If you compare Instant Pot vs. Rice cooker for perfect and fluffy rice, then both these appliances can cook it without any human supervision. Instant Pots are healthier in the sense that it causes all vitamins and nutrients to remain in the food after cooking.
I will give you the simple secret of how to make perfect rice. Both these appliances can be used to cook other food items along with rice. While rice cookers have limitations, Instant Pots are more versatile.
For versatile use, you have to understand the different models of both Instant Pot and Rice Cooker. So give some times here, It will help you in long run.
Table of Contents
Difference between Instant Pot and Rice cooker: Quick View
| Fact | Rice Cooker | Instant Pot |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 100-110° C | 117° C |
| Cooking Time | 20 min to 1 hour | 15 min |
| Power Source | Electricity | Electricity |
| Capacity | 3 to 6 cups for households,
10-20 cups or more for commercial |
6, 8, 10 quarts maximum |
| Types | Ordinary or Multifunction | Multifunction |
| Type of Material | Non-stick: Teflon, PTFE and PFOA-free. | Stainless steel: 304 food grade (18/8), three-ply base, aluminum core
Non-stick: Teflon, PTFE and PFOA-free. |
| Mobile Apps | Few smart rice cookers have apps | All instant pot models have apps |
| Replace Appliances | no | Yes, several |
| Recipes | few | 1000+ free recipe with app |
| Safety Measures | Ordinary but some models have good safety precautions | 10+ safety precautions |
Instant Pot vs Rice cooker
Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker and the name of a famous brand running in the market. The main functionality of Instant Pots is its multifunctional nature, ease of use, and clean. Several parts of instant pots are dishwasher safe.
It cooks food with steam under pressure at a temperature higher than the boiling point. It can reach a high pressure above 11 psi. Some models of Instant Pots can reach 15 psi as well. It is well-known for its versatility in cooking different types of food items.
Rice cookers are automated cooker that cooks rice with a temperature at boiling point. It consists of an inner bowl, heating element, and a thermostat. Once rice and water are given, the heating element raises the temperature and cooks the rice.
When the rice absorbs the water, the temperature rises above the boiling point tripping the thermostat. At this stage, the cooker goes to ‘Keep Warm’ mode. Some rice cookers are dedicated to cooking rice, and similar foods like oatmeal, porridge, sushi. Some standard rice cookers can cook rice, meat, bake a cake, and other multifunctional rice cookers comes with smart functions and food variation.
We will discuss in-depth difference between Instant Pot and Rice Cooker recipe by recipe. Also review some selected model side by side. If you are in hurry have quick look here.
Top 4 Rice Cooker
Aroma Housewares ARC-5000SB Rice Cooker: Best multifunction rice cooker
Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 : Best rice cooker for regular use
Dash DRCM200BK Mini Rice Cooker Steamer: Best mini rice cooker:
Instant Zest Plus Rice Cooker: Best multifunctional rice cooker for large families:
Top 3 Instant Pot:
Instant Pot 8 QT Viva 9-in-1 pressure cooker: Best for large families
Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker : Best for regular user:
Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker: Best for cooking & sterilizing:
Why you need an instant pot?
- Can cook rice keeping all nutrients in the food.
- Cooks rice faster than rice cookers.
- Multifunctional cookers: can cook a wide variety of other meals, including rice. For instance: pork, beef, chili, stew, chicken, vegetables, yogurt, cake, dessert, etc.
- Comes with mobile app with 1000 of recipes
- Can replace multiple kitchen appliances
- More energy efficient than other methods of cooking
- Digital display to show timer and pressure setting
- It comes with different capacity so you can choose based on your family members
- Comes with more than ten safety measures
- It comes with affordable models to expensive ones.
Table: Quick Comparison Of Different Instant Pot
| Product Name | Preview | Quart | Cooking presets | Where To Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Pot 8 QT Viva 9-in-1pressurfe cooker |   |
6, 8 | 15 | Check Latest Price On Amazon |
| Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker |   |
3,6,8, 10 | 13 | Check Latest Price On Amazon |
| Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker |   |
3,6,8 | 16 | Check Latest Price On Amazon |
Why you need a rice cooker?
- Ordinary Rice cookers are ideal for cooking a huge amount of rice in a short time.
- Multifunction rice cookers can cook rice and other meals like meat, macaroni, lentils, quinoa, cereal, simple deserts, etc.
- light-weight and easy to use for beginners
- multifunction rice cooker ideal for regular meals
- rice cookers are cheaper than Instant pots
- it comes with an automatic shut off feature once cooking is complete
- Eliminates continuous attention of the user.
- ideal for college students or kitchen will small space
- can cook 4 to 18 cups of rice which is larger in capacity than Instant Pots
- It comes with non-stick pans, so are easy to clean.
- Easy to use compared to Instant Pots.
Table: Quick Comparison Of Different Rice Cooker
| Product Name | Preview | Amount of cooked rice | Smart controls | Where To Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aroma Housewares ARC-5000SB Rice cooker |   |
20 cups | 10 | Check Latest Price On Amazon |
| Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 |   |
11 cups | 7 | Check Latest Price On Amazon |
| Dash DRCM200BK Mini Rice Cooker Steamer |   |
2 cups | none | Check Latest Price On Amazon |
| Instant Zest Plus Rice Cooker |   |
20 Cups | 13 | Check Latest Price On Amazon |
In-depth Analysis Between Instant Pot and Rice Cooker
Instant Pot vs. Rice cooker: Types
Rice cookers can be of two types: Gas and electric. Most households prefer an electric rice cooker because the primary purpose of getting a rice cooker is to ease the cooking process. Electric rice cookers use electricity to heat up its heating element. Most of the modern electrical rice cookers have a ‘Keep Warm’ or ‘stay warm’ option, which prevents the rice from overcooking.
These electric rice cookers have aluminium inner bowl for speeding up the heating process. Others may use stainless steel, copper, pure carbon, ceramic, and diamond powder coating, etc. Some electric cookers are ordinary; some have few functions, and others have several smart functions.
Gas rice cookers have a larger size and cooking capacity compared to home rice cookers. They have a capacity or 5 to 10 litre and are used for commercial purposes. Once connected to a gas source, it can heat up quickly, cook faster, and prepare a huge amount of rice than the electric rice cookers.
Instant Pots are electric pressure cookers that are capable of cooking rice with proper texture and taste. They do not have different types and have different models. The models vary in the number of smart cooking presets, number of kitchen appliances it can replace and size.
They are available in 3, 6, 8, 10 quarts. People prefer a moderate size of 6 quarts that can serve 5 to 6 people. All Instant Pot models have smart functions and come with a free mobile app. Some models can reach a maximum of 15 psi and can be controlled via the mobile app.
How does it work: Instant Pot vs. Rice cooker:
Instant Pots has a microprocessor which all other 3rd generation electric cookers come with. It has built-in temperature and pressure sensors to adjust according to the type and amount of food to cook. The heating element of the cooker increases the temperature in the Pot that evaporates the liquid and converts it into steam. The steam is trapped inside a sealed lid that creates uniform pressure to cook the food faster.
Rice cookers work using two methods:
If you are wondering, how does a simple rice cooker work? It works by following two methods: induction cooking and Fuzzy Logic.
Induction cooking:
Some rice cookers take precision a step further with the help of a technology called induction heating. The induction heating method is when the magnetic field of the copper coil of the heating element reacts with the metal of the cooker. This is how the heat generates.
Due to this method, the pan is uniformly heated; the temperature changes are one with precision.
Neuro-Fuzzy logic:
This is a humanistic approach to cooking. While other methods are quite technical, this logic decides how to change temperature or pressure settings based on several factors.
For example, if the day you are cooking rice is a hot summer day, it will have some impact on cooking. The Fuzzy Logic can detect this change and adjust temperature or pressure accordingly.
Food Preparation Time: Instant Pot vs Rice Cooker
Instant Pots are said to be 70% faster than other cooking methods. It can cook rice within 15 mins while rice cookers need 20 to 1 hour to cook rice. The following table shows some items and their cooking time. For more details: https://instantpot.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EPC-Time-Table-2020-03-31.pdf
Table: Instant Pot Food Preparation Time for Different Recipes
| Rice, grain | Grain: water | Cooking time (mins) |
|---|---|---|
| Rice, Basmati | 1: 1 | 4 |
| Rice, Brown | 1: 1 | 20 – 22 |
| Rice, Jasmine | 1: 1 | 4 |
| Barley, pearl | 1: 2.5 | 20 – 22 |
| Corn, dried/halved | 1 : 3 | 5 – 6 |
| Kamut, whole | 1: 2 | 10 – 12 |
Table: Vegetables Preparation Time on Instant Pot for Different Recipes
| Item | Dry cooking time(mins) | Soaked cooking time(mins) |
|---|---|---|
| chickpeas (chickpeas, garbanzo bean, or Kabuli) | 35 – 40 | 10 – 15 |
| Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) | 30 – 35 | 6 – 9 |
| Great Northern beans | 25 – 30 | 7 – 8 |
| Kidney beans, red | 15 – 20 | 7 – 8 |
| Lentils, green | 8 – 10 | n/a |
Table: Meat Preparation Time on Instant Pot for Different Recipes
| Meat | Cooking time(mins) |
|---|---|
| Beef (pot roast, steak, rump, round, chuck, blade or brisket) Small Chunks | 15-20 per 450 g / 1 lb |
| Chicken, breasts (boneless) | 6 – 8 per 450 g / 1 lb |
| Chicken, Whole 2-2.5 Kg | 8 per 450 g / 1 lb |
| Ham, picnic shoulder | 8 per 450 g / 1 lb |
| Lamb, cubes | 10 – 15 per 450 g / 1 lb |
Rice cookers cook faster than standard cooking methods. The following table shows the cooking time of a specific rice cooker: Aroma Housewares ARC-5000SB Rice cooker.
Table: Rice Preparation on Smart Rice Cooker(ARC-5000SB)
Table: Meat and Vegetable Steaming on Aroma Housewares ARC-5000SB Rice cooker
Types of food: Instant Pot vs Rice Cooker
The Instant Pot mobile app has 1000+ recipes. That means an Instant Pot can make more than 1000 different food items. It is famous for its versatility in cooking. It can make different items with risotto, yogurt, cake, rice, beef, pork, lamb, chicken, corn, chili, bean, etc.
What can you cook in a rice cooker besides rice? Well, some rice cooker has only rice or cereal-like food function like white rice, brown rice, sushi, porridge, etc. some ordinary cookers can cook rice as well as make chicken curry, Thai soup, shrimp, fried rice, couscous salad, etc.
Others come with a steam tray so you can steam vegetables on top of rice as well. Some are multifunctional cookers that are similar to Instant Pots but not the same. They are even more versatile in cooking; users can make several items of meat, dessert, etc. with these.
Size: Rice Cooker vs Instant Pot
Rice cookers can cook a minimum of 1 cup or 180ml of rice. It increases with 3, 4 cups to 10 to 20 cups of cooked rice maximum. There are some mini rice cookers can prepare 1.5 cups of uncooked rice, which becomes 3 cups of cooked rice. Other large cookers can hold 20 cups of cooked rice.
Instant Pots have several sizes so that users can choose depending on their family size. It is available in 3, 6, 8, and 10 quarts.
Smart Functions: Rice Cooker vs Instant Pot
Standard rice cookers do not include many smart functions. They come with one single button to start cooking. Once cooking ends, the button automatically shifts to ‘keep warm’ mode. There are rice cookers that have few functions like they can be used for the steamer, sauté, or simmer.
On the other hand, multifunctional rice cookers come with one-touch smart cooking presets and other options like reheat, delay timer, delayed keep warm, pre-washed. These rice cookers do not replace any kitchen appliances.
All Instant Pot models have several smart functions like delay start, keep warm, etc. It can replace ten appliances in a kitchen such as pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, sauté/searing, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer.
Cooking Presets: Rice Cooker vs Instant Pot
There are rice cookers that have cooking presets like white rice, brown rice, porridge, etc.
Instant Pots are the master of cooking presets. Some models have 16 smart programs, including Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Cake, Egg, Slow Cook, Sauté/Searing, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Steam, Sterilize, Yogurt, Warm, Pressure Cook, and Ultra.
Healthy and Nutritious:
Instant Pot:
What are the benefits of an instant pot? As instant Pot uses the pressure cooking technique, it retains all nutrients in the rice, so the rice is full of protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and other vitamins. Compared to the boiled rice in the stovetop, this is healthier.
Rice Cooker:
Rice cooker is not bad for your health; it is a convenient way to cook rice faster and easier than the traditional method.
How to cook perfect rice?
When you compare the rice cooker vs. pressure cooker for rice, the winner is both. The real magic is to get the right proportions of water to rice and make sure you wash the rice before cooking.But For various recipes Instant Pot is clearly ahead.
What is the best way to cook rice in a rice cooker?
Most rice cookers suggest rice to water ratio of 1:1 ¾ for white rice and 1:1 ½ for brown rice. In real life, when users tried this, the rice didn’t come out perfectly. This is because there are many categories of rice which you can’t denote as white rice. In white rice, there is long, medium, and short-grain, and then there is Basmati and Jasmine rice.
- Measure rice with the measuring cup of the cooker
- Rinse rice to remove extra starch
- Follow the user manual for perfect rice.
All rice cookers come with a manual; the best way is to follow the manual and try it out a few times. For the first few tries, the rice might not come out perfectly, but after experimenting a couple of times, you will know exactly how much water is needed. The following table shows general rice to water ratio to follow:
What is the best way to cook rice in Instant Pot:
- Measure rice with the measuring cup of the cooker
- Rinse rice to remove extra starch
- Follow the user manual for perfect rice.
What should You Should Know Before Buy an Instant Pot?
Capacity:
Instant pots come in 3, 6, 8, or 10 quarts. The 6-quart Pot can prepare food to feed 5 to 6 people easily. With other food items, Instant Pots are well-known to cook rice perfectly.
Users can choose the capacity of the cooker based on their needs. The wide range of sizes allows users to choose flexibly.
Functions:
Instant Pots are famous for their multifunction cooking options. The Smart cooking options are touch buttons that are at the front of the cooker. Some of the Pots have six presets others have up to 48 presets such as Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Cake, Egg, Slow Cook, Sauté/Searing, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Steam, Sterilize, Yogurt, Warm, Pressure Cook.
Cooking time:
Instant Pots can cook rice within 15 mins which is much faster than rice cookers and 70% faster than traditional cooking methods. The same is for other food items like beef, pork, whole chicken, beans, chilies, etc.
Instant Pot guarantees to cook food faster while it ensures food contains all vitamins and nutrients inside.
Mobile app:
Unlike rice cookers, all Instant Pots come with a free mobile app. Once you login to the app, you can access thousands of free recipes to try every day. For people who love to cook, this is great news.
Control with App:
Although all instant pots have a free mobile app, you can’t control the cookers with the app. Except for one, the Instant Pot Smart Wifi model can be controlled with the mobile app.
This is additional flexibility for cookers to check on cooking time, pressure, etc. without physically checking on the cooker each time. They can go for a walk or to a mall and check on the cooker. They can receive notifications when the cooking has ended.
Versatility:
Instant Pot is a well-known brand of electric pressure cookers. It is famous for its versatility of cooking options. It can replace several kitchen appliances, including: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, saute/searing, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer.
Review of top 3 instant Pot:
After considerind all the facts mention above our editor panel select top 3 Instant Pot to review.
Instant Pot Duo Nova 6 qt 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker [Best for new users]
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Check Latest Price on Amazon” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/2Tk8Afq”]
What makes the product best:
- It comes in different sizes so users can choose.
- It can do the work of 7 appliances.
- It has 13 smart cooking presets
- Users can cook a wide variety of food in a very short time
Design:
This product comes in different sizes: 3, 6, 8, 10. The 6-quart size is sufficient to feed 5 to 6 people. The large display makes it easier to set and view time. When the Duo Nova lid is closed, it seals the pressure valve.
The Pot comes with two silicone sealing rings, trivet/steam rack.
Features:
This instant pot 6-quart product can replace seven appliances of kitchen: pressure cooker, sauté pan, steamer, slow cooker, rice cooker, food warmer, and yogurt maker. It has 13 smart programs: Soup, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Sauté/Simmer, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Steam, Slow Cook, Keep Warm, Yogurt, Manual, and Pressure Cook.
Types of food:
The cooker can cook foods like rice, meat, grain, lamb, pasta, cakes, and desserts. It can cook rice, multigrain, porridge, or oatmeal within a time range of 15mins to 1 hour. It can cook meat within a maximum of 25mins.
Mobile app: the app is easy to use. It has several recipes that users can try in the Instant Pot.
User manual:
All kind of pressure, time, and measurement settings are given in the manual. The safety precautions and cleaning instructions are written with details. There are several Instant Pot communities on Facebook and other social Media where users discuss their problems, share recipes, etc.
The user manual has details of everything you need to know about your Instant Pots. For more information: Read Manual
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Read Varified Customer review” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/3cJKBxT”]
[wpsm_column size=”one-half”][wpsm_pros title=”PROS:”]
- It has different sizes of 3, 6, 8, and 10 quarts so that users can choose according to their needs.
- It can cook rice effectively without making it mushy.
- The cooker replaces several kitchen appliances and has many smart functions.
- The user manual helps to cook food with specific measurements.
- The mobile app comes with thousands of recipes.
[/wpsm_pros][/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][wpsm_cons title=”CONS:”]
- According to some users, the product is not long-lasting. Our editor Panel finds this as a functional error which can be fixed.
[/wpsm_cons][/wpsm_column]
Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Check Latest Price on Amazon” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/2z1syF5″]
What makes the product best:
- It has a dial that makes it easy to choose any cooking preset.
- Comes with auto- seal pressure valve, cooking progress indicator, altitude adjustment, and a steam release reset option.
- The altitude adjustment adjusts the temperature and pressure of recipes accordingly.
- It has several safety precautions.
Design:
The Ultra Instant Pot has the same design as its sibling models. But it has a broader blue display and a knob to rotate and select the cooking options. It uses the new 3rd generation technology that has an embedded microprocessor. The purpose of the microprocessor is to adjust the pressure and temperature, time, and heating intensity and duration.
The following parts come with the Ultra Instant Pot: Stainless steel steam rack with handles, condensation collector, rice paddle, soup spoon, and measuring cup steam rack, recipe booklet, serving Spoon, Soup Spoon, measuring cup.
Features:
The dial in the middle of the Pot makes it easier to control and select the cooking program. It has new features like altitude adjustment, cooking indicator, and a steam release reset button. The altitude adjustment helps to cook more precisely by adjusting pressure and temperature. It comes with new features like cake, sterilize and egg.
It is one of the best instant pots that can replace ten common kitchen appliances: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, sauté/searing, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer. It has 16 smart programs, including Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Cake, Egg, Slow Cook, Sauté/Searing, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Steam, Sterilize, Yogurt, Warm, Pressure Cook, and Ultra.
Types of food:
Instant Pot Ultra and cook wide ranges of food items from rice to meat, poultry, corn, beans, chilies, to deserts, yogurts, etc. it has the feature to pressure cook in the time range of 1 minute – 6 hours. It can make rice or porridge within 12 to 20mins.
Users can use the slow cook or steam option. The sterilize option helps to sterilize glass, bottles, baby bottles, etc. With the Ultra feature, users can sous vide with adjustable temperature, pressure, and time.
Mobile App and Safety Measures:
Mobile app helps cooking enthusiasts to try new recipes every day.
The product comes with 11 safety measures along with the auto-seal pressure valve that automatically seals and the pressure cooking starts, and the steam release valve. All these add extra precautions to the Pot.
User manual:
While hundreds and thousands of recipes can be found in mobile app or online, this user manual doesn’t have all details of measurements. For more details: See Manual
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Read Varified Customer review” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/3bESpzK”]
[wpsm_column size=”one-half”][wpsm_pros title=”PROS:”]
- It has 11 safety precautions.
- It has a ‘sterilize’ option to sterilize bottles, glasses, etc.
- It replaces ten kitchen appliances
- Comes with 16 smart cooking options
- The mobile app and user manual help users while using the cooker.
[/wpsm_pros][/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][wpsm_cons title=”CONS:”]
- Some users find it difficult to use.
[/wpsm_cons][/wpsm_column]
Instant Pot 8 QT Viva 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Check Latest Price on Amazon” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/3cOWtig”]
What makes the product best:
- Can cook different types of rice and grain-like: white/brown rice, risotto, quinoa, etc.
- Has three new features: egg maker, sterilize, and cake maker
- It has a sous vide and canning option.
- It can replace nine appliances.
- Cooks food 70% faster than other cooking methods.
Design:
This product is similar to other models of the Instant Pot brand. It has an oval body in silver and black color and a black lid. The front side has a control panel with cooking options, and a blue LED display that shows the time.
The 6-Quart size has multiple colors to go with any kitchen outlook: black, blue, cinnamon, and copper.
Features:
The Viva Pot has a capacity of 8 quarts, and it is also available in 6 quarts. It has 13 Smart Program options, including Soup, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Sauté/Simmer, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Steam, Slow Cook, Keep Warm, Yogurt, Manual, and Pressure Cook.
It replaces nine appliances in the kitchen, including a pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan, food warmer, stockpot, and sous vide. This model comes with three new programs: cake maker, egg cooker, and sterilizer.
Accessories and cleaning procedure: the Viva Instant Pot has the following adjacent parts: 2 silicone sealing rings, trivet/steam rack.
The accessories should be cleaned with a soft detergent, and if given in dishwasher, they should be out on the top. The inner Pot can be cleaned with regular soap, but if there is a bad stain or severe burn, you can try using vinegar and dipping it in hot water.
Variation of Recipes:
the cooker can prepare several delicious items like soup, broth, stew, beef, chicken, pork, chili, egg, cake, rice, vegetables, bean and lentils, seafood, etc.
It is well-known to cook different types of rice and grain effectively like: white and brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, risotto, porridge.
The sterilize option can be used to sterilize bottles or cans. In a “normal” setting, it can be used to low-pressure hot water bath canning, and in a “high” setting, it can be used to High-pressure hot water bath canning.
Mobile App:
Instant Pot 8 QT Viva 9-in-1pressure can’t be controlled with a mobile app. But it has mobile app for food recipes which has several features and 1000+ recipes. Also, the product comes with 10 + safety precautions.
User manual:
It comes with a user manual which illustrated all operations and contol panel clearly. All details can be found on user manual.
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Read Varified Customer review” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/2Ti4NiX”]
[wpsm_column size=”one-half”][wpsm_pros title=”PROS:”]
- Comes with 15 smart cooking presets
- Three additional cooking functions
- Along with cooking, it can sterilize bottles, cans, glasses.
- Can cook food faster and retains all nutrients and flavors inside the food
[/wpsm_pros][/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][wpsm_cons title=”CONS:”]
- It will take some time for new users to learn the procedure and functions.
[/wpsm_cons][/wpsm_column]
What should you look for in a Rice Cooker?
Cooking time:
Rice cookers save time and hassle of cooking rice with burning or making it mushy. A rice cooker can cook rice within 20min to 1 hour, depending on the type of rice. It is faster than the traditional method of cooking on the stove. If the ratio of water to rice is followed as per user manual, the rice will come out to be fluffy.
Capacity:
Rice cookers come in different sizes. Come as very small in size and portable. They are ideal for keeping in college dormitories or small kitchens. Others are as large as cooking 20 cups of rice.
Depending on the number of people and the kitchen size, the rice cooker should be selected. If you want to serve 4 to 5 people, then 6 cups of cooked rice are sufficient.
Functions:
Rice cookers don’t only cook rice. Rice cookers that don’t have any function to choose from might come with steam trays where you can steam vegetables to eat with the rice. Others come with features like brown rice, sushi, white rice, soup, stew, etc. from these users can easily choose what they want to cook,
Rice cookers can cook a wide variety of items like steaming vegetables, cooking thin-sliced chicken, beef, quinoa, simple desserts, etc. based on your needs, you need to choose the type of cooker.
Cost:
Typically rice cookers are quite cheap compared with Instant Pots. However, with functionality and quality, the price increases. There are rice cookers that can bake a cake, sauté, steam, slow cook, etc. Some cookers are as cheap as $20; others are more than $150.
Review of top 4 Rice Cooker:
Our editor panel tested various model of rice cooker where some are smart rice cooker and some are traditional rice cooker. Here is our top pick:
Aroma Housewares ARC-5000SB Rice cooker: Multi-Functional Rice Cooker
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Check Latest Price on Amazon” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/2XcuZfI”]
Design:
Aroma Professional Cooker is one of the best rice cooker brands used by many. It has a silver and black exterior. It can cook 4 to 20 cups, or cooked rice and can prepare one-pot dishes in a very short time. The front side of the cooker has touch buttons and a timer display.
The product comes with the following accessories: stick inner Pot, rice measuring cup, steam tray, and a plastic rice spatula.
Functions:
Aroma Rice Cooker is not only a rice cooker, but it is also a food steamer and slow cooker. It comes with ten digital controls like white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, quick rice, quinoa, soup, oatmeal, sauté-then-simmer, delay timer, and keep warm.
It is recommended to wash rice before cooking. The water to rice ratio is clearly instructed in the user manual. The brown rice should be cooked with 1and a half cup extra water, and it takes 10 to 15mins longer to cook brown rice compared to white rice. It takes a long time to cook because of brans and added layers of starch.
What can it cook:
If you think you just bought a rice cooker, you are wrong. This multifunction can cook many other dishes, including steaming vegetables, sautéing and cooking chicken slices, and even bake a cake.
It can also steam fish, chicken, beef, and pork within a time range of 25 to 33mins only.
Delay-time:
Aroma Rice Cooker comes with a unique feature of delay timer that can delay up to 15 hours. It can give a one-pot meal by cooking rice in the inner Pot and steaming vegetables on the steam basket at the top of it. Users can add seasonings in rice and vegetables for added flavor.
User manual:
Aroma Rice Cooker comes with a recipe booklet and user manual. All instructions are given on the manual and their website to make sure you don’t end up cooking mushy, sticky, or burnt rice. For more information: See manual
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Read Varified Customer review” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/2z2Z2Pg”]
[wpsm_column size=”one-half”][wpsm_pros title=”PROS:”]
- it is a multifunctional cooker that can cook many other items like quinoa, steam fish/meat/vegetables, sushi, oatmeal, cake, etc.
- It has multiple cooking presets
- Can prepare 20 cups of cooked rice that can serve a large family
- It can 15-hour delay –timer
- User manual with detailed instructions of water to rice ratio which helps to cook fluffy rice
- The accessories are BPA free.
[/wpsm_pros][/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][wpsm_cons title=”CONS:”]
- Some users found it difficult to cook fluffy rice, and after few months of usage, the operating unit burnt.
- If you are not careful while cleaning the inner Pot might get some scratches and dents.
[/wpsm_cons][/wpsm_column]
Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 Rice Cooker
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Check Latest Price on Amazon” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/3cNEAAg”]
What makes the product best:
- Advanced Neuro-Fuzzy logic to make humanistic judgments and cook perfect rice each time
- Detailed user manual with instructions for different kinds of rice and type of crops.
- Portable and light-weight makes it easy to carry
- Can cook five and a half cups of rice.
Design:
Zojirushi Rice Cooker is spherical in shape and white in color. It weighs around 3 kg. The handle and detachable power cord make it portable and easy to carry from one place to another. It can prepare 11 cups of rice without making it sticky or firm.
The inner pan is black in color, spherical in shape, made of non-stick material, and has cool side-handles. The spherical shape causes uniform heating throughout the pan.
Neuro-Fuzzy logic:
What makes Zojirushi Rice Cooker unique is the advanced Neuro Fuzzy logic method that is used for cooking the rice. The Fuzzy Logic uses a computer chip that is responsible for varying the temperature and time to cook the rice, based on its logic.
When Instant Pot vs. Rice cookers is compared, the former ones do not possess such technology and uses a mechanical method to cook the rice. Hence the ability to cook different types of crops and grains of rice effectively might be questionable. On the other hand, this rice cooker uses a human-like approach to make sure the rice is cooked properly, deciding whether the rice needs a little bit more cooking or not.
Functions:
Zojirushi Rice Cooker has a wide range of functions that you can choose from the control panel: Keep warm/Extended keep warm, Reset, Timer, Time settings, Pre-washed, Menu, cooking/Reheat.
From the Menu button, users can select what kind of food they want to cook:
white (regular/sushi, softer or harder), mixed, porridge, sweet, semi-brown, brown, and quick cooking.
What can it cook:
Zojirushi Rice Cooker is suitable for cooking white rice, mixed rice, brown rice, sushi rice, porridge, sweet rice, and semibrown rice. Along with cooking rice, the user can reheat food in this rice cooker.
When we compare rice cooker vs. Pot, we will see the latter can cook food faster. The following table shows the time needed to cook different items:
User manual:
Zojirushi Rice Cookers’ user manual is different compared to other rice cookers. It has minute details of types of rice and their cooking procedure.
Such as: if you have white rice with germ, then go for normal water measurement. For new crop, decrease the water level and for old harder crop increase the water level. Or it tells you how to cook pre-washed rice. Pre-washed rice called Musenmai rice doesn’t need any rinsing because the recent technology in rice mills can eliminate brans and residues completely.
For more details: See Manual
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Read Varified Customer review” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/2zVh7hZ”]
[wpsm_column size=”one-half”][wpsm_pros title=”PROS:”]
- Uses a human-like approach called Neuro-Fuzzy Logic
- Comes with different rice cooking options
- It has reheat or extended keep warm option to serve warm rice later
- Can cook old crop, new crop, hard crop, Musenmai, etc
- The user manual shows details of cooking rice and not make them hard, sticky, or mushy.
- The user manual has a troubleshooting guide pointing out the mistake you made while cooking the ‘imperfect’ rice.
[/wpsm_pros][/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][wpsm_cons title=”CONS:”]
- The price might be high when compared to other similar rice cookers.
[/wpsm_cons][/wpsm_column]
Dash DRCM200BK Mini Rice Cooker Steamer
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Check Latest Price on Amazon” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/2zP1xVm”]
What makes the product best:
- Ideal for carrying while traveling or camping
- Very affordable and reasonable price
- Can cook a wide variety of food
- Cook rice with perfection.
Design:
This mini rice cooker is ideal for college students to live in dormitories or small kitchens with limited countertop space. It weighs around 1.3kg and very easy to carry and move. It has a compact design with cool-touch handles and comes in 5 beautiful colors.
Dash Mini Rice Cooker comes with a measuring cup, rice paddle, and a non-stick cooking pot. It has a simple yet easy-to-use design and a single button to do all the magic.
Features:
Dash Mini Rice Cooker can prepare 2 cups of cooked rice, so it is for a smaller number of people. It has a Keep Warm function, which turns on automatically once the cooking is complete. It is known for its versatility in cooking different items.
Functions:
If we compare Instant Pot vs. Rice cooker, then this rice cooker does not have smart cooking presets like Instant Pots. It also does no replace 8 or 10 appliances as Instant Pots do. It does not have a mobile app with recipes.
What can it cook:
people often underestimate the size of the cooker and its functions. This mini cooker is not limited to cooking rice; it can cook pasta, soups, vegetables, dessert, oatmeal, stew, etc.
The user manual has recipes of some other delicious items like chicken noodle soup, cilantro-lime rice, macaroni cheese & broccoli, quinoa taco bowl, Thai coconut rice, rice pudding, turkey chili, Thai red curry chicken, etc.
Based on its size, it is the best rice cooker for students or bachelors.
User manual:
Dash Mini Rice Cookers’ manual has all measurement instructions for cooking perfect rice. For 1 cup of white rice, it needs 1 ¼ cup of water, 1 cup of long brown rice needs 1 ½ cups of water, ½ cup sushi needs ¾ cups of water. The cooker comes with a recipe booklet, user manual.
For details: See Manual
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Read Varified Customer review” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/36nOzdv”]
[wpsm_column size=”one-half”][wpsm_pros title=”PROS:”]
- Very light-weight and easy to carry
- Small in size, ideal for tight countertops
- Can cook a wide variety of other food along with rice such as chicken, pasta, soup, stew
- Easy to use and clean.
- The recipe booklet comes with several recipes.
[/wpsm_pros][/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][wpsm_cons title=”CONS:”]
- The cooker can make 2 cups of cooked rice, which is not ideal for large families.
[/wpsm_cons][/wpsm_column]
Instant Zest Plus Rice Cooker
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Check Latest Price on Amazon” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/3bIMjhN”]
What makes the product best:
- Well-known rice cooker in the market from Instant brand
- Can cook 10 cups of rice and serve 20 cups rice
- It has multiple cooking presets
- The mobile app comes with many recipes to try out.
Design:
This rice cooker is from Instant Brand. It has a similar design to other Instant Pot models. The cooker can prepare 20 cups of rice and is ideal for a get-together and large families. It has an LCD display with options.
A status icon shows Delay Start, heating element, keep warm and sound option. The cooker comes with a steamer tray, rice measuring cup, and rice spoon. Along with cooking rice under the non-pressure procedure, it can steam, sauté, and slow cook.
Features:
Zest Plus cooker has Keep Warm option with two modes and a delay start option of 24 hours. It has a built-in shield to prevent overheating.
What can it cook:
The Zest Plus is made to cook rice and grain-like meals. It can cook white/brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, mixed grains, barley, cous cous, bulgur, risotto, etc. it can also be used to steam vegetables, fish, etc.
Functions:
Zest Plus comes with nine cooking presets: white rice, brown rice, mixed grains, quinoa, barley, couscous, bulgur, oatmeal, and risotto. It has four other options: sauté, steam, slow cook, and keep warm.
Cleaning procedure:
The adjacent parts that come with the cooker are dishwasher safe. The lid, inner Pot, and cooker base should be washed with hands. All details are written in the user manual.
User Manual:
For electric rice cooker recipes, users can download the free mobile app. the user manual shows details of how to cook rice. For white rice, the ratio of grain: water is 1:1, for brown rice, it is 1:2 and so on. For more details: See Manual
[rehub_affbtn btn_text=”Read Varified Customer review” btn_url=”https://amzn.to/2XcUwp4″]
[wpsm_column size=”one-half”][wpsm_pros title=”PROS:”]
- Can cook rice for large gatherings
- Easy to use for Instant Pot users
- Can be used to cook other items along with rice
- User manual shows details of the cooking and cleaning process.
[/wpsm_pros][/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][wpsm_cons title=”CONS:”]
- The inner Pot doesn’t have marks for white rice, brown rice which other rice cookers have.
[/wpsm_cons][/wpsm_column]
Frequently Ask Question About Instant Pot and Rice Cooker
How to cook rice in a rice cooker without sticking?
Even after following the water to rice ratio, if your rice is sticky then, you must rinse the rice before putting it inside the cooker. The extra starch is the main reason for sticky rice, while the water to rice ratio might be alright.
Can you put frozen meat in the Instant Pot?
Instant pots can cook raw meat or frozen meat easily. So yes, you can cook frozen meat in instant pots. It will cook the meat faster with the help of a pressure cooking technique.
How fast do rice cookers work?
Rice cookers eliminate the hassle to check on rice compared to stovetop. Once the water and rice are given inside the cooker, the cooker will do the rest. It takes 25 mins to 1 hour for a cooker to cook different types and amounts of rice.
Can I cook pasta in a rice cooker?
Most rice cookers can cook several other food items, including rice. Yes, users can cook pasta in the rice cooker where water will be given to boil. Once the water starts boiling, open the lid, and give pasta and other ingredients on it.
What does the 10 in 1 instant pot do?
A 10 in 1 instant pot can replace 10 appliances of the kitchen: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, sauté/searing, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer.
Who Is The Winner between Instant Pot and Rice Cooker
If you ask me which one cooks the perfect rice? The Instant Pot vs. rice cooker both can cook fluffy, non-sticky, non-mushy rice. If you sneak into rice cooker and instant pots forums you will see other users have similar experience. But some users still suffer to make rice fluffy this is because no matter what appliance you use the rice cooking needs some trials to obtain the accurate water-rice ratio.
If you think your water-rice ratio is perfect then make sure you rinse the rice before cooking and stir with a fork once cooking in finished. The rice cookers can also cook grain-like foods like cereal, oatmeal and even a cake. However they too need quite a long time to cook rice, around 25mins to 1 hour.
On the other hand, all Instant Pots can cook rice, have smart cooking programs and presets, comes with mobile app and thousands of recipes. It cooks rice faster than other cooking methods and requires 15mins to complete cooking.
If you think you want something ordinary and simple to cook rice, pasta and steamed vegetables, the rice cooker is perfect for you. Or, if you want to cook with more functions like sauté, simmer, slow cook, etc. and try out new recipes, then you can choose Instant Pot.
Recommended Resources
Air Fryer vs Instant pot: Side by Side Comparison
Shawkat Hafiz
I am very much enthusiastic about Home Automation and actively developing open-source software to extend its capabilities so this is going to all be biased by my own experiences.