Rice Cooker And Steamer: Best All-In-One Kitchen Appliances

If you're looking for the best rice cooker and steamer, you're in luck! There are a variety of options available to suit your needs and budget. Here's a paragraph to introduce the topic and highlight some of the top-rated products:

Rice cookers and steamers are a handy addition to any kitchen, especially for those who love cooking rice and vegetables. The best rice cookers can make perfectly fluffy and delicious rice, while others may undercook or dry out your rice. So, it's important to choose a good-quality product. Some popular options include the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Rice Cooker, which is known for its consistent results and ability to cook different types of rice. Another top pick is the Aroma ARC-914SBD Digital Rice Cooker, which is a simple yet effective model that cooks rice perfectly every time. If you're looking for a high-end option, the Zojirushi NP-NWC10XB Rice Cooker is a great choice, with a variety of settings and features. For those on a budget, the Aroma Housewares 4-Cup Rice Cooker is a fantastic option, offering good value for money. Other notable mentions include the Cuckoo CRP-P1009SB Pressure Rice Cooker and the Hamilton Beach Programmable Rice Cooker, which offer convenience and quality at affordable prices.

Best rice cooker for brown rice

Brown rice is tricky to cook, and not all rice cookers with a brown rice setting make good brown rice. However, there are some great options out there. Here are some of the best rice cookers for brown rice:

Hamilton Beach Programmable Rice Cooker

The Hamilton Beach Programmable Rice Cooker is a top pick for those on a budget. At around $50, it offers streamlined performance and cooks brown rice faster than its competitors. It has a more basic control panel and fewer presets, but it excels at cooking all types of rice and is the standout winner for cooking brown rice. It also has a steamer basket accessory, which is great for cooking vegetables.

Zojirushi Induction Heating System Rice Cooker & Warmer

If you're willing to splurge, the Zojirushi Induction Heating System Rice Cooker & Warmer is an excellent choice. It's a high-end model that performs exceptionally well with Japanese rice varieties and is well-known in the rice cooker space. It also has accommodations for those with visual impairments, such as sound signals. However, it is quite expensive, with a price point of over $300.

Cuckoo CR-0655F Rice Cooker and Warmer

The Cuckoo CR-0655F Rice Cooker and Warmer is a great option for those who are serious about their rice. It has a slightly higher price point than the Hamilton Beach model but offers more customization options. You can choose the length of time to soak and heat your rice and select the cooking temperature. It also has a relatively small footprint and an attractive exterior.

KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker

The KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker is ideal for those who want a foolproof option. It has a built-in scale that automatically dispenses the perfect amount of water, so you don't have to worry about measuring. It also has a delayed start feature and offers various cooking functions, including one specifically for brown rice. However, it is pretty pricey, with a large footprint due to the water reservoir.

Elite Gourmet Rice Cooker (ERC-006NST)

The Elite Gourmet Rice Cooker is a basic, no-frills option with a one-switch operation and no settings. It is super easy to operate and surprisingly good at making brown rice, especially for its low price of around $20. It also comes with a steamer basket, spatula, and measuring cup. However, it doesn't have a brown rice setting, so you'll need to figure out the right water-to-rice ratio through trial and error.

Cuckoo Micom Rice Cooker (CR-0655F)

The Cuckoo Micom Rice Cooker is another excellent choice for making brown rice. It has a micom (microcomputer) that controls the cooking process, ensuring perfect brown rice every time. It offers 16 customized flavor and texture options and has a powerful 700 watts. However, the lid pops open quite violently, and the control panel can be a little confusing.

Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker (NS-ZCC)

The Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker is a top-of-the-line model that makes excellent brown rice. It features advanced Neuro Fuzzy technology and has three heating zones for even cooking. It's easy to use, with a simple control panel, and it remembers your last setting. It also has a retractable power cord and handles on the inner pot for easy removal. However, it doesn't come with a steamer basket, and the non-removable steam vent is tricky to clean.

Aroma ARC-914SBD Digital Rice Cooker

The Aroma ARC-914SBD Digital Rice Cooker is a great budget option, offering simplicity and intuitive use. It yields fluffy and perfectly cooked grains, including brown rice, and the keep-warm setting works well. It's compact and durable, making it an excellent choice for those who want a cheap and simple model.

Tiger 5.5-Cup Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer

The Tiger 5.5-Cup Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer is another good option, known for its quality and performance. It has a simple interface with large buttons, making it easy to use. However, it lacks an audible beep or indicator to signal when the rice is done, and it produces slightly unevenly cooked brown rice.

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker

If you're looking for a multi-use appliance, the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 can be a good choice. While it has a rice setting, it's best to use a manual setting for better results with brown rice. It's a versatile option that allows you to pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, and more.

Cuckoo CRP-EHSS0309F

The Cuckoo CRP-EHSS0309F is mentioned as a good option for cooking brown rice, thanks to its induction heating pressure technology, which ensures delicious and consistent rice with improved cooking times.

Cuckoo CRP-HS0657F

The Cuckoo CRP-HS0657F is an upgrade from the previous Cuckoo model, cooking 360g of brown rice in less than an hour with a nice soft yet toothsome texture. It's an excellent choice for those who eat brown rice daily.

Best small slow cooker

If you're looking for a small slow cooker, the Hamilton Beach Rice and Hot Cereal Cooker is a great option. It's a speedy, affordable cooker that can make sushi and jasmine rice as delicious as what we got from some models costing three times as much. It's also ultra-fast, cooking rice in less time than every other machine we tested except the Cuckoo. Its construction feels solid, and its 7-cup capacity is much larger than that of many other machines at this price. On top of that, its compact design means that despite its larger capacity, it still takes up less counter space than our other picks.

Unlike other $50 cookers, this machine has advanced functions such as settings for brown rice and quick-cooked rice. The Hamilton Beach can’t cook rice as well as the Zojirushi or the Cuckoo, but the rice it makes is good for the price. In our experience, sushi rice from this machine turned out a little too sticky, but it produced fluffy jasmine and basmati grains. In both cases, the results were almost as good as what we made in some Tiger and Cuckoo machines that cost two or three times as much. But it did only a mediocre job with brown rice, which came out dry in our tests.

Despite its humble price, the Hamilton Beach has white rice, brown rice, and quick-cook settings, as well as a timer and keep-warm option.

The Hamilton Beach (left) has a smaller footprint on a counter than either the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy (center) or the Cuckoo (right).

The Hamilton Beach rice cooker does have certain design flaws. Overall, it isn’t as intuitive to use as more traditional rice cookers like the Zojirushi or Cuckoo. Our timers regularly recorded shorter cook times than what the display indicated, usually by a few minutes. In addition, we noticed starchy water bubbling up through the steam vent during recent tests, and we have heard similar reports from our long-term testers who used this appliance at home.

The lid opens from left to right, and if you open it with your left hand, it can let out scalding hot steam directly on your arm. You can avoid this by rotating the machine before serving, but this precaution is easy to forget. Also, the condensation collector does not collect moisture well and lets a considerable amount of hot water run down from the lid and onto the exterior of your pot and counter. The cooker does contain more plastic parts and a thinner metal interior pot than either the Zojirushi or Cuckoo, but it also comes with a pretty standard one-year limited warranty (PDF).

Best electric pressure cooker

Electric pressure cookers are a great way to cook rice and other grains, offering convenience and gustatory pleasure in equal measure. Here are some of the best electric pressure cookers on the market:

Zojirushi Induction Heating System Rice Cooker & Warmer

This Zojirushi model is a favourite among rice cooker enthusiasts. It is a spendir option, retailing for around $315, but it is well worth the cost. It cooked Japanese rice varieties exceptionally well in our tests and includes accommodations for those with visual impairments, such as sound signals like playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to indicate when the rice cooker has started and stopped cooking. It also has a large capacity of 5.5 cups for uncooked rice and 11 cups for cooked rice.

Cuckoo CR-0655F Rice Cooker and Warmer

The Cuckoo CR-0655F is a strong performer and offers a good balance between price and performance. It has a slightly higher price point than some other models, but it delivers consistent results. The Cuckoo has a relatively small footprint, an attractive exterior, and several presets, including one for germinated brown rice (GABA). It also allows for customisation, giving cooks control over how long the rice soaks, how long it heats up, and the cooking temperature.

KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker

The KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker is a multicooker similar to the Instant Pot. It won us over with its delayed start feature and integrated scale that automatically dispenses the perfect amount of water. It's a great option for those who want a "set-it-and-forget-it" type of appliance. It has a large capacity of 8 cups for uncooked rice and 14 cups for cooked rice. However, it is on the pricey side, retailing for around $300.

Aroma ARC-914SBD Digital Rice Cooker

For a less expensive option, the Aroma ARC-914SBD Digital Rice Cooker is a great choice. It is straightforward to use and yields fluffy, perfectly cooked grains, whether you're making long-grain, short-grain, or brown rice. The keep-warm setting also works well, keeping the rice moist without overcooking it. It has a capacity of 4 cups for uncooked rice and is available for a bargain price.

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker

The Instant Pot Duo is a versatile appliance that can be used for rice cooking, pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, yogurt making, and more. It is a popular choice for families, with a capacity of 6 quarts. It is also reasonably priced, making it a good option for those who want a multi-functional appliance without breaking the bank.

Best multi-cooker with air fryer

Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven

This multi-cooker has a large capacity of 19 quarts and 1800 watts of power. It can be used to air fry, bake, broil, roast, dehydrate, reheat, rotisserie, and toast. It is easy to use and has simple controls. It also comes with a range of accessories, including a rotisserie lift, air fryer basket, oven rack, and enamel baking tray. However, it is quite bulky and takes up a lot of counter space.

Ninja Foodi Max Health Grill and Air Fryer

This multi-cooker is a pricey and chunky investment, but it offers a range of functions such as roast, bake, grill, and dehydrate, in addition to air frying. It includes a digital cooking probe and a recipe booklet catering to various dietary requirements. It is ideal for roasting meat joints and requires zero oil for air-crisping.

Ninja DoubleStack XL Air Fryer

The Ninja DoubleStack XL Air Fryer has two stacked compartments that can be set to individual temperatures and timers. It is ideal for cooking multiple items at the same time and comes with two removable metal racks, allowing you to cook four different foods simultaneously. It has a capacity of 10 quarts and six cooking functions: air fry, air broil, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. However, it is quite noisy and takes up a lot of counter space.

Instant Vortex Plus 10-Quart Air Fryer

The Instant Vortex Plus is a 7-in-1 air fryer oven that combines the features of a standard air fryer with a countertop oven and a rotating rotisserie. It has a large capacity of 10 quarts and 1500 watts of power. It includes a range of accessories, such as a rotisserie basket and spit. It is user-friendly and easy to clean, with most parts being removable, non-stick coated, and dishwasher-safe. However, it uses a tray instead of a basket for air frying, which can be less convenient.

Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer

The Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer has a large capacity of 6.8 quarts and 1900 watts of power. It includes 12 presets, such as air fry, roast, grill, reheat, dehydrate, bake, preheat, and shake. It cooks quickly and efficiently, with dual heating elements for even cooking. It also has smart features, including voice controls and a customizable "shake reminder." However, it has large holes in the food basket, which may cause smaller ingredients to fall through, and the edges of the basket are sharp, so care must be taken during cleaning.

Best stainless steel pressure cooker

If you're looking for a stainless steel pressure cooker, the Presto Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker is a great option. It works on any stovetop, including induction, and has a capacity of 6 quarts. It's also one of the more affordable options, often retailing for under $100.

If you're looking for a rice cooker and steamer, there are a few options that are worth considering:

• Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Rice Cooker: This rice cooker is a favourite among experts and users alike. It has multiple settings for different types of rice and preparations, and uses "fuzzy logic" to adjust the time and temperature to ensure perfect results. It takes about an hour to cook rice, but the results are well worth the wait. It's available in 5.5 or 10-cup capacities.
• Aroma ARC-914SBD Digital Rice Cooker: This is a great budget-friendly option that performs well and is very easy to use. It has settings for white and brown rice, as well as a keep-warm and delay timer function. It has a 4-cup capacity, making it suitable for smaller households.
• Cuckoo CRP-P1009SB Pressure Rice Cooker: This rice cooker is a popular choice in Korean households and offers a variety of settings, including white rice, brown rice, mixed rice, and a multi-cook function that turns it into a pressure cooker. It has a 10-cup capacity and is easy to clean.
• Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker: The Instant Pot is a versatile appliance that can be used for rice cooking, pressure cooking, slow cooking, and more. It's available in 3, 6, or 8-quart capacities.

Frequently asked questions