Everyone loves rice, that versatile little grain that goes with just about everything and is, bizarrely, almost impossible to cook correctly on the stove. Plus, look away from it for two seconds, and boom. Total mess. But if you had one of the best mini rice cookers you can buy online, this wouldn’t be a problem anymore. You’d have a little pot literally designed to make perfect rice, consistently, time after time. Easy to use, easy to clean, and meant to save you time as it improves your dinner, a rice cooker belongs in every kitchen. But we don’t all have the space for yet another gadget, right?
Best Budget Rice Cooker: Black & Decker 3-Cup Electric Rice Cooker
Small on space? Small on budget? Small on number of people in your house? The Black + Decker 3-Cup Electric Rice Cooker is the one for you. How do I know this? Because it weighs 2 pounds and cooks three cups of gloriously fluffy rice in 20 minutes. What more do you need? It’s very no-muss and no-fuss, in a way that should appeal to busy folks on a budget. It’s also simple enough to trust someone else in the kitchen to use, so they get to feel like they helped out with the meal. Even if Black & Decker is really the one doing the heavy lifting.
Best Novelty Rice Cooker: Zojirushi Hello Kitty Automatic Rice Cooker
I’m thrilled that Sanrio partnered with Zojirushi for its Hello Kitty Rice Cooker, because instead of making an Easy-Bake Oven for adults, the two brands have created a multifunctional, long-lasting machine that also happens to be adorable. Designed to be as simple and utilitarian as possible while somehow being too cute for words, the Hello Kitty Rice Cooker includes a hinged lid, nonstick-coated inner bowl, and can be operated with one touch. Like, literally, it only has one option. It takes the thinking out of it! On top of that, this cooker from Zojirushi generates heat from the sides, bottom, and lid, ensuring your rice cooks and keeps warm evenly. Everybody wins here.
Best Mid-Range Mini Rice Cooker: Yum Asia Panda Mini Rice Cooker
No, I didn’t pick this one based on name alone. I recommend the Yum Asia Panda Mini Rice Cooker because of its seven cooking phases, digital display, and general level of cooking technology offered at a reasonable price. It also happens to be kawaii as all heck with a perfect product name. Come on, look at that design! It would brighten up any kitchen. The Panda can cook up to 3.5 cups of rice (when dry), making it ideal for a two-person home that’s ready to make an investment in their mealtime. Also it has a cake-baking setting, for some reason.
Best Rice Cooker + Steamer: Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker + Steamer
What I love about the Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker + Steamer is that it offers two simple, essential cooking methods without taking up any extra counter space. (Sure, a little more vertical space, but you weren’t going to store anything on top of it, anyway, right?) Even though it’s multifunctional, one touch is all it takes to operate this truly set-it-and-forget-it machine. Imagine being able to make rice and a steamed vegetable side, simultaneously, without creating extra dishes to wash or exerting any effort at all during the cooking process. Now imagine it’s only $20. It exists! You’re welcome.
Best Luxury Rice Cooker: Cuckoo Twin Pressure Rice Cooker
If you’ve got a big budget but without the kitchen to match, you can’t do better than the Cuckoo Twin Pressure Rice Cooker. Admittedly, this isn’t super-mini; it’s about twice the size of the other ones on this list, and therefore is cheating. But I couldn’t not recommend it. The prestige Korean brand offers everything from an energy-saving smart algorithm that automatically detects your chosen grain to … well, you can’t really top that as a product feature, can you? If you’re willing to shell out for something that will make a lot of rice at once and do it perfectly every time, get this one, and then be a dear and invite me for dinner.
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