The Best Rice Cookers for Home Chefs (and Lazy People)

Within minutes of unboxing the Zojirushi Umami Micom rice cooker, I had the same cursed thought that always hits me at some point when I’m testing new products: “I’ve fucked this up.” 

It came as soon as I hit the start button on my maiden batch of rice. After setting up the cooker, I’d scanned the instruction manual and opened a bag of brown rice. I measured the rice according to the directions, filled the cooking pan with the right amount of water, and set the cooker to the “brown” setting. It said it would take 104 minutes. I texted my colleague, who is extremely knowledgeable about Japanese cuisine and had recommended Zojirushi to me. “Brown rice takes 104 minutes what!!!!” I wrote. She replied, “Lol it does take a very long time. Perfection takes time!!!” I couldn’t argue with that. So, I set a timer for 104 minutes, took a shower, watched an episode of Masterchef Junior, and prepped some vegetables for a stir fry. Then, I poured a glass of bourbon, and then another. Then, I waited… and a miracle happened. In the middle of my second Masterchef Junior episode, I heard a cute song from the kitchen and knew that my rice was done. I walked in and opened the rice cooker—it looked and smelled great. I tasted it. It was the best rice I’d ever made.  

I wasn’t used to waiting anywhere near that long for rice to come out. I eat rice almost every day, but until recently, I used a cheap rice cooker that a family member passed down to me over a decade ago. It made rice quickly enough—usually under 30 minutes—and the rice was good, but it always stuck to the bottom and had a dry, clumpy texture if I overcooked or overheated it by even a tiny bit. What sets the Zojirushi and other great rice cookers apart is the powerful technology behind them. The model I got uses fuzzy logic technology, which is basically like the rice cooker version of A.I. The “Micom” in the title is short for a “microcomputer” which automates the cooking process, all the way from soaking and boiling to steaming the rice. The Neuro Fuzzy microcomputer allows the rice cooker to “think” for itself and make small adjustments to cooking time and temperature based on the type of grain and its amount to make perfect rice every time. This video for the model I got describes the "Umami" setting, which extends the soaking and steaming time to enhance the rice’s flavor. (The video is complete with animated rice in what might be an homage to Jurassic Park.) 

Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with the Zojirushi, trying different kinds of rice, playing with the steaming function, and figuring out how best to utilize its abilities, and I’ve come to understand that perfection does, indeed, take time. And, if you’re looking to achieve rice transcendence, having a solid rice cooker is absolutely essential. Unlike what I had previously thought, making transcendent rice using a machine is not just a basic equation of time and temperature. If you get a top-of-the-line rice cooker, you can set it, forget it, and come to understand the difference between OK rice and really, really good rice. Fortunately, there are a lot of really excellent options out there—five of which we’ve compiled in this short list of the best rice cookers in the game.

This is the 5.5-cup bad boy that changed my life, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. The Micom internal computer consistently makes tiny adjustments so that your rice comes out perfectly every time, and the non-stick inner cooking pan and detachable and inner lid make it easy to clean.

This smaller, basic model also has the Micom computer and can do white rice, sushi rice, brown rice, and more. (There’s even a setting for steel-cut oats.) Clocking in at three cups, it’s also  perfect for smaller households. If you’re looking for a big, high-quality rice cooker with lots of cooking options, this is the move.

You’ve surely seen this classic rice cooker somewhere, and there’s a reason for that: It’s an affordable, dependable product that can cook a colossal amount of rice at once. It may not heat from every angle or have the cognitive abilities of Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it’ll crank out perfect white rice, brown rice, and more every time. The built-in steam function also lets you use the steam from the rice to cook protein and veggies at the same time, making weeknight meals a breeze.

The Instant Pot is one of the most beloved and successful cooking inventions of the past decade. This thing isn’t just a rice cooker—it’ll slow cook, pressure cook, sous vide, make yogurt, steam veggies, and much more. (My aunt once made a passable risotto in one.) And, at around $100, the value is pretty wild. You can also download the free Instant Pot app to find loads of easy and delicious recipes.

This Toshiba option has seven options, including white, brown, mixed, short-grain, long-grain, porridge, and oatmeal. Like the Zojirushi, it uses fuzzy logic, but cooks up to six cups and costs around half the price. It features a smart LED digital display, a non-stick inner pot, and a detachable steam vent for easy cleaning. (There’s also an even more affordable three-cup version.)

Simply cooking for yourself is something to be proud of. If you’re making decent rice, that’s even better. But, if you care about making perfect rice—delicious, life-changing rice—invest in a great rice cooker, and thank me later.