How to Choose the Best Rice Cooker? - Comfee

How a Rice Cooker Works?

You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.

A standard rice cooker consists of five primary parts: the main body, a tight-sealing lid, thermostat, inner cooking pot, and electric heating plate(s). Multipurpose rice cookers may employ sensors and steam vents to prevent the contents from boiling quickly and then ultimately spilling out across your countertop.

The heating plate is permanently installed in the interior of the main body's bottom. After the cooker is powered on and the inner pot is placed into the cooking base, the plate will start heating on a warm setting.

To begin the cooking process, you'll need to push down the control switch to the 'cook' position so heat converted from electric current can be transferred to the pot and into the rice via the heating plate.

As the cooker is heating, the water will boil and vaporize into steams at 212°F. That steam will then get absorbed into the rice and help soften the starch. Some varieties of rice take longer to absorb water than others. That's not the only source of variation, though.

There are a number of materials used to make your cooking pan, and the specific material will affect how evenly heat gets distributed. But generally, you may generally get steamed fluffy rice in about 20 minutes.

The built-in thermostat is designed to control the heat source, making sure the rice won't burn and the water won't boil over. To be more precise, once 'noticing' all the water has been absorbed and the pot is heating quicker, the thermostat will automatically switch the heating element to its 'keep warm' cycle.

Speaking of the keep warm setting, even the most basic rice cookers will include this function, which is really handy if you want a second helping of heated rice halfway through your meal. There will be warm, fluffy rice whenever you choose to eat.

How to Choose the Best Rice Cooker?

Now that we understand the basics of how a rice cooker functions, let's think about how to choose the right one. On the surface, they usually tend to look very similar, especially to the untrained eye. That's why we're going to outline some important points to consider before purchasing a rice cooker.

1. Types 

There are various types of rice cookers on the market, including microwave, standard, micom, and induction-heating rice cookers.

• Microwave Rice Cooker

These are BPA-free plastic containers that allow you to cook rice, oatmeal, and other grains right in the microwave. These little gadgets are great options for anyone with limited kitchen space.

Besides keeping more counter space free, they also cut cooking time in half compared to a standard rice cooker. They're inexpensive (under $40) and generally dishwasher-safe.

• Standard Rice Cooker

Standard rice cookers are commonly used in Asian countries, with some of the most famous ones produced in Japan. With many more functions and features than microwave rice cookers, you can use them to stew beef, steam veggies, or even bake cakes.

Most standard rice cookers use a single heating element, so they cook quite quickly, giving you cooked rice in only 20 to 30 minutes. Because the heat is concentrated only at the bottom, However, the rice may not be perfect every time. It can turn out crunchy or mushy if cooked with the wrong amount of water.

If cost is your priority, such models are the least expensive electric rice cookers, mostly retailing at between $15 and $50. Furthermore, they come in different sizes to serve different purposes, from small (3 cups of raw rice) to extra large (20 cups of raw rice).

• Micom Rice Cooker

Simply speaking, micom rice cookers are standard rice cookers that include built-in microchips. They can automatically adjust the cooking time and temperature, resulting in perfect fluffy rice every single time.

In layman's terms, micom rice cookers are plug-and-play appliances that will get the job done on their own, saving you precious time to tend to other tasks. They have an abundance of preset cooking modes for specific foods such as white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, or porridge. This makes them not only more convenient but also more expensive than conventional rice cookers.

Reliable micom rice cookers may cost around $70. But prices can go as high as $210 or more for the high-end models, depending on the feature set.

• Induction-Heating Rice Cooker

These are the most expensive models of all, with prices running between $200 and $500. While standard cookers distribute heat from the bottom up, these fancy rice cookers create an induction heating zone by employing the entire inner pot as a heating element.

Unlike other types, induction-heating rice cookers don't have an electric heating plate on the bottom. The integrated induction coil 'induces' the magnetic heating in the metal that makes up the inner pot's body. This means it can distribute heat far more evenly, thus delivering better textured rice while also consuming less energy.

2. Capacity

The capacity of a rice cooker is defined by how much cooked or uncooked rice can comfortably fit in the cooking pot. You will find that this ranges from 1 to 46 scoops, equating to a small portion to enough for a whole banquet.

Note: When manufacturers talk about uncooked rice capacity, they're talking about the measuring cup that is included with the cooker. Though they sometimes refer to the measurement as a 'cup,' they are NOT talking about standard US measuring cups.

Rice cookers intended for home use can usually handle  1 to 10 cups of uncooked rice at a time. For families of four, something in the 4-5 cup range may do the job.

If you plan on using one for commercial purposes, then you should find models that can accommodate up to 46 cups at a time.

Your available kitchen space is also important to consider. Naturally, larger-capacity cookers have larger footprints. Decide how much counter space you want to devote to the cooker so that you choose the model that fits perfectly.

3. The Inner Pot's Coating

The inner pot of your rice cooker is usually coated with a nonstick layer of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or ceramic. There are also uncoated pots made from stainless steel, but they're not so common.

Ceramic: This material has been around longer than PTFE and seems to allow for stronger food release. Most of the time they're tougher too ' you should still avoid scratching ceramics, but the material won't scratch or chip off as easily as Teflon.

Stainless steel: This man-made material has a high heat capacity, but it doesn't conduct heat as well as PTFE. Being among the most durable, it is tough enough to last without rusting and tarnishing over time. Since its surface isn't nonstick, however, dealing with burnt-on rice may be more challenging.

Note:

• Although a nonstick coating may be scratched by metal utensils, there is no evidence to prove this could affect your health, as stated by the

   

  American Cancer Society.
• Most inner pots are marketed as dishwasher safe, but their exteriors may be damaged by the abrasive nature of dishwasher detergents. So, washing by hand is better in the long term.

4. Tight-Sealing Lid

The sealed lid feature is another standard for most rice cookers. A tight seal on the lid may either steam from escaping or allow it to escape in a controlled manner. This helps it maintain a stable temperature while the rice is being cooked. It also ensures that each batch of fluffy rice is perfectly done in a reasonable amount of time.

If you buy a standard rice cooker whose lid is entirely removable, it may release a lot of steam during the cooking process, which can be dangerous when you're nearby. The upshot is that removable lids are easier to clean and less likely to retain odors.

Cleaning micom or induction-heating rice cookers takes a little more work ' you can't dunk the body of the machine in water, after all. Before buying, it's best to make sure that the inner lid can be detached.

Remove this inner lid and wash it separately. Then wipe down the gasket area of the outer lid with a damp cloth. If not properly cleaned after each use, rice or other detritus may get stuck around the gasket. It can start to stink and also impact the quality of your rice.

5. Electric Heating Plate

The durability and cooking efficiency of a rice cooker may be partly determined by the heating plate's quality. That's why you should avoid choosing low-end rice cookers from unreliable brands. These devices may often have substandard heating plates that are more prone to short-circuiting.

Not only that, but a poorly-constructed heating plate may also fail to fully cook your rice. There's not much you can do to fix a weak heating element.

Or occasionally, you may find a rice cooker whose heating plate and inner pot don't seat tightly against each other. Such machines are defective and can be unsafe to use.

6. Other Features

Many affordable rice cookers come with a timer. With this option, you can delay the start of the cooking process for up to 23 hours after loading the pot with rice and water. This is a great feature for those with little time to prepare meals. They may also have steamer racks which allow users to steam vegetables, fish, or even dessert while the rice is cooking.

High-end models often feature smart controls, which let users monitor the cooking progress via an app. Some even have an alert or musical tone that informs you when the rice is ready to serve. These are nice extras, but we don't think they are entirely necessary.

With up to 17 digital cooking programs, the COMFEE' is the most versatile cooker on our list. From cooking rice to steaming veggies and baking cakes, this all-in-one appliance can do it all, quickly and effortlessly. Together with a distinctive brushed stainless steel housing, the cooker ensures to suit your kitchen decor as well as helping you cook like a pro.

• Capacity

With a 5.2-quart capacity, the COMFEE' has a decent amount of cooking space to handle upto 20 cups of cooked rice, which is enough for small parties or families of 6-8 persons. Beyond its versatility, large capacity, and strong decorative appeal, this unit also stands out from the rest with its exclusive inner pot.

• Construction

Coated with a honeycomb pattern nonstick surface, the COMFEE' inner pot comes with the advantages of promoting greater thermal conductivity, more even heat distribution, and easier food release.

The pot is  2.0 mm thick, which helps a great deal in preserving steam and heat for perfect cooked rice every time. You might also be pleased to hear that the pot cooking surface is highly scratch-resistant, allowing you to cook with all types of utensils (except for those with sharp edges). It is even dishwasher safe for hassle free cleaning.

• Advanced Feature

The control panel looks quite complicated but it is very easy to use. To start cooking, simply select the desired cooking program after turning on the machine, and then press the Start button. The cooker also allows you to adjust the temperature and cooking time to give you more control over your cooking.

Like most multifunction cookers, the COMFEE' also features a keep-warm setting, allowing you to keep your cooked food at serving temperature for up to 12 hours. Just keep in mind that this function cannot be applied to Yogurt and Saute settings.

• Verdict

Apart from being used to cook all kinds of rice, the COMFEE' is also good for a variety of other uses, like steaming, stewing, and baking. If your finances are still functioning properly, why not pick out an all-in-one model that will provide you with much more modern advancements? For sure, this will be the most versatile appliances in your kitchen.

Article reposted with permission from healthykitchen101.com

Around the world, rice is the universally popular ingredient that can provide a simple base for various foods. And while it's completely possible to make great rice on the stove, doing so means hovering over the pot to ensure that your grains cook fully without burning.

By using a rice cooker, like our new favorite Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker and Warmer (available at Amazon for $215.99) , you can avoid that hassle and focus on the rest of your meal. There's a reason these devices are a fixture in professional kitchens'they promise rice with convenience and consistency'you can simply set it and forget it, whether it's jasmine or brown rice.

But which cookers fulfill their promise of perfectly cooked rice? If you're going to give up precious kitchen counter space for yet another gadget, it needs to be worthy. We tested about a dozen of the top rice cookers on the market to find out which ones are convenient, consistent, and'ultimately'can make that ideal bowl of rice.

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Logic is the best rice cooker option for most people.

Best Overall

Zojirushi NS-ZCC10

• Capacity: 5.5 cups uncooked rice
• Presets: White rice (regular/sushi, softer/harder), Mixed, Porridge, Sweet, Semi-brown, Brown, Rinse-free, Quick cooking
• Dimensions: 13 x 10.13 x 8.13 inches
• Weight: 3 pounds

After producing consistent and flavorful batches of brown rice, short-grain white rice, and jasmine rice, this Zojirushi rice cooker came out as our top pick. It's the only cooker with side handles on the inner pan, which makes removing cooked rice easier and safer.

It incorporates 'fuzzy logic,' meaning the microchip inside the appliance adjusts the temperature and cook time to make up for any mismeasured water to rice ratio.

The Zojirushi has convenient presets for most rice types that, when combined with the machine's "fuzzy logic," can turn out perfectly cooked brown rice, porridge, sushi rice, and more. Its retractable power cord and plastic fold-down handle also make both transport and storage easy. Assembled in Japan, this rice cooker is sturdy and its brand name guarantees durability.

Although we love its presets, we found this cooker's control panel to be less than intuitive. To successfully select the proper menu option and start cooking, we had to hold the rice cooker still with one hand and press hard to get it to respond. However, this minor inconvenience didn't discourage us from loving this Zojirushi, as it consistently made the best quality rice in our testing.

Pros

• High quality rice

• Can cook different types of rice

• Useful safety features

Cons

• Expensive

• Control panel isn't intuitive

$215.99 from Amazon
$242.99 from Target
$242.00 from Abt
$216.00 from Walmart

Credit: Reviewed / Jill Bernardini

The KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker is one of the best rice cookers we've tested.

Best Upgrade

KitchenAid KGCBM Grain and Rice Cooker

• Capacity: 8 cups
• Presets: White rice (short grain, long grain, sushi, jasmine, basmati), Brown rice (short grain, long grain), Wild rice, Oats (rolled and steel-cut), Couscous, Quinoa, Barley (pearled and hulled), Farro, Black beans, Pinto beans, Red beans, Lentils, Chickpeas, Kidney beans
• Dimensions: 9.75 x 13.5 x 8.88 inches
• Weight: 10.5 pounds

The KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker is more than just a rice cooker; it can churn out batches of quinoa, oatmeal, couscous, and even beans with exact precision.

That's because it boasts 21 presets of a variety of different grains and legumes. And no measuring or knowledge is required from the user's end; the built-in scale and water tank automatically measures and weighs the correct ratio of grains to water for each individual recipe. So all you have to do is select your grain type from the intuitive touch screen, add as much of a grain as you'd like to cook, be sure the water tank is filled, and the machine will do the rest.

And during testing we found that each preset recipe delivered consistently excellent results. Rice was fluffy and tender, quinoa was perfectly cooked, and black beans came out toothsome and flavorful. We even used the steam setting to cook a batch of dumplings, which emerged soft and warm.

The only real downside of this machine is that it's large (due to the attached water tank), which means it'll take up a decent amount of counter space. But if your household churns out batches of grains multiple times a week'and you have the room for it'it'd be worth the space investment.

Read our full review of the KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker

Pros

• High quality rice

• 21 different cooking functions

• Integrated scale

• Self-measuring water tank

Cons

• Large build

• Expensive

$299.99 from Amazon
$299.99 from Walmart

Credit: Reviewed / Jillian Pfleger

This Toshiba rice cooker comes at an excellent value and yields consistent results.

Best Value

Toshiba Digital Programmable Rice Cooker

• Capacity: 3 cups
• Presets: White Rice, Brown Rice, Mixed Grain, Slow Cook, Porridge, Cake, Egg, and Quick Cook
• Dimensions: 9 x 11 x 8 inches
• Weight: 6.61 pounds

If you're looking for a simple, minimalist rice cooker that focuses on the basics and still incorporates smart fuzzy logic for more even cooking consistencies, then the Toshiba Digital Programmable Rice Cooker is a great, budget-friendly option.

Smaller in size with only a 3-cup capacity, this Toshiba rice cooker aced all of our rice testing, with consistently fluffy, evenly cooked textures throughout the white rice and brown rice tests. We also tested the egg and porridge functions, which yielded well-done results.

Included in the set is a nonstick inner pot, programmable timer (up to a 24-hour delay), a 24-hour keep warm function, rice paddle, soup spoon, and measuring cup. There are eight preset functions which include two different rice functions, a mixed grain function, a slow cook option, porridge, cake, and an egg cooking component.

Some components are not as intuitive, such as the digital timer only counting down in five-minute increments. While the white rice took about 50 minutes to complete, the brown rice feature takes about an hour and 20 minutes, which would have been helpful to know when trying to prepare for a quick weeknight meal.

While this Toshiba rice cooker is easy to clean and compact in size, compared to its competitors it is a very simple, straightforward rice cooker. It nails the basics, but it's not as advanced when it comes to multifunctional components.

Pros

• Budget-friendly

• High quality rice

• Easy to clean

• Compact

Cons

• Small capacity

• Buttons aren't intuitive

$79.99 from Amazon
$89.98 from Walmart

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

This Zojirushi rice cooker uses induction heating technology to cook rice evenly.

Best Induction

Zojirushi NP-HCC10XH

• Capacity: 5.5 cups uncooked rice
• Presets: White rice (regular, softer or harder), Jasmine white rice, Mixed rice, Sushi rice, Porridge, Sweet rice, Brown rice, GABA brown rice, Quick cooking
• Dimensions: 14 x 10 x 8 inches
• Weight: 9 pounds

If you call yourself a rice snob, this is the tool for you. Equipped with induction heating technology, the Zojirushi Induction cooker is the next step up from fuzzy logic.

Unlike the electric counterparts that heat solely from the bottom coil, this induction cooker heats the interior pan using a magnetic field, converting the entire pan into a heat source'which guarantees evenly cooked rice in every batch.

In our testing, we were not only impressed by how fluffy the brown and jasmine rice turned out, but also delighted by the slightly umami-flavored short-grain white rice. Like other Zojirushi rice cookers, this machine allows you to adjust the texture of the rice to soft, medium, or hard.

It also opens smoothly without bouncing back, which is more than we can say for other cookers we tested. It makes cooking rice safer because the top lid won't swing back and forth. The easy-to-press menu panel is also an upgrade from average rice cookers.

Goto Foshan Osno to know more.

Its detachable inner lid makes for easy cleaning (although it's not dishwasher safe). We did find that some users have complaints about how long it takes to work'55 minutes for white rice and 60 minutes for brown rice (in comparison, the fastest rice cooker we tested takes about 30 minutes to cook a batch of short-grain white rice).

But every Zojirushi model we tested has a 'Quick Cook' function for users who are in a rush to get their rice ready. The quality of the cooked rice is slightly inferior, but overall it's not a bad feature to have. If you have the money, this is an excellent upgrade'it just doesn't balance features and price as well as our best overall.

Read our full review of the Zojirushi NP-HCC18XH rice cooker

Pros

• High quality rice

• Intuitive control panel

Cons

• Expensive

$318.29 from Amazon

Other Rice Cookers We Tested

Zojirushi Micom NL-BAC05SB

• Capacity: 3 cups
• Presets: White/sushi rice, Brown rice, Long grain white rice, Steel-cut oatmeal, Quinoa, Cake, Quick cooking
• Dimensions: 9.38 x 12.88 x 7.88 inches
• Weight: 6 pounds

Similar to other Zojirushi rice cookers we tested, the Zojirushi Micom rice cooker also incorporates advanced fuzzy logic to enhance the texture and flavor of cooked rice. Its triple-heating system with an extra-large heater will turn uncooked brown, white, quinoa, and even steel-cut oatmeal into perfectly cooked, fluffy grains.

This Zojirushi also features a Cake preset that heats at a higher temperature for a slightly longer time, ideal for baking a soft, Japanese cheesecake.

What knocked it down a few spots on our ranking is its capacity. Although it can handle three cups of uncooked rice, it's smaller than other models we tested'one batch won't feed a crowd.

Pros

• Multiple useful features

• Compact

• Easy to clean

Cons

• Small capacity

Buy now at Best Buy
$148.00 from Amazon

Cuckoo CR-F

• Capacity: 6 cups uncooked
• Presets: Glutinous/white rice, GABA rice, Mixed/brown rice, Porridge, Slow cook, Reheat, Turbo mode
• Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.25 x 8.4 inches
• Weight: 6.8 pounds

This Cuckoo cooker consistently nailed the three rice cooking tasks we threw at it. It was the fastest to steam high-quality brown and white rice. However, it isn't without flaws. The control panel is too complicated for new users who aren't familiar with more advanced rice cookers and the manual isn't helpful enough.

When we looked at the safety features, we found the top lid to be too loose and it kept bouncing backward upon opening. Unfortunately, the top steam vent also tends to bubble and leak rice water when cooking.

Pros

• Quality rice

• Quick steam

Cons

• Unintuitive control pad

• Bubbling protective steam vent

$93.68 from Amazon
$93.68 from Walmart

Tiger JBV-A10U

• Capacity: 5.5 cups uncooked
• Presets: Synchro-cooking, Plain rice, Brown rice, Slow cook/Steam
• Dimensions: 13.9 x 10.6 x 8.4 inches
• Weight: 5.7 pounds

You may not be familiar with the Tiger brand, but they're a household name in Japan.

We like this Tiger because of its simplicity. Measure the rice and water, close the lid, and hit the Start button. In half an hour or so, the rice will be ready. We also appreciate the 'synchro-cooking' function, which means it can cook the rice and main dish at the same time.

In the past, we tried steaming vegetables while cooking rice, but the juices from the vegetables kept dripping through the holes in the steamer basket, which gave the rice a funny taste. This Tiger steamer basket is useful because the steam holes are on the sides, so there's no leakage when two dishes are cooked concurrently.

However, we didn't like how much space it takes on the countertop. It's oddly tall and bulky, which also makes storing this cooker a challenge. Overall, it's a rice cooker that can make decent white rice, but it doesn't have the useful presets seen in the more advanced rice cookers that we tested.

Pros

• Useful steam basket

• Good white rice quality

Cons

• Large

• Lack of presets for other types of grains

$85.11 from Amazon
$107.99 from Walmart

Aroma Housewares Digital Rice Cooker

• Capacity: 4 cups uncooked
• Presets: White rice, Brown rice, Steam, Flash rice, Delay timer, Keep warm
• Dimensions: 8.63 x 9.25 x 8.5 inches
• Weight: 4.9 pounds

The Aroma Housewares Digital Rice Cooker packs a big punch for a small footprint. It looks sort of like a tiny Instant Pot, but with more focused features. And while it didn't make perfect rice every single time, it came pretty close (one test out of five came out spottily cooked). It's useful for steaming dumplings, too.

It might feel a tad rickety compared to higher-priced models, but the results are okay, the price is low, and the machine is downright easy to use. Our only significant qualm: There's no way to tell how much time is left before the rice is done. This is a minor annoyance if you're only an occasional rice devotee, but if you make rice every day, you'll want to invest in a better model.

Pros

• Useful features

• Affordable

Cons

• Bulky

• Inconsistent rice quality

• No timer

$29.98 from Amazon
$29.98 from Walmart

Oster Rice Cooker with Steamer

• Capacity: 3 cups uncooked
• Presets: N/A
• Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 10.6 inches
• Weight: 3.44 pounds

If you're the type of person who throws all of your laundry'sheets, towels, fancy clothes, and jeans'into the wash together, this might be the rice cooker for you. It's super simple setup means tossing rice and water in, pushing a lever, and waiting for the lever to pop back up.

You never really know if you're making rice correctly, but you have to trust it will work. Luckily, the rice always turned out okay during testing, and it can steam dumplings, though we had to guess when the dumplings were done.

This cooker is compact, comes with a steamer bowl, and won't break the bank. If you want a simple, old-school rice cooker that does the job alright, then you may consider this Oster.

Pros

• Easy setup

• Steams dumplings

• Compact

Cons

• Average rice quality

$32.99 from Amazon
$41.70 from Walmart

Hamilton Beach Rice & Hot Cereal Cooker

• Capacity: 7 cups uncooked
• Presets: White rice, Quick rice, Whole grain, Heat/simmer, Steam cook, Hot cereals
• Dimensions: 10.75 x 10.75 x 11.06 inches
• Weight: 4.8 pounds

The Hamilton Beach rice cooker feels like a pressure cooker missing a bunch of functions. It's larger than a rice cooker really needs to be, and during testing, it had trouble cooking a single cup of rice without overcooking the bottom in some areas. The rice it produced was okay, but not stellar, and had a tendency to stick to the bottom of the cooking pot.

The one truly awesome thing about this rice cooker is that its steamer basket can double as a colander for rinsing your rice, which means that the Hamilton Beach is more of a 'complete package' than some of the other cookers.

Pros

• Steams dumplings and vegetables

Cons

• Over-cooks rice

• Bulky

$53

$67

at Macy's

Buy now at Amazon
$59.99 from Target
$59.99 from Walmart

Instant Pot Zest Plus Rice Cooker

• Capacity: 4 cups uncooked
• Presets: White rice, Brown rice, Steam, Warm, Quinoa, Oatmeal
• Dimensions: 12 x 11 x 12 inches
• Weight: 4.4 pounds

At first glance, we almost mistook this rice cooker for an Instant Pot multi-cooker. It looks strikingly similar to appliances used for pressure cooking, except the presets on the control panel are different than on a pressure cooker. The presets lean heavily on rice and grain cooking, but they still include slow cooking and other useful Instant Pot features.

However, this is the only rice cooker we tested that doesn't have a detachable inner lid, which made cleaning difficult. In our testing, we found the rice tended to be mushy and overcooked, regardless of the grain size and type. Unless you're making quinoa, couscous, barley, and bulgur on a regular basis, we don't recommend buying this Instant Pot rice cooker.

Pros

• Multifunctional

• Affordable for what it does

Cons

• Too bulky

• Difficult to clean

• Average rice

$49.99 from Amazon
$69.48 from Walmart

Dash Mini Rice Cooker

• Capacity: 1 cup uncooked
• Presets: Cook, Keep warm
• Dimensions: 6.5 x 8.5 x 6.3 inches
• Weight: 2.57 pounds

We were first intrigued by this Dash cooker's size'it's tiny and compact, which makes it appealing to students and young professionals who don't have the space for a large rice cooker. However, we were disappointed by its performance in our testing.

It claims to be able to cook two cups of uncooked rice, but when we cooked one cup of short-grain white rice in our testing, there weren't any safety measures to stop the water from overflowing when boiling. We had to unplug the rice cooker to stop the water from coming out, and it made a huge mess. Ultimately, we don't recommend this rice cooker because of how poorly it performed.

Pros

• Straightforward

• Compact

Cons

• Flimsy

• Mushy rice

$21.99 from Amazon
$24.99 from Walmart

How We Test Rice Cookers

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

We focused our rice cooker tests on cooking various types of grains.

Before we begin testing, we spend hours scouring other reviews, various cooking sites, and manufacturers' websites to find the best rice cookers worth their counter space.

As brown and white rice cook quite differently, we evaluate whether each rice cooker could handle both tougher, long-grain brown rice and short-grain white rice. We also include long-grain jasmine rice in the testing to see how each cooker performs with fluffy rice.

We also think beyond rice, ultimately choosing to test the steamer baskets often included with these appliances using frozen dumplings and fresh vegetables.

We tested each rice type twice to gauge consistency across tests and judged each cooker on its results. We also steam dumplings in each cooker, using the steamer basket provided.

Credit: Reviewed / Bethany Kwoka

We compared the results from each rice cooker.

Alongside its cooking results, we consider how easy each rice cooker is to clean, whether it cooks rice consistently from one batch to the next, and whether it can handle cooking for both small and large groups. While we love having leftovers to make fried rice, we don't want to be required to cook the same few dishes one after the other every time.

A final consideration is how much counter or cabinet space is required to house this new piece of kitchen gadgetry. Is it going to take over the entire apartment counter, or fit neatly next to the microwave? Can we tuck it away if we need the counter space to make holiday cookies or pies?

From this data, we determined our top contenders and noted various features and bugs others would benefit from knowing.

How To Choose The Best Rice Cooker For You

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

A rice cooker can be your best friend at dinner.

Rice cookers are absolutely phenomenal if you want to make a lot of rice without having to constantly monitor it over the stove. As an appliance that can take up some precious countertop space, it has a lot to live up to and there are a lot of things to consider.

So before buying, ask yourself: How frequently do I cook rice? And how many features do I want from my rice cooker? Do I cook both white and brown rice frequently? Do I enjoy making sticky sushi rice?

Would a warming function help me pull off those rice-based dinner parties I'm always planning? These questions are probably connected, and good to lay out before you make your purchase.

Some rice cookers, like the Oster we tested, have a single function controlled by a single lever. These are the most basic types. Others, like Panasonic, have multiple cooking functions and a Keep Warm setting along with an inner bowl that tells you exactly the amount of rice and water to use for different types of rice. Both types are useful, but it's good to know which you want and how much you want to spend.

In general, if you want perfect rice every time'regardless of which type of rice you're cooking'then you're probably better off getting a cooker that offers different settings for brown and white rice. You might also want to splurge for an induction rice cooker, but we'll get to that in a bit.

How Do Rice Cookers Work?

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Rice cookers have smart sensors that let you know when the rice is done.

Before we dive into fuzzy logic, let's look at how these appliances work. It's pretty simple. Rice cookers are constructed of five main parts: an insulated outer container, a non-stick removable inner cooking pot, a selection of thermal sensors, a heating element, and a lid.

Much like cooking rice on the stove, you just add uncooked rice and water to the inner pot, pop on the lid, and add heat. In this case though, the internal heating element boils the water while the thermal sensors ensure that heating stops once all of the water is absorbed.

These sensors are where the magic happens. On the stove, you have to judge your rice carefully'too much cooking time and the rice will absorb all of the water and start to burn. But pop the top to check too frequently and all of your steam will escape.

With a rice cooker, the sensors know when the internal pot is heating up too much and can stop the cooking for you. (If it's getting past water's boiling point, 212°F, that means your rice has absorbed all of the available water and it's becoming overdone.)

Many rice cookers also have warming functions. These work by simply turning the cooking temperature way down after the pot reaches 212°F, rather than totally off. This keeps the rice warm without adding enough heat to burn your food.

What Is Fuzzy Logic?

A few of the higher-end rice cookers, such as Panasonic and Zojirushi, rely on what they call 'fuzzy logic' to cook the perfect rice. It seems to work, but what does it do exactly? How is it different from a typical rice cooker?

Jessika Toothman from HowStuffWorks explains it in more detail, but in brief: Fuzzy-logic rice cookers use computer chips that let the cooker make micro-adjustments in real-time. These programs allow more flexibility for cooking time and temperature, based on how the cooking process is going.

So rather than always cooking to 212°F and then switching off, a fuzzy logic cooker may change the temperature or cooking time depending on how fast the rice is absorbing water or what type of rice it knows you're cooking. In essence, it's reacting to your rice.

How Much Should I Spend on a Rice Cooker?

That depends on your budget. Think about the features you want and how much you're willing to pay for them. If you know you'll cook different types of rice, and rice quality is your highest concern, then we suggest splurging on a product with more features.

Fuzzy logic and programming make phenomenal rice and you can easily set the cooker to different types of rice that require different water and cooking times. Plus, the nicer cookers come with a Keep Warm setting and other features. It's fantastic if you're like us and enjoy going back for seconds.

Another great feature that many people splurge on is induction heating, which changed the rice cooking game. Instead of having the heating element on the bottom of the cooker, induction heating technology allows each grain of rice to equally absorb the same amount of heat and water, making the rice quality exceptional.

For more information, please visit Rice cooker heating element winding equipment.

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