The 8 Best Rice Cookers for Every Type of Home Cook

By Tanya Edwards August 01, 2022

Rice is a healthy, versatile food staple—but cooking rice that’s fluffy, tender, and not clumpy can be a challenge. Even the most experienced cook messes up rice—and cleans burned grains from the bottom of a pot—every once in a while. Enter the electric rice cooker. Just add the right amount of water and rice, and the cooker does all the hard work for you. It also gives you another spot on the stovetop to cook whatever else you need to make, and just generally simplifies the cooking process. 

Unsure about which one is right for you? We researched dozens of rice cookers and evaluated them on ease of use, capacity, range of features, and overall value to determine the best options on the market today. We also spoke to Top Chef alum Chef Katsuji Tanabe of a’Verde and Chef Masa Hamaya of O-Ku to get expert advice on shopping for and using a rice cooker at home. 

“All rice cookers have heating pans to cook the rice to a boil, and then you just leave it in the rice cooker to slowly steam at a lower temperature,” explains Hamaya.

Our top pick is the Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker & Food Steamer, which stands out for its versatility, range of features, and affordable price point. Read on for all of our top rice cooker picks, as well as what to look for when choosing a rice cooker for your home.