It’s easy to get allured by rice cookers after botching or burning your rice on the cooktop a couple of times. This appliance offers fluffy, tasty rice to ensure your meals turn out well.
However, not everyone has enough room to accommodate the standard-size models. Well, there are portable options with a decent cooking capacity to cook for a small family.
The best small rice cookers feature user-intuitive functions and portable build quality to allow you to pack off without any hassle. And, here are our top 6 picks, including their pros and cons, to ensure you make the right call.
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Best Small Rice Cooker Review – Top 6 Products to Buy on Amazon
Aroma Housewares ARC-954SBD Rice Cooker
The Aroma Housewares ARC-954SBD Rice Cooker comes with lots of handy features to allow you to cook sushi, brown and white rice. It’s also perfect for cooking pasta, soup, omelets, and cake.
This smart appliance from Aroma Housewares is portable and sits neatly on any worktop surface without taking up more space. Its compact build ensures you can take the appliance with you on camping trips and holidays.
The Aroma Housewares ARC-954SBD Rice Cooker has an 8-cup capacity of cooked rice, which should be enough for a family of 4. Considering its compact capacity, this unit will come in handy for making sumptuous side dishes.
Equally important, this unit features 8 preset digital functions to make cooking a breeze. Also, it has an automatic keep-warm function to keep your food hot when the cooking is finished until you are ready to serve.
Another exciting thing about the Aroma Housewares ARC-954SBD Rice Cooker is the included steam tray that allows you to steam food while cooking below. This way, you can do more in less time without compromising the quality of your food.
Pros:
- 15-hour programmable delay timer
- Offers high heat to brown and saute foods
- Yields up to 8 cups of cooked rice
- Versatile cooking experience
Cons:
- The durability is questionable
Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer
The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 offers a decent 5.5-cup capacity, despite its compact design. This model is effortless to clean and one of the most intuitive rice cookers we’ve tried.
This best small rice cooker from Zojirushi comes with a heavy non-stick inner pot featuring markings for precise measurement. The best thing about this appliance is its induction heating that delivers even heat distribution for excellent results – tender and fluffy.
Also, you can set and forget this rice cooker, which is a great choice for folks that hate to babysit a cooking process. Even better, it’s equipped with an automatic keep-warm function to ensure your food stays hot for extra hours until you’re ready to serve and eat.
Furthermore, Zojirushi NS-TSC1 is a micro-computerized cooker, which means this unit can manage the cooking temperature and time to ensure you don’t end up with mushy rice.
On the downside, the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer come with a hefty price tag, though it’s worth its weight in gold – handy programmable features, large capacity, and induction heating system.
All in all, we recommend this expensive small rice cooker for anyone looking to make no-brainer, delicious rice with the least effort.
Pros:
- Easy to clean
- Two delay time settings
- Built-in retractable power cord for a clutter-free workspace
- Beep signal for notification
- Sturdy stainless steel construction
Cons:
- Very expensive
Cuckoo CRP-P1009SB 10 Cup Heating Plate Electric Pressure Rice Cooker
When it comes to cooking versatility, the Cuckoo CRP-P1009SB is a clear winner. This model offers great-tasting rice with impressive food quality similar to what you get with Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer.
However, this model utilizes a heating plate instead of the favorite induction heating technology. Nonetheless, its cooking performance is up to par. Where this portable unit leads is the large cooking capacity of up to 10 cups, which is a tad larger than the Zojirushi model.
This appliance continues to stand out with its 12 menu options to allow you to cook just about anything from mixed rice to brown rice, porridge, etc. more so; it’s equipped with a sturdy stainless steel inner pot, which is scratch-proof and offers reliable non-stick performance.
That’s not all: the Cuckoo CRP-P1009SB Electric Pressure Rice Cooker has a smart cooking algorithm that adjusts the cooking temperature time for a perfect result.
Talking about the extra features, this machine is equipped with built-in voice navigations to walk through the entire cooking process. Even better, voice guidance is available in three languages – Korean, Chinese, and English.
Pros:
- Lots of safety features like the overheat indicator
- Large 20 cups cooked capacity
- Superior cooking algorithm
- Voice guidance for a seamless experience
- Stainless Steel Detachable Inner Lid
Cons:
- Cooking performance is not really impressive considering the high price
Toshiba Rice Cooker
This brand needs no introduction. Toshiba is one of the leading manufacturers in this space. This all-white rice cooker looks elegant and will have no issues improving your kitchen decor.
This Japanese-style appliance rocks a smart 6-step cooking process and cutting-edge 3D cooking technology. The Toshiba Rice Cooker comes with an inner non-stick cooking pot and steam valve to help trap heat and moisture for perfect fluffy and tender rice.
Here’s more: this model offers 7 preset settings to allow you to cook brown rice, white rice, mixed rice, long or short-grained rice, porridge, oatmeal, and many more to perfection.
Down to its cooking capacity, the Toshiba Rice Cooker offers 12 cups of cooked rice for a nice family meal. The best part of this machine is its Quick Rice feature, promising to cook your food in less than 30 minutes. This feature comes in handy, especially in this fast-paced world.
Similarly, it is equipped with a Keep Warm function to allow you to hold the content at an ideal serving temperature for a longer period. More so, this beast has a removable steam vent to prevent messy overflow or bullying over.
Pros:
- Elegant white design
- 12 Cups Cooked Capacity
- Portable design and easy to move
- Programmable Delay timer with 2 different settings
- Detachable Inner Lid and Vent for quick cleanup
Cons:
- Lacks sushi rice option
Instant Pot Lux Mini 6-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
The Instant Pot Lux Mini 6-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker is designed to replace up to six appliances on your kitchen counter. This versatile model can function as a rice cooker, pressure cooker, steamer, slow cooker, and saute.
It comes in a portable design, making it a perfect machine for small families or folks looking to use in their RVs, on sailing trips, or other outdoor adventures.
This unit is integrated with 10 programs to let you pressure cook rice, slow cook broths and stew, and even warm leftovers. Also, it’s equipped with a 24-hours delayed cooking start and a Keep Warm function that lasts about 10 hours after the cooking process is completed.
That’s not all: this small cooker comes with a measuring cup, a soup spoon, an operation manual, a helpful recipe booklet, a rice paddle, and a stainless steel steam rack. Plus, the Instant Pot Lux Mini 6-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker features temperature monitoring controls to prevent your food from burning and ensure excellent results.
Like most products on this list, this machine offers a 6 cups capacity (uncooked rice), which should be enough for a family serving. One of the highlights of this multicooker is its pressure regulator to keep the pressure below the safety limit.
Talking about safety, this compact machine has anti-blockage vents that keep debris at bay from the vent for seamless operation. Lastly, its Easy One-touch controls make operating this device a breeze.
Pros:
- Stainless steel construction for durability
- Large display panel
- Alexa guided cooking for convenience
- Can replace up to 6 kitchen appliances
Cons:
- Poor quality control
BLACK+DECKER Uncooked Rice Cooker
Wrapping up our list of the best small rice cookers is the BLACK+DECKER Uncooked Rice Cooker with its 3-cup capacity. This model is a clear winner when it comes to convenience.
This unit is stacked with lots of essential features, such as the Keep Warm function to hold your content at the ideal serving temperature after you’re done cooking. This model is suitable for preparing oatmeal, soups, sites, porridge, among many. Sadly, you won’t be able to stir fry with this device.
Also, it comes with a tempered glass lid and a removable non-stick bowl, which are dishwasher safe for a convenient cleaning experience. Even better, the manufacturer included a plastic serving spoon to ensure you don’t scratch off the non-stick coating.
The BLACK+DECKER Uncooked Rice Cooker features different light indicators to notify you if the appliance is cooking or keeping your food warm. This way, you don’t have to make any guesses.
Pros:
- Different colored light to remove any guesswork
- Tempered glass lid to monitor the cooking process
- Automatic keep warm
- Affordable price point
Cons:
- Ideal for people looking for a basic rice cooker
What to Consider When Shopping for the Best Small Rice Cooker
Type
Before heading to your local store to purchase a cooker, here are some of the types of rice cookers you will find:
- Conventional: they are traditional models that require you to soak the rice before turning on the appliance. Also, you would have to turn off the device to allow the rice to steam.
- Microprocessor: these models are also known as micom rice cookers. They make cooking your rice a breeze with a consistent fluffy result.
- The microprocessor rice cookers handle the soaking, boiling, and steaming process. This leaves you with rinsing and serving the rice.
- Combination: this type of rice cooker is incredibly versatile, as they allow you to do more than just cook fluffy and tender rice. They can bake and steam.
- Induction: these models operate without using direct heat. Also, they offer more even heating for better results.
Capacity / size
Small models come with the capacity to hold from 2 – 7 cups of rice. The right option for you should be based on the number of people you intend to cook for.
You should check the product description. Some capacities are measured in terms of cooked or uncooked. Keep in mind that 1 cup of dry rice yields about 2 cups of cooked rice, depending on the type of rice.
More so, the size of the appliance should fit your available kitchen counter space without a fuss. Also, the best small rice cooker should be compact enough to allow you to pack away for your next outdoor trip or store smartly.
Material
It’s best to go for a model with a sturdy exterior for durability’s sake. In our opinion, stainless steel might be your best bet. They are easy to clean and incredibly durable. Most stainless steel pots feature a non-stick coating for a better food release performance. Also, the lid should be made of tempered glass to allow you to keep track of the cooking process with ease and is crack resistant for durability.
How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker
Conclusion
By and large, the best small rice cooker is a great addition for a small family looking to enjoy Asian cuisine or cook their rice with the right fluffiness and tenderness. We’ve selected and reviewed the top options out there; now, it’s up to make a choice considering the factors discussed in our buying guide section.
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