Once the cooking cycle is complete, let the rice sit in the rice cooker for an additional 10-15 minutes to allow for steam absorption and fluffing. After resting, open the lid of the rice cooker ...

Her new book, “300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes” (Robert Rose, $27.95, paperback), is a compendium of information on the various rice cookers on the market with valuable tips on how to use them.

The rice cooker — which, of course, should never be limited to merely rice cookery — is a magical tool that has fully mastered the ins and outs of grains, liquids and cooking time.

It was juicy and just done, with no hint of overdone toughness. The wild rice grains were just split, but not curled. I also noticed they had a sheen, as if the rice had been sautéed.

Overcooking will cause kernels to curl. When cooking wild rice, figure on using 3 to 4 cups of liquid for every cup of uncooked rice. Be sure to rinse first to remove any debris.

Cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, until the rice is cooked and tender. (Test the rice at one hour to see if it’s close to being tender. The variance is due to different slow cookers.