Whether it’s the base for a fragrant curry or stir fry, or the main event in paella, biryani or sushi, perfectly cooked rice can be the key to a stand-out meal. But despite its ubiquity on our tables, rice can be surprisingly difficult to get right – undercooked, overcooked, or burned, stuck-on messes are all too common when making it on the hob.
That’s, of course, where a rice cooker comes in. These appliances, which can range from inexpensive and simply designed to seriously high-tech, are guaranteed to produce perfect rice every time, whether you’re cooking for just a couple of people or for a hungry family of six.
The most humble of rice cookers are plastic contraptions that steam rice in the microwave – cheap and cheerful kitchen additions that can cost less than a tenner. Not only do they free up your stovetop for other dishes, they prevent the mess that can come with hob cooking as built-in steam valves keep the rice from overboiling. Microwave rice cookers can lack in precision, though, with some trial and error required to get ratios and cooking times spot-on, particularly if you are using different rice varieties each time.
Spend a bit more, and you’ll get an electric rice cooker that cooks with more consistency – and typically at the touch of a single button. These come with measuring cups and markings on the inner pan to ensure an ideal ratio of rice to water, and often cook to doneness, rather than a set time. Some have designated settings for different kinds of rice: white or brown, short grain (like sushi rice) or long grain (like basmati). Many also allow you to cook other grains, like quinoa.
Finally, there are the multi-cookers: machines that cook rice, and much more besides. These are more expensive, but you need to consider their versatility in the kitchen alongside the price point, as they might do the same work as several other appliances. Those we’ve tested below can sauté, air-fry and bake, as well as cook award-worthy rice.
How we tested
Each rice cooker was put through its paces cooking batches of white rice, brown rice and short-grain (sushi) rice. In each case, we made the minimum portion recommended by the manufacturer and followed their suggested preparation instructions. Typically that involved washing the rice before use, measuring exact ratios of grain and water, and programming to a particular setting.
Once ready, we rated each rice batch on the quality of the cook and how straightforward it was to prepare. We also considered how the machine looked, how easy it was to clean and its overall value for money when determining our rankings.
The best rice cookers for 2025 are:
YumAsia sakura advanced fuzzy logic ceramic rice cooker
Inspired by the premium rice cookers found in Asia, the sakura can cook it all: fluffy sushi rice, brilliant basmati and nutty brown rice. And in an impressive range of quantities too. Unlike many other cookers, we were able to prepare as little as one cup of uncooked rice (and as many as eight) to perfection. And uniquely, the sakura has not just one, but six different AI-powered rice cooking settings – ensuring whatever variety you’re using is prepared to a restaurant standard. Truly, we’ve rarely had sushi rice this good outside of Japan.
The ceramic-coated inner bowl (both BPA and PTFE-free) has clear, easy-to-read measurements and useful handles so you can remove the bowl when the rice is still hot. The machine will automatically keep rice warm at a food-safe temperature for up to 24 hours after cooking, and can also be pre-set the same amount of time in advance – handy, say, if you’re heading out to work for the day and want rice ready for when you arrive home.
The sakura is a precision cooker, preparing rice to optimum doneness rather than a set time. When it decides your rice is nearly ready, you’re given a 10-minute count down on the sleek LED screen. If you’re in a bit of a rush, a ‘fast cook’ setting speeds up the process without sacrificing too much on quality. Speaking of rush: we love how this machine is super quick and easy to clean, too.
But what really pushes this brilliant-value cooker into winning position? Its versatility in the wider kitchen. As well as delivering fabulous rice, it can tackle a range of other grains – from quinoa to lentils – and also has functions for slow-cooking, cake-baking, steaming vegetables, making yoghurt and creating rice crusts (such as for Persian tahdig). We used the soup function to whip up a red pepper and lentil soup in just 20 minutes, faster (and more flavourful) than on the hob.
Buy now £139.90, Amazon.co.uk
Quest 35530 rice cooker
This little electric cooker delivers on value – great if you only cook rice now and then. It can prepare as little as two cups of rice at the single touch of a button, which means it’s a particularly good bet for couples or small families. Simply flip it on, then once the ‘ready’ switch pops up, leave the rice to steam for a further 15 minutes before serving. (You’ll need to keep a timer to hand for this, as unfortunately there’s not one inbuilt on the device).
Sure, this cooker doesn’t boast the multiple cooking modes that more premium rice cookers have. But it’s still versatile. The included manual shares recipes for pastas, stews, chilis and risottos that can be cooked on its one-mode setting – ample inspiration for your own culinary wizardry.
Buy now £23.99, Amazon.co.uk
GreenPan omni cooker
Love the idea of a rice cooker, but can’t commit the counter space? This generously sized 5.6-litre cooker also sears, sautés, steams and roasts – as well as making great white, brown and sushi rice – so it really earns its place in your kitchen. The wide base, with PFAS-free non-stick coating, is shaped like a broad casserole pan, so you’ve plenty of space to manoeuvre food, while a clear glass lid lets you see what’s happening as you cook.
The omni’s pre-programmed rice settings (launched in a couple of clicks) cook to a set time and temperature – 50 minutes for white rice or 1 hour and 15 for brown – though you can manually adjust these if you’re working with different varieties. Saying that, in our tests we used only the pre-programmed settings and found that they pretty much nailed it every time.
Downsides? You must cook at least two cups of raw rice as a minimum, which means it’s better suited to larger households or couples who love leftovers. We found the measurements on the side of the pan a bit tricky to read too – and it was a shame that it didn’t cater to smaller quantities, either.
But really, these are small niggles – and made up for the fact that the Omni is almost entirely dishwasher-friendly, and good-looking on your countertop too. It comes in four hues (cream, blue, black and stainless steel) so there’s one to suit every kitchen scheme.
Buy now £199.00, Dunelm.com
Sistema microwave rice cooker set
If you only cook rice occasionally, it’s hard to argue with the Sistema, which will cost you little more than a tenner. The simple microwavable design in BPA-free plastic cooks as little as one cup of rice in just eight to 12 minutes. A pressure chamber plate prevents overflow, while a steam release vent in the lid keeps splatters at bay.
What you save on cost and time you sacrifice on precision however, which means you will need to undergo a bit of trial and error with cooking. Our first batch of white rice, which we made according to the instruction manual included with the cooker, was watery at eight minutes and slightly overcooked at 12. But once we got the hang of how each specific rice variety behaved in our microwave, it was a game-changer. And because it can also tackle quinoa, polenta and couscous, it’s an excellent kitchen workhorse for the price.
Buy now £7.99, Amazon.co.uk
Judge electricals stainless steel rice cooker
If you’ve got a hungry family that loves rice and eats a lot of it, this is the cooker for you. Purist in style and functionality – it’s designed to be a dedicated rice cooker, rather than a multi-mode appliance – Judge’s model makes top-notch white and brown rice by the gallon load. The minimum batch? About eight cups in total of cooked rice, which could easily serve eight to 12 people in one sitting.
It’s not the most stylish or compact of the rice cookers we tried, but it does the job well and at a reasonable price too – it costs around half of some of the other cookers we tested. And just because it’s not officially a multi-cooker doesn’t mean you can’t multi-task with it. It comes with its own inner steam basket, so you can steam veg, meat or fish separately, or just above the rice as it cooks.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Gastroback design multicook pro
If you don’t have the largest of budgets but still want a multicooker option that makes great rice, this model from German manufacturer Gastroback ticks the boxes. It cooks porridge, soup, cake and multi grains as well as rice – and the latter at a much quicker rate than some competitors. In our tests it produced perfectly fluffy white rice at 36 minutes and nutty brown rice at 55 minutes.
We liked the clear markings in the inside of the cooking basin, which are easy to read and begin at just two cups – and also include separate markings for multigrain and porridge cook modes. There’s an integrated handle that lets you tote it around the kitchen as needed, and sleek black and stainless steel looks that coordinate well with a range of other appliances. An easy-to-read, intuitive display screen will alert you when you’re ten minutes away from rice perfection, so you can coordinate the whole meal accordingly.
Buy now £89.99, Amazon.co.uk
Ninja foodi max nine-in-one multi-cooker
Still haven’t joined the air fryer brigade? This buy kills two birds with one stone. The family-sized Ninja foodi max employs its signature tendercrisp tech to air-crispen everything from chicken wings to samosas, using a fraction of the oil of traditional frying. The machine also sears, pressure cooks, dehydrates and steams – and, of course, makes rice. With its roomy 7.5-litre capacity, it’s easily big enough to cook rice-based meals for up to six people, including one-pot risottos and biryanis.
With so much functionality – there are nine different settings, two removable lids and multiple cooking attachments – we found the foodi max a bit tricky to get our heads around at first. But using the included instruction booklet as inspiration, we soon got the hang of how to cook rice in the pressure cook mode, and were impressed with how quickly we got results. Before long we were using the foodi to make a full chicken biryani – from sautéing the onions to spooning into bowls – in under half an hour.
This is probably too elaborate or expensive a cooker to invest in if you’re only interested in making plain rice all the time. But use it to it full spectrum of functionality, also making rice-base dishes, roasts, dehydrated lemons for cocktails and (of course) pub-worthy chips, and you’ve made a winning investment.
Buy now £250.00, Argos.co.uk
Vonhaus VonShef electric small rice cooker
Some rice cookers come with hefty minimum cook amounts and large countertop footprints, making them hard to justify unless you eat loads of the grain. But this compact design – just 18cm x 18cm x 25.8cm – is a no-brainer for solo cooks and couples. It whips up single (140g) or double (280g) portions of rice in just a few minutes, meaning no mounds of leftovers festering in the fridge.
The VonShef is light, easy to clean and super-portable thanks to an integrated handle, so it’s easy to move around the kitchen to wherever you need it. While it only has a single cook setting for all kinds of rice, it did cook both white and brown well in our tests (the manufacturer suggests increasing the water ratio for the latter, which we did). The cooker comes with a handy measuring cup and rice scooper too; all around great value.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon.co.uk
Rice cooker FAQs
How energy efficient are rice cookers compared to cooking rice on the hob?
Just like an air fryer, rice cookers tend to be compact with a high wattage meaning rice can be cooked within minutes, thereby saving time and energy. Compared to cooking on the hob, a dedicated cooker also doesn’t waste any heat while ensuring your rice is evenly cooked.
The verdict: Rice cookers
When it comes to perfect rice, time after time – whether you’re cooking a short-grain sushi variety or long-grain for a pilaf – there’s no beating the sakura cooker from YumAsia. The combination of ease of use, speedy cleaning and next-level cookery has it unbeatable in our book. Not to mention versatility: this machine nails far more than just rice.
For tighter budgets and spaces, we were seriously impressed with the VonShef rice cooker, particularly for solo or couple cooks.
As for a kitchen star that makes great rice as well as a glut of other dishes? It’s a toss up between the GreenPan omni and Ninja foodi max, depending on your budget and whether you require an air fryer as part of the package.
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