The lid on my rice cooker has a small steam hole that gets clogged from bubbles forming and the quinoa gets stuck and then the whole thing boils over and makes a mess. Am I doing something wrong? How do I keep it from doing this?
Note: this was taken from a deleted answer to How do I keep the rice cooker from boiling over? I don't actually have a rice cooker, so I can't provide extra details; answers about all potential causes and fixes are welcome!
If the foam from your rice cooker is reaching all the way to the lid, it may be over-filled. At least for very small grains, like quinoa, you may need to prepare it in smaller batches so that it can't be carried up to the lid.
Quinoa also has a coating of saponins on the outside of the grain. These soap-like chemicals can cause water to foam and also impart a soapy taste, they should always be washed off before cooking.
In general, adding a few drops of oil to the surface of the cooking water can help to reduce the amount of foam produced.
