10 Best Rice Cookers 2024 in the United States

People from cultures who have been cooking rice for hundreds or even thousands of years find it humorous when asked, “How did people cook rice without a rice cooker?” Actually, there is evidence that specialty ceramic rice cookers first appeared in Japan in the 13th century BC! But a rice cooker can actually be a great convenience for preparing foolproof rice, in a range of different consistencies and types. A rice cooker can also help retain the fragrance of the rice, which gets lost if rice is cooked by simply boiling and draining out excess water. You’ll see that high-end rice cookers can have settings for the type of rice you want to cook (such as white rice, quick rice, whole grain rice, or sushi rice). They will also be equipped with a “Warm” setting, to keep the rice warm once fully cooked, so that it doesn’t burn, or become a barely-edible solid mass. Some will also be equipped with markings to guide you in putting in the correct rice-to-water ratio, so that the rice will come out just right. And they can be used for other grains and legumes, such as oats, wheat, barley, and beans.

We've put together this guide to help you select the best rice cooker that answers to your needs. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of rice cooker,

• See useful tips about that particular type of rice cooker,

• Read reviews of different brands of the best rice cookers, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of a rice cooker, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

We can distinguish between different rice cookers by the type of fuel that they use:

• By gas: Gas-powered rice cookers are usually larger capacity, for restaurant use, with an inlet for the gas to enter. (An example is the Avantco Liquid Propane Gas Rice Cooker. It can cook 55 cups of raw rice in just 50 minutes!) It has the advantages of heating up more quickly than typical electric cookers. Since it reaches a high temperature very quickly, the rice absorbs the water more quickly and cooks faster as well. The gas-powered rice cooker will typically also have an automatic shutoff feature once the rice has absorbed the water and starts to rise above 100 degrees Celsius. But the rice should be monitored nonetheless, in case there is some sort of interruption, and so that the rice will not stick to the pot or burn.

Besides the gas-powered rice cooker, there are two types of electric rice cookers:

• By thermal conduction: These cook by means of a heating element in the base. The pan in which the rice is cooked is made from copper or aluminum, which transfers heat well. But this method doesn’t muster the same heat as a gas-powered rice cooker. This will be known as an “HP (= hot plate) rice cooker”. The SPT 6-Cup Rice Cooker uses thermal conduction to cook rice, porridge, soups, stews, and more.

• By induction: In this method, an electrical current in the base of the cooker induces a magnetic field, and thus an electric current in the pot's metal. With electrical resistance, this makes the pot’s metal heat up quickly. Since the heat depends on the current and strength of the magnetic field, there is more accurate temperature sensing and better heat distribution--resulting in more evenly-cooked rice. Also, there is no need to soak the rice before cooking it with this type of cooker. You just have to add the right amount of water and set the rice’s firmness to what you want. One popular model is the Zojirushi Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker & Warmer.

There are also pressure-cooker rice cookers:

• By pressure: A pressure rice cooker works by raising the pressure inside the pot. At regular atmospheric pressure at sea level, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. But, when under pressure, water boils at above 100 degrees Celsius. By reaching a higher temperature more quickly, a pressure rice cooker will cook the rice more quickly as well, yielding excellent results in as little as 10 minutes!

• Love multiple options: Some rice cookers have settings for different varieties of rice--white rice, brown rice, and porridge. They also will have options for cooking other grains or legumes. There are rice cookers called “fuzzy logic rice cookers” allow for changes in cooking time and temperature depending on the surroundings or the ambient temperature. They’ll also have settings for “keep warm”, “extended keep warm”, and reheating. That way, a rice cooker can replace many kitchen appliances at once! Those are just some of the options on the 3 Squares 20-Cup Rice Cooker. You can even steam foods in the upper compartment, while you cook rice in the lower compartment!

3 Squares 20-Cup Rice Cooker

• Non-stick insert: Customers prefer rice cookers with a non-stick insert that you can remove. It’s significantly easier to clean--as in the SPT 6-cup Rice Cooker. This way, the exterior of the pot will be cool to the touch as well. The SPT Cooker also has a pressure-sealed, inner-locking lid to keep moisture inside.

SPT 6-cup Rice Cooker with Stainless Steel Body

• Automatic Shutoff: You’ll see many rice cookers with an automatic shutoff, or “Warm” setting. The principle behind this is very simple: Water boils at 100℃ (at sea level), and won’t get any higher than that as long as there is water in the pot of rice. But, once the rice absorbs water, the pot’s temperature will rise. Rice cookers supplied with a thermostat will give the signal when they go over 100℃ and switch into “Warm” mode. This ensures that the rice won’t get burned, and will just be kept warm--for as long as 12 hours!

• Capacity: Rice cookers come in a variety of sizes, with different capacities. It’s not recommended to cook small amounts of rice in a large rice cooker, because it will yield a significant difference in taste. If you have a small family, it’s preferable to buy a small rice cooker. Some rice cookers can cook up to 10 cups of rice at a time, while some are travel or mini-rice cookers, that cook just 1.5 cups at a time.

• Rice spatula: If you get a rice cooker with a non-stick interior, there are two important pieces of advice that you should follow. Firstly, try to get a Teflon or wooden rice spatula, which you can use to stir the rice in the rice cooker. These materials will not damage the non-stick surface, as a metal spatula would. Secondly, it is advised to use some cooking oil to season the non-stick surface, instead of the spray cooking oils. The spray cooking oils tend to become gluey if not cleaned off properly after cooking.

• Glass lid: A nice feature is a rice cooker with a glass lid, so that you can see the progress, and whether the rice still has to absorb water.

• Lid holder: Some rice cookers allow you to prop the lid up in a position where you can easily get the food out. This also saves you the trouble of looking where the put the lid when serving.

• Meaning of “Cup”: If a rice cooker’s specifications say that it has a capacity for 10 cups of uncooked rice, the quantity of rice will typically double in size by absorbing its volume of water, resulting in 20 cups of cooked rice. Also, take note if your rice cooker is going by Japanese cups, which are really 6-ounce cups, not 8 ounces!

Winco was founded in 1982, as makers of food preparation products, dinnerware, and janitorial equipment, that they sell to distributors. They make rice cookers for both home and professional use. Their rice cookers can hold as much as 30 cups of uncooked rice, and can keep 100 cups of cooked rice warm!

Presto makes a wide range of food preparation appliances and accessories, such as fryers, griddles, grills, multi-cookers, pizza ovens, rice cookers, and more. They were founded in 1905 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, at first making canning machines, later expanding to cooking utensils.

Avantco is a maker of food equipment and countertop appliances, such as fryers, slicers, grills, ranges, ovens, mixers, soup kettles, and rice cookers. Their rice cookers can prepare from 23 to 55 cups of raw rice, using electricity, propane, and gas fuel.