Rice Cookers: Reviews

A mid-priced rice cooker from one of the most recommended brands, the Sanyo ECJ-D55S is less expensive than comparable rice cookers and has added features such as a steaming basket and countdown clock that lets you know… exactly when your rice will be ready. The Sanyo is a programmable rice cooker that comes with a measuring cup and spatula. Although the more expensive Zojirushi Fuzzy Neuro rice cooker is better if you are picky about texture, particularly with brown rice, reviewers say the Sanyo performs nearly as well for about $60 less.

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It's not a programmable rice cooker, but experts say that the Sanyo ECJ-N55W, with its multifunctional capabilities and affordable price tag, offers the most bang for your buck. It can cook several types of rice as well… as soup and porridge. It also includes a steaming basket for vegetables. Reviewers say that the Sanyo does especially well with brown rice and it doesn't suffer from messy boilovers like glass-lidded models. It also has a keep-warm function, but using this setting for more than a couple of hours can dry out your rice.

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Although the compact Panasonic SR-G06FG rice cooker can't really compete with more advanced models, it does have some advantages in addition to its budget price; reviews say it cooks white rice quickly and has a small… countertop footprint. The Panasonic cooker does a good job with standard white rice, but not with specialty rice types like brown, sushi and sticky rice. Owners say that its small 3-cup capacity makes it a good choice for singles or couples. Panasonic also offers a larger, 10-cup model, the SR-G18FG (*Est. $50).

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The Zojirushi NP-HBC18 works much like other programmable fuzzy logic rice cookers, but it uses induction heating, rather than a standard heating plate. Experts say that this creates more accurate temperatures and more… evenly cooked rice. Reviewers and users alike say that the NP-HBC18 yields perfect results every time, regardless of the type of rice that you use. It's expensive, but users at Amazon.com, who give it a near-perfect rating, say they don't regret their purchase. However, if you don't have complex rice-cooking needs, you can probably spend a lot less on one of the other models in our Best Reviewed chart.

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