Best rice cookers: for delicious fluffy meals without the fuss, chosen by experts

Aroma 6-Cup Pot-Style ARC-743-1NG Rice Cooker
(Image credit: Aroma)

Achieving perfectly fluffy rice, no matter what kind, is made so much easier with the best rice cookers. Just add rice and water, and let a high-quality appliance create mouthwatering basmati, white, or brown rice that will leave your taste buds dancing. Your neighbors won't be able to resist the temptation of your perfectly cooked dishes.

If you're searching for a reliable rice cooker, you know how frustrating it can be to end up with mushy rice. To help you find the perfect appliance, we've carefully researched and tested some of the top models available today, including those made by trusted brands like Aroma and Zojirushi. Our focus has been on finding rice cookers with convenient features like auto shut-off, reheat functions, and non-stick interior cooking pots. With our recommendations, you won't have to worry about wasting time scraping burnt rice from the bottom of your cooker.

While perfect rice is the goal, some rice cookers also double up as risotto makers or soup makers, giving you the ultimate value for money. Whether you’re looking to cultivate your culinary skills or simply want perfectly fluffy rice, these are the best rice cookers to shorten cooking times, fight sticking, and facilitate reheating whenever you feel peckish. If these don’t quite fit the bill, we've also looked at the best air fryers and best toasters for a healthier route to crispy favorites.

The best rice cookers we recommend

Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Top Ten Reviews is on a mission to review everything we feature in our buyer's guides. Still, while we work hard to make this a reality—or where this isn't possible—some of our guides still feature rankings based on our team's considerable expertise and research.

While we haven't been able to test any of the units in this guide in person, we've instead honed in on top-rated brands and used our knowledge of the best features to help you make the right decision for your home, all for the best price.

The best rice cooker overall

Best rice cookers: Zojirushi NS-TSC10

(Image credit: Amazon)

1. Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Rice Cooker

The best rice cooker overall

Specifications

Capacity:: 5.5 cups
Steam basket: : Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Sleek design
+
Doubles as steamer or cake maker
+
Fuzzy logic technology

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Inner cooking pot could scratch easily
-
Large

With its sleek design and features, the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 is definitely worth considering. The rice maker can double as a steamer and even includes cake menu settings for baking cakes and brownies. Although it is quite expensive, the capabilities of the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 are unmatched by smaller, more basic rice cookers.

One of the standout features is its fuzzy logic technology, which compensates for even the slightest mistakes in measurement and keeps the rice fluffy and consistent during the cooling phase. It also offers a high level of control and allows you to choose the grain of rice and your desired texture. Additional features help justify its price tag, like the reheating function, a delayed timer, and a retractable power cord.

It even comes with a steaming basket, a rice measuring cup, a non-stick rice spatula, and a spatula holder. At the same time, there are some criticisms of the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 from customers - such as the fact that the inner cooking pot scratches easily and that the machine takes up a lot of counter space - these are relatively minor issues.

The best cheap rice cooker

Aroma 6-Cup Pot-Style ARC-743-1NG

(Image credit: Aroma)

2. Aroma 6-Cup Pot-Style ARC-743-1NG Rice Cooker

The best cheap rice cooker

Specifications

Capacity: 6 cups
Steam basket: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Affordable option
+
Steaming tray 

Reasons to avoid

-
Basic features only
-
Can be messy to use 

The Aroma 6-Cup Pot-Style ARC-743-1NG is an affordable rice cooker that can make up to six cups of rice with minimal effort, using just three cups of dry rice. While it doesn't have some of the more advanced functions of pricier models, like a delay timer or rice-type programming, it does come with an easy-to-use button and a steam tray for all-in-one meal preparation.

This rice cooker is relatively basic, but it still has all the standard features you'd expect, including a keep warm function that activates automatically once the rice is finished cooking. Reviewers on Amazon have given it an average rating of 4.3 out of five stars, with many praising its ability to steam vegetables to perfection. However, some have noted that it can be messy and may spill water onto countertops during use. 

If you're looking for more advanced features or want to cook a wider variety of dishes, you may want to consider a higher-end model. But for those who just want a basic rice cooker that can get the job done, the Aroma 6-Cup Pot-Style ARC-743-1NG is a solid option.

The best large rice cooker

Instant Pot Instant 20-cup Multigrain Cooker

(Image credit: Instant Pot)

3. Instant Pot Instant 20-cup Multigrain Cooker

The best large rice cooker

Specifications

Capacity: 20 cups
Steam basket: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
8-in-1 functionality
+
CarbReduce technology

Reasons to avoid

-
Higher price point

The Instant 20-cup Multigrain Cooker is a versatile appliance with 8-in-1 functionality that can handle rice, grains, quinoa, mixed grains, slow cook, sauté, steam, and keep warm. The CarbReduce technology claims to reduce carbs and sugar in rice by up to 40% without sacrificing taste and texture, and you also get eight smart cooking presets that take out the guesswork.

Level marks in the CarbReduce steam basket make it easier to measure water, and the cooker can keep rice warm for up to 10 hours. The non-stick cooking pot, stainless steel CarbReduce steam basket, and removable inner lid are all dishwasher-safe, and the cooker has a sleek and compact design. It also comes with a spoon and measuring cup.

The product has a 4.0 user rating on Best Buy, though this is based on just two reviews.

The best value rice cooker

Hamilton Beach 20-Cup Rice Cooker

(Image credit: Hamilton Beach)

4. Hamilton Beach 20-Cup Rice Cooker

The best value rice cooker

Specifications

Capacity: 20 cups
Steam basket: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Easy to use
+
Reasonable price
+
Good size

Reasons to avoid

-
Some reviewers noted rice sticking to the bottom

This Hamilton Beach rice cooker has a large 20-cup capacity, making it easy to prepare large quantities of rice for a very reasonable price. You can also use it to steam vegetables and various other foods, and when you're done cooking, the bowl, lid, and accessories are all dishwasher-safe.

The keep-warm function ensures that your food stays warm even after cooking so you can serve it when you're ready. A measuring cup and accessories like the steaming basket and rice paddle are all included.

The rice cooker has an average rating of 4.3 on Best Buy, with customers rating it highly for value, quality, and ease of use. However, some negative reviews mentioned that the rice had stuck to the bottom.

The best small rice cooker

Cuisinart 4 Cup Rice Cooker

(Image credit: Cuisinart)

5. Cuisinart 4 Cup Rice Cooker

The best small rice cooker

Specifications

Capacity: 4 cups
Steam basket: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Lovely design
+
Built-in steamer tray

Reasons to avoid

-
Uneven cooking may be an issue

The Cuisinart 4 Cup Rice Cooker with automatic Keep Warm function is a great investment if you're looking for something small. The sleek appliance is made with a brushed stainless steel housing and chrome-plated handles, and it can make 4-7 cups of perfectly cooked rice. It also comes with a built-in tray for steaming other foods.

The traditional lever control with warm and cook settings makes it simple to use, and the warm and cook indicator lights ensure you don't have to worry about constantly checking on your food. Once your rice is cooked, the automatic Keep Warm function kicks in, so you can rest easy knowing that your rice will stay at the perfect temperature until you're ready to eat.

The rice cooker has an average rating of 4.3 on Best Buy, with customers rating it highly for value, quality, and ease of use. However, some negative reviews mentioned the design of the appliance's top allows liquid to escape, as well as some uneven cooking.

Linda Thomson
TTR Contributor

Linda Thomson, whose loves are kids, books, music, good food and classic films, has been a professional writer her entire working life. This includes four newspapers, one magazine and plenty of online publishing. She no longer writes for Top Ten Reviews, although you'll still see her work across a number of articles on the Top Ten Reviews site.