Best Budget Rice Cookers

Fresh from looking at some of the best rice cookers from companies like Zojirushi, Panasonic, Instant Pot and Breville, we take a look at the more affordable, budget rice cookers. If budget and conventional slow cooker is all you need, one of these fantastic budget rice cookers will do the job.

For years, people in Asia, and some still do till this day, have been cooking with these conventional rice cookers. Void of all bells and whistles typically found on premium and modern rice cookers, these conventional rice cookers only come with a single mechanical button and to light indicators (cook and keep warm).

The push button will pop up as soon as the rice is cook and it will automatically stay in keep warm until the switch the main power supply to the rice cooker is switched off or unplugged. No fancy timer, fuzzy logic or any other features getting in the way.

Others budget rice cookers are getting a bit more creative, in that they include a second tier tray for streaming and some goes as far as including a digital panel, timer and some basic cooking functions such as steaming and slow cooking.

Even in the budget range, we are seeing some ambitious moves from manufacturers to go beyond a conventional rice cooker.

Given that these rice cookers are some of the best out there in the market right now, the next question to ask is how big do you need your rice cooker to be. The standard rule is 1 cup of uncooked rice based on measuring cup provided for each serving. A rice cooker with 10-cup capacity can prepare 2 up to 20 servings.

If you have small family anything between 3-5.5 cup ought to do the job. But if you would like the ability to cook for more people especially when hosting a party or having friends over, then only 8 or more cup will do. To make it easier to choose between the different rice cookers, we have sorted them by sizes.

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Top 10 Best Budget Conventional Rice Cookers

1. Panasonic SR-3NA Automatic 1.5-Cup uncooked (3-Cups cooked) Rice Cooker – COMPACT

• Make up to 1.5 Cups of uncooked rice with One-step Automatic cooking, Just press the button and ready to go
• See-thru glass lid for easy viewing, Non-stick coated Aluminum Pan, 200 Watts of Power Consumption
• Accessories include: Measuring Cup and Rice Scoop, Operating Instruction Manual
• Capacity: 1.5-cup uncooked yields, 3-cup cooked rice
• Measures: 8 1/4″ (W) x 6 5/16″ (D) x 6 5/16″ (H), 2.2 lbs, Silver

2. Aroma ARC-150SB 10-Cup uncooked (20-Cup cooked) Digital Rice Cooker & Food Steamer – PROGRAMMABLE, STEAMER

• Easy-to-use functions: Digital Control for White/Brown Rice, Quick Rice, Smart Steam, High/Low Slow Cook, Keep Warm.
• Steam function transform the rice cooker into a food steamer with steaming time that can be set from 5 minutes to 30 minutes with automatic shut down.
• Programmable 15-Hour Delay Timer. Includes Steam Tray, Rice Measuring Cup, Serving Spatula, Soup Ladle and Recipe Booklet.
• Capacity: 10 cups uncooked, 20 cups cooked rice. Yields up to 20 cups of cooked rice (approx. 20 servings).
• Dimensions: 11.22 inches x 10.83 inches x 10.83 inches

Other Sizes Available: Aroma ARC-914SBD 4-Cup uncooked (8-Cup Cooked) Digital Rice Cooker – PROGRAMMABLE, STEAMER

3. Panasonic SR-G06FG Automatic 3.3-Cup uncooked (7-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker

• Make up to 3 Cups of uncooked rice with One-step Automatic cooking and shutoff, Just press the button and ready to go,
• See-thru glass lid for easy viewing, Non-stick coated Aluminum Pan, 310 Watts of Power Consumption
• Accessories include: Measuring Cup and Rice Scoop, Operating Instruction Manual
• Capacity: 3.3-cup uncooked yields approximately 7-cup cooked rice.
• Measures: 9 5/8″ (W) x 7 3/4″ (D) x 8 1/4″ (H), 2.6 lbs, Silver

4. Aroma Professional ARC-2000ASB 10-Cup uncooked (20-Cup cooked) Digital Rice Cooker, Food Steamer & Slow Cooker – PROGRAMMABLE, STEAMER, SLOW COOKER

A step up from the ARC-150SB above, the ARC-2000ASB comes with slow cooker function.

• Easy-to-use functions: White/Brown Rice, Quick Rice, Smart Steam, High/Low Slow Cook, Keep Warm
• Smart Steam allows for steam time to be set for automatic shut-off; or steam meat and veggies while rice cooks below
• Programmable 15-Hour Delay Timer. Includes Steam Tray, Rice Measuring Cup, Serving Spatula, Soup Ladle and Recipe Booklet
• Capacity: 10 cups uncooked, 20 cups cooked rice. Yields up to 20 cups of cooked rice (approx. 20 servings).

ALSO: Aroma Professional ARC-2006ASB 6-Cup uncooked (12-Cup cooked) Digital Rice Cooker, Food Steamer & Slow Cooker – PROGRAMMABLE, STEAMER, SLOW COOKER

5. Zojirushi NHS-10 6-Cup uncooked (12-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker/Steamer & Warmer – STEAMER

• 6-cup cooker/steamer and warmer steams foods to perfection and keeps them warm
• Stainless steel steaming tray and removable, easy-to-clean, nonstick inner cooking pan
• See-through glass lid and automatic keep-warm function that activates immediately after food is cooked
• Durable stay-cool handles for safe handling. Includes measuring cup, spatula, and removable cord for easy storing
• Capacity:6-cup uncooked yields 12-cup cooked rice

ALSO: Zojirushi NHS-18 10-Cup uncooked (20-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker/Steamer & Warmer – STEAMER

6. Cuisinart CRC-400 4-Cup uncooked (7-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker – STEAMER

• Cuisinart rice cooker steams rice, meats and vegetables
• Square modern shape finished in brushed stainless steel
• Stainless-steel steaming basket; glass lid; paddle and measuring cup
• Automatically switches to warm when cooking is done
• Capacity: 4-Cup uncooked rice yields 7-Cup cooked rice

ALSO: Cuisinart CRC-800 8-Cup uncooked (15-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker

7. 3 Squares 3RC-3010S 10-Cup uncooked (20-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker and Multi Cooker

• Faster: cooks rice up to 45% faster than competing rice cookers
• Smarter: Fuzzy Logic 2.0 monitors temperature above and below the cooking pot and makes adjustments automatically
• Does more: also includes functions for steam, slow cook, quinoa, yogurt and oatmeal
• Built for quality: extra-thick cooking pot, more powerful heating element and smart digital display
• Includes steam tray, rice paddle and measuring cup,This is NOT a pressure cooker.
• Capacity: 10-Cup uncooked rice yields 20-Cup cooked rice

8. Hamilton Beach Digital Simplicity 7-Cup uncooked (14-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker and Steamer (37549) – STEAMER

• Hamilton beach rice cookers make mounds of delicious, fluffy rice with minimal effort.
• These popular appliances cook rice to the perfect moistness and texture, then shift to keep rice warm until serving time.
• Use the cooker to steam at the same time or cook beans, whole grains, mac and cheese, or any pasta/rice mix.
• These powerful rice cookers are also easy to clean, including nonstick bowls and glass lids you can put in the dishwasher.
• Capacity: 7-Cup uncooked yields 14-Cup cooked rice

ALSO: Hamilton Beach Digital Simplicity 10-Cup uncooked (20-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker and Steamer (37541) – STEAMER

 

9. Rival RC101 5-Cup uncooked (10-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker with Steaming Basket – STEAMER

• Electric rice cooker produces up to 10 cups of cooked rice
• Nonstick removable inner pot; steaming basket for shrimp or vegetables
• Features: Cook and keep-warm settings; domed glass lid; stay-cool side handles. Measuring cup and rice ladle included; wash by hand
• Measures 12 by 11-1/2 by 9-1/2 inches
• Capacity: 5-Cup uncooked yields 10-Cup cooked rice

10. Aroma ARC-753SG Simply Stainless 3-Cup uncooked (6-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker

• Simple one-touch: Cook, Steam and automatic Keep Warm.
• Cooking pot is made completely of surgical-grade 304 stainless steel
• Includes accessories: measuring cup and serving spatula.
• Capacity: 3 cups uncooked rice yields up to 6 cups of cooked rice (approx. 6 servings).

ALSO: Aroma ARC-757SG Simply Stainless 7-Cup uncooked (14-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker and Aroma ARC-750SG Simply Stainless 10-Cup uncooked (20-Cup cooked) Rice Cooker

Entry Level  Smart Rice Cookers with Micro Computer and Fuzzy Logic Programme

Just above the upper limit of the budget range we have seen so far are these entry level smart rice cookers with micro computer and fuzzy logic programme. These may not be as feature rice or fancy as their premium equivalent but they are more than capable rice cookers.

Tiger JBV-A10U-W 5.5-Cup (Uncooked) Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer

Rosewill RHRC-13001 5.5-Cup uncooked (1o-Cup cooked) Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker and Food Steamer

With features and design you would only find in a premium rice cooker, the Rosewill RHRC-13001 uses a three-dimensional heating system for even heat distrubtion as well as steam controlling technology for better results.

• Multi-function options: precise cooking, fast cooking, small quantity rice cooking, porridge, stewing small pot rice, reheating, soup, steaming and soaked rice
• 8 pre-programmed modes: Regular, Quick, Cake, Porridge, Soup, Steam, Brown(Clay Pot rice), Reheat
• Features: Inner pot with non-stick coating, LCD display, digital control, plastic body
• Capacity: 5.5-Cup uncooked yields 11-Cup cooked rice

You can find other premium rice cooker with multi-cooker functions in Best Rice Cookers for Rice and Other Dishes.