What if I told you that cooking rice is easy.
It sounds beautiful, right?!
Wel, all you have to do is use your favorite rice cooker. But what if you currently don't have one or looking to replace your broken rice cooker?
Don't worry, I will help you find that best rice cooker. If you are single or have a family with two, I think a 3 cup rice cooker is perfect for your cooking needs.
Though a 3 cup rice cooker is small it helps you cook meals 20-30 minutes. Aside from cooking white or brown rice, you can also use it to make a cake, pasta, stew, etc. There are lots of delightful recipes you can start with this type of rice cooker. Meals made from this cooker are good for 2-3 persons per cooking batch.
To learn more about the best 3 cup rice cookers you can buy today, please read on…
Best 3 Cup Rice Cookers & Warmers to Cook Flavorful Rice
1. Black and Decker Rice Cooker – Best Small Cooker for the Money
Black+Decker is not only producing and selling power tools, lawn, and garden, home cleaning equipment, but also small appliances such as rice cooker. For years, the company is producing one of the best rice cooker brands in the US. They offered reliable and functional kitchen aid just like this little rice cooker.
Features:
- 6-Cup Capacity – You can prepare up to 3 cups of uncooked rice that will make up to 6 cups when cooked.
- Automatic Keep Warm – When cooking is complete, the cooker switches automatically to keep warm function to make it ready for serving.
- Removable Nonstick Bowl – You can easily remove for cleanup even in a dishwasher.
- Indicator Lights – Indicates functional lights when it’s cooking or keeping warm.
- Steam Vent – Allows the steam to get out strategically without sacrificing to fully cooked the rice.
PROS
- Cheap and affordable.
- You can use as food storage.
- Can steam vegetables, fish, and more while cooking the rice using the steaming basket.
- Perfect for a small kitchen. Doesn’t fill up a lot of your limited counter space.
- Portable
CONS
- No rice spoon.
- Short power cord.
- Does not auto shut off
2. Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT – Best Japanese Rice Cooker
Zojirushi is a popular Japanese rice cooker brand that is durable and convenient to use. Most of the company’s product line showcases technological innovations and Japanese ingenuity. Just like in this rice cooker, we will see great features the provide convenience for rice eating people and enjoy cooking meals, either for own consumption or with family members of three.
Product Features:
- Multi-functional Cooking – You can set this cooker easily when cooking white/mixed or brown rice, sushi rice, porridge and for quick cooking.
- MICOM (Microcomputer) Technology – A user of this type of cooker becomes more serious cooker of rice for his/her meals. The microchip helps adjust cooking time and temperature for cooking various types of rice.
- Good Inner Cooking Pan – Provides even heating for better cooking and measuring lines for precise control of ingredients.
- Awesome Cooking Timer – It plays a song when it starts cooking and when it’s done. The musical tune is like chimes that lift the spirits.
PROS
- Nice looking cooker.
- Good time cooking options.
- Will not take up much counter space.
- Easy to wash the rice and clean after using.
- Makes sticky rice like good Chinese restaurants.
- If your child love to pack sushi rice for lunch, this will help cook it ahead of time and not cramming to wake up at 5 am or earlier.
CONS
- Expensive.
- Takes a long time to cook brown rice.
- Instead of Made in Japan, this is Made in China but with Japanese technology.
- Keeps displaying time even when not plugged in. Need to figure out how to adjust the display time.
- Poor instructions. Not quietly explained on how much water to put in the cooker to the ratio of the rice.
Rice cooked with this Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker and Warmer is good for 24 hours. More than that, it will spoil. Overall, this cute rice cooker helps you cook perfect rice meal as long as you set your measure correctly.
3. Tiger JNP-S55U-HU – Durable Japanese Rice Cooker
Tiger rice cooker is another well-known brand in the market. The company that made this knows how much the ratio of water to the rice, perfect time for cooking and warming to make fantastic rice meal. And this cooker is guaranteed to outlast cheaper and other rice cooker knock-offs.
Product Features:
- Switches automatically to “Keep Warm” when cooking is finished.
- Keep-warm function up to 12 hours
- Non-stick inner pan
- Retractable power cord
- Spatula and rice measuring cup includes
- Removable and washable steam vent
PROS
- Worth the price.
- It doesn’t stick.
- Great for steaming cantaloupe!
- Saves counter space.
- Cooks quicker.
- Make flavorful and good texture cooked rice.
- Japanese technology with quality and durability.
CONS
- No good color to choose.
- The lid did not close flush with the rice cooker body.
And if you really want another option, here there is…
4. Cuckoo CR-0351F – Best Korean Rice Cooker
Cuckoo is one of South Korea's popular and most trusted rice cooker brand. The maker of Cuckoo shares their more than 39 years of experience and ingenuity in pressure cooking technology. In this egg-shaped Cuckoo Digital Rice Cooker, they showcase Korean technological innovations for rice cooker lovers worldwide. The product is perfect for student living in a college dorm or living by them self.
Product Features:
- Teflon Coating Inner Pot for non-stick cooking.
- Turbo Cooking Functions
- Preset Cooking / Reheat Function
- Auto Steam Cleaning System
- LCD Fuzzy Display
- Customizing Warm Control Function
- Steam Cap / Detachable Dew Dish
- 5 Cooking Settings
- 4 Safety Features
PROS
- Reasonable price.
- Good little rice cooker.
- Perfect for cooking GABA rice and brown rice.
- Easy to use and clean.
- Light and doesn’t fill up much space.
CONS
- No handle for carrying or transporting.
- Complex instruction manual.
Conclusion
Rice is an important staple of most meals in Asia and cooking it with love is one of the best heritage of Asians pass from one generation to generation. And one of the best ways to experience a flavorful rice meal such as Jasmine is to cook it with the best rice cooker you have.