A rice cooker is a must have appliance if you want to cook your own rice at home. It’s not only much more convenient than cooking with a skillet or pot, but you’ll also get much better and more consistent results when using a high-quality rice cooker.
After extensively comparing, reviewing and analyzing dozens of different models of rice cookers, we selected three units that we consider to be the best in their class.
Best Overall: Zojirushi NP-NVC10 Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker
The Zojirushi NP-NVC10 is, in our opinion, the best rice cooker currently on the market. It is our top pick and we give it our highest recommendation. This rice cooker is quite possibly the most advanced and most intelligent piece of rice cooking machinery ever created.
What makes the Zojirushi NP-NVC10 so “intelligent” is that it uses advanced AI technology to modify its own cooking cycle, so that you get perfectly made rice every single time you fire the machine up. In a sense, it can learn from itself each time it makes a batch of rice, improving the cooking results over time. Variations in room and water temperatures due to changes in weather can affect the consistency and texture of cooked rice, but the Zojirushi will automatically adjust for these factors.
The Zojirushi NP-NVC10 also has a unique way in which it cooks the rice, which is called Induction Heating. Instead of focusing all of the heat towards the base of the unit, it disperses the heat evenly throughout the cooking vessel. This results in evenly cooked rice without undercooking or overcooking certain areas. The Zojirushi also uses pressure when cooking the rice, making the rice softer and fluffier than if you’d cooked it without pressure.
Another great feature of the Zojirushi is that its cooking pan is lined with platinum particles, which help to break down the rice grains’ outer protein layer, allowing water to more easily penetrate the rice. Additionally, this versatile machine can make up to 10 cups of rice (5.5 cups uncooked) and can be used to cook virtually any type of rice, including white, brown and sushi/mixed rice. Read reviews on Amazon >
Best Value: Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Pressure Rice Cooker
If you’re looking to get the best “bang for your buck” then the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 is your rice cooker. This incredibly versatile kitchen appliance can be used for many different cooking purposes, including slow cooking, pressure cooking, sautéing, making yogurt, steaming/warming foods and, of course, making rice. Even though this is a complicated piece of machinery, fortunately it’s controls are anything but. Its 14 pre-programmed settings make the Instant Pot very easy to use, as it automatically sets the right temperature and cooking time for the type of food that you plan to cook. Additionally, the machine’s internal heat sensors work in conjunction with its processor to monitor and constantly adjust the temperature and pressure for optimal cooking results.
The Instant Pot IP-DUO60 also has a large-capacity, stainless steel cooking pot that will allow you to make up to 22 cups of cooked rice at a time, more than enough for even large families. One of its best features is without a doubt its ability to pressure cook foods. You can set it to cook with either high pressure to reduce cooking times and save energy in the process, or you can set it to low pressure for when you’re cooking delicate foods.
Additionally, the entire unit – everything from the brushed stainless exterior to the dual lid holders – is well designed and constructed. It also has a fairly small footprint relative to its cooking capacity, which is again owed to its efficient and compact design. And with over 10 different safety mechanisms built into it, the Instant Pot is one of the safest appliances on the market. The machine will also automatically keep your food warm when you’re done cooking, giving you an additional level of convenience.
The bottom line is that when you consider the fact that it can not only cook rice, but that it can also do the job of several other appliances, and given that it’s very reasonably priced at just under $120, the Instant Pot simply offers more value for money spent than virtually any other rice cooker currently on the market. Read reviews on Amazon >
Best Budget Model: Aroma ARC-150SB Digital Rice Cooker
If you’re looking for something affordable but don’t want to sacrifice too much in the way of quality, then the Aroma ARC-150SB Digital is your best bet. It’s priced very affordably at just under $40, making it great for people with limited budgets. The Aroma ARC-150SB was designed for people who just need a simple rice cooker that will get the job done without any frills, gimmicks or hoopla.
Although the Aroma ARC-150SB doesn’t have all the latest and greatest “bells and whistles” of some of the higher end models on the market, for a cheap rice cooker it produces fairly decent quality rice and has a large cooking capacity as well, with the ability to make up to 20 cups of cooked rice. It has a simple, “bare bones” digital control panel that is both easy to use and read. With the press of a button, you can cook both white and brown rice, or activate the delay timer which can be set to up to 15 hours in advance. The inner cooking pot has a non-stick surface and is dishwasher safe, allowing for quick and easy cleanup.
One of the more nifty features of the Aroma is that it has a built-in water reservoir that collects excess condensation during cooking. Additionally, the Aroma isn’t just limited to cooking rice – it can also be used as a steamer or slow cooker. All in all, this is a solid rice cooker that is cheap enough for just about anybody to afford. Read reviews on Amazon >
Honorable Mentions (Other Recommended Rice Cookers)
Cuckoo CRP-N0681F Electric Pressure Rice Cooker
The Cuckoo CRP-N0681F is a very popular rice cooker in Korea where it is made. Cuckoo is the top selling rice cooker brand in Korea and Cuckoo rice cookers, like the Japanese made rice cookers, have a reputation for high quality and durability. One obvious indicator of the Cuckoo CRP-N0681F’s quality is its overall design. It has a very sleek and modern look with an easy-to-read LCD display and simple to use push-button controls. Additionally, this pressure rice cooker features 3-D warming, automatic self-cleaning, a removable cover, voice guides in three different languages (including English), 13 different cook settings, numerous safety features and a cooking pot with X-Wall marble coating.
Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom Rice Cooker
The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 is another terrific rice cooker from Zojirushi, the number one rice cooker brand in the world. With a cooked rice capacity of 11 cups, this rice cooker is great for both single people and small families alike. It can be used to prepare either white or brown rice, and is great for steaming vegetables and beans as well. You can even bake a cake with it using the cake setting. In addition, the unit uses MICOM technology, which greatly improves the texture and quality of the cooked rice. Other great features include a retractable power cord, auto/extended keep warm functionality and built-in audio alerts.
Cuisinart CRC-400 Electric Rice Cooker
The Cuisinart CRC-400 is Cuisinart’s most popular and best selling rice cooker. This rice cooker has a unique design, not only because of its square shape, but also due to the fact that you can place a steaming basket on top of the unit, allowing you to steam vegetables, beans and/or meat while you’re cooking your rice. The brushed stainless steel housing makes for easy cleaning and adds a nice aesthetic touch to it as well. And if you hate complicated controls, then it really doesn’t get any simpler than the Cuisinart, as it only has an “on/off” button.
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