Best Rice Cookers for the Perfect Rice-Cooked Meal
As easy as cooking rice seems, many factors can go wrong while preparing your meal. Your rice grains can end up mushy if you get carried away by your leftover tasks from the office. In the worst-case scenario, the undone grains can get burned while you get carried away by the latest episode of Euphoria.
Without the aid of a new-age rice cooker, you need to be laser-focused in the kitchen and attain a high level of preciseness when measuring your rice and water. If all you want is an evenly done, tasty, and non-mushy rice meal, the best rice cookers can do all the hard work for you and provide you with the only thing that matters – a fluffy and tasty rice meal like sushi, jasmine rice, and brown rice.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Rice Cooker
We considered several factors when choosing our ten rice cookers on Amazon. These factors include the quantity of rice you intend to cook regularly, cooker types, internal model and layers, ease of maintenance, ease of operation, timer function, cooking mechanism, warranty, among others. This section will discuss everything you need to consider when choosing an electric rice cooker in detail.
At Inquiries, we don’t just provide you with the best home appliances and gadgets to make you comfortable at home or work. We also equip you with the qualities to look out for when considering more products apart from our list.
Quantity of rice you intend to cook regularly.
Every rice cooker manufacturer specifies the measuring cups or liters of rice cooked on the particular grain cooker. The two cardinal sins you cannot afford to make when using a rice cooker are cooking a small amount of rice on a larger rice cooker or cooking rice that exceeds the amount specified by the product guide. Cooking less rice than specified can damage the internal part of the rice cooker and result in unevenly cooked food. On the other hand, cooking more than the specified cups of rice will shorten the lifespan of the grain cooker and mess up the cooking space.
The rule of thumb when choosing the perfect rice cooker for your household is to measure the number of measuring cups consumed by your family regularly. You may wonder, what if I have visitors and I have to cook rice for the whole family too?
Then, it’s better to get a rice boiler that can cater to your family and a spare rice cooker for special occasions. The smallest capacity often sold in stores are 3-cup rice cookers, while the highest is usually a 10-cup rice boiler.
Ease of maintenance
Any appliance you don’t clean gets spoiled easily, and the same is true for even the top rice cookers. After use, all you need to clean your rice cooker is clean water, a sponge, and detergent or curd soap. Based on the material used in designing the internal part of a rice cooker, there are three types of rice cookers: non-stick rice cooker, stainless steel cooker, and ceramic rice cooker.
We prefer the non-stick rice cooker because it is easy to clean and does not break like its ceramic counterpart. The non-stick rice cooker has a non-stick coating that prevents the grains from gumming to the internal surface of the cooker. The only disadvantage of the non-stick rice cooker is that it is prone to scratching and surface damage. Once the coat wears, it loses its non-stick property.
A scratch-resistant alternative to the non-stick rice cooker is the stainless steel rice cooker. While the external part of the body might be built with other non-steel materials, the internal part is made of stainless steel. The two major disadvantages of the stainless steel rice cooker are that the rice sticks to its inner surface, and the food cooked using the rice cooker can be unevenly cooked.
The worst part is if the design is not perfectly done and a wire connection cuts and touches the metallic surface, it can cause an electric shock.
The third type is the ceramic rice cooker. This rice cooker is quite easy to clean, and its internal surface does not adhere to the rice. However, the ceramic material is breakable, unlike the stainless steel and non-stick coated surface.
Rice cookers that harbor dirt in crevices and joints give off a bad smell with time. Ensure no internal joints, contours, and hinges are not easy to clean.
Ease of Operation
You don’t need to be a professional cook to use a rice cooker. The top rice cookers recommended in this guide are easy to use. You can either opt-in for a basic rice cooker or advanced models. The basic ones often come with a one-touch button operator and limited functions.
Conversely, the advanced rice cookers offer broader control buttons to perform various tasks like setting the cooking duration and food warming. Do not forget that different dishes require different timing; hence an advanced rice cooker might be the best option for people who intend to cook various grain meals apart from rice.
One feature that can also make the rice cooker usage easy is the detachable or retractable power cord. An undetachable power cord can limit your ability to move the rice cooker around the kitchen, and the cord can easily get damaged from dragging.
Timer Function
The timer function or the delay start feature is a digital control that allows you to specify the duration of time you want your food to be cooked. It prevents overcooking or undercooking, both of which can spoil your meal and day.
Cooking mechanism
There’s no one “ideal cooking mechanism” as it depends on the type of rice you want to prepare. There are four cooking mechanisms employed in different rice cooker brands, namely the traditional mechanism, induction heating mechanism, jar-o-mat mechanism, and micro-computerized cooking mechanism.
Do due diligence and make inquiries about the mechanism adopted by your manufacturer before making a purchase. We will discuss the different mechanisms in detail.
Induction heating mechanism
If you want to prepare an evenly cooked rice meal in the shortest time frame possible, the IH rice cooker is your best option. Thanks to the principle of induction heating and electromagnetic power generation, the IH rice heater can make soft and sweet rice in no time. The major downside of induction rice heaters is that they are quite expensive, but they are worth every dime.
Traditional cooking mechanism
There’s a traditional cooking mechanism that heats your food from the bottom. It is simple to use and keeps your food warm after cooking. To make cooking faster using this mechanism, it has to be well sealed using a plastic or glass lid.
Jar-o-mat cooking mechanism
The jar-o-mat mechanism offers multiple heating from all sides a day bottom, reducing the cooking time and enabling even heat distribution. Like the traditional mechanism, it keeps your food warm even after cooking. Also, it comes with a lid for food protection and heat regulation.
Micro-computerized cooking mechanism
The micro-computerized mechanism follows a well-defined cycle of heating rice at multiple temperatures. It is an automated process that lasts for minutes. The micro-computerized mechanism produces fluffy and evenly cooked rice. There are times when you are in a hurry and can’t wait for nearly an hour before eating. You can hasten the process by enabling the ‘quick cook’ function.
Warranty
A manufacturer with a durable product would not be afraid to offer a reasonable warranty period. Those who sell fake products shorten the warranty duration or do not provide a warranty. Also, check the terms and conditions for the warranty to ensure you know what repairs are covered by the manufacturer.
What are the Best Rice Cookers on Amazon?
For many Asians, rice is more than a food chosen because of its versatility. Asians associate rice with women and fertility. Hence, it is natural for non-Asians to prefer many rice cookers made from Asia to the ones made in other regions, as it is believed that Asians make the best rice foods. These Asian brands include Cuckooand Zojirushi rice cookers.
While the bias is understandable, it must be noted that there are several examples of rice cookers made by non-Asian manufacturers that provide advanced features at a lower price. The six quality rice cookers recommended in this guide can all be found on Amazon, but Amazon is not the be-all and end-all for white and brown rice cookers. You can get great products from other online stores.
Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer
Price: $251.00
This Zojirushi Rice Cooker is the top rice cooker on our list. It ticks every box on our checklist. To make the cooker transfer convenient, the rice cooker is designed with a retractable power cord. Stay up to date with the remaining cooking time by viewing the LCD clock and timer. It can cook up to 10 cups of rice.
Its package contains two measuring cups, one non-stick scooper, and a spoon holder. Do not use any other measurement cup apart from the ones provided by the manufacturer.
Pros
- It turns uncooked rice into a tasty and evenly cooked rice meal.
- Also, it is designed to cook white rice using the Fuzzy logic mechanism.
- It has the delay timer feature.
- Possess basic menu settings for cooking different rice meals like sushi rice and gaba brown rice.
Cons
- It is quite expensive.
Aroma Pot Style Rice Cooker
Cheapest Alternative
Price: $19.44
Why waste your valuable time cooking just one meal when you can make two meals at a go. Aroma Pot Style Rice Cooker comes with an additional steam tray enabling people to kill two birds with one stone.
Affordable smart rice cookers are hard to come by. If you are on a budget and don’t mind using a basic rice cooker designed, Aroma Pot Style Smart Rice Cooker is perfect for you. The rice boiler can cook white and brown rice of not more than 6 cups, but we realized the provided measurement cup is far smaller than what many use in their homes.
The Aroma Pot Style Rice boiler has a one-touch operation feature that is useful to regular people and professional chefs.
Pros
- Comes with a warm feature.
- Pretty affordable.
- Easy to use and operate.
Cons
- Too basic.
- The pot messes up the cooking area with white starchy water that hardens when cooled, especially if the rice is not washed before boiling.
- The cup that accompanies the rice boiler is way smaller than the usual cup hence the label “2-6 cups” is misleading.
- Hard to clean as the rice often sticks to the inner surface.
Black + Decker Uncooked Rice Cooker and Food Steamer
Price: $31.52
Looking for a large yet affordable rice cooker that can cater to the whole family and guests?
Black + decker rice cooker is your best pick. The 16-cup capacity rice cooker has a removable non-stick bowl that makes it easy to clean after usage.
Sometimes, we lose appetite after cooking, but we need the food to remain warm until we are ready to eat again. Black + decker rice cooker keeps your food warm long after being prepared.
Pros
- It has two heat modes, namely the cooking mode and warming mode.
- The non-stick removable bowl makes cleaning simple and stress-free.
- It is affordable.
- Its markers let you know the right measurement of water and rice to cook with the rice cooker.
- The guide is translated into 12 major languages, including English and French.
Cons
- If the rice is not washed, it messes up the cooking area.
Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Micom Rice Cooker
Price: $189.49
As mentioned earlier, micro-computerized rice cookers are costlier than their basic alternatives, but they are worth every dime. Zojirushi rice cooker turns uncooked rice into fluffy, tasty, perfectly cooked rice and keeps the rice warm for as long as you want.
You can change the menu settings depending on the meal you intend to cook. It has different modes: white rice setting, brown rice menu setting, cake menu setting, and steam setting.
Pros
- This rice cooker has a delayed time function.
- Easy to clean due to the non-stick inner surface.
- Convenient to carry around, as the power cord is retractable.
Cons
- Quite expensive
- The non-stick property is rendered useless when the coated part is scratched or wears off.
Dash Mini Rice Cooker Steamer with Removable Nonstick Rice Cooker
Price: $24.99
Carrying a heavy rice cooker with you during camping or when in a school dormitory is inconvenient and unnecessary. The Dash Mini Rice Cooker is all you need to make your rice, oatmeal, soup, and other grains when you are away from home. It is versatile and easy to use.
It comes in five colors: aqua, pink, white, red, and black.
Pros
- It is very portable.
- It comes with a warming feature.
- Comes with a one-year warranty.
Cons
- Not for people planning to cook for the whole family at once.
COMFEE’ 5.2Qt Asian Style Programmable All-in-1 Multi-Cooker
Price: $166.34
Few rice cookers can cook large quantities of rice even to give a fluffy cooked rice meal, and COMFEE rice cooker and warmer are among them. You can cook up to 20 cups of rice using the rice cooker.
It operates using a 6-step cooking mechanism, incubating heat to all food portions. The cooker is not limited to rice, as you can cook oatmeal, pasta, soup, and saute on it.
Pros
- Schedule your cooking duration using the LED display and sensitive touch panel.
- Keep your food warm for 12hours using the warm feature.
Cons
- Lacks a non-stick coating.
- Not easy to clean when food burns.
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Final Thoughts: Tips for making perfectly cooked rice
If you are looking for a hassle-free rice cooker that will give you evenly cooked, fluffy, and tasty rice every time without any of the fuss – look no further than the top rice cookers on Amazon. These top-rated appliances have thousands of happy customers and can make your life in the kitchen much easier.
Whether you are looking for a basic model or one with all the bells and whistles, we’ve got you covered. Check out our list of the best rice cookers and see for yourself how easy it is to get a delicious home-cooked meal without all the stress!
