So, we need to talk about rice cookers. On its face, making rice is deceptively simple. You measure, rinse, simmer, and steam your rice in a pot and after 30 minutes, you’ve got cooked rice. However, most of us have had to scour the bottom of a pot after cooking because the rice stuck to it. Or worse, you have made yourself rice and when you bite down, it’s still hard in the center. Another issue many home cooks have is that the rice is overcooked and tastes pasty and mushy. Thankfully, targeted rice cookers are here to save the day.
Rice cookers make easy work of preparing a perfect bowl of rice. These convenient devices will deliver rice to your exact liking and many of them are made and imported from Asia where they are wildly popular and where people know a thing or two about cooking great rice. If you’re searching for the best rice cooker, you have come to the right place! Take a look at our pick below!
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Best Overall: Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Micom Rice Cooker
$159.59 at the time of publication.
This is the best rice cooker in the world. It is imported from Japan and can cook up to 5.5 (uncooked) cups of rice. if you see yourself cooking more than 5.5 cups of rice at a time, there is also a 10-cup version available from the same maker. There are several different settings for you to play around with if you want to cook various types of rice. After you taste rice from this cooker, you will never go back to a pot! One last thing worth mentioning is that the cooker plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star when you hit “start” and again when your rice is ready.
Best Budget Find: Aroma 4-Cup Rice Cooker
$29.95 at the time of publication.
If you’re not looking to spend $150+ on a rice cooker, we totally get that. This 4-cup rice cooker from Aroma also happens to be the best-rated rice cooker that Amazon offers. If you’re not someone who is going to need more than 8 cups of cooked rice at a time, it could be the best option for you. It’s easy to use, works well, and is cool to the touch even while your rice is cooking. You can also steam other foods on top of your rice as it cooks below!
Best with Electric Steam: Tatung 11 Cup Multi-Functional Stainless Steel Rice Cooker
$239.99 at the time of publication.
You will find the Tatung rice cooker in millions of homes in Taiwan where it is the top-selling rice cooker there. Instead of mixing rice and water directly together, the Tatung heats water in a larger compartment around the bowl that holds the rice. This generates steam and helps the individual grains cook super-evenly. But it also means that you can perfectly and evenly steam your veggies above without boiling them to a mush.
Easiest to Use: Panasonic 5-Cup Rice Cooker
$87.82 at the time of publication.
If ease of use is top of mind for you, this super simple yet great rice cooker from Panasonic could be used by a monkey to cook rice. With just a few buttons and settings you don’t have to fiddle with this one much to get a bowl of perfectly cooked rice in minutes. Rice can be made up to 24 hours ahead and this baby will keep it warm and perfectly cooked for you whenever you want it!
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Best Compact Cooker: DASH Mini Rice Cooker Steamer
$24.99 at the time of publication.
Is space a big issue in your kitchen? You are not alone! This tiny (6.5″D x 8.3″W x 16″H) steamer is all you need to make excellent rice. You can make up to 2 cups at one time. Like the other budget pick from Aroma, this one from DASH also has thousands of stellar reviews on Amazon. Further, it comes in a variety of fun colors for you to choose from.
There you go! Now, you know all of the best rice cookers there are out there. We hope you will consider one of these finds so that you can treat yourself to truly spectacular rice. Buy one today!
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