The Best Rice Cookers
There are many different kinds of rice that are available to cook. Jasmine, basmati, white, brown, California, and sticky rice are all various forms of rice that take different settings to cook effectively.
If you’ve ever cooked rice using a pot on a stove, then you probably have a good understanding of how rice cooks.
You know this is a process that takes a bit of time because you constantly have to check to make sure the rice isn’t overdone.
You may be looking for a quicker, simpler way to cook rice, or you may be looking for a device you can use when the only form of cooking you can do is electric.
Whichever your situation, we have combed through the internet to find the best rice cookers that can save you money and time.
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Last update on 2024-06-26 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API
Rice Cookers have a variety of different factors that affect their overall usefulness. We will rate rice cookers on the following factors: capacity, texture, timer, and price.
Capacity
Our rating on capacity covers how small or large the capacity of the rice cooker is. If you are usually cooking smaller portions, a smaller-capacity rice cooker won’t necessarily be an issue.
However, if you regularly cook larger portions of rice, then you will probably want a rice cooker that has a larger capacity. This factor can affect price, so it is definitely an important consideration.
Texture
We pay attention to texture because this is one of the most important factors in cooking rice. Different kinds of rice have different textures. Each rice cooker we look at will be critiqued based on the range of textures it can give.
Timer
Each rice cooker will vary in the options it provides for timing out the rice cooking. Some of the rice cookers we select will have advanced timing functions that can accurately predict when to stop warming the rice for peak texture.
Other rice cookers may have a slightly less sensitive timer and thus may have a cheaper price.
Price
At the end of the day, you want to purchase a rice cooker that gets the job done and is affordable. We heavily consider price when ranking rice cookers.
It is very possible that, for your needs, a lower-priced rice cooker may be more useful for you than a higher-priced rice cooker.
After we review the rice cookers, we will leave you with a buyer’s guide so you can make informed decisions in the future about what types of rice cookers to purchase.
1. AROMA Digital Rice Cooker
- Multi-functional use - whether you are in the mood for a hearty jambalaya, steamed veggies, and rice, or even a fluffy...
- Nutritious & delicious - the built-in steamer function allows for nutrient-rich meals to be prepared above white rice,...
- Capacity & Dimensions - The ARC-914SBD is an 8-cup cooked capacity yielding anywhere from 2 to 8 cups of cooked rice and...
PRICE:
The Aroma Houseware 8-Cup Rice Cooker costs $$ on Amazon. We think this is an excellent price for the value this rice cooker gives. It’s simply for cooking white or brown rice and includes timers to help your meal prep.
RATING:
We give the Aroma Houseware 8-Cup Rice Cooker a rating of 4 out of 5 mainly because of its price, durability, and the timer that comes with the rice cooker.
This is a simple rice cooker meant to help cook white or brown rice efficiently. While we don’t recommend this rice cooker for other forms of rice, we do think it provides excellent value.
The Aroma Houseware 8-cup Rice Cooker is an affordable rice cooker that can also steam food. This rice cooker is an excellent option for quick rice cooking and meal planning.
The Aroma Housewares 8-cup Rice Cooker has the following specs:
- Holds two to eight cups of rice
- 15-hour delay timer
- Stainless steel exterior
- Non-stick inner pot
- Steam tray
- Rice measuring cup
- Serving spatula
Capacity
The Aroma Housewares 8-Cup Rice Cooker can hold between two and eight cups of rice. This is quite a bit of room for rice, as most rice cookers around this price range allow for up to four cups of rice and water. In this regard, this rice cooker is well worth the investment.
This rice cooker also has an additional steamer tray. On this tray, you can place different vegetables or meats that you want to cook along with the rice.
This could make stir-fried dishes easier to make, taking out the need to completely cook the meat and vegetables separately before stir-frying.
Texture
The Aroma Housewares 8-cup Rice Cooker specializes in making white rice, brown rice, and flash-cooked rice.
Reviews of this product are a bit varied as to how accurately you can get the texture you are looking for.
Reviewers have mentioned that the rice tends to be sticky and clumpy on average. In terms of texture, we think this device could definitely do better.
If you are cooking white rice, brown rice, or rice that can be flash-cooked, then we recommend this rice cooker. For other rice styles, we recommend a different rice cooker.
Timer
The Aroma Housewares 8-Cup Rice Cooker has a 15-hour delay timer that assists with meal prepping.
This is very useful because you can pour water and rice into the rice cooker, and then have it automatically start at a certain hour depending on when you set the timer.
In addition to up to 15 hours of delay you can place on the timer, the timer will also show you when you have less than 12 minutes left to cook your rice. You will see a countdown on the rice cooker until the rice is complete.
We find both of these options very useful as they can help prep your meal.
2. Hamilton Beach Digital Programmable Rice Cooker
- 14 CUP CAPACITY: Makes between 2-14 cups of cooked rice or whole grains
- 2-IN-1 BASKET: Includes rice rinser/steam basket
- PRE-PROGRAMMED SETTINGS: Cook & steam food at the touch of a button
PRICE:
The Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker costs $$ from Amazon.
RATING:
We give the Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker a rating of 5 out of 5 mainly because of its price, durability, and the range of textures that this rice cooker can handle.
This is a simple rice cooker that has slightly more usability than the Aroma Houseware Rice Cooker.
We think its low price tag combined with its high capacity makes this a great entry-level rice cooker.
The Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker is a simple rice cooker at a cheap price. It boasts an excellent range of rice it can cook.
The Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker has the following specs:
- Holds 14 cups of rice
- 2-in-1 rice rinser and steam basket
- 11-hour delay timer
- Pre-programmed rice cook settings
- Non-stick pot
Capacity
The Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker holds nearly 14 cups of rice. This is almost twice as many cups of rice as the Aroma Houseware Rice Cooker can prepare. We find this capacity excellent and a great value for the price of this rice cooker.
Texture
You don’t have to worry about cooking different types of rice with this rice cooker. The Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker can cook white rice, brown rice, and various forms of whole-grain rice.
There are settings on this rice cooker that allow for the cooking of specific rice types.
Timer
Based on the setting that you pick for cooking rice, the timer will automatically set based on the cook settings that you choose.
Its delay timer is slightly less versatile than the Aroma Houseware Rice Cooker as it only has an 11-hour delay timer.
3. Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 Neuro Fuzzy Cooker
- 5-1/2-cup computerized rice cooker and warmer with advanced Neuro Fuzzy logic technology. Wall mountable
- Multi-menu selections; automatic keep-warm, extended keep-warm, and reheat cycles
- Spherical, nonstick inner pan allows for uniform heating; LCD clock and timer; retractable cord
PRICE:
The Zojirushi Rice Cooker costs $$$ on Amazon.
RATING:
We give the Zojirushi a rating of 4 out of 5 mainly because of the Fuzzy Logic technology. Most of the rice cookers we have listed cannot cook sushi rice, or rice that requires more tender care.
The Fuzzy Logic technology is truly a game changer for the Zojirushi. Although high-priced, this is a quality rice cooker.
The Zojirushi Fuzzy Rice Cooker uses Fuzzy Logic technology to adjust the temperature and heating for rice based on how the rice is cooked in each instance.
The Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker has the following specs:
- Holds 5.5 cups of rice
- Spherical, non-stick inner pan
- Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker technology
Capacity
The Zojirushi Is one of the smaller rice cookers we have seen, with a capacity of around 5.5 cups of rice.
This is enough to serve a small family, but not large enough to prepare large batches of rice.
Texture
This rice cooker excels with different rice textures because of the Fuzzy Logic technology.
Depending on the setting you choose to cook your rice, the Fuzzy Logic technology will actually sense the grain, and adjust the temperature of your rice cooker to optimally cook the rice. It is very easy to cook sushi rice with this device.
Timer
The Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker comes with a standard delay timer that can be used for meal prep.
4. Aroma Housewares Select Stainless Rice Cooker
- Health-conscious design - Our simple stainless series is made with an inner pot composed solely of food grade 304...
- Capacity & Dimensions - our two models, The 6-cup and 14-cup, offer a variety of capacities, allowing you to find the...
- User-friendly programming - our simply stainless collection is also a proud member of our "set it and forget it"...
PRICE:
The Aroma 6-cup Rice Cooker is very affordable and can be purchased for $$ from Amazon.
RATING:
The main benefit of the Aroma 6-Cup Rice Cooker is that it is very affordable. It is easy to recommend this rice cooker if you are looking for an affordable way to quickly make white or brown rice. Otherwise, we recommend you view one of the other rice cookers we have listed.
The Aroma 6-Cup Rice Cooker is a simple rice cooker meant for cooking white rice and brown rice.
The Aroma 6-Cup Rice Cooker has the following specs:
- Holds 6 cups
- Non-stick inner pot
- Food steamer pot and top
Capacity
The Aroma 6-Cup Rice cooker is a straightforward rice cooker with a capacity of 6 cups. This is quite small but is useful for preparing rice for small meals.
Texture
The Aroma 6-Cup Rice Cooker can only handle white rice and brown rice. We would not recommend cooking basmati rice, or any other rice, in this rice cooker as the texture will be off.
Timer
This rice cooker has no true timing function. When you plug in the rice cooker, you have to turn it on to start.
After it is done cooking it will switch over to a “warm” setting which means it is done. New users of the rice cooker may find this confusing.
As previously mentioned, we recommend you take into consideration the following factors when purchasing a rice cooker: capacity, texture, timer, and price.
You want to pay attention to the capacity of a rice cooker depending on your needs as a cook. If you need to cook for a large number of people, then you want a rice cooker with a larger capacity.
Each rice cooker on the market handles different textures of rice differently. Consider the type of rice you want to cook before purchasing a rice cooker.
You don’t want to get a rice cooker that is only good at cooking white rice and brown rice if you want to cook sushi rice.
Pay attention to the price. There is no need to buy an expensive rice cooker if you only plan on cooking white rice or brown rice.
A final factor we recommend paying attention to is the material the rice cooker is made of. The material a rice cooker is made of can greatly impact the quality and price of the rice cooker.
Stainless steel rice cookers are easy to clean and very durable. On the other hand, rice cookers made with non-stick materials are less durable, but prevent additional cleanup and rice sticking to the rice cooker.
Rice cookers can be a game-changer in the kitchen. Depending on the rice cooker you get, you can make cooking a much simpler, more streamlined process. The rice cookers we listed cover a wide range of needs.
If you need a cheaper mid-range rice cooker, we recommend the Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker. If you are looking for a more versatile rice cooker, we recommend the Zojirushi rice cooker.
Otherwise, if you are looking to save money and need a rice cooker, then we recommend the Aroma 6-cup Rice Cooker for simply making white or brown rice.
