Until a few years ago, I never thought of rice cookers as anything special to have in the kitchen. Rice is easy enough to cook on the stove and who wants to waste valuable cupboard space on an appliance that they’ll hardly ever use. Then I learned about what rice cookers can do and how they can improve the way you cook any grain. Today we’re going to discuss finding the best Japanese rice cooker.
If you had one of the older models of rice cookers that only had the “cook” and “stay warm” setting in the past, then you could be wondering what all the fuss is about. The old rice cookers could only really cook plain white rice. If you ever attempted to cook brown or wild rice in them, you would have something rather inedible in the pot. Not to mention it would also take way longer to cook than the stovetop method.
Rice cookers now are a completely different game. The best Japanese rice cooker models have all the right features to help you cook all of your favorite grains quicker and easier than the stove top method.
What Should I Look For When Buying A Rice Cooker?
You don’t want your next purchase to be something that takes up cupboard space and only gets brought out maybe once or twice a year. If you pick out a rice cooker with all of the right features then this will be something that helps you out in the kitchen a few nights a week.
What should I look for when buying a rice cooker? To get the best Japanese rice cooker for your house there are a few things you should look for. First and foremost you want to choose a cooker that is the right capacity for your household. You’ll also want to make sure this rice cooker is able to cook other grains as well so you can get the most for your money.
A rice cooker should make your life easier. Having different cooking options will widen the amount of things you can do. The best Japanese rice cooker will have more than just a cook and warm setting. They also provide the ability to quick cook for when you are crunched for time. A simmer and slow cooker feature for the days when you can take your time. The option to steam side dishes is another bonus that the best rice cookers will have.
Instant Pot vs Pressure cooker? Read my review about it.
Features
One of the best features a rice cooker should have is a delay time setting. This will allow you to set the rice cooker up to 24 hours in advance to start cooking. This allows you to have food hot and ready for when you get home from work. You can also use this function to have porridge ready for when you wake up in the morning.
If you want to save time on cleaning up, you should look for a rice cooker with non-stick inner pots and dishwasher safe parts. The best quality rice cooker will have a stainless steel pot to ensure durability.
Which Brand Of Rice Cooker Is Best?
The best Japanese rice cooker will make preparing your favorite starches effortless. They come equipped with all of the features we listed above to make sure preparing grains is simpler and tastier than ever.
Which brand of rice cooker is best? There are so many to choose from so we did some searching to find out what the most trusted brands of rice cookers were. Before making your decision to buy one, always check out the customer reviews to see what other users had to say. This is the best way to see if the company was honest in their advertising.
When it comes to the leading brand of rice cookers it seems like Zojirushi is the winner. The versatile machine has won over home cookers for its ability to cook more than just grains perfectly every time. Zojirushi is a top quality brand of rice cooker, so the models are much more expensive than competitors. If you love rice and know that you will be using this machine frequently then a Zojirushi brand rice cooker is worth the money.
If a Zojirushi brand of rice cooker is out of your price league, than try some of these more affordable brands. They all make amazing rice cookers that will keep you just as happy in the kitchen.
- Aroma Housewares
- Cuckoo
- Oster
- Black and Decker
- Breville
These are just a few of the trusted brands of rice cookers that don’t let shoppers down. If you use an Instant Pot they also have a rice cooker feature.
Are Rice Cookers Worth Buying?
Rice is so easy to make on the stove cooker, are rice cookers worth buying? The answer to that all depends on how often you eat rice and other grains. If you feel like it is something that you will use often in the kitchen then they are worth buying.
A good quality rice cooker will last you for a very long time. They don’t take up very much space. Best of all they help you cook healthy food on your schedule. A rice cooker is definitely worth buying. You will just want to make sure you find a good quality model.
How To Pick The Best Japanese Rice Cooker In 2020: Final Thoughts
Now that you know what to look for in a new rice cooker it’s time to start searching for one to bring home. The device will save you so much hassle in the kitchen, you’ll wonder why you didn’t buy one sooner. With a new rice cooker you will be able to come home to a hot meal everyday of the week.
Wonder how to cook jasmine rice? Read my post about it.