Small Affordable Rice Cooker?

[HumbleHomeCook]

It's just the wife and I and we don't eat a ton of rice, maybe once a week or so.

Is there a decent rice cooker that'll do a couple cups that you folks recommend. So many of the smaller ones seem to have complaints of leaking.

 

[Michi]

It's just the wife and I and we don't eat a ton of rice, maybe once a week or so.

Is there a decent rice cooker that'll do a couple cups that you folks recommend. So many of the smaller ones seem to have complaints of leaking.

This might be helpful: Should you buy a budget rice cooker? | CHOICE

 

[blokey]

I use this here, pretty good quality, only downside is no warm function.
https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NHS-06-3-Cup-Uncooked-Cooker/dp/B00004S575

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Thank you both.

I do pretty well with the Adam Liaw stovetop method but the wife gets a little intimidated with rice.

 

[Michi]

You could probably do a lot worse than with that Zojirushi. That brand has a really good reputation for rice cookers.

 

[M1k3]

Thank you both.

I do pretty well with the Adam Liaw stovetop method but the wife gets a little intimidated with rice.

Covered pan. 30 minutes in the oven at 350° F(reedom) degrees.

 

[daveb]

(You may well have noticed) they come in at about 3 distinct price points. The least expensive (Blokey's above) come in at 50ish, solid machines, all you need to make good rice. I'm not sure how they determine they're done but they're not as forgiving as the higher end models and as noted they don't have much of a keep warm function.

At the mid-point the "fuzzy logic" machines come in at about 150 - the one I've used for better than 10 years:

https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NS...mzn1.fos.304cacc1-b508-45fb-a37f-a2c47c48c32f
No idea what "fuzzy logic" means but the cookers will make the rice and then hold it warm for longer than you'll want it to. Korean friends of mine will leave theirs on warm until they need to make more. Several settings cover quick cook, white, brown and others.

At the high end are "induction" machines - 250ish and I've seen 400. Don't know how induction relates to rice cooking but these produce the most consistent rice of any I've used.

Zo is a very good brand, I have both the 3 cup and the 10 cup models. And you get to be one of the cool kids that call them "Zo" instead of Zojirushi. And the other cool kids know what you mean..... Cukoo (sp?) was hard to find when I was shopping but it's easier now and the one the aforementioned friends use. Also very good. I would avoid Panasonic specifically and any other of the usual small appliance makers.

 

[daveb]

Covered pan. 30 minutes in the oven at 350° F(reedom) degrees.

Prep cook method: 1 part rice and 2 parts water in appropriate size container. (Usually 6" hotel pan) Onto the stovetop and bring to boil, cover and into 350F oven for 20 min. This is what I teach my crew, usually cooking for 100 or more but works with any quantity of rice you start with.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Great stuff @daveb. Thank you.

 

[Krouton]

I use this here, pretty good quality, only downside is no warm function.
https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NHS-06-3-Cup-Uncooked-Cooker/dp/B00004S575

I have the 6 cup version of this one and it does have a warm function. Ive used it almost daily for about two years and it's great.

 

[blokey]

I have the 6 cup version of this one and it does have a warm function. Ive used it almost daily for about two years and it's great.

Yeah only the 3 cup version doesn’t have it.

 

[Michi]

You might want to check the dimension of the 3-cup versus the 6-cup version. Chances are that the 6-cup version will only be marginally larger and probably not much more expensive. That way, you get your warming function and you have room to play. Even in a 6-cup cooker, you can make a single cup if you want to.

 

[mengwong]

Chances are that the 6-cup version will only be marginally larger and probably not much more expensive.

On this model, why does the small cost more than the large? To squeeze into small Japanese apartments, perhaps. Or just the vagaries of supply chain economics…

 

[blokey]

Funnily I was just in Chinese supermarket and they have bunch of pretty nice rice cookers.

 

[Michi]

Why does the small cost more than the large?

Curious, indeed.

 

[mengwong]

I grew up with Zojirushi fuzzy logic and have been very happy with them. The Serious Eats review goes super in-depth. I’d not heard of Cuckoo brand before.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-rice-cookers

 

[mengwong]

BTW, if I were a rice cooker manufacturer I would put a sous vide mode in my “micom” models so the user can program the hold temp. It’s be cool to be able to use the cooker for eggs 13m@75C or 60m@64C.

 

[blokey]

Those fancy rice cookers can actually be used to sous vide which is nice.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

i love rice leftovers in any shape or form, so i always make more.

but if i were to buy a small 3-cup version, i would buy the one @ptolemy is selling in the classifieds. a Cookoo model from Korea. it talks!!

 

[dehory]

I would avoid Panasonic specifically and any other of the usual small appliance makers.

FWIW I’ve been happily using my little Panasonic for…21 years and counting. Maybe the newer ones aren’t made to the same standard, but I haven’t been tempted to upgrade to a Zojirushi just yet!

For me, a rice cooker is a pretty simple device, and you don’t really need a super fancy one. The key to getting good results is pre-soaking the rice (especially for Japanese-style rice varieties) and dialling in the optimal ratio of water (by weight) for the kind of rice you’re cooking.