Xiaomi’s rice cookers are no longer just “rice appliances.” Modern models like the Mi Smart Rice Cooker or Mijia Multi-Cooker can cook porridge as well as specialized multi-cookers with precise control of temperature, pressure and time. But to make the result happy, it’s not enough to press a button: you need to take into account the type of cereal, the proportion of water and even the characteristics of a particular model (for example, the Mi Rice Cooker 4L and Mijia 3L have different heating algorithms).
This article provides step-by-step recipes for the 5 most popular cereals (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, barley), a proportions table, hidden features of Xiaomi cereals (including the Multi-Cook mode), as well as answers to frequent questions: why porridge burns, how to avoid lumps and whether it is possible to cook with milk. All instructions are checked on models from 2020-2026 with support for the Mi Home app.
What porridges can be cooked in a Xiaomi rice cooker
Technically, you can cook any cereal in Mi Smart Rice Cooker or Mijia Multi-Cooker, but the device is best at:
- 🍚 Rice porridge (white, brown, basmati) – basic Rice or Quick Cook mode.
- 🌾 Buckwheat – Multicook or Porridge mode (depending on the model).
- 🥣 Oatmeal – Congee mode (for liquid porridge) or Multicook (for crumbly porridge).
- 🌽 Wheat - Porridge mode with pre-roasting (if you need to roast the groats).
- 🍲 Pearl – only in models with Pressure Cook (for example, Mijia Pressure Multi-Cooker).
But with secous, couscous or lentils can be difficult: small cereals often burn to the bottom due to the high temperature of the heating element, for them it is better to use the Slow Cook mode (if any) or cook in a non-stick bowl (sold separately for some models).
⚠️ Note: In Xiaomi rice cookers without Multicook (for example, in the budget Mi Rice Cooker) 1.5L) Porridge, except rice, is cooked in Steam mode - this increases the cooking time by 30-50%.
Preparation of rice cooker and ingredients
Before using the new Xiaomi rice cooker for the first time, be sure to rinse the bowl with warm water and soda (1 tbsp. spoon per 1 liter of water) - this will remove the factory lubricant.
- Wipe the inner surface of the bowl with a paper towel.
- Pour the water to the maximum mark and turn on the Boil mode (boiling) for 5 minutes - so the remnants of detergent will be removed.
- Dry the bowl in air or wipe with a napkin.
To prepare the porridge you will need:
- 🍚 Croup (washed, if required).
- 💧 Liquid (water, milk or a mixture thereof).
- 🧂 Salt, sugar, butter - to taste.
- 🔌 Xiaomi Ricemaker with bowl (check that the O-ring is in place!).
⚠️ Warning: Never use metal spoons or spatulas - they scratch the non-stick coating of the bowl. Only silicone or wooden accessories! 📊 What porridge do you most often cook in a rice cooker?Rice Buckwheat OatmealPorcelainOther Proportions of water and cereals for perfect porridgeThe most common mistake when cooking porridge in Xiaomi is the wrong ratio of liquid and cereals. Unlike a stove, where water evaporates more quickly, in a rice cooker, steam circulates inside a closed bowl, so less water is needed. Here are the tested proportions for different cereals: Croup Proportion (cereal: water) Mode Cooking White rice 1: 1.5 Rice or Quick Cook 20–25 min Buckwheat 1: 2 Multicook or Porridge 30–40 min Oatmeal (cereal) 1: 3 Congee or Slow Cook 25–35 min Pheno 1: 2.5 Porridge with pre-roasting 40–50 min Perlovka 1: 3 Pressure Cook (if any) 50–60 min For milk porridges, replace water with milk in a 1:1 ratio (for example, 1 cup of cereals) + 1 cup of water + 1 cup of milk. If you cook porridge with a mixture of water and milk, first boil the cereal in water until half-ready, then add the milk and finish in Keep Warm mode. 💡To prevent porridge from burning, before turning on the mode add 1 hour. spoonful of vegetable oil to the bottom of the bowl and distribute it over the surface with a silicone spatula. Step-by-step: how to cook porridge in a Xiaomi rice cooker Consider the universal algorithm on the example of buckwheat porridge in Mi Smart Rice Cooker 4L: Rinse the cereal under cold water 2-3 times|Dry the bowl of rice cookers|Add the oil to the bottom (if desired)|Pour the water strictly according to the marks|Close the lid before you click.--> Rinse the cereal. Buckwheat is enough to rinse 1 time, rice 3-4 times until the water is clear. The millet can be roasted on a dry bowl for 2-3 minutes in mode. Sauté (Add the ingredients to the bowl. For buckwheat: 1 cup of cereals. + 2 glasses of water + 0.5 tsp. salt + 1 tbsp. butter. Select mode. Press Multicook. → Set a timer for 35 minutes (or select Porridge pre-program if your model has one). Start cooking. Close the lid and press Start. The rice cooker will automatically switch to Keep Warm mode once completed. Give the cereal a rest». Do not open the lid immediately - wait 10-15 minutes for the cereal to finish. For oatmeal in Congee mode, add 1 cup of cereal, 3 cups of liquid (water) to the bowl. + milk), 1 pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of sugar. Cooking time is 30 minutes. If you want a thick porridge, reduce the water to 2.5 glasses. What to do if the porridge turns liquid? If the porridge is too liquid, do not drain the excess water! Switch the rice cooker to Keep Warm mode and leave for 15 to 20 minutes with the lid open, the excess moisture will evaporate. If you need to speed up the process, stir the porridge and close the lid for 10 minutes. Even in a smart rice cooker Xiaomi porridge can turn out clumpy or burnt, if you do not know a few nuances: 🌡️ Water temperature. Use hot water (60-70)°C) - so the cereal swells faster, and the porridge will be uniform. Cold water increases cooking time by 10-15 minutes. 🌀 Stir. For crumbly porridge (buckwheat, rice), do not interfere with the cereal during cooking. For viscous (oatmeal, millet), stir 1 time 10 minutes after start. ⏱️ You can program the start of cooking for the morning in the Mi Home app, like laying down the ingredients in the evening, setting a timer for 7:00, and you wake up with the finished porridge! 🍯 Add toppings. Dried fruits, nuts or honey 5 minutes before the end (in Keep Warm mode), or they will boil. In models with Pressure Cook (for example, Mijia Pressure Multi-Cooker), barley and millet cook 30% faster than in normal mode. Under pressure, the porridge can escape through the valve if overdosed with water! 💡For fragrant porridge, add 1 bay leaf or a piece of cinnamon to the water during the ingredient laying stage. Remove them before serving. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them Even experienced users of Xiaomi rice cookers sometimes face problems. Here are the most common and ways to solve them: 🔥 The porridge burned. The reason: too little water or high temperature (like Quick Cook for buckwheat). Solution: Use Multicook mode and add 0.5 glasses of water over the norm. If it burns constantly, check if the non-stick coating of the bowl is damaged. 🍲 The porridge turned clumpy. The reason: the cereal was poorly washed or the water was too cold. Solution: before cooking, soak the cereal for 10-15 minutes in warm water (except sebum and oatmeal). 💦 Too much steam while working, cause: O-ring worn or loosely closed cover. Solution: wipe the ring with vinegar solution (1:1 with water) and make sure it lies flat in the groove. ⚠️ Note: If the Xiaomi rice cooker suddenly turns off while cooking porridge, check: Rosetta (possibly the machine worked due to overload). Temperature sensor (in models with Mi Home, the error will appear in the application as E2 or E3). Closing the lid - some models block work if the lid is not snapped to the end. Can you make porridge with milk in a Xiaomi rice cooker? Yes, but with reservations. Milk burns faster than water, so: Use Slow Cook or Porridge mode (but not Multicook - the temperature is higher there). Dilute the milk with water in a 1:1 ratio to reduce the risk of burning. Add 1 hour spoonful of sugar or salt - this stabilizes the milk proteins and reduces the formation of foam. After the signal to complete, do not open the lid immediately - let the porridge "set" for 10 minutes. For milk oatmeal, the Congee mode is ideal: 1 cereal + 2 milk-glass + 1 glass of water. Time — 30 If you want a thicker porridge, reduce the milk to 1.5 glass. 💡To prevent the milk from “run away”, do not fill the bowl with more than one cup. 2/3 In models without pressure valve (for example, Mi Rice Cooker) 1.5L) The milk can foam and spill over the edge. FAQ: Can you cook porridge in a Xiaomi rice cooker without water? No, the liquid is mandatory - otherwise the cereal will not swell, and the rice cooker may overheat and disconnect with an error E1 (overheating. Minimum amount of water — 1:1 rice-and 1:1.5 How do you clean a bowl of burnt porridge? Pour a cup of warm water with a glass of water. 2 baking 1 for an hour, then clean with a soft sponge. For persistent contaminants, use a special scraper for non-stick coatings (not metallic!). Don't use abrasive detergents! Can you cook porridge in a Xiaomi rice cooker overnight? Yes, but only in Slow Cook mode or with a delayed start timer (up to 12 hours). Don't leave the rice cooker on the grid for more than 24 hours, which can cause wear and tear on the heating element. Why does the porridge in Xiaomi rice cooker turn out tasteless? Possible reasons: Too much water - the porridge is "smeared"; Not enough salt or sugar (for sweet porridges); Poor quality cereal or old (check expiration date). Try adding spices: cinnamon, vanilla or cardamom for sweet porridge, bay leaf or onions for salt. Which model of Xiaomi rice cooker is better for porridge? For regular cooking, optimal: Mi Smart Rice Cooker 4L — Universal model with Multicook mode. Mijia Pressure Multi-Cooker - for barley and millet (cooks under pressure). Mi Rice Cooker 3L is a budget option for a small family. Avoid models without Keep Warm function - porridge in them cools down too quickly.