Without a doubt, a rice cooker is one of these small kitchen appliances that every busy household should have.
It has been more than 60 years already since Toshiba manufactured the first commercially accepted electric rice cooker with almost similar features of the conventional rice cookers we find in the market today.
Using a rice cooker never gets old especially when we are using the best ones because it helps us cook consistently perfect rice every time.
It reduces our time and effort in the kitchen and even frees up our stove for some extra spaces to cook other dishes.
The best rice cookers also work as food steamer too to make cooking healthy food much easier. They can even cook more food beyond rice such as porridge, stews, soups, and even cakes.
With the addition of different brands and types of rice cookers in the market today, choosing the best rice cooker and steamer to suit your cooking needs perfectly can come in as a challenge.
Related post: The Ultimate Buying Guide For The Best Waffle Makers
So, we want to make it easy for you in this product review and buying guide of the best rice cookers and steamers in the market today.
Find our top choices for the best small rice cooker and steamer up to a large one, perfect for the big family.
The Best Rice Cooker And Steamer For Your Kitchen – Must Read Reviews
* Please note: all product links in this product review are affiliate links. That means, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Aroma Housewares 6-Cup (Cooked) Rice Cooker and Food Steamer – Best Small-Sized Rice Cooker and Steamer
This Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker and Steamer has the capacity of 3 cups of uncooked rice and 6 cups cooked rice to feed a larger family.
There are a single switch and light indicator for easy operation.
Once cooking is done, it automatically switches to the keep warm setting.
The lid is made of glass and the inner pot is made of nonstick material.
There are 2 stay-cool side handles.
For your convenience, it comes with a stainless steel steamer basket, serving spoon and measuring cup.
All removable parts are dishwasher safe so cleaning is easy breezy.
The fantastic news is that this cooker can cook even soups and other dishes in addition to being a rice cooker and steamer.
Here are the technical details: the Aroma rice cooker operates at 350 Watts, measures 11.1 x 10.4 x 8.1 inches, and weighs 3.7 pounds.
It is covered by 1-year limited warranty and is available in black, red, and white colors.
Pros
This 6-cup cooked rice cooker and steamer from Aroma Housewares is easy to operate with a single switch and light indicators.
It is automatic and switches to keep warm once the rice is done. Best of all, t is easy to clean and comes with complete accessories.
For people on a budget, this appliance is relatively affordable and comes from a brand that is a household name when it comes to rice cookers.
It is compact, lightweight, and comes in 3 colors. As mentioned earlier, it is covered by a 1-year warranty.
Cons
There may be some steam come out when the rice is bubbling and may create a mess on your kitchen bench.
Overall
If you are a small household of 1-3 people then this rice cooker and steamer is the right size for you. It is easy to operate, affordable, and is one popular product in the Amazon marketplace.
It is from a known brand as well. Putting all the positives together, this rice cooker by Aroma Houseware is our choice for the best small-sized rice cooker and steamer that is available in the market today.
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Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD 8 Cups (Cooked) Rice Cooker and Steamer – Best 8-Cup Rice Cooker and Steamer
This Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD Rice Cooker and Steamer has the capacity of 8 cups cooked rice.
It is made of stainless steel exterior, a nonstick and BPA-free inner pot, removable inner lid, and convenient handles.
There is a condensation collector feature omitting the problem of over bubbling during cooking.
With this cooker, you can cook your rice and steam simultaneously.
It is also a great cooker for your one-pot dish.
Operation is easy with this cooker, all you need to do is dial the controls.
It is preset to white rice, brown rice, steam, keep warm, and flash rice.
When cooking is done, it switches to keep warm and can keep that way for 12 hours. There is a delay timer as well to up to 15 hours.
It comes with a steamer tray, measuring cup and rice spatula.
This nifty appliance requires 450 Watts to operate, measures 8.25 x 8.5 x 9 inches, and weighs only 3.6 pounds.
We do like the fact that it comes with a 2-year warranty as well.
Pros
Coming from a known brand for rice cookers, this 8-cup sized cooker from Aroma Housewares creates no mess during cooking made possible by the condensation collector feature that comes with it.
It allows you to cook rice and steam at the same time.
It is easy to operate and has little details like the spatula holder that makes it convenient to use. It is automatic and turns to keep warm once cooking is done.
It can stay that way for 12 hours. There is a delay timer as well for later cooking time up to 15 hours.
It comes with all accessories and is covered by a 2-year warranty.
Cons
This rice cooker and steamer may be relatively costly for its size but the added features are worth the cost.
Overall
If you are looking for a no-mess rice cooker with all the convenient features and a little more in a rice cooker, then this product from Aroma Housewares is just the right product for you.
It is the perfect size for a 4-person household. It has an overwhelming following in Amazon and is also compact and lightweight making it our choice for the best rice cooker and steamer with an 8-cup size.
Please Check The Price On Amazon
Toshiba TRCS01 Rice Cooker and Steamer – Best 12-Cup Rice Cooker and Steamer
The Toshiba TRCS01 Rice Cooker and Steamer is designed to cook rice with precise control as it complies with the 6-step cooking process to produce consistent results every time.
There are 7 pre-set modes that you can use depending on the type of dry rice you are using. These settings include white rice, brown rice, mixed rice, short-grained rice, long-grained rice, oatmeal, and porridge.
It can also steam and you can adjust the time depending on your cooking requirement.
It produces 12 cups of cooked rice, perfect for a larger household.
There is an LCD display for easy programming.
Once the cooking is done, the pot turns automatically to the keep warm mode.
It can stay in this mode for 24 hours. You can also program the time for later cooking so you can wake up or go home to a freshly cooked rice.
This cooker is designed with a large steam vent so there’s no bubbling over when you are cooking. Hence it means no mess.
This cooker from Toshiba is designed with a carryover the top handle plus detachable lid and vent for easy cleaning.
The inner pot is nonstick as well with a measuring level to guide you.
It comes with complete accessories such as steam basket, rice and soup ladles, and measuring cup. It is UL and FDA certified and approved.
Here are the technical details: The Toshiba rice cooker measures 16 x 12.2 x 10.1 inches, weighs 9.25 pounds, and comes in a white exterior.
Pros
This Toshiba Rice Cooker and Steamer is a zero mess cooker designed to cook rice with precise controls.
It has the capacity of 12 cups of cooked rice, a popular size amongst rice cooker buyers.
There are preset modes that you can choose from and LCD display for easy programming. It can steam as well at your desired cooking time.
It can keep warm up to 24 hours and has a delay start feature.
This popular rice cooker and steamer comes with complete accessories also and is a product of an established and pioneering brand in rice cookers.
Cons
This rice cooker and steamer from Toshiba costs more and is bulkier than our other product choices.
Overall
If you are looking for a rice cooker and steamer that is great for a household of more than 5 people, then this product from Toshiba is for you.
It is a cooker featuring top-notch technology that can bring out the best in your rice.
It has a delay timer start, convenient preset buttons, and mess-free operation.
This product is our choice for the best 12-cup rice cooker and steamer because of these outstanding features.
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Black+Decker RC516 Rice Cooker and Food Steamer – Best 16-Cup Rice Cooker and Steamer
This Black+Decker Rice Cooker and Steamer cooks 8 cups of dry rice and produces 16 cups of cooked rice.
It is designed with a nonstick pot and a lever for activating the cook function.
When cooking is done, the pot automatically turns to keep warm function. It works as a steamer too and can be used to cook soups, stews, and oatmeal.
There is a light indicator to tell you when it’s cooking or on keep warm mode. Like the usual rice cooker and steamer, there is a base, a removable nonstick bowl, steaming basket, and tempered glass lid.
The lid has a steam vent and you can hang it on the side holder for your convenience. It also comes with serving scoop and measuring cup. All the removable parts are dishwasher safe.
This rice cooker and steamer from Black+Decker comes with a 2-year limited warranty.
This quality rice cooker measures 11.5 x 11.5 x 9.25 inches and weighs 6.86 pounds.
It operates at 500 Watts.
Other available sizes with similar features from this brand are 3-cup, 6-cup, 14-cup, and 28-cup referring to cooked rice produced.
Pros
RC506 Rice Cooker and Steamer from Black+Decker is a 16-cup sized cooker and is relatively affordable.
It is easy to use and automatically switches to keep warm.
It works as a steamer and can cook stews and oatmeal as well. It has complete accessories and is dishwasher safe.
It has the longest warranty (besides the Aroma rice cooker) with a 2-year coverage amongst our product choices. There are other sizes available in this series with the same features as well.
Cons
This cooker may create spurting of steam during cooking. It is relatively heavier and bulkier than our other product choices.
Overall
If you are looking for larger sized rice cooker and steamer to feed around 4-6 people every time, then this product from Black+Decker is right for you.
It is relatively affordable, convenient, and easy to clean.
Please Check The Price On Amazon
Zojirushi NHS-18 10 Cup (Uncooked) Rice Cooker and Steamer – The Best Rice Cooker for Large Households
Zojirushi NHS-18 rice cooker and steamer has a capacity of 10 cups uncooked rice which equals 20 cups of cooked rice.
It works as a steamer and is also great for cooking custards and eggs.
This rice cooker has a single switch and light indicator when in use.
The lid is made of glass and there are stay-cool side handles. The cooker automatically switches to keep warm mode once the cooking is done.
It retains the warm setting for up to 5 hours.
The inner pot is made of non-stick material and the exterior base is white.
It comes with an instruction manual, stainless steel steaming tray, measuring cup and rice spatula.
The power cord is detachable and it requires 600 Watts to operate. It measures 10 x 12.8 x 9.4 inches, weighs 6.8 pounds, and comes with a 1-year warranty.
Other available sizes with the same features include 3 cups and 6 cups uncooked sizes.
Pros
This Zojirushi NHS-18 rice cooker has a large capacity of 20 cups cooked rice. It is automatic, has a classic design, simple and easy to use. It works as a steamer and can cook other foods as well. It comes with all needed accessories and has other available sizes with the same features. It is relatively compact and lightweight as well.
Cons
This Zojirushi rice cooker may create over spurting of steam during cooking.
Overall
If you are a household of more than 6 people, then this rice cooker from Zojirushi is the best for you.
It has a simple and classic design but works perfectly every time.
A consistently high rating from Amazon users speaks for this product.
Despite the large capacity, it is a surpisingly compact and lightweight rice cooker.
Please Check The Price On Amazon
Our Buying Guide For The Best Rice Cooker And Steamer Review
Do you want to learn more tips in choosing the best rice cooker and steamer for your home? Read on to find the information you need in our quick buying guide.
The Size Of The Rice Cooker
The size in a rice cooker and steamer is usually measured by the number of cups of either uncooked rice used or cooked rice produce in your cooker.
A single cup of uncooked rice usually produces double cups of cooked rice.
The most popular rice cooker size nowadays can produce around 10-11 cups of cooked rice recommended for households with 3-5 people. You may want to buy the cooker with a size that suits your household consumption to save energy, cost, as well as counter space.
Cooking Controls and Operations
Classic rice cookers and steamers have single switch controls with 2 light indicators. One light indicates that the rice is cooked and for the keep warm mode.
All are automatic and switches to keep warm mode when cooking is done. But, the advanced models have an LCD display or multiple preset buttons that you can just dial on.
In some cookers, you can even adjust the time of cooking and some have delay timers so it can start cooking at a later time and give you freshly cooked rice just in time for your meal.
Design and Accessories
Classic rice cookers are designed with a glass lid so you can easily peek inside, but the advanced models are not. However, they are usually designed with a removable lid for easy cleaning.
Some cookers even have convenient features like lid or spatula hangers. Cool to the touch handles are an important feature of the best rice cookers for your added safety.
The best rice cookers and steamers should come with the necessary accessories so cooking and serving can be done easier.
Rice cookers usually come with a nonstick inner pot, steamer tray, measuring cup, and non-scratch rice spatula.
Power Consumption
Rice cookers are electric powered so they are usually power rated with labels that are in accordance with the laws.
Ease of Cleaning
The best rice cookers and steamers are easy to clean and some have dishwasher safe parts as well. Some cookers create zero mess when cooking but some can make a minimal mess if excessive water is added during cooking. Just be aware of that.
Dimensions and Weights
Dimensions and weights are an important factor as well so you can save space for storage in most cases.
Wrapping Up The Best Rice Cooker And Steamer For Your Kitchen
Rice cookers and steamers are common appliance sightings in most homes today especially that rice is becoming a common ingredient to many meals and is also a great serving partner for many dishes.
For some, steamers are necessary especially in cooking healthier and more nutritious meals.
We hope that you get to choose the best rice cookers and steamers amongst the products on our list.
The best cookers out there will surely give you more convenience to help you save some time and effort that you truly deserve in our busy and sometimes hectic times.
So, serving good food to family and friends with this small kitchen appliance will be just a breeze and never a sacrifice.
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