The Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 is an affordable rice cooker that is basic but provides everything you need to cook rice with ease and minimal effort.
By placing eight cups of uncooked rice into the machine, you will be able to create 12 cups of fluffy rice within 20-40 minutes.
We’ve reviewed lots of rice cookers so to find the right one for you, head to our guide on the best rice cookers.
The Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 is an easy-to-use rice cooker that is operated with just one switch. Its functions are fairly limited compared to a more premium model, but it’s priced to reflect that at under $50.
What is handy about this rice cooker is that once your rice has finished cooking, the machine will automatically switch to the warming function so that nothing dries up.
Creating up to 16 rice at one time, this rice cooker has a larger capacity than most other models we reviewed too.
Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker: Features
This rice cooker comes complete with a non-stick bowl inner where you’ll cook the rice. Helping to make the Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 easy to clean, the bowl can be placed in the dishwasher once you’re finished using it. However, because of the non-stick coating, sometimes it is better to hand wash it. To preserve the non-stick coating, this rice cooker comes with a plastic serving spoon so that you don’t use anything utensils that could scratch the bowl.
Although the Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker is quite basic, it does still have a steam basket so that you can cook vegetables at the same time as your rice. The indicator lights on the front of the machine show you whether the unit is cooking or keeping the rice warm.
The lid is made of tempered glass and this rice cooker has a handy built-in lid holder for when you need to check the rice or empty out the bowl.
What this rice cooker is lacking, however, is a delayed timer setting. If it’s important that you have this option, consider our Aroma ARC-616SB Sensor Logic rice cooker review.
The Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker is also lacking the functionality to adapt to the type of rice you’re preparing. More sophisticated models also have a fuzzy logic feature which adjusts the cooking depending on the environment you’re cooking in. They can also correct human error if you don’t quite get your quantities right.
With any basic rice cooker, there is always an additional concern with mess. Since the lid is removable on the Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker, steam tends to spurt out of the vent during cooking, causing more clean up than with more expensive rice cookers. Although it has an eight cup capacity, we suggest not going above seven cups. This should alleviate concerns with sputtering and overcooking rice at the bottom of the pot.
Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker: User reviews
The Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker has an average rating of 4.3 out of five on Amazon. The most positive reviews state that this rice cooker makes ‘cooking rice so much easier.’ Users describe the Black + Decker as easy to clean. Negative reviews of the Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker suggest that the ‘non-stick coating is almost useless’, and some users claim that this machine burns the bottom of the rice.
Should you buy the Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker?
The Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker has an average rating of 4.3 out of five on Amazon. The most positive reviews state that this rice cooker makes ‘cooking rice so much easier.’ Users describe the Black + Decker as easy to clean. Negative reviews of the Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker suggest that the ‘non-stick coating is almost useless’, and some users claim that this machine burns the bottom of the rice.
Should you buy the Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker?
If you’re looking for a rice cooker that has no frills but still makes light work of cooking rice, then the Black + Decker 16-cup RC516 rice cooker will offer an affordable solution for that. If features like a delay timer or multiple functions for different types of rice are important to you, you’ll be better suited with a rice cooker like the Oyster 20-Cup Digital Rice Cooker.
