|
Rice Cooker Reviews
Sally Strackbein
www.SallysKitchen.com
New Reviews
I have 10 rice cookers. I use 4 of them, the most recent acquisitions, every day. Well, I don’t use all 4 every day, but I use at least one or two. I want to share what I learned with you in this
review.
Rice cooker capacity is counted in “cups” of uncooked rice. The cup isn’t really a cup, though. It’s about 3/4 cup. Even the cup capacity listed on the package isn’t a
reliable judge of the size of the rice cooker pan. The capacity is shown in 3/4 cups uncooked and (cooked) rice.
All of the rice cookers I have came with a measuring “cup” and a little paddle like spoon for serving rice.
There are 2 difference kinds of rice cookers. The original rice cooker isn’t smart. It cooks like mad and shuts down to warm when your rice is done. The newer, or “smart” rice cookers
have different settings and behave differently depending on which setting you choose.
If you cook small quantities of rice in a large rice cooker, you’ll probably get very brown, crunchy rice, even if it’s white rice. All of the rice cookers will produce a bit of brown crunchy
on the bottom layer if the rice is left too long. I don’t find this a big deal. I like it. I always cook too much rice. It rarely goes to waste. The fuzzy logic or smart rice cookers don’t
produce the crunchy layer unless you cook a very small amount of rice in a very big rice cooker.
I can only review rice cookers I use. If a brand of rice cooker doesn’t appear here, it’s because of one of the following reasons:
- I don’t have one and have not been able to get one
- It doesn’t have a non-stick pan
- I could buy it, but it’s expensive *
- I don’t know it exists
Desirable Features
- Glass lid – so you can see what’s happening (for cooking brown rice, the rice cookers with lids that latch are better)
- Lid with a hole in it – for steam to escape (otherwise it comes out at the edges of the lid and is messier)
- Removable cord – for easy storage
- Steamer tray – for steaming veggies and other foods (you will really want one, but you can make do with a separate fold up one from the grocery store). Most come with steamer trays now.
- Non-stick pan – don’t get one without it
- Measuring lines – lines on the inside of the rice cooker pan that tell let you add water without using a measuring cup. You still have to use the “cup” to measure the rice.
Rice Cooker Reviews – in alphabetic order
You can probably purchase these rice cookers at a store near you. If you want to buy them online, click on the pictures to buy from Amazon.
 Aroma ARC-2000 Rice Cooker / Food Steamer ** 10 cup (20 cup). Aroma has finally added the one missing functionality
that I’ve missed in rice cookers. The ARC-2000 has a slow cook setting. This incredible appliance does everything a high end rice cooker is supposed to do and more. I’ve cooked
everything I can think of in this rice cooker. My latest was red beans and rice. What I love is that I use the “steam” setting to brown the
sausage and onions. Then I add the beans, still using the “steam” setting. When the mixture comes to a boil, I then use the slow cook setting to simmer. Oh joy!
This is what I’ve been waiting for. Buy this one! I recently saw this rice cooker in someone’s cart in Costco or you can buy it from Amazon.
 Aroma ARC-727 Rice Cooker**: 7 cup (14 cups), 500 watts, $29.99. I like this smaller rice cooker. It doesn’t take up as much counter space as some of my other rice cookers. It
does a great job on white rice, and steams veggies beautifully. It has a glass lid and the cord is attached. buy from Amazon
 Aroma ARC-998 Rice Cooker**: 8 cup (16 Cups) Cool Touch Digital Stainless, 650 watts, $40-$76. This rice cooker is my new favorite. My husband, Ray, loves brown rice and this
rice cooker cooks brown rice to perfection without the aggravation of bubbling over. Just push the “brown rice” button and go. It also has a white rice setting and a steam setting for
steaming veggies. I’ve cooked chili, curry, soup, fresh corn, taco meat, and white rice as well as brown rice in it. Works like a champ every time. Be sure
and wipe the inner lid each time you use. You won’t find features like this elsewhere until you get up in the $150 price range. buy from Amazon
 Aroma ARC-1000 Professional Rice Cooker/Food Steamer**: 10 cup (20 cups) Sensor Logic™ Rice Cooker. 650 watts, $30-$54. This is one very smart rice cooker. It has
a white rice setting, brown rice setting, delay timer, timed steam setting, as well as a quick rice setting. You get perfect brown rice every time. Be sure and wipe the inner lid each time you
use. This very reasonably priced rice cooker’s features are usually only found at $150 on up. I’ve cooked most of my recipes in this fabulous find. buy from Amazon
 Aroma ARC-725 Rice Cooker: 10 cup (20 cups), 700 watts, $25.99. The Aroma rice cooker takes up a
lot of room because it has 2 big steamer racks. This is great when you want to cook your whole meal in the rice cooker. The Aroma rice cooker has a glass lid
with a hole. The cord on the Aroma is attached. I bought mine at Costco. The ARC-7172GNY shown on the Aroma site is similar, but not exactly the one I have. Aroma Website
Buy from Amazon
 Farberware FRA 100A Rice Cooker: 10 cup (20 cups), 700 watts, $39.99. The Farberware rice cooker
is a fancy looking chrome appliance that has a flimsy metal lid with a hole. The steamer tray is great, though. The steamer tray is stainless steel, sits at the top of the
pan and nests inside for storage. The Farberware has a removable cord. I got mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I’ve seen the Farberware in department stores.
You can try www.farberware.com, but you will be lucky if you can find rice cookers on it. Every time I visit this site, it seems different and finding a specific
product is difficult. Buy from Amazon
 Oster 4704 Rice Cooker: 7 cup (14 cups), 500 watts, $29.99. The Oster rice cooker is the smallest
one I have. It has a glass lid with a hole. The Oster 7 cup is a good size for a small family. It has a sturdy, removable cord. I got mine at Target. Buy from Amazon (The 4704 is no longer available. The closest one is the 4731 now. The links take you to
the 4731.)
 Oster Inspire Multi-Use Deluxe Rice Cooker:
10 cup (20 cups) $29.99 I didn’t think I would like this rice cooker, but I discovered that it does a really good job on white rice. It’s also good for soups, stews and other dishes that need
more liquid. I bought mine at Target.
Buy from Amazon
 Panasonic SR-W15FSP Rice Cooker: 8 cup (16 cups), 600 watts, $29.99. The Panasonic has a glass lid
without a hole and a sturdy steamer tray. The steamer tray sits on the bottom of the rice cooker pan. This steamer tray is useful, but I prefer one that suspends
from the top of the pan. The Panasonic rice cooker has a removable cord. I bought mine at Wal-Mart. The link here is to a similar rice cooker. I was unable to find the
model I have on the web. Wal-Mart still carries it. Buy from Amazon
 Zojirushi NHS-10HX Rice Cooker: 6 Cup, $49.99. This rice
cooker is a perfect size for 2 people. I use mine almost every day to cook our breakfast. I use it for rice also. It is sturdier than the other cheaper rice cookers I have. Buy from Amazon
 Zojirushi NS-ZAC18 10-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker: $169.99. I bought this rice cooker to see if it
was really worth it to use a fuzzy logic (computerized) rice cooker. If you cook primarily brown rice, this is the one to buy if you don’t plan to cook other food in it
. It cooks perfect brown rice every time. For white rice, the less expensive rice cookers are just fine. Buy
from Amazon
* Note to rice cooker manufacturers: If you want me to review your rice cooker, please contact me.
** Note - this rice cooker was reviewed at the request of the manufacturer and I received the rice cooker as a gift. I was not paid for
this review and certainly did not need any more rice cookers. I do my best to be unbiased.
|
