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Old-fashioned rice cookers are extremely clever

Technology Connections · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Everyday physics & science demosMechanical & precision engineering

What it is

Technology Connections explains how old-fashioned non-electronic rice cookers work, using a magnet and spring switch tripped by the Curie point. It shows the thermodynamics and magnetism behind a simple appliance.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it as a delightful breakdown of the cleverness in dumb appliances and an entry point to the channel.

  • 6 people recommended it
  • 6 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2020, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “Have I got the channel for you! Technology Connections”

    Introduction to a channel through a rice cooker explainer.

    JadeNB, 2020-05 · Strong recommendation · in “The Thinnest Paper in the World”

  2. “Here’s a great video explaining how it works.”

    Explains how a rice cooker works via the Curie point.

    spaceflunky, 2020-08 · Recommendation · in “The battle to invent the automatic rice cooker”

  3. “I started using the old-fashioned analogue rice cooker after watching Technology Connection's video on how they work.”

    Convinced the commenter to use an analogue rice cooker.

    Rendello, 2020-12 · Recommendation · in “Fuzzy logic rice cookers (2016)”

  4. “Technology Connections video on old-style rice cookers”

    Video on how old-style thermostatic rice cookers work.

    vel0city, 2022-01 · Recommendation · in “The Revenge of the Hot Water Bottle”

  5. “I had no idea they were so clever, combining thermodynamics and the physics of magnetism.”

    Reveals the thermodynamics and magnetism inside rice cookers.

    rootbear, 2022-04 · Recommendation · in “Companies are buying washing machines to take the chips out and repurpose them”

  6. “Technology Connections YouTube channel did a great breakdown of how they really work”

    A breakdown of how dumb rice cookers really work.

    zer00eyz, 2025-10 · Recommendation · in “The Trinary Dream Endures”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: rice cooker, curie point, magnetism, thermostat, appliances

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