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 for a healthier route to crispy favorites.
The best rice cookers we recommend in 2023
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The best rice cooker overall
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.
Note: we have not had hands-on testing with the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Rice Cooker, but we are still confident in recommending the rice cooker based on a mixture of our own expertise and third-party user reviews.
The best cheap rice cooker
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.
Note: we have not had hands-on testing with the Aroma 6-Cup Pot-Style ARC-743-1NG, but we are still confident in recommending the rice cooker based on a mixture of our own expertise and third-party user reviews.
The best large rice cooker
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
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
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.
