ARC-526 Instruction Manual #1 Rice Cooker Brand* Questions or concerns about your rice cooker? Before returning to the store... Aroma’s customer service experts are happy to help. Call us toll-free at 1-800-276-6286. Answers to many common questions and even replacement parts can be found online. Visit www.AromaCo.com/Support. *Based on 2012 NPD POS Data.
Congratulations on your purchase of the Aroma® 12-Cup Rice Cooker, Slow Cooker and Food Steamer! In no time at all, you’ll be making fantastic, restaurant-quality rice at the touch of a button. Whether long, medium or short grain, this cooker is specially calibrated to prepare a variety of rice, including tough-to-cook whole grain brown rice, to fluffy perfection. Your new Aroma® rice cooker is also ideal for convenient, one-pot meals for the whole family.
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS Basic safety precautions should always be followed when using electrical appliances, including the following: 1. Important: Read all instructions carefully before first use. 2. Do not touch hot surfaces. Use the handles or knobs. 3. Use only on a level, dry and heat-resistant surface. 4. To protect against fire, electric shock and injury to persons, do not immerse cord, plug or the appliance in water or any other liquid. See instructions for cleaning. 15.
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS Short Cord Instructions 1. A short power-supply cord is provided to reduce the risks resulting from becoming entangled in or tripping over a longer cord. 2. Longer extension cords are available and may be used if care is exercised in their use. DO NOT DRAPE CORD! If a longer extension cord is KEEP AWAY used: From children! a. The marked electrical rating of the extension cord should be at least as great as the electrical rating of the appliance. b.
PARTS IDENTIFICATION Digital Controls Steam Vent Keep Warm Lid Release Button Lid Digital Display Handle Control Panel Inner Cooking Pot Steam Tray Measuring Cup Serving Spatula POWER/KEEP WARM The POWER/KEEP WARM button serves two purposes. One press of the POWER/KEEP WARM button will turn the rice cooker on. A second press will set the rice cooker to its Keep Warm setting. Delay Timer DELAY TIMER The DELAY TIMER sets up to 15 hours for rice ready when it’s needed.
BEFORE FIRST USE 1. Read all instructions and important safeguards. 2. Remove all packaging materials and check that all items have been received in good condition. 3. Tear up all plastic bags as they can pose a risk to children. 4. Wash steam vent and all other accessories in warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry thoroughly. 5. Remove the inner cooking pot from rice cooker and clean with warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry thoroughly before returning to cooker. 6. Wipe body clean with a damp cloth.
TO COOK RICE 1 2 3 4 Slow Cook Steam Menu Start White Brown STS™ Soup Oatmea l Using the provided measuring cup, add rice to the inner cooking pot. 5 Rinse rice to remove excess starch. Drain. 6 Fill with water to the line which matches the number of cups of rice being cooked. For example, if cooking two cups of uncooked rice, water should be filled to line 2 in the inner pot. Cake Kee De Tim lay er p Wa rm Place the inner cooking pot into the rice cooker.
TO COOK RICE (CONT.) 9 10 White Rice 11 12 Brown Rice White Rice Brown Rice White Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice STS™ Cake STS™ Cake STS™ Cake Brown Rice Slow Cook Steam Menu Start White Brow STS™ Oatm eal Press the START button to begin cooking the rice. The digital display will show a “chasing” pattern and the indicator light will become solid to indicate that it is cooking.
RICE/WATER MEASUREMENT TABLE UNCOOKED RICE RICE WATER LINE INSIDE POT APPROX. COOKED RICE YIELD COOKING TIMES 2 Cups Line 2 4 Cups WHITE RICE: 50-55 Min. BROWN RICE: 80-85 Min. 3 Cups Line 3 6 Cups WHITE RICE: 52-57 Min. BROWN RICE: 85-90 Min. 4 Cups Line 4 8 Cups WHITE RICE: 55-62 Min. BROWN RICE: 90-95 Min. 5 Cups Line 5 10 Cups WHITE RICE: 60-65 Min. BROWN RICE: 95-100 Min. 6 Cups Line 6 12 Cups WHITE RICE: 62-67 Min. BROWN RICE: 100-105 Min.
TO COOK SUSHI RICE 1 2 3 4 White Rice Using the provided measuring cup, add sushi rice or short-grain white rice to the inner cooking pot. NOTE 8 Rinse rice to remove excess starch. Drain. • Before placing the inner cooking pot into the rice cooker, check that the cooking pot is dry and free of debris. Adding the inner cooking pot when wet may damage the rice cooker. CAUTION Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot for every cup of uncooked rice.
TO COOK SUSHI RICE (CONT.) 5 6 7 White Rice While rice cooks, mix rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a separate bowl until sugar is dissolved. See “Sushi Rice Ingredient Amounts” to determine the amount of ingredients needed per amount of rice. 9 8 Brown Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice STS™ Cake Once rice is finished, the rice cooker will beep and automatically switch to Keep-Warm. Using caution, remove rice from the inner cooking pot and place in a non-metal bowl.
TO USE QUICK RICE The rice produced by Quick Rice will not be to the same quality as rice made using the White Rice or Brown Rice settings, but it’s an excellent option for cooked rice in a pinch. To use the Quick Rice function, follow the steps for “To Cook Rice” beginning on page 5. Rather than pressing one of the standard rice function buttons, press the MENU button to cycle to the Quick Rice function.
TO USE THE DELAY TIMER Follow steps 1 to 7 of “To Cook Rice” beginning on page 5. 8 9 White Rice 11 Brown Rice White Rice Brown Rice White Rice Brown Rice White Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice STS™ Cake STS™ Cake STS™ Cake STS™ Cake Press the DELAY TIMER button. Each press increases in one hour increments. It may be set 1 to 15 hours in advance.
TO USE THE DELAY TIMER (CONT.) 12 13 White Rice 14 Brown Rice White Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice STS™ Cake STS™ Cake 15 White Rice Brown Rice Steam eal Brow n Soup Cake De Tim lay er Keep Wa rm For best results, stir the rice with the serving spatula to distribute any remaining moisture.
TO SLOW COOK 1 2 3 4 Slow Cook Steam Menu Start White Brown STS™ Soup Oatmea l Add food to be slow cooked to the inner cooking pot. 5 Cake Kee De Tim lay er p Wa rm Place the inner cooking pot into the slow cooker. Close the lid securely. Connect the power cord to the rice cooker and plug into an available outlet.
TO SLOW COOK (CONT.) 7 8 White Rice 9 10 Brown Rice White Rice Brown Rice White Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice STS™ Cake STS™ Cake STS™ Cake Brown Rice Use the UP (▲) or DOWN (▼) buttons to set the time. These buttons will adjust cooking time in one hour increments between 2 and 10 hours. Press the START button to begin slow cooking at the selected time.
TO STEAM 1 2 3 Slow Cook Slow Cook Steam Steam Menu Start Brown Soup l NOTE Menu White STS™ Oatmea Using the provided measuring cup, add 3 cups water to the inner cooking pot. 4 Cake Start Kee De Tim lay er p Wa rm Brown Soup al Place the inner cooking pot into the rice cooker. • If too little water is added, the rice cooker will stop prematurely. • Before placing the inner cooking pot into the rice cooker, check that the cooking pot is dry and free of debris.
TO STEAM (CONT.) 5 6 7 8 White Rice Close the lid securely. 9 White Rice Brown Rice White Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice STS™ Cake STS™ Cake Brown Rice Connect the power cord to the rice cooker and plug into an available outlet. Press the POWER/KEEP-WARM button to turn the rice cooker on. Press the STEAM button. The digital display will show a flashing 5 to represent five minutes of steam time.
TO STEAM (CONT.) 13 14 15 White Rice Slow Cook Steam Brown Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice STS™ Cake Menu Start White Brown STS™ Soup Oatme al Cake Kee De Tim lay er p Wa rm Check steamed food for doneness. If When finished serving, turn the rice finished steaming, carefully remove cooker off by pressing the POWER/ the steam tray. It will be hot. KEEP WARM button once to change it from its Keep Warm setting and then press and hold again until the rice cooker powers off.
TO STEAM FOOD & SIMULTANEOUSLY COOK RICE To steam while cooking rice, begin cooking rice by following steps 1 to 9 of “To Cook Rice” on page 5. 10 11 12 13 Slow Cook Steam Menu Start White Brown STS™ Soup Oatme al Place food to be steamed onto the steam tray. NOTE 18 Using caution to avoid escaping steam, open the lid. Cake Kee De Tim lay er p Wa rm Place steam tray into the rice cooker.
TO STEAM FOOD & SIMULTANEOUSLY COOK RICE (CONT.) 14 15 16 17 White Rice Slow Cook Slow Cook Steam Steam Menu Start Start White Brown STS™ Soup Oatme al Cake Kee De Tim lay er Brown Using caution, open the lid to check food for doneness. 18 Soup Oatme rm Sushi Rice STS™ Cake White STS™ p Wa Brown Rice Quick Rice Menu al Cake Kee De Tim lay er p Wa rm If food is finished steaming, carefully remove the steam tray. It will be hot.
STEAMING TABLES When steaming, Aroma® recommends using 3 cups of water with the provided measuring cup. Meat Steaming Table HELPFUL HINTS NOTE 20 Vegetable Steaming Table MEAT STEAMING TIME SAFE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE VEGETABLE STEAMING TIME Fish 25 Min. 140°F Asparagus 9-11 Minutes Chicken 30 Min. 165°F Broccoli 6-8 Minutes Pork 30 Min. 160°F Cabbage 5-7 Minutes Medium = 25 Min. Medium-Well = 30 Min. Well = 33 Min.
TO USE SAUTÉ-THEN-SIMMER™ 1 2 3 4 White Rice Slow Cook Steam Start Brown Soup l 5 Sushi Rice STS™ Cake White STS™ Oatmea Add ingredients to be sautéed/ browned to the inner cooking pot. Brown Rice Quick Rice Menu Cake Kee De Tim lay er p Wa rm Place the inner cooking pot into the rice cooker. Connect the power cord to the rice cooker and plug into an available outlet. Press the POWER button to turn on the rice cooker.
TO USE SAUTÉ-THEN-SIMMER™ (CONT.) 7 8 9 10 Slow Cook Steam Menu Start White Brow STS™ Oatm eal n Soup Cake De Tim lay er Keep Wa rm Add other called for ingredients and liquid to the inner cooking pot. 11 Close the lid securely and allow the rice cooker to cook. 12 After a few minutes, the rice cooker will automatically switch to its Simmer mode. The rice cooker will countdown the final minutes of cook time starting at 12 minutes.
TO USE THE CAKE FUNCTION 1 2 3 4 Slow Cook Steam Menu Start White Brown STS™ Soup Oatmea l Follow instructions on cake mix packaging or recipe to mix liquid ingredients and cake mix. Add cake mix into the inner pot. 5 Cake De Tim lay er Kee p Wa rm Place the inner cooking pot into the rice cooker. Close the lid securely. Connect the power cord to the rice cooker and plug into an available outlet.
TO USE THE CAKE FUNCTION (CONT.) 7 8 White Rice 9 Brown Rice White Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice Quick Rice Sushi Rice STS™ Cake STS™ Cake Press the START button to begin cooking on the selected function. The digital display will show a “chasing” pattern and the indicator light will become solid to indicate that it is cooking.
TO CLEAN 1 2 Remove the steam vent. 3 Handwash the inner cooking pot and all accessories or wash them in the dishwasher. Wipe rice cooker body clean with a damp cloth. 4 Thoroughly dry rice cooker body and all accessories. 5 Slow Cook Steam Menu Start White Brown STS™ Soup Oatmea l Cake De Tim lay er Kee p Wa rm Reassemble for next use. NOTE • Do not use harsh abrasive cleaners, scouring pads or products that are not considered safe to use on nonstick coatings.
TROUBLESHOOTING Because rice varieties may vary in their make-up, results may differ. Below are some troubleshooting tips to help you achieve the desired consistency. Rice is too dry/hard after cooking. If your rice is dry or hard/chewy when the rice cooker switches to Keep-Warm mode, additional water and cooking time will soften the rice. Depending on how dry your rice is, add ½ to 1 cup of water and stir through. Close the lid and select the White Rice function.
ABOUT RICE Courtesy of the USA Rice Federation Rice is the perfect foundation for today’s healthier eating. It is a nutrient-dense complex carbohydrate that supplies energy, fiber, essential vitamins and minerals and beneficial antioxidants. Rice combines well with other healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, meat, seafood, poultry, beans and soy foods. Nearly 88% of rice consumed in the U.S. is grown in the U.S.
ABOUT RICE Courtesy of the USA Rice Federation Did You Know? • Rice is the primary dietary staple for more than half of the world’s population. • U.S. grown rice is the standard for excellence and accounts for nearly 88% of the rice consumed in America. It is grown and harvested by local farmers in five south-central states and California. • Rice contains no sodium, cholesterol, trans fats or gluten, and has only a trace of fat. One half-cup of rice contains about 100 calories.
RECIPES Mushroom Risotto Ingredients 2 tbsp 1 cup 2 cups ½ 2 1 cup 2 tbsp Olive Oil Sliced Mushrooms of Your Choice Arborio Rice Onion, Diced Garlic Cloves, Crushed White Wine Butter 3 cups ½ cup ½ cup ¼ cup _ Chicken Stock Heavy Cream Shredded Parmesan Cheese Chopped Italian Parsley Salt and Pepper Set the rice cooker to the Sauté-Then-Simmer™ (STS™) function and add olive oil, garlic, mushrooms and onion. Sauté until onions are soft for about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir.
RECIPES (CONT.) Rice Cooker Cupcakes Ingredients 1 box 3 3 cups 1 container 6 6 Chocolate Cupcake Mix Eggs Water Any Flavor Frosting Silicon Cupcake Molds Paper Cupcake Cups Mix cupcake mix according to box instructions. Place cupcake cups in molds. Add cupcake mix. Place cupcakes in steam tray and close the lid. Set to the Steam function according to box baking instructions (30 minutes typically). Using caution, open the lid and check cupcakes for doneness.
RECIPES (CONT.) Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients 2 lbs. 1 10 10 8 cups 2 tbsp 2 2 - Chicken Thighs Yellow Onion, Cut into Small Quarters Celery Stalks Cut into Bite-sized Pieces Carrots Cut into Bite-sized Rounds Chicken Stock Olive Oil Bay Leaves Sprigs of Thyme Salt and Pepper, for Added Taste Add olive oil, onions and celery to the inner pot and place it inside the rice cooker. Select the Sauté-Then-Simmer™ (STS™) function and cook until fragrant or about ten minutes.
WARRANTY SERVICE & SUPPORT LIMITED WARRANTY Aroma Housewares Company warrants this product free from defects in material and workmanship for one year from provable date of purchase in the United States. Within this warranty period, Aroma Housewares Company will repair or replace, at its option, defective parts at no charge, provided the product is returned, freight prepaid with proof of purchase and U.S. $20.00 for shipping and handling charges payable to Aroma Housewares Company.