The Best Rice Cookers for Effortless Fluffy Rice Every Time

Considering they exist to do basically one thing, the variety of rice cookers out there is a tad overwhelming. These gadgets range from a simple inexpensive pot with nothing but an on-off switch to a complex computerized multi-cooker that costs several hundred dollars and sings. If you grew up with a rice cooker, you may already profess loyalty to a particular brand or model. But if you are entirely new to this world, finding the best rice cooker for your needs is no simple task. Which is why we want to help.

Let’s start with a basic question: Do you need an electric rice cooker? Even if rice just shows up in your cooking sometimes, deputy food editor Hana Asbrink says yes. “It just makes life easier if you’re cooking rice at least once a week.” Many people are perfectly happy cooking rice on the stove, and certain rice dishes, like a tahdig or biryani, can’t really come together in a rice cooker at all. But if rice is a regular or semiregular staple, a rice cooker cuts out the additional soaking, watching, and adjusting required for stovetop methods and gives you the freedom to focus on whatever else you might need to do.

To keep you from having to wade into the vast paddy of options, we’ve gathered top picks based on product testing and from experts from our test kitchen and the restaurant industry.

For the past 10 years, Asbrink has used the NP-HBC10 Zojirushi Induction rice cooker at home. Her rice cooker is the previous model of Zojirushi’s current induction rice cooker, the NP-HCC10—the current winner of our best rice cooker test (Zojirushi model names are a bit of an alphabet soup, so we’ll make sure to link you to everything we recommend). Asbrink says “consistency is key '' in a rice cooker, and her model has been a “trouper” for cooking the Korean and Japanese rice varietals and multigrain blends she likes to prepare at home.

Our product test backs Asbrink up, as the NP-HCC10 has been the top rice cooker for the past few years, coming out on top in blind tastings multiple times. Testers observed that each batch of rice cooked in this rice cooker is a Goldilocks in terms of texture—not too soft, not too hard, well-hydrated but not to the point of being mushy—and the keep warm cycle keeps the rice fresh for hours without yellowing or drying out. Perfectly cooked rice might be a subjective term, but all of us around the office think this machine gets pretty close to achieving it.

Asbrink did note that the two problems she found with the HBC10 were a lack of a retractable cord (more of an annoyance if you store it on the countertop) and the absence of any numerical countdown for remaining cook time. The current version of this Zojirushi does offer a countdown but still doesn’t have a retractable cord. (Actually, none of the high-end Zojirushi models feature retractable cords, although a few of their mid-tier price models do.)

The NP-HCC10 is a Micom (micro computerized) rice cooker with induction heating capabilities. Micom rice cookers rely on sensors to adjust temperature and cook time based on what kind of rice you’re trying to cook (firm, soft, washed, unwashed). This model has one in the lid and one in the main body near the pan. Micom rice cookers use “fuzzy logic,” which means they make relative adjustments based on the sensor readings—more hot or less hot, rather than just flipping a heating element on and off at at a preprogrammed intervals. Micom fans will say that this allows the rice cooker to make “perfect rice” every time. If you swap the word perfect with consistent, this is true within a certain range of circumstances. A Micom rice cooker can handle problems like incorrect water-to-rice ratios in ways that a basic rice cooker simply can’t. You should still follow the suggested ratios and use the measuring cup that comes the machine. These machines might be “smart,” but they aren’t miracle workers.

Most Zojirushi rice cookers have Micom technology, so it really is the addition of induction heating that elevates this model to another level (and price tier). Instead of heating directly from the bottom, the cooking vessel is heated from all around the inner pot. This enables the machine to circulate and distribute heat evenly, in service of making the already consistent rice, even more consistent.

Plenty of people in the test kitchen, Asbrink included, are happy to defend the basic rice cooker. “If you have trouble with cooking rice, getting the cheapest entry-level Zojirushi that a lot of college kids have is simple and so effective,” she says. However, higher-end rice cookers like the NP-HCC10 are well worth the cost for people who consume a large amount of rice and like to incorporate a variety of grains in their diets. Meal preppers or busy families will especially appreciate the convenience this appliance offers. Lastly, Zojirushi rice cookers are well-made appliances and easily tolerate years (and even decades) of daily use.

There’s a lot to appreciate about a more advanced model like the NP-HCC10. It has 9 programmed cooking settings for several different types of rice. Keep in mind, Zojirushi is a Japanese company, and these settings are oriented around cooking rice varieties found there. “White rice” on a Zojirushi refers to short-grain white rice (hakumai in Japanese). Some long-grain white rice like basmati will work on the regular setting, but Jasmine rice has its own setting on this machine. Like the “white rice” setting, “sushi rice” is also for short- or medium-grain white rice, but specifically it’s for making slightly drier and stickier rice to compensate for the vinegar you add when making sushi rice. For cooking other grains, like quinoa, or oatmeal, Zojirushi offers appropriate setting recommendations here.

Capacity: 5.5 cups (uncooked rice) | Dimensions: (W x D x H) 10" x 14" x 8" | Weight: 9 lb.
Warranty: One-year limited warranty | Features: Micom technology, induction heating, delay cook, automatic keep warm function | Menu settings: white rice (regular, softer or harder), jasmine white rice, mixed rice, sushi rice, porridge/congee, sweet rice, brown rice, GABA brown rice and quick-cooking, rice paddle and measuring cup, nonstick pot.

The Zojirushi makes flawless rice, but it’s expensive. The Tiger, on the other hand, is one of the most affordable Micom rice cookers on the market, and while it doesn’t have as many advanced capabilities, it still cooks great rice.

Taste testers picked the rice cooked in the Tiger over several pricier models. A comparative “rice quality” test will only get you so far though—once you hit a certain level of quality it can be tricky to parse just how much better one grain of rice is than another. That’s why a machine’s functionality plays a big role in choosing a winner here. This machine has four settings: plain , brown, synchro, and slow cook/steam. The latter two are specifically designed for cooking more than just rice. Synchro is a setting calibrated for cooking foods in the accompanying basket in addition to rice beneath it, and the steam/slow cook allows you to make recipes you might cook in a traditional slow cooker.

Its biggest shortcoming is that it lacks any audible alarm to let you know when the cooking cycle is finished. Certainly not the end of the world, but it would be helpful, especially since this model doesn’t provide a countdown either.

The Tiger JBV-A10U is a good rice cooker for people on a budget, people who have never owned a rice cooker or get overwhelmed by an appliance with many cooking functions, and people who are short on storage space and want their kitchen appliances to multitask. The simple functions on this machine make it very approachable and easy to use, and the steam and slow-cooker settings helps the Tiger justify the counter space it takes up.

Capacity: 5.5 cups uncooked rice / 1.0 liter | Dimensions: (W x D x H) 10.6" x 13.9" x 8.4" | Weight: 5.7 lb. | Warranty: One year limited warranty | Features: 12-hour keep warm setting, additional cooking/steaming basket, nonstick cooking pot, rice paddle and measuring cup | Menu settings: Plain rice, brown rice, synchro cooking, slow-cook/steam

Calvin Eng is the chef and owner of Bonnie’s, a Cantonese restaurant in Brooklyn. For his kitchen, “simplicity” is the most important feature a rice cooker can have. They use the Zojirushi NYC-36, a 20-cup commercial rice cooker with one-button functionality. “It cooks and it warms and nothing else.” Eng says, “We cook rice differently based on what the end-use is for, even if it’s the same rice. It’s nice to be able to set timers and adjust ratios on our own.”

At home, Eng prefers cooking rice in a pot. “I like the crunchy bottom that you get,” he says. “I slather butter on that and sprinkle some salt and treat it like popcorn, or pour hot water over it and have a little toasted rice tea at the end.”

Unless you have a family the size of a football team, a rice cooker large enough to cook 20 cups of rice is probably not a practical choice for most people. However, if you’d prefer a simple cooking process without any presets, and like the idea of adjusting ratios on your own, the Zojirushi NHS-6/10 is pretty much the miniature version of what Eng uses at Bonnie’s. Associate food editor Kendra Vaculin is a fan of this particular model as well, for its ease of use and low price point. It won’t make precise adjustments during the cooking process, but it’s more than capable of cooking bowls of fluffy rice, provided you pay attention to your water-to-rice ratios. For as simple as it may be, it still has some carefully considered features that make it nice. The larger models come with a stainless-steel steamer basket, which you can use for steaming veggies or meat, and it will keep the rice warm after it finishes the cooking cycle until you turn the machine off.

Capacity: 20 cups (uncooked rice) | Dimensions: 17 ⅜" x 15 ¼" x 13 ½" | Weight: 24.58 lb. | Warranty: One-year limited warranty | Features: Basic on-off function, automatic keep warm

The Zojirushi NW-JEC10 Rice Cooker is the company’s most expensive home rice cooker, and to be clear: Lots of the brand’s other rice cookers have many of the same features. The NP-NWC10 model, comes with the Micom technology, induction heating and pressure-cooking that help make Zojirushis outstanding rice cookers across the board. The feature that sets NW-JEC10 apart is the machine’s “My Rice” setting. The feature uses artificial intelligence to learn your preferred rice texture, making adjustments accordingly based on your feedback.

After testing the machine for close to a year, I can say with certainty that My Rice is no gimmick. It cooked noticeably different batches based on the responses I provided, and I could calibrate it after about three batches. It works like this: Each time you start a batch of rice on the My Rice setting, the machine asks you about the previous batch you made—specifically, whether the stickiness and firmness were “not enough,” “okay,” or “too much.” Using those answers, it then adjusts the cooking parameters accordingly to try and get the batch closer to your ideal.

It’s a cool, helpful feature, but even without it (or its extra price bump) you could still get an exceptional bowl of rice. What My Rice really does is make particular rice—rice just for you—easy to produce consistently without tweaking parameters like time or water volume on your own. It’s like a sprinkle of gold leaf on an exquisitely frosted multitiered cake. But if you are very particular about your rice, this is the machine that will get you as close as possible to that perfect bowl.

Capacity: 5.5 cups uncooked rice (also comes in 10-cup model) | Dimensions: (W x D x H) 10.7" x 13.6" x 8.5" | Weight: 15.9 lb. | Warranty: One-year limited warranty | Features: Micom technology, induction heating, delay cook, automatic keep warm function, My Rice AI function | Menu settings: white rice (regular, softer or harder), jasmine white rice, mixed rice, sushi rice, porridge/congee, sweet rice, brown rice, GABA brown rice and quick cooking, rice paddle and measuring cup, nonstick pot

Over the years we’ve tested close to two dozen rice cookers, including most of the Zojirushi line, as well other big names in the rice game like Cuckoo, Tiger, and yes, Western brands like Instant and Cosori. In addition to the batches and batches of medium-grain rice and basmati rice we made, we also checked out the many, many features rice cookers today include to see which ones are worth paying for. The rice cookers that performed well in early tests got use by several different editors to see how they performed at home. Ultimately, we picked rice cookers that produced excellent rice and were easy to use. For a little extra perspective we reached out to professional chefs to see what works in a restaurant kitchen.