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A rice cooker does one job and never gets it wrong. The hard part is working out which features are worth paying for.
Which rice cooker should you buy?
For most households, a fuzzy logic cooker with a removable non stick or ceramic bowl and a capacity of around 1 to 1.5 litres. Fuzzy logic adjusts the heat and timing as it cooks rather than switching off on a timer, which is the difference between good rice and reliably good rice. Basic on off cookers work but are less forgiving.
Basic, fuzzy logic or induction heating?
| Basic | Fuzzy logic | Induction heating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it cooks | Heats until the water goes, then stops | Sensors adjust heat and time | Heats the whole bowl, not just the base |
| Rice types | White only, really | White, brown, sushi, porridge | All, with finer control |
| Forgiving of bad measuring | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Worth it if | You cook rice occasionally | You cook rice weekly | You cook rice most days |
Fuzzy logic is the sensible middle. Induction heating is a real improvement, but it is a large step in price for a difference most people notice only when cooking brown rice or sushi rice.
What size to get
Capacities are quoted in cups of uncooked rice, and a rice cooker cup is 180 ml rather than a standard measuring cup, which catches people out.
- 3 to 3.5 cups (about 0.6 litres). One or two people.
- 5.5 cups (about 1 litre). Two to four people. The common household size.
- 8 cups (about 1.5 litres). Families and batch cooking.
Cookers work best between about a third and full, so buying much bigger than you need makes small batches worse rather than better.
The bowl matters more than the lid
The inner bowl is the part that wears out and the part that determines how evenly the rice cooks. A thicker bowl holds heat better and warps less.
- Ceramic coated. Harder wearing than standard non stick and free of the coatings some people prefer to avoid.
- Thick gauge. A flimsy bowl distorts and then sits badly on the heating plate.
- Removable and dishwasher safe. Check this, because some are hand wash only.
- Available as a spare. Brands that sell replacement bowls are worth favouring, since it doubles the life of the machine.
Features worth having, and ones that are not
Keep warm is essential and every cooker has it. A delay timer is genuinely useful if you want rice ready when you get in. Steam baskets are handy for vegetables and dumplings above the rice.
Less useful: cake and yoghurt settings, which are novelties on a machine designed to cook rice, and app connectivity, which adds price and another thing to fail.
Frequently asked questions
Is a rice cooker worth buying?
If you eat rice more than once a week, yes. It frees a hob ring, needs no watching, and holds the rice at temperature until you are ready. If you cook rice occasionally, a heavy pan with a tight lid does the same job.
What is fuzzy logic in a rice cooker?
Sensors that monitor temperature and adjust the heat and cooking time as it goes, rather than simply running until the water has boiled off. It is what lets one machine handle white rice, brown rice and porridge properly.
How long can rice sit on keep warm?
Manufacturers usually give a limit in the manual, often several hours, and the rice dries and yellows towards the end of it. Cooked rice left at room temperature is the real risk, so keep warm running is safer than switching it off and leaving the pot out.
Can you cook other things in a rice cooker?
Porridge, congee, steamed vegetables and quinoa all work. Anything needing browning or a hard boil does not, because the machine controls temperature rather than letting you set it.
Where to buy
Options on Amazon UK that match what is described above. These are affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission if you buy through them. Stock and prices change, so check the listing before ordering.
- Fuzzy logic rice cookers. Fuzzy logic adjusts the cooking as it goes. Worth the step up from a basic on off cooker.
- Yum Asia rice cookers. UK brand, ceramic bowls, sold in sizes from 3.5 to 8 cups.
