9 Best Rice Cookers: Your Easy Buying Guide

1. 1. Aroma Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker

   

   Price: $32.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Cooks up to eight cups of rice
   • Simultaneously steams meat/veggies as rice cooks
   • User-friendly design

   Cons:

   • Top can be tough to clean
   • Initial learning curve
   • Takes awhile to reach optimal temperature

   The Aroma 8-Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker prepares up to eight cups of cooked rice, making it a practical choice for families. For less than $40, you get a rice cooker with all the essentials you need to cook a just-right batch of rice, plus more. Single-touch controls let you cook brown or white rice. There’s also a flash rice function. You can steam your favorite meats and vegetables to go along with the rice. A 15-hour delay timer gives you a bit of flexibility when it comes to cooking times. A rice measuring cup is included, along with a steaming tray.

    

   Find more Aroma Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker information and reviews here.

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2. 2. BLACK+DECKER Rice Cooker

   

   Price: $48.86

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Comes in several sizes
   • Holds up to six cups cooked rice
   • Glass lid with steam vent

   Cons:

   • Rice can stick to bottom
   • May sputter during cooking
   • No on/off switch

   The capacity for this budget-friendly rice cooker is roughly six cups of cooked rice, or three cups of uncooked rice. This unit stands out for its affordable price tag, making it an excellent choice if you’re shopping on a tight budget. Features include stay-cool handles on the lid and sides, ensuring safer serving and maneuvering even when the rice cooker is warm. There are “cook” and “warm” indicator lights to help keep you updated along the way. A tempered glass lid allows for easy visibility, and comes with a steam vent to cook any type of rice to perfection.

    

   Find more BLACK+DECKER Rice Cooker information and reviews here.

3. 3. Tiger JBV-A Rice Cooker

   

   Price: $85.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Multiple menu settings
   • Lets you cook rice and main meal together
   • User-friendly operation

   Cons:

   • Tough to clean
   • Produces large amounts of steam when cooking
   • Lid isn’t removable

   If you want a no-frills rice cooker that promises to get the job done right, this model is worth a close look. It offers four different cooking menu settings — synchrony-cooking, plain rice, brown rice, and slow cooking. The unique syncro-cooking function, known as tacook, allows you to simultaneously cook your rice and your main meal.

   There’s even a separate cookbook just for this function. Customers appreciate the user-friendly one push operation along with the nonstick inner pan, which prevents food from sticking and is also easy to clean. The Tiger rice cooker comes with a cooking plate, nonstick spatula, and measuring cup.

    

   Find more Tiger JBV-A Rice Cooker information and reviews here.

4. 4. Cuisinart Rice Cooker

   

   Price: $59.95

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Brushed stainless steel
   • Modern square shape
   • Steams rice, meats, and vegetables

   Cons:

   • Can boil over when making rice
   • Finding the right water ratio can be tricky
   • No auto on/off

   This rice cooker has a simple yet upscale appearance thanks to a stainless steel finish and square modern shape. You can count on this rice cooker to steam and cook your rice to perfection. It can also be used to steam meats and vegetables. The unit automatically switches to keep warm mode once the cooking is done. Aside from a steaming basket it comes with a glass lid, measuring cup, and paddle. Need more room? An eight-cup version is available.

   Find more Cuisinart Rice Cooker information and reviews here.

5. 5. Breville The Risotto Plus

   

   Price: $499.95

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Risotto-making function
   • 20-cup cooked capacity
   • Aluminum nonstick bowl

   Cons:

   • Interior pot seems cheaply made
   • Some complaints about rice turning out too dry
   • Initial learning curve

   Take your cooking up a notch with Breville The Risotto Plus. A generous 10-cup capacity (uncooked) and 20-cup capacity (cooked) makes this risotto-maker and rice cooker an excellent choice for families and those who want to whip up large batches at once. A handy risotto-making function allows for creamy and delicious risotto in just 40 minutes without the constant stirring. The rice cooker features an aluminum nonstick bowl for easy cleaning and comes with a removable cord for stress-free storage.

    

   Find more Breville The Risotto Plus information and reviews here.

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6. 6. Aroma Simply Stainless Rice Cooker

   

   Price: $33.93

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Holds up to six cups cooked rice
   • Surgical-grade stainless steel material
   • One-touch operation

   Cons:

   • Hole in glass lid means leaks and sputters while cooking
   • No "off" function
   • Steam and water collects on inside of lid

   This Aroma rice cooker holds three cups of uncooked rice and up to six cups of cooked rice. The capacity drops slightly lower to two cups uncooked and cour cups cooked brown rice. A durable surgical-grade stainless steel material ensures that the cooker will be able to handle higher heats without burning the rice.

   This no-frills rice cooker appeals to consumers seeking user-friendly operation with its simple one-touch function. If you’re planning your meal ahead of time, you’ll also appreciate the automatic keep warm function, which keeps your rice at an optimal temperature once the cooking process is done. This cooker comes with a measuring cup and spatula.

   Find more Aroma Simply Stainless Rice Cooker information and reviews here.

7. 7. Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker

   

   Price: $194.39

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • 1-liter capacity
   • Enhanced cooking technology
   • Keep warm and extended keep warm settings

   Cons:

   • Doesn’t include a steamer basket
   • Not very intuitive
   • Only displays remaining cook time at end of cycle

   This Zojirushi isn’t the cheapest on the list, but if you’re looking for the best rice cooker in terms of end results, it’s worth a close look. This rice cooker fine-tunes as it goes, making precise adjustments along the way to ensure a delicious batch of rice. There are several different menu selections, including auto keep warm, extended keep warm, and reheat cycles.

   A nonstick inner pan ensures uniform and efficient heating. There’s also a brightly lit LCD clock and timer so that you can monitor the cooking process. Aside from two measuring cups, this rice cooker also comes with a rice spoon holder, nonstick rice spoon/scooper, and recipes to help you get started.

    

   Find more Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker information and reviews here.

8. 8. Tiger Induction Heating Rice Cooker

   

   Price: $499.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Induction heating
   • Multiple cooking functions
   • Comes in 5.5 and 10 cup sizes

   Cons:

   • Included cookbook could have better recipes
   • Initial learning curve for less common types of rice
   • Expensive

   If you’re in the market for a rice cooker with all the bells and whistles — and standout performance to match — this could be the rice cooker for you. Rice is cooked to perfection thanks to induction heating via a microcomputer controlled system.

   There are four distinct functions to choose from, including rice cooker, slow cooker, bread baking, and syncro-cooking. You will also find 11 distinct computerized cooking menu settings for added versatility. There are also two different sizes to consider, a 5.5 cup unit and a 10 cup one. With a total of five metal layers and three layers of coating, this Tiger rice cooker excels in precisely cooking any type of rice.

    

   Find more Tiger Induction Heating Rice Cooker information and reviews here.

9. 9. Panasonic Automatic Rice Cooker

   

   Price: $99.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Three-cup capacity
   • Nonstick aluminum pan
   • Automatic shutoff

   Cons:

   • Not ideal for brown rice
   • Nonstick coating prone to peeling over time
   • Rice can occasionally get stuck on the bottom

   If you’re looking for a smaller rice cooker that makes the optimal amount of rice for just one or two people, you’ll appreciate this model’s three cup capacity. You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck with this rice maker, starting with a handy nonstick aluminum pan for easier cooking and a single step automatic cooking and shutoff operation. There’s also a see-through glass lid, which lets you keep a close watch on your rice as it’s cooking. With 310 watts of power consumption, this unit also stands out for its efficiency. A measuring cup, rice scoop, and instruction manual are included.

    

   Find more Panasonic Automatic Rice Cooker information and reviews here.

See Also:

• 10 Best Slow Cookers: Which Is Right for You?
• 10 Best Multi Cookers: Your Easy Buying Guide