The Best Rice Cookers, According to Seven Local Chefs and Cooking Pros

What do Beyoncé and automatic rice cookers have in common? They’re both feminist icons. Well, sort of. The rice cooker was pioneered partly to free up Japanese housewives’ time. In the 1950s, preparing rice three times a day over a fiery kamado stove was their most laborious task. In 1955, Toshiba’s shiny new ER-4 rice cooker gave them back hours each day.

The machines have evolved considerably since – and there are so many to choose from. Today’s premium models offer induction heating, pressure cooking and multi-layer ceramic pots to coax every grain to its fullest potential (some even play a little Japanese jingle when your rice is ready).

At the other end of the spectrum, the donabe, a Japanese clay pot with roots dating back thousands of years, is having a revival among home cooks who want something slower and more elemental, cooked in a pot you can bring straight to the table.

To get the full picture, we tapped chefs like Junda Khoo, Emiko Davies and Nam Nguyen for the tools they use to get rice right every time. Plus, the other dishes you can make in a rice cooker, from slow-cooked Vietnamese stews to black garlic. Here’s what they recommend.

Bac Pham, chef and owner, North 54

Why do you love it?

It’s relatively budget-friendly while including smart features like eight cooking modes and a turbo function for faster cooking. In addition to rice, you can use it for porridge, slow cooking and even soups or stews. Also, the auto-clean feature and detachable inner lid make clean-up easier. 

If you cook rice regularly and want convenience and consistency without spending too much, a budget model like this is perfect.

What do you cook with it besides rice?

Congee (chao) – it’s super easy and hands-off when you’re under the weather; bo kho (Vietnamese beef stew) – slow-cook mode works great, forget about it and then it’s ready; and sticky rice – add coconut milk halfway, it saves so much time rather than steaming on the stove.

Becca Wang, food writer and content creator

Why do you love it?

Tatung is Taiwan’s most iconic rice cooker, and for good reason. It’s the only rice cooker with an inner stainless-steel pot (aka no Teflon chemicals). The rice is essentially double-boiled as you put water in [both] the outer pot and rice, which creates the best texture and a consistent cook.  It’s virtually indestructible – you will have it forever.

Do you have any advice before buying?

You can only buy it in Taiwan or on eBay. It’s not the cheapest rice cooker out there (the three-cup is about $250) but as mentioned, you won’t need to replace it in this lifetime. Also, it sputters a little while cooking, but it’s not noticeably loud or messy.

What do you cook with it besides rice?

I love making Chinese steamed eggs in it. I also love adding diced pumpkin or sweet potato to my rice before cooking to give it a subtle sweetness.

Emiko Davies, cookbook author

Why do you love it?

My Japanese mother recently put me onto this small ceramic rice pot, which is just right when you only need rice for two or three people. Cooking in clay feels very rustic and elemental, like this is how our ancestors cooked their rice. Being ceramic, it takes longer to heat up than metal, so the rice cooks slowly. This gradual heat draws out sweetness and umami, and the pot then retains heat and moisture, resulting in a beautifully fluffy rice. 

The pot has a dual lid, which keeps the heat and moisture locked in and stops any water from boiling over – this is what makes it such an excellent rice cooker.

I also love that you can put this pot over a flame or in the oven.

Do you have any advice before buying?

The main con, for me, is that ceramic doesn’t belong on induction. However, thin metal induction adapter plates placed under the pot work surprisingly well.

You need to season your donabe before use, a process called medome. This seals the ceramic, prevents cracks or leaks, and even stops odours from transferring in the pot.

Over time, the glaze on the pot may change colour or develop faint, thin cracks – these are a normal part of the pot’s aging process, called kannyu. Think of it as the story of your pot, and the many dishes you have cooked and enjoyed with it.

Where can I find a donabe or claypot rice cooker?

You can find them cheaply at Japanese or Korean grocers. My mother found an affordable Korean ttukbaegi at her local Korean grocer. Japanese ones are usually labelled as “donabe” pots – even though donabe and ttukbaegi are mainly for stews.

What do you cook with it besides rice?

Takikomi gohan, where you layer ingredients like chicken, fish (I love tinned mackerel), fried tofu, shiitake mushrooms or root vegetables over the rice. Season it with soy sauce, mirin or saké, perhaps some fresh ginger, pop the lid on and cook as you would for rice. When it’s done, add green onions or sesame seeds, and mix. It makes excellent hot pots, stews and congee, too.

Junda Khoo, executive chef and founder Ho Jiak

Why do you love it?

The consistency – it produces evenly cooked rice with a reliable texture. Also, Tiger models keep rice warm without drying it out. Finally, the brand has a reputation for reliable, long-lasting rice cookers. Yes, the price is a bit steep, but the one I have, I’ve used almost every day for the last eight years.

Do you have any advice before buying?

To me, there are other brands that could potentially do the same job, but at a lower price, like Cuckoo.

What do you cook with it besides rice?

One-pot chicken rice, braised stews, instant noodles and even hotpot.

Nam Nguyen, founder, Good Days

Why do you love it?

I grew up with Tiger rice cookers from an early age. I still use the same simple classic, the JNP-1000, that my parents had when I was a child. I would cook rice for the family when I got home from school at 5pm so that it would be ready for dinner by 6pm.

I love its consistency, longevity and simplicity. Tiger cookers are workhorses. They are the Toyota Hilux of rice cookers and will keep going all day, every day, for years.

Do you have any advice before buying?

Think about space and how often you cook rice, because you can always just use a pot.

What do you cook with it?

We make chicken and rice with spring onion and ginger. This could be more claypot-like with less liquid (chicken broth or water), or you could turn it into congee by simply adding more liquid and leaving it on the keep-warm setting for an hour or two.

​Joy Liu, owner, Amuro and Aenza

Why do you love it?

The combination of pressure cooking, induction heating, and Tiger’s ceramic-coated multi-layer pot sets it apart. Many rice cookers have one of these, but having all three produces noticeably better texture and flavour.

The pressure function allows the cooker to reach temperatures above standard boiling point, bringing out more sweetness, aroma and texture. The grains come out fluffy yet distinct, with excellent consistency.

The induction heating system heats the inner pot evenly, resulting in uniform cooking and better overall texture.

It’s far more than a rice cooker. With around 20 cooking programs, it handles sushi rice, porridge, brown rice, mixed grains, soup, slow cooking, cake and bread fermentation. It also has an express menu for small portions and a self-cleaning function.

Do you have any advice before buying?

It sits firmly in the premium category. The price may be difficult to justify if you only cook rice occasionally. It also takes longer to cook on the premium settings.

What do you cook with it besides rice?

Most people buy a rice cooker for white rice, but some of the most rewarding dishes are one-pot rice meals where the rice absorbs all the flavour as it cooks. For me, that’s where a great rice cooker really shines. Some of my favourite dishes to cook include chicken and ginger congee, mushroom rice with dashi and soy, claypot-style rice with mushrooms and cured meats, and slow-cooked soups and braises.

Steven Sinclair, head chef, Jacksons on George

Why do you love it?

It consistently produces fluffy, evenly cooked rice – whether it’s jasmine, sushi rice or brown rice. It also does more than just rice. The steaming, congee, cake and soup functions make it a genuinely useful appliance, rather than a one-trick pony.

It’s also very affordable. Some premium models cost more than $500, while cheaper ones often only have an on/off switch. This model sits comfortably in the middle and offers multiple cooking programs, a keep-warm function and a large capacity without being overly expensive.

Do you have any advice before buying?

It’s not at the level of premium Japanese rice cookers and it takes up a bit of bench space. But for the price, it’s an excellent all-rounder.

What do you cook with it besides rice?

I love using mine to make black garlic and kefir yoghurt, as well as to prove dough for sourdough. For black garlic and kefir yoghurt, the keep-warm function maintains a gentle, consistent temperature – too much heat would damage the kefir culture or overdo the garlic.