The Spruce Eats / Chloe Jeong
The Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Hotter is our prime pick as a result of it presents thermal sensor expertise that adjusts time and temperature for the type of rice being cooked, and it carried out superbly in testing. For a budget-pleasant possibility, the Hamilton Seashore Rice Cooker is an effective choice, with easy-to-use performance and cleanup.
Rice is an affordable and versatile grain with many alternative varieties that can be enjoyed alone, as a side dish, or as the base for recipes like grain bowls, jambalayas, stir fries, and so much more.
Though the means of cooking rice on the stovetop is fairly simple-in spite of everything, it’s simply water and rice, normally in a 2-to-1 ratio-it is also simple to under or overcook your rice. If you have ever scorched a pan of rice or questioned why your rice is overly gentle and mushy, you’ve realized cooking a pot of rice requires exact timing and supervision.
Rice cookers allow you to make a pot of perfectly textured, fluffy rice with none guesswork or babysitting. Most fashions can also be used to cook different grains, resembling oats, quinoa, or polenta, and also you can even use a rice cooker to make a no-stir risotto. Before buying, you’ll want to consider a rice cooker’s capacity and cooking capabilities for the way much rice you eat and which types of rice you eat most frequently.
Listed below are our prime rice cooker picks.
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Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer
Computerized changes
Built-in retractable power cord
Cooks a wide range of grains
Detachable inside lid
Not the quickest rice cooker
Timer would not display whole time
Inside handles get sizzling
Zojirushi makes a few of one of the best-promoting and most cherished rice makers. The Neuro Fuzzy line has two totally different capacities out there: the 5.5-cup and the 10-cup mannequin which is ideal for frequent entertaining and huge families. Our evaluation targeted on the 5.5-cup mannequin. This mannequin takes our prime pick because it’s compact and has pc chip expertise to prove perfectly cooked pots of rice.
This technology, referred to as “fuzzy logic,” assesses the cooker’s temperature via a thermal sensor constructed into the bottom of the unit. The machine then makes adjustments to the cooking time and temperature based on the cooking necessities for the kind of rice you selected.
You may select between regular white rice, sushi rice, mixed, porridge, sweet, semi-brown, and brown rice settings. There are also settings for cooking rice with out pre-rinsing, fast cooking, and choices for softer and more durable grains of white rice. Our tester did word that “a bit of planning goes a great distance with this rice cooker. It took a whopping hour and half-hour to cook 2 cups of brown rice with the brown rice setting.” Even with the longer cook time, the proper results made it well worth the wait.
The nonstick cooking pot has measurement markings on the inside so you possibly can rapidly eyeball how much water to add for several types of rice. The pot additionally has keep-cool handles so you can transfer a hot batch of rice to the desk. Different noteworthy options embrace a removable inner lid for simpler deep cleaning, carrying handle, retractable cord, LCD timer, and the inclusion of two measuring cups, a rice scooper, and spoon holder.
This 5.5-cup cooker makes as much as 10 cups of cooked rice.
Price at time of publish: $231
The Spruce Eats / Renu Dhar
Uncooked Capacity: 5.5 cups | Cooked Capacity: 10 cups | Dimensions: 10.13 x thirteen x 8.Thirteen inches | Weight: 6.4 pounds | Time to Cook White Rice: 48 to fifty five minutes | Power Rating: 680 watts
“From half a cup of medium-grain white rice to about 5.5 cups of lengthy-grain white rice, the appliance produced completely cooked rice each time.” – Renu Dhar, Product Tester
Cooks rice completely
Can cook several kinds of rice
Massive countertop footprint
Not dishwasher-safe
This rice cooker uses induction cooking that heats the bottom, sides, and lid of the pan and can make exact adjustments to the cooking temperature to make excellent rice, no matter what variety you’re cooking, every time. It can make as much as 5.5 cups of uncooked rice at a time and has settings for white rice (regular, softer, or harder), jasmine white rice, combined rice, sushi rice, porridge, candy rice, brown rice, GABA brown rice, and quick-cooking.
Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka, owner of Philadelphia-based sushi restaurant Zama, recommends Zojirushi rice cookers, which he grew up with in Japan and nonetheless makes use of in each his restaurant and dwelling at the moment. He says, “The best thing concerning the Zojirushi induction cooker is the best way it brings the boiling temperature up so shortly and evenly. It cooks the rice from both sides and high to backside.”
In our product testing, our reviewer was capable of prove an “completely excellent” 0.5-cup each of white and brown rice, with no gumminess or clumping, after following the handbook instructions.
There are two keep-heat settings, one for holding rice for a short while when dinner is likely to be delayed, and one other for protecting the rice heat for longer than eight hours. The prolonged keep-warm makes use of a barely lower temperature to maintain the rice from drying out and may hold the rice for as much as 24 hours.
The cooker permits you to select between a standard beep notification, melody, or silent mode to let you already know the rice is ready. The cooking pot has a nonstick coating for simple cleaning, and the cooker includes a measuring cup and rice paddle.
Worth at time of publish: $348
Uncooked Capability: 5.5 cups | Cooked Capability: 10 cups | Dimensions: 10 x 14 x eight inches | Weight: 9 pounds | Time to Cook White Rice: 47 to 54 minutes | Power Score: 1,230 watts
“The Zojirushi is straightforward to get the dangle of, despite its technologically advanced design. Its orange LCD management panel is straightforward to learn, and choosing the appropriate cooking setting using the Menu button is intuitive-even when you’re typically tech-averse.” – Caroline Goldstein, Product Tester
Straightforward to use
Equipment are dishwasher-protected
Additional settings for other grains
Cooks even small batches slowly
Heat setting can overcook rice
Our testers reviewed a earlier mannequin of this product and liked its value-this newer mannequin has further options at the identical value point. Hamilton Seaside’s wallet-friendly rice cooker includes a basket for rinsing rice or for steaming foods in the cooker and has a removable nonstick cooking pot for easy cleansing. It holds up to 8 cups of cooked rice to feed a crowd. Customers word that it cooks rice beautifully every time.
Operation is straightforward, simply observe that every one batch sizes take 45 minutes to cook. When the rice is finished, it routinely switches to a keep-heat setting-though some customers reported that the warm setting overcooked the rice at the sting of the pot if left on for a while.
Apart from making rice, you possibly can cook complete grains or use the steamer basket for vegetables or fish. For easy cleaning, both the cooking bowl and steaming basket are dishwasher-secure, whereas the lid is removable for hand washing. A carrying handle makes it straightforward to move or store.
Price at time of publish: $47
Uncooked Capability: 4 cups | Cooked Capability: 8 cups | Dimensions: 8.25 x 9.Seventy four x 9.88 inches | Weight: Four pounds | Time to Cook White Rice: Forty five minutes | Energy Ranking: 250 watts
“You’d be onerous-pressed to find a rice cooker that’s easier to use.” – Caroline Goldstein, Product Tester
Greatest Basic
Compact
Keep heat function
Only has white and brown settings
This finest-selling rice cooker get excessive marks for being inexpensive, straightforward to make use of, and the perfect dimension for many households. Measuring virtually 10 inches tall by 8.9 inches broad, it is obtained a small footprint that won’t take up a lot counter or cabinet house.
It has settings for cooking white and brown rice and may cook up to 8 cups of cooked rice per batch. A warming mode switches on routinely when the rice is completed cooking so your rice stays at the proper temperature for serving.
The latest model of this cooker has an upgraded pot made of bonded granite building for added durability, nonstick cooking, and simple dishwasher cleanup. Beforehand, our tester famous some chemical odor throughout cooking, but that difficulty ought to be fixed with the new pot.
Consumer-friendly features include a non-stick inside for easy cleaning, a condensation collector to capture cooking steam, and a slot built into the lid to stash a spatula for scooping. The steamer tray can be used to steam meat, fish, tofu, or vegetables while the rice cooks so you might have a whole meal with minimal work or cleanup. It comes with a measuring cup, plastic rice spatula, and a removable steamer tray.
Uncooked Capability: 4 cups | Cooked Capacity: 8 cups | Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.5 x 9.3 inches | Weight: 4.9 pounds | Time to Cook White Rice: 36 to forty one minutes | Energy Score: 450 watts
Best Sensible Cooker
Panasonic 5-Cup One-Contact Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker
Detachable energy cord
Keep-heat and auto-shutoff capabilities
Nonstick inside
No bell when rice is done
No timer
That is another sensible rice cooker with a micro-pc that adjusts its energy relying on how much rice is being cooked. This means the rice is cooked completely each time, whether you’re cooking rice for one individual or for your entire family.
Whereas the cooker is a sensible mannequin, the controls are quite simple to use, with icons on the buttons for choosing white rice, brown rice, porridge, or soup, or the quick-cooking or steaming modes. It has an auto-shutoff and can keep rice warm for as much as 12 hours after it has been cooked.
The cooker comes with a steaming basket, rice paddle, and measuring cup. The ability cord is detachable for safety and storage, and the interior bowl has a nonstick coating for straightforward cleansing.
If 10 cups of cooked rice isn’t sufficient, there may be a bigger model that can make as much as 20 cups of cooked rice.
Value at time of publish: $94
Uncooked Capability: 5 cups | Cooked Capability: 10 cups | Dimensions: 10.2 x 13.9 x 7.Eight inches | Weight: 6.6 pounds | Time to Cook White Rice: 38 minutes | Power Score: 750 watts
Greatest Stovetop
Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Can be utilized on any stovetop
Simple to scrub
Built-in helper handle
Requires assembly exterior of the box
Sure, you can cook rice in an ordinary pot, but a pressure cooker does it easier and sooner since pressure cookers work as much as 10 occasions sooner than regular cooking methods. If you happen to don’t pressurize the pot, you should use it just like a normal saucepan. Even higher to your wallet and your storage area, a stovetop pressure cooker is a multi-use item that you can use daily.
This has a 6-quart capability and is made from stainless steel that’s rustproof, nonreactive, and stain-resistant. It can be used on any type of stove, including induction, and it has a helper handle to make it simple to maneuver.
During strain cooking, the pressure regulator maintains the proper cooking stress robotically, and the cover locks securely while beneath strain with a sealing ring that retains the steam contained in the cooker. For safety, an overpressure plug releases strain if it builds up too high. The pot is dishwasher-protected for easy cleansing.
Price at time of publish: $Eighty
Uncooked Capability: 10 cups | Cooked Capacity: 20 cups | Dimensions: 17.31 x 9.12 x 8.75 inches | Weight: 5.32 pounds | Time to Cook White Rice: 5 to 8 minutes
Best Massive-Capability
Aroma Housewares 20-Cup Digital Rice Cooker & Meals Steamer
Inside pot is nonstick and dishwasher-safe
Includes delay timer
Steam tray is manufactured from plastic
In case your objective is to cook a whole lot of rice with out a number of fuss, this 10-cup cooker could make as much as 20 cups of cooked rice per batch.
There are presets for cooking white and brown rice and the cooker can also be used to gradual cook or steam. Place meat or veggies on the tray, and the steam from the cooking rice will cook the remainder of your food for a one pot meal. A steaming tray is included and can be utilized at the identical time rice is cooking.
The 15-hour delay timer means you may prep your rice and cooking water in the morning and program the cooker to start cooking later within the day so that your rice is finished and waiting for you while you get residence.
This cooker also comes with a measuring cup and rice paddle. All removable parts, together with the inside pot, could be washed within the dishwasher.
Uncooked Capacity: 10 cups | Cooked Capacity: 20 cups | Dimensions: 11.Three x 11.3 x eleven inches | Weight: 8.7 pounds | Time to Cook White Rice: Forty to forty five minutes | Power Score: 860 watts
Best Microwavable
Sistema 2.6L Microwave Rice Cooker
Simple to make use of and clean
Can be utilized to steam vegetables
No sealing lid
No handles
For a straightforward method to cook rice that doesn’t contain yet one more countertop appliance, this microwave cooker is ready to supply good rice in your microwave.
The cooker has an 11-cup capability, so you may make rice for the whole household, and the steamer plus stress chamber design produces fluffy rice every time. The cooker is made from BPA-free plastic. Locking clips hold the lid in place during cooking, whereas steam vents release steam without spatter. Facet tabs keep cooler and make it simple to take away the cooker from the microwave when cooking is finished.
Value at time of publish: $29
Uncooked Capacity: 5.5 cups | Cooked Capability: 11 cups | Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.68 x 6.34 inches | Weight: 10.9 ounces | Time to Cook White Rice: 8-12 minutes
Greatest Multipurpose
Instantaneous Manufacturers Zest Plus 20-Cup Rice and Grain Cooker
Nonstick, straightforward to clean
Massive capability
13 settings cook completely different grains completely
Would not strain cook like On the spot Pots
When you don’t make rice on a daily basis, it might make sense to get an equipment that may cook more than simply rice. Whereas this Prompt Pot can cook rice for positive, you may as well use it for sluggish cooking, sautéing, steaming, and warming. The Zest lacks the strain cooking function that other On the spot Pot products offer, which could also be excellent for cooks who don’t wish to pressure cook however need all the other features.
It’s out there in 8-cup, 20-cup, or 20-cup Plus fashions. It includes a steamer basket, rice measuring cup, and rice spoon. The 20-cup Plus stands out because it has thirteen preset cooking features to completely cook each grain you can consider, from white and brown rice to couscous, oats, risotto, and more.
Value at time of publish: $60
Uncooked Capability: 10 cups | Cooked Capability: 20 cups | Dimensions: 11.3 x 11.26 x 11.42 inches | Weight: 6.Sixty one pounds | Time to Cook White Rice: 25 to 60 minutes | Energy Score: 860 watts
Our prime alternative is the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer, which has a thermal sensor that permits the cooker to automatically regulate cooking time and temperature. Our price range-friendly decide, the Hamilton Seashore Rice Cooker , also performed effectively in testing and is simple to make use of.
The Spruce Eats / Caroline Goldstein
What to Search for in a Rice Cooker
A rice cooker’s capacity is usually measured within the number of cups of uncooked rice it could hold, and most forms of rice broaden to double that quantity when cooked.
Presets
Many rice cookers come with presets for several types of rice, as well as ones that include changes for making your rice softer or firmer than usual. Basic cookers, however, may just have an on/off toggle with no additional settings.
Extra Options
In addition to having the ability to cook several types of rice, some units venture beyond grains and can be used as sluggish cookers or steamers for vegetables or fish. When you don’t cook rice frequently, these additional features may make a rice cooker more useful more often.
How do you use a rice cooker?
Making rice in a rice cooker is as simple as measuring your uncooked rice, rinsing your rice till it runs clear, measuring cooking water, putting your rice and water in the rice cooker, including any further seasonings you like, and setting the rice cooker in line with the kind of rice or grain you are cooking.
The exact directions to your rice cooker might be included in the person guide. It is best to learn over the instructions so you realize precisely the best way to get perfectly cooked rice in your cooker.
Are you able to cook quinoa in a rice cooker?
Sure, you possibly can cook quinoa in a rice cooker. Seek the advice of the cooker handbook for beneficial grain to liquid ratios for best outcomes.
The Spruce / Renu Dhar
What else can you make in a rice cooker?
Most grains could be cooked in a rice cooker including barley, farro, grits, quinoa, and oats. Some rice cookers include steaming inserts that can be utilized to steam vegetables, meat, or fish.
There are additionally recipes for cakes and egg dishes which might be cooked in a rice cooker. Some dwelling cooks even use rice cookers to steam-cook laborious-boiled eggs.
How do you clear a rice cooker?
Before cleaning, be sure the rice cooker is turned off and cooled down. If there’s caught-on meals in the pot or lid, you may allow them to soak first in hot, soapy water. Test the manual to verify whether these parts are dishwasher-protected. The cooking insert and detachable lids may be eliminated and washed by hand or positioned in the dishwasher.
In case your cooker has a lid that does not detach from the cooking base, use a wet sponge to wipe it clean, however don’t submerge the cooker in water. The inside and out of doors of the cooking base can be wiped with a damp cloth or sponge.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
Donna Currie is a cookbook writer who writes roundups and reviews merchandise for The Spruce Eats. She has tested more than 90 kitchen products for the brand.
