10 Best Rice Cookers for Amazing Fluffy Rice

1. Tiger JNP-1800

Our choice for the best Japanese rice cooker

As a household brand, Tiger is one of the best rice cooker brands in Australia. Made in Japan, you can be sure that you’re buying a quality product that will last a long time.

This is a pretty easy rice cooker. If you’re looking for a simple rice cooker, you’re looking at one of the best options. The Tiger JNP-1800 features just one switch, so you can see what we mean by straightforward. With just that one switch, you’re able to cook rice, porridge or use the steam function.

With its nonstick coated inner pot and removable lid, cleaning is a breeze. The dew collector and steam vent also need to be cleaned regularly, but they’re easy to remove for washing. 

What makes this rice cooker straightforward is also one of its drawbacks. There isn’t an option to adjust settings such as duration or temperature. This might make it a bit more challenging to cook other types of rice. However, if you’re not looking for it to do anything other than to cook the main types of rice such as jasmine rice, then this wouldn’t be an issue for you.

Considering its simple functionality, it is the most expensive one on our list. Having said that, if budget is not a major factor and you’re looking for a solid rice cooker, then the Tiger JNP-1800 is a worthy choice.

2. Breville The Smart Rice Box Cooker

A 10 cup rice cooker that cooks all types of rice

At a 10 cup cooking capacity, equivalent to 25 servings of rice, Breville The Rice Box is one of the best rice cookers for large families or if you do meal prepping and need to cook a week’s worth of rice.

A great plus point is its ability to cook various types of rice. The Breville Rice Box features fuzzy logic technology. It automatically adjusts the cooking temperature to ensure that any type of rice is cooked optimally. All you need to do is select the type of rice you’re cooking on the panel. It has a dedicated program for sushi rice, which isn’t very common, so you know your sushi rice is in safe hands!

Another benefit is the ability to adjust the timer settings with this rice cooker. This functionality would come in handy particularly with the steam function so that you can customise the time for various types of food.

One minor issue is that the markers on the inner pot are the same colour as the pot itself, making it hard to read. Not a huge issue, but could be a bit of a pain if you’re doing it on the regular. You also need to cook at least two cups each time, so this is mainly great if you’ll generally be cooking for multiple people.

3. Tefal 45 in 1 Rice & Multicooker RK812

Versatile cooker that you can use to cook almost anything

If you’re looking for a rice cooker that can do more than that, the Tefal 45 in 1 Rice and multi cooker RK812 is a frontrunner.

With 45 cooking modes, there are heaps of dishes you can cook other than rice. You could probably cook all the dishes in your meal with this rice cooker. With this rice cooker, you can cook soup, make stew, dessert, pasta and many other dishes. You also have the option of setting your own timer, temperature and customising and saving your own recipes. Some recipes are also provided to get you started.

A handy feature of this Tefal rice cooker is the window on the lid. It enables you to keep an eye on your cooking. While you keep an eye on it, you can also adjust the cooking time and temperature as the rice cooker is running, which is very convenient.

Accessories are also included with the rice cooker, a steam basket, rice spoon, soup spoon and measuring cup. While it’s a tad bulky, that’s not a big deal because this rice cooker might just be your ticket to become the head chef of your household.

4. Panasonic SR-DF101WST

A straightforward cooker with a dedicated brown rice mode

The Panasonic SR-DF101WST has a dedicated brown rice mode, which makes it one of the best rice cookers for brown rice. Selecting this mode soaks the brown rice for an hour before cooking starts. Brown rice tends to need a bit more time and effort, so this cooker takes that extra step out of your cooking process and does it for you, enabling a better cook on the rice. 

This is another good option if you’re looking for a simple rice cooker. No one likes having to spend hours reading the manual before you start using your new rice cooker. The Panasonic SR-DF101WST is really intuitive, allowing you to start your cook with one touch of the clearly labelled buttons.

Something that might be a slight annoyance to some is that there is no sound that indicates that your rice is done cooking. However, this may be something you’ll get used to over time as you familiarise yourself with the timings associated with each mode.

5. Aroma MI Cool Touch Rice Cooker

A small rice cooker perfect for one person

The Aroma MI Cool Touch is a cute little machine, a great rice cooker for personal use and perfect if you don’t have a lot of space.

You only need to cook a minimum of 0.5 cups of rice at each time with this rice cooker. That means you can say goodbye to having heaps of rice left over if you’re just cooking for one.

Another nice feature is that while the buttons on this rice cooker only mentions white and brown rice, it can actually cook more than that! You have the flexibility to cook cake, pasta, soup and cous cous, just to name a few. A few recipes are included in the manual, which comes in pretty handy as you experiment with the rice cooker.

One thing to make sure with this rice cooker is to be vigilant about not filling it to its max capacity. There is not a lot of leeway and starchy water tends to boil out of the vent if you’re not careful. This shouldn’t be an issue though if you’re just cooking for one!

6. Philips Daily Collection Grain Master Rice Cooker HD4514/72

Cooks fluffy rice in just 25 minutes

The Philips Grain Master HD451472 is one of the best rice cookers for small families, it can cook a maximum of 5.5 cups of rice, and along with its other features, this is a great choice at around $100. 

A handy feature is the 24-Hour Preset Timer feature that enables you to set a future time to start cooking. This is great for preparing breakfast the night before for the family and waking up to freshly cooked food, ready to be eaten.

The Grain Master rice cooker also has Fuzzy Logic technology ensuring that your rice is cooked at the optimal temperature. It also features the FragrantTaste technology that locks in moisture, making your rice fluffy, shiny and fragrant.

There are eight set programs that enable you to cook various types of grains, making it a versatile multi grains rice cooker when it comes to preset programs for cooking different grains. This includes white rice, brown rice, multi-grain, lentils and quinoa.

7. Breville The Set & Serve

Inexpensive rice cooker with a big capacity

The Set & Serve is another straightforward option that’s in the mid range price point if you’re not wanting to splurge too much. It has the basic features - rice cooking and steaming.

A useful feature with this rice cooker is the ability to remove its power cord. This enables you to cook your rice or steam dishes and serve it right away in the pot without having to transfer it out onto another dish. Pretty convenient if you ask us.

With the glass lid, you can easily have a peek to keep an eye on your food to make sure it’s cooking nicely. This is helpful as this rice cooker doesn’t have the ability to manually set timers. This means you’ll have to time the cook yourself and check on your food to make sure the cook is satisfactory, particularly if you’re cooking a type of rice that requires different cooking times or cooking dishes other than rice.

This rice cooker doesn’t have an ‘off’ button, so in order to do this, you’ll need to switch the power off at the socket.

Overall, the Set & Serve is a decent option if you are looking for one with some basic rice cooker features.

8. Russell Hobbs RHRC1

Value-for-money rice cooker for the whole family

If you’re looking for a cheap rice cooker for your big family, the Russell Hobbs RHRC1 is another option to consider for a lower price point.

It has a 10 cup rice capacity, making it great for cooking a large serving of rice for the whole family (and then some) at one go. It’s easy to use and intuitive with its one-touch button, so no one has an excuse to say they don’t know how to use it. 

A bonus is that this rice cooker will look pretty sleek on your kitchen countertop as its outer is made of durable brushed stainless steel.

One of the downsides though, is the inability to remove the lid for easy cleaning. However, if you follow the instructions in the manual, you shouldn’t have big messes to clean. It also doesn’t have an off button or the ability to manually set the timer. Again, these aren’t big deal breakers as you can just unplug the cord from the socket to turn it off and you may not even feel the need to customise the settings.

9. Kambrook Meal Master Mini

Perfect rice cooker for one or two people

If you’re looking for the best rice cooker for one or two people, then the Kambrook Meal Master Mini is a great one to consider.

It is able to cook between 1.5 cups to 3 cups of rice, perfect for a couple or if you’re cooking for you and your housemate. It’s pretty straightforward to use, easily achieving fluffy rice.

It is a mini version of the Kambrook Rice Master rice cooker, yet more compact and portable. Not only is this great with minimising the space taken up on your kitchen countertop, it’s also pretty handy if you want to take it to work to cook rice or other dishes for lunches.

If you’re looking for some versatility, it also has the ability to cook other food like pasta, curry, pies and desserts. The manual features a decent number of recipes you can try if you want to cook something other than rice.

10. Kambrook Express Rice Cooker

Budget option for those looking for a cheaper rice cooker in Australia

The Kambrook Express Rice Cooker is for those of you who are looking for a simple rice cooker without the hefty price tag.

This rice cooker is easy to operate with its one-button functionality, so it will be great for anyone to use. The manual also comes with measurements and instructions to cook brown rice and white rice. However, it’s good to note that for some rice types like Basmati, you’ll need to use trial and error to determine the optimum rice to water ratio to get the best cook.

The Kambrook Rice Express cooker is also a relatively compact rice cooker, so you don’t have to make too much countertop space for it. With its cool touch handles, you can move it around while it’s still in warm mode without worrying too much about burning yourself.

With various rice cooker options varying from straightforward to multiple functions, we break down the key considerations you should take into account when choosing a rice cooker.

• Capacity: How many people are you planning to cook rice for? This one’s an important one. If you’re only cooking rice for one or two people, you’d want to avoid purchasing a rice cooker that has a large capacity. These tend to require a minimum of two cups of rice, which you probably won’t need and will end up in food wastage.
• Rice Type: This is another important factor to consider. If you typically only cook basics rice such as jasmine rice, most rice cookers will do the job. However, if you tend to cook other types of rice such as sushi rice or sticky rice, choose a rice cooker that has a dedicated function as that will ensure that your rice is cooked with the optimal temperature and duration.
• Versatility: Think about what you want to get out of your rice cooker. If all you need it to do is cook rice, then the choice is fairly straightforward. If you’re looking for it to do more than that and want to cook other dishes with it, the rice cooker’s instruction manual is a good place to evaluate this. The manufacturer tends to include recipes for rice cookers that can cook a variety of other dishes. This will help you evaluate the types of dishes it can cook.
• Ease Of Use: Consider who will be using the rice cooker and whether a more simple setup is required. There are rice cookers that have one-touch functions and others that have a more complicated panel for those who prefer the ability to customise their cooks more.
• Ease Of Cleaning: You’ll need to clean your rice cooker regularly, so check on how easy it is to remove parts for cleaning and to reassemble. 
• Cost: Of course, this is a no-brainer. Some rice cookers are a lot more expensive than others. If you don’t need the additional functionality (such as led display, digital timer or automatic keep warm function) or don’t care to pay extra for a certain brand name, then there are plenty of options in the mid to lower price range to consider.