I typically boiled the rice with water and over a gas stove until I discovered the joy of a rice cooker. Notching up the process is the Joyoung S5 Steam Rice Cooker, which is very unique in the way it functions. Inspired by the locomotive – the first steam engines – the cooker uses steam for cooking the rice. Describing the process, the designers explain that the rice is not boiled or heated from the bottom, instead it is blasted with steam (120°C) and this ensures that the rice is cooked in minutes. This also means there is no more burnt rice stuck to the bottom of the pan. As a steamer, you can even steam vegetables, meat and fish, helping you adopt a healthy lifestyle. Designers: Lv Zheng & Sophia Lim for Joyoung At a special event at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, celebrated British chef David Allistone cooked a variety of delicious rice-based dishes, including pork belly and asparagus. He said the of the S5: “The joyoung rice cooker has shown how easy and convenient steaming rice can be. I particularly like the app when you can turn the rice cooker on before you leave work and it will be ready and waiting for you perfectly cooked when you get home. Just add a few ingredients for an easy nutritious evening meal.”