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The 7 Best Rice Cookers Out of the 19 We Tested

19 rice cookers were put through their paces, but only one came out on top

Best rice cookers displayed on a kitchen counter

The Spruce Eats / Nick Simpson

Although the process of cooking rice on the stovetop is fairly straightforward, it's also easy to under- or over-cook your rice. If you've wound up with a pot of crunchy or mushy grains, you know that cooking rice requires precise timing, temperature control, and supervision. Rice cookers allow you to make a pot of perfectly textured, fluffy rice without any guesswork or babysitting.

Most models can also be used to cook other grains, such as oats, quinoa, or polenta, and you can even use a rice cooker to make no-stir risotto. Beyond that, some offer the ability to steam veggies or dumplings, keep rice warm for hours, or even bake cakes. To help navigate the many different options on the market, we tested 19 popular models to see which ones perform best.

Best Overall

Cuckoo Rice Cooker

Cuckoo CRP-P1009SB Rice Cooker

 Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Ease of Use
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    4.5/5
What We Like
  • Huge capacity

  • Voice directions

  • Many cooking modes

What We Don't Like
  • Expensive

  • Bulky

In general, rice cookers make the process of cooking rice very easy. This one even has a computerized voice that talks you through everything, reminding you to lock the pressure-cooking lid and alerting you as your rice gets closer to finished. It's a fun and luxurious feature, and it's just one of several that make the Cuckoo worth its price tag.

This is an enormous machine, with a capacity of 10 cups of dry rice—that's 20 cups of cooked rice. But as a pressure cooker, the Cuckoo cuts down on cooking time for larger amounts. It made a full batch of white rice in about 25 minutes, and there's a special turbo mode that cuts that time by almost half. The nurungji mode creates a layer of crispy browned rice on the bottom of the bowl beneath a layer of perfectly cooked rice, and the multi-cook setting is meant to steam rice and an entree at the same time. We especially enjoyed trying out the GABA rice mode, which soaks brown rice in just-warm water for hours to start the germination process and release the amino acid, then cooks it to perfection.

Meant for big families who make rice multiple times per week, the Cuckoo is truly full-featured and can make lots of different dishes. It's heavy and takes up a lot of space, but it's also a workhorse that's designed to stay on the counter and can hold up to long-term daily use. It's on the pricey side, but we think it offers the best balance of cost and features.

Capacity (Uncooked Rice): 10 cups | Power: 1,150 watts | Time to Cook White Rice: About 25 minutes | Dimensions: 14.2 x 11.6 x 10.2 inches | Weight: 16 pounds

Best Budget

Aroma Housewares 8-Cup Rice Cooker

Aroma Housewares 8-Cup Rice and Grain Cooker

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Ease of Use
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
What We Like
  • Inexpensive

  • Multiple cooking functions

  • Digital controls and display

What We Don't Like
  • Small capacity

Considering how expensive high-end rice cookers can get, this one is shockingly affordable for its performance and features. The controls are basic, but they include separate modes for white rice, brown rice, and steaming, as well as a simple display that counts down the cook time remaining. We found excellent results testing the machine with sushi, jasmine, and brown rice—especially the latter, which came out fluffy and not sticky at all. It automatically switches over to keep-warm mode when it's done cooking, so you don't have to worry about being right there in the kitchen as the timer ends.

The Aroma holds 8 cups of cooked rice (or 4 cups pre-cooking), which is on the smaller side for rice cookers but still enough to feed a medium-sized family. That also helps reduce its countertop footprint. The steamer basket and other accessories all stow away in or on the machine, which has a compact carrying handle that makes it easier to move around or tuck away in a cabinet.

Cleaning is also easy, as the pot has a heavy-duty nonstick coating that didn't give us any trouble washing by hand during testing. (The pot, steamer tray, and all accessories are dishwasher-safe, though the manual itself confusingly recommends hand washing only.) The only difficulty we had was getting a sponge into the small condensation collector area to wipe it down.

Capacity (Uncooked Rice): 4 cups | Power: 450 watts | Time to Cook White Rice: About 25 minutes | Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.5 x 9.3 inches | Weight: 4.9 pounds

Best Splurge

Zojirushi Induction Rice Cooker

Zojirushi Induction Heating System Rice Cooker & Warmer

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Ease of Use
    5/5
  • Performance
    3/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
What We Like
  • Induction heat control

  • Many settings and options

What We Don't Like
  • Very expensive

  • Slow

Every rice cooker that made this list does at least a pretty good job of cooking rice; it's more the size, design features, and extras that set one apart from another. This model—on the higher end of the range for Zojirushi, which is a luxury brand in general—offers ultimate rice-cooking customization. It uses induction heating for precise temperature control, and it has 11 different cooking options. Just for white rice alone, you can choose from standard, softer, and harder doneness, as well as special settings for jasmine and sushi rice, and a quick-cook function.

If you want hot rice at the ready at all times, this is the perfect machine for you: It has a pre-cooking timer you can set so a batch is done exactly when you want it, as well as a post-cooking keep-warm mode that can run for a full 24 hours. In our tests with both sushi and basmati rice, we got fluffy grains that didn't stick to each other or to the pot. Thanks to a nonstick pot and lid that keep everything contained and are both removable for easy washing by hand, cleanup is also very easy.

Now for the downsides. The main one is its huge price: This is a machine only worth the investment if you're going to make rice almost every day, and especially if you like to make all different types of rice for different dishes. Like other Zojirushi machines, it's also fairly slow. The gentle cooking helps with rice texture, but our test batches of white rice took 45 and 55 minutes to cook, and brown rice took 90 minutes. Our brown rice also turned out mushy and soupy, though we suspect it may have been a measurement error as other Zojirushi models had no trouble with brown rice.

Capacity (Uncooked Rice): 5.5 cups | Power: 1,230 watts | Time to Cook White Rice: About 50 minutes | Dimensions: 10 x 14 x 8 inches | Weight: 9 pounds

Best Small-Capacity

Aroma Housewares 6-Cup Rice and Grain Cooker

Aroma Housewares 6-Cup Rice and Grain Cooker

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Ease of Use
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
What We Like
  • Inexpensive

  • Can cook rice and entrée simultaneously

What We Don't Like
  • Only one cooking setting

  • Rice sticks to pot on keep warm mode

The 6-cup Aroma model is an excellent all-in-one machine for a single person. Its steamer insert is designed to cook a main course and the rice underneath at the same time, so you can make a multi-course dinner. Rice, salmon, and asparagus for one, say? This machine can do that. Just note that it can only do that one serving at a time.

The options here are pretty minimal: There's one cook setting controlled by an analog switch, with a simple glass lid that doesn't lock into place. Nothing can go in the dishwasher. The inner steamer does have its own cool-touch handles, which is a nice feature.

In testing, the Aroma did decently, though there was some variability from batch to batch: Jasmine rice came out perfect once and overdone a second time. (The small capacity means that small variances in the exact amount of rice and water make a big difference; measure carefully!) The machine automatically turns to keep-warm mode when it's done cooking, though the rice started to harden and stick to the pot after a short time, so we wouldn't recommend letting keep warm run for too long.

Oh, and did we mention this thing costs 20 bucks? If you're not looking for a large rice cooker or one with a lot of bells and whistles, this model's a steal.

Capacity (Uncooked Rice): 3 cups | Power: 300 watts | Time to Cook White Rice: about 18 minutes | Dimensions: 10.4 x 11.1 x 8.1 inches | Weight: 3.5 pounds

Best Large-Capacity

Zojirushi Rice Cooker

Zojirushi NS-TSC18 Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Ease of Use
    5/5
  • Performance
    3/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
What We Like
  • Huge capacity

  • Excellent cooking

  • Many modes and options

What We Don't Like
  • Expensive

  • Long cook times

From the self-regulating time and temperature to the jaunty little tunes that play when cooking starts and finishes, most everything about this rice cooker is friendly. (Don't worry; you can change the songs to simple beeps if you prefer.) It has separate modes for white, brown, and sweet (aka sticky) rice, plus a general steaming setting and steamer insert. This thing can even bake cake! It uses the nonstick rice pot as a baking dish.

Our testing resulted in beautifully cooked batches of white, brown, and basmati rice, all of which were better than we can manage on the stovetop. They also maintained their texture and temperature beautifully on keep-warm mode—even after four hours, there was a cloud of warm steam upon opening the lid, and the rice didn't stick at all.

Zojirushi machines cook gently for excellent rice texture, but the downside is that they cook slowly; this model needs an hour for white rice and 110 minutes (nearly two hours) for brown. There's a "quick" mode that works with only a minimal decrease in quality, but it still takes 40 minutes. However, the timer helps; you can set rice to finish cooking at whatever time of day you want, up to 24 hours ahead. In tests, it's nailed the time, starting to heat up at the perfect moment to finish cooking at the exact moment it's scheduled to.

This Zojirushi model is certainly on the more expensive side, but it's also huge, able to cook 10 cups at once and keep it hot and fresh for up to 12 hours. If you eat rice every day, or anywhere close to every day, it's worth the splurge.

Capacity (Uncooked Rice): 10 cups | Power: 820 watts | Time to Cook White Rice: 60 minutes | Dimensions: 9.9 x 15 x 11.2 inches | Weight: 11.7 pounds

Best Stovetop

Presto Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

 Amazon

What We Like
  • Works on any style cooktop

  • Multitasker

  • Automatic pressure regulator

What We Don't Like
  • More complicated than an electric rice cooker

While our testing included only electric countertop rice cookers, you can of course make delicious rice on the stove extra-quickly by using a pressure cooker. This is our top recommended stovetop pressure cooker, with a safety release valve and automatic pressure regulator that simplify the sometimes-intimidating setup process. It's more complicated to use for rice than an automated rice cooker, but you can also use the Presto to speed-cook everything from pulled pork to risotto. You can also just leave the pot unpressurized and use it like any standard saucepan.

This model has a 6-quart capacity and is made from rustproof, nonreactive stainless steel. It can be used on any type of stove, including induction, and it has a long heatproof handle as well as a knobby helper handle on the other side to make it easy to move even when full. The pot and lid are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning, though you have to remove the sealing ring and pressure regulator first.

Capacity: 6 quarts | Time to Cook White Rice: 5-8 minutes | Dimensions: 17.3 x 9.1 x 8.8 inches | Weight: 5.3 pounds

Best Microwavable

Sistema 2.6L Microwave Rice Cooker

Sistema 2.6L Microwave Rice Cooker

 Amazon

What We Like
  • Easy to use and clean

  • Inexpensive

  • Can be used to steam vegetables

What We Don't Like
  • No storage lid

  • No stay-cool handles

For devotees of microwave cooking, this device can steam up 11 cups of rice—more than enough for the whole family—in 10 minutes or so. We didn't test the Sistema with the electric cookers above, but it's our pick if you're looking for a way to produce perfect rice in your microwave. The cooker is made from BPA-free plastic, with locking clips to hold the lid in place during cooking and steam vents to release steam without any spatters. It works just as well with polenta, couscous, or other grains as it does with rice, and can also steam veggies. We do wish it came with a storage lid so you could store leftovers right in the cooker.

Capacity (Uncooked Rice): 5.5 cups | Time to Cook White Rice: 8-12 minutes | Dimensions: 7.7 x 8.5 x 6.3 inches | Weight: 10.9 ounces

Final Verdict

Our overall favorite rice cooker, the Cuckoo CRP-P1009SB, combines capacious size, smart features, and fast performance. A real bargain, the Aroma Housewares 8-Cup Rice and Grain Cooker is simple yet full-featured at a tenth of the price of high-end machines.

How We Tested Rice Cookers

After extensive online research, we chose 19 electric rice cooker models (both pressurized and non-pressurized) to purchase and test with various types of rice over several weeks. We made batches of at least three types of rice in each model, using the appropriate settings and following the user manual directions. We noted the time to cook and rated the final results. We also rated the cookers on design, performance, ease of use, and cleaning and tested out unique features like steamer baskets, timers, and long-term warming settings.

We Observed

  • How well the rice cookers performed: We cooked 2-cup batches of rice in each cooker, rinsing each batch before cooking and then following the manufacturer’s instructions. We tested each cooker with three or more rice varieties, including white long-grain, jasmine, basmati, brown, and sushi rice, and noted cook time.
  • How effectively the cookers kept finished rice warm: When a batch of rice was ready, we tested each cooker’s “keep warm” function. We let it hold the rice for at least two hours before checking the temperature, comparing this with any manufacturer claims. We watched for scorching, dryness, or other changes in texture.
  • How the cooked rice looked and tasted: After each test, we dug in and inspected the finished rice. We aimed for a fluffy, soft texture with distinct, slightly chewy grains in each batch. We looked for even cooking and minimal clumping, and we kept an eye out for dry, crunchy, gummy, or water-logged rice.

We Rated

  • Design: We considered the design of each electric rice cooker, including the ease of following and using the display panel and any preset buttons. We noted other functions, customizable settings, smart capabilities, and useful features and accessories. We listened for any alert that indicated the machine was finished cooking. We also considered size and countertop footprint.
  • Ease of use and cleaning: When looking at ease of use, we started with the user manual, looking for details and clarity. For the machine itself, we considered whether the lid locked smoothly and overall functionality. We also noted handy features like temperature control or delayed start time. Once a batch finished, we cleaned the cooker by hand, noting any awkward areas where food stuck. Bonus points were awarded for dishwasher-safe parts, a removable inner lid, an effective self-cleaning function, and other features that let us clean the machine quickly yet thoroughly.
  • Value: We waited to check the full retail price of each product until we were finished testing, and then we discovered the cost and asked, “Would we buy it?” The answer reflected the model’s features and where it landed within the price range of tested products. We noted if the rice cooker was a great deal, seemed overpriced, or would be worth buying only if it were on sale.
Hand using a plastic paddle to fluff rice in Zojirushi Rice Cooker and Warmer

The Spruce Eats / Caroline Goldstein

Others We Tested

  • Hamilton Beach Digital Programmable Rice Cooker & Food Steamer: Based on its test performance, this rice cooker would have been our pick for best budget—except that the Aroma Housewares model above costs even less. It's a great rice cooker at a great price, though its capacity is fairly small.
  • Tiger JBV-A10U Rice Cooker: With its basic look and middle-of-the-road price, this model doesn't really stand out from the pack. It gave us excellent results in testing, but we decided to keep it off the winners list because it lacks a timer. You can't pre-set a start time, and it also doesn't beep or otherwise indicate that cooking is complete.
  • Instant Zest Rice Cooker: The people behind the Instant Pot now make a wide range of other kitchen appliances, and their rice cooker is...fine. The Instant Zest cooked rice and other grains pretty well but was a little confusing to use, and its capacity is quite small.
  • Dash Mini Rice Cooker: We've really liked some of Dash's teeny versions of countertop appliances for small kitchens, like its air fryer, and this rice cooker is impressively storable and easy to use. However, it turned out somewhat-underdone rice and, more worrisome, gave off a burning-plastic smell while on keep-warm mode. It just seems cheaply built, while the small-size Aroma model above performed better and actually costs less.
Rice from Instant Zest 8 Cup One Touch Rice Cooker plated in a bowl

The Spruce Eats / Brie Goldman

What to Look for in a Rice Cooker

Capacity

This one is pretty straightforward: A higher-capacity rice cooker can make more rice at a time, but it's going to be larger in size and likely cost more than a smaller unit. Comparing capacities can be confusing, however, as some cookers list the amount of uncooked rice they can hold while others use the amount of cooked rice. A good rule of thumb is that cooked rice expands to about double the volume after cooking: If a machine can hold 3 cups of uncooked rice, it can hold 6 cups of cooked rice, and vice versa. Another thing to note about capacity is that larger cookers usually take a longer time to make rice than smaller ones, even when loaded with the same amount of rice.

Cooking Settings

Many rice cookers come with presets for different types of rice. This most commonly includes white and brown, though some machines also have separate settings for short- and long-grain rice or adjustments to make the rice come out firmer or softer than usual. More basic cookers, on the other hand, might just have an on/off switch with no additional options.

Extra Features

You can absolutely use a rice cooker to make things besides rice. Many machines include a steamer insert to use for veggies, dumplings, or fish that sits above boiling water inside the pot. Others have modes that use the pot as a slow cooker or to sauté or bake. Rice cookers can also be used to make any kind of grain, from barley to quinoa; some have specific settings and procedures for non-rice grains, while others might take a little experimentation.

FAQs

How do you use a rice cooker?

Making rice in a rice cooker is as easy as measuring, rinsing, and pressing start. Most models come with a special rice-measuring cup that's calibrated to water markings inside the pot—it's easiest to use this, so try not to lose it. First, measure out your uncooked rice directly into the pot. Next, rinse it and pour off the cloudy, starchy liquid until the water runs clear. Fill the pot with water up to the appropriate marking, then load it into the cooker, dial up the correct settings, and go.

These are the basics, but make sure to read your unit's manual for explanations of additional settings and features, plus tips for cooking different types of rice, other grains, and more.

Can you cook quinoa in a rice cooker?

Yes, you can absolutely cook quinoa in a rice cooker. Check your user manual for a recommended recipe, but if it doesn't include one, use two parts water, one part dry quinoa, and the brown rice setting if possible. The same applies to all kinds of other grains, like farro, oats, grits, amaranth, spelt, or barley—start with the ratio of water to grain the stovetop recipe calls for and adjust from there.

Zojirushi rice cooker with rice and vegetables inside

The Spruce Eats / Renu Dhar

What else can you make in a rice cooker?

Many rice cookers include a steamer insert—a plastic or metal tray that sits partway inside the cooking pot while water boils below. This can be used for vegetables, meat, fish, dumplings, hard-boiled eggs, and lots more. Steaming is a more multifunctional technique than you might think. Some models also have sauté and baking modes where the rice pot serves as a frying or baking pan. These usually require some alterations to recipes, so make sure to check the manual.

How do you clean a rice cooker?

Before cleaning anything, make sure your rice cooker is turned off and cooled down. Remove the cooking pot and any other detachable parts, like lids and steamer inserts. These are sometimes dishwasher-safe but more commonly must be washed in the sink. (With nonstick-coated pots, you should also avoid abrasive sponges that can scratch the coating.) It's best to wash these items soon after cooking so nothing dries onto them, but you can soak the pan with hot water and soap to help remove any stuck bits of food.

To clean the cooking base and any parts that don't detach from it, you can generally use a damp sponge to wipe off any food residue from the inside or outside. Be careful to keep too much liquid from getting into the base, and never submerge it in water. As with all appliances, make sure to check your individual manual for specific rules and procedures.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

This roundup was put together by The Spruce Eats commerce writer Jason Horn, who has nearly 20 years of experience writing about (and cooking!) food and drinks. He thought he was doing a good job cooking rice on the stovetop, until he got to test the Zojirushi NS-TSC18 for this story. He is officially a rice cooker convert, now using the machine pretty much every day.

Additional reporting by
Fran Sales
Fran Sales
Fran is an associate editor for The Spruce Eats, where she helps with managing product testing operations, as well as creating and editing content. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
and
Donna Currie
Donna Currie
Donna Currie is a food writer and blogger specializing in recipes and kitchen gadgets. She covers kitchen tools and gadgets for The Spruce Eats and is the author of Make Ahead Bread.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29363749/

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