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9 Best Rice Cookers: Your Easy Buying Guide

If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of throwing away a pot of rice or having to eat rice that’s too dry or mushy, you’ll appreciate the expert results most rice cookers produce. Most rice cookers have specific functions, such as keep warm or steam release, to help facilitate the process. The Aroma rice cooker earns the top slot on this list of best rice cookers for its affordable price tag, user-friendly features and delicious results.

What Are the Best Rice Cookers Available Right Now?

aroma rice cooker Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Programmable controls
  • Delay timer
  • Rice measuring cup included
Price: $29.98 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
best rice cookers Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Auto keep warm
  • Removable nonstick pot
  • Includes steaming basket
Price: $39.95 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
tiger rice cooker Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Single-push operation
  • Cooking plate won't impart flavors
  • Cookbook included
Price: $94.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
rice cooker Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Keep warm function
  • Includes measuring cup
  • Cook and warm indicator lights
Price: $49.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
breville rice cooker Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Ideal for risotto
  • Removable cord
  • Nonstick bowl
Price: $499.95 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
aroma rice cooker Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Automatic keep warm
  • Rice measuring cup included
  • Stainless steel pot
Price: $32.53 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
zojirushi rice cooker Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Nonstick interior
  • Fine-tunes as it goes
  • Multiple menu options
Price: $217.70 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
tiger rice cooker Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Also makes bread
  • Multi-layer cooking pot
  • Vent cap
Price: $499.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
best rice cooker Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Rice measuring cup included
  • See-through lid
  • One-touch operation
Price: $62.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Our Unbiased Reviews
  1. 1. Aroma Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker

    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.

     

  2. 2. BLACK+DECKER Rice Cooker

    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.

     

  3. 3. Tiger JBV-A Rice Cooker

    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.

     

  4. 4. Cuisinart Rice Cooker

    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.

  5. 5. Breville The Risotto Plus

    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.

     

  6. 6. Aroma Simply Stainless Rice Cooker

    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.

  7. 7. Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker

    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.

     

  8. 8. Tiger Induction Heating Rice Cooker

    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.

     

  9. 9. Panasonic Automatic Rice Cooker

    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.

     

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