn't happen every time, you cannot tell that it hasn't happened when you lift the lid.

The second scenario is the steamed vegetables. The first suspect would be matter on the vegetable skins. Even if you are very thorough in washing, you probably won't remove all traces of whatever clings to them, be it dirt or the vegetables' own waxes. But even without this stuff on the outside, plant matter is perfectly distillable, that's how we get essential oils and many alcoholic beverages. Even if you steam whole vegetables with intact skin, the cooking process itself is sufficient to damage the cell walls and stuff starts coming in contact with the steaming water. Some of it is part of the water that condenses and drops down to the bottom (have you ever noticed that the water is green after steaming spinach or broccoli?) and some of it is dissolved into the water that becomes steam and starts clinging to the lid.

Even if you cannot see any residue visually (which is a rare case), there is probably stuff deposited there that is not water.

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Does the inside of a lid used to cook rice or steam vegetables have anything besides water on it? - Cooked Rice on Black Ceramic Plate

Does the inside of a lid used to cook rice or steam vegetables have anything besides water on it? - Vegetables and Noodles in Plates on Table

Does the inside of a lid used to cook rice or steam vegetables have anything besides water on it? - Crop unrecognizable person stirring boiling water in saucepan placed on gas stove near frying pan with appetizing meatballs in tomato sauce

What does cooking with a lid do?

Cooking with the lid will generate and trap more heat, while a lidless method provides gentler cooking that allows more liquid to evaporate. If you're trying to speed up the process or want to keep every drop of liquid in your pot, cook with the lid on. For a slow simmer or a reduced sauce, go uncovered.

Why do you put a lid on rice?

Swirl the rice in the pan (or stir once) to make sure it's well distributed. Put a lid on and turn the heat down to as low as possible. If you cook the rice on too high a heat, it will cook too quickly and may end up chalky in the centre. Simmer gently for 10 mins and do not take the lid off.

How do you steam vegetables on top of rice?

How to Steam Vegetables in a Rice Cooker

First, pour 2-3 cups of water into the cooker pot.

Put your vegetables in the steamer basket, place the basket in the cooker, and cover.

Press the cook button and start steaming.

Steam the vegetables until cooked or based on your preference.

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Answer 2

Starchy foods, like rice, tend to bubble and splash. They will get starch on the inside of the lid. If you don't let it dry out, you might decide a quick rinse is sufficient, but if it dries it will probably need a proper wash to remove the starch.

Steaming is more interesting. There shouldn't be any splashing above the level of the food, so it should just be clean water on there. I'd rinse it before drying and putting away.

That's a minimum; I would just put mine in the dishwasher; there's often a space when it's otherwise full that wouldn't be much use for something really dirty.

Answer 3

Yes. My rice cooker has an internal removable plate located in the flip-up lid. It always ends up with something slimy on it, detectable by touch. I definitely would not put the cooker back in the cabinet without washing the plate (same story with the little moisture trap on the back). Also there is some kind of flexible gasket inside the top lid that accumulates moisture; I wash this as well, but it already feels a bit slimy so I'm not sure it actually has additional deposits. Although given that the above-mentioned plate is immediately adjacent it seems like a reasonable guess.

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