The Best Asian Rice Cooker Brands

Your Ultimate Guide to Asian Rice Cookers

Rice is a staple in Asian countries, so it isn’t a surprise that appliances were made for the sole purpose of cooking rice. Due to the rising popularity of these grains, rice cookers have made their way to the global market and have continued to evolve as technology advances. An Asian rice cooker can assist you with preparing everything from basic meals like plain white rice to more sophisticated specialties like paella. A perfect rice cooker for you can make the cooking process way easier.

So the question now is, are Asian rice cookers the best for making perfectly cooked rice for Asian cuisine? Since cooking rice is deeply embedded in Asian culture and history, it’s safe to assume that any rice cooker made in Asia is among the best on the market and would cook perfect rice better than non-Asian rice cookers. 

If you want to add an Asian rice cooker to your kitchen, below are the best Asian rice cookers for 2024. Read on to look for the perfect rice cooker for you.


Which is the top one?

Editor's Choice

Zojirushi
Best Overall
Cuckoo
Best Value
Cuchen
Best for Fast Cooking
Zojirushi

A well-known and reputable brand, Zojirushi cookers are high-tech, making cooking convenient. They're also made with premium materials.

Cuckoo

A reliable brand, Cuckoo makes cookers that have incredible design and aesthetics. Cuckoo cookers are also highly efficient.

Cuchen

Busy and have no time to cook? The best rice cooker brand for fast cooking is Cuchen. Their cooker are highly durable too.

Functionality: Quality: Price:
Functionality: Quality: Price:
Functionality: Quality: Price:


Let’s go over each one

Functionality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Quality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Price:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Hailing from Japan, Zojirushi has been a household name for decades due to its commitment to innovation and quality. Renowned for their cutting-edge technology, Zojirushi models are equipped with features like fuzzy logic, multiple cooking settings, and advanced heating mechanisms that ensure fluffy rice every time. 

Their models offer versatility, catering to various types of rice and preferences, making them a top choice for many households across Asia.

Out of all these, the Zojirushi NS ZCC10 /18 neuro fuzzy rice cooker is one of its best, high-quality rice cooker models. Advanced Neuro-Fuzzy logic technology is used in this 5.5 cup automated rice cooker and warmer. It has various menu selections, which include automated keep warm, extended keep warm settings, brown rice settings, quick cooking, and reheat cycles.

This 5.5 cup rice cooker has a spherical, nonstick inner pan that provides even heating as you cook, an LCD clock, and a timer to make it easy to see how long it takes for your grain to cook, and a retractable cable. Menus for different rice varieties like white rice cooking, mixed rice, GABA rice, porridge, sweet, semi-brown, brown, and rinse-free are among its options.

As far as an Asian rice cooker goes, the NS ZCC10 rice cooker is one of the best in the market. The cooker comes with a measuring cup, a rice scooper, and a spatula holder.

Pros and Cons of the Zojirushi NS ZCC10 Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker

ProsCons
✔️ Low maintenance
✔️ Advanced technology
✔️ Variety of menu settings
✔️ Has Zojirushi induction technology
✔️ Easy carry and transport
✔️ Extra large, easy-to-read LCD display
✔️ Micom Rice Cooker
✖️ Might be difficult to navigate
✖️ Basic body design
✖️ A little pricey

Functionality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Quality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Price:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Cuckoo, a South Korean brand, has gained widespread recognition for its high-quality rice cookers that prioritize both functionality and style. Utilizing advanced technology, Cuckoo cookers come with smart cooking algorithms, diverse cooking modes, and durable build quality. They are known for their user-friendly interfaces and innovative designs, making them a preferred choice for Korean households seeking efficient and well-designed cookers.

Their rice cooker units feature GABA function, as well as additional culinary options including turbo cook, timer, and keep-warm. With over 40 years of industry expertise and an international reputation for exceptional quality, Cuckoo has refined the art of cooking perfect rice and making goods with integrity.

The Cuckoo CRP-P0609S is one of their best units. Its LED display screen includes 12 menu selections for making a range of various meals, including pressure cook, GABA rice, porridge, nu rung ji, and more.

The rice cooker unit has intuitive touch controls, a preset timer, an auto-clean option, a durable inner cooking pan, and Fuzzy Logic technology, which detects and adjusts the cooker’s temperature and pressure automatically, cooking perfect rice every time.

It also has a reheat mode, which is ideal for leftovers. The rice cooker unit comes with a user manual, rice measuring cup, rice scooper, steaming plate, and a cleaning pin.

Pros and Cons of the Cuckoo CRP-P0609S

ProsCons
✔️ Non-stick inner pot
✔️ Detachable inner lid for ease in cleaning
✔️ Can double as a pressure cooker
✔️ High quality build
✖️ Heavy weight despite its medium capacity

Functionality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Quality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Price:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

In Korea, Cuchen has taken over the kitchen appliances market and is becoming popular all over the world. By bringing creativity and innovation to consumers at an affordable price, Cuchen turns its rice cooker consumers into loyal customers. Without a doubt, this brand stands out among Korean cookware brands in its 40 years of providing creme-of-the-crop electric cookers.

The Cuchen CJH-PM0600iP is a 3D induction heating pressure rice cooker. It can cook tasty rice for a group of 6 and it only uses up to 220V of electricity. It comes in sleek black and carbon silver colors, perfect for a modern kitchen.

The inner cooking pot is edge-shaped with 3D induction heating and a charcoal-coated interior. It also includes special voice navigation in three languages: Korean, English, and Chinese.

Before the cooking process, you can adjust your rice taste between sticky, medium, and general. It includes a 3-layer power rubbing packing which seals the pressure inside, a smart jog dial for quick menu selection, a stainless steel clean cover that’s detachable and washable, steam warming and reheating features, automatic keep-warm function, one-touch auto cleaning, a 20-safety device, a power-saving mode, and a noise-free steam vent for a peaceful rice cooking session. The cooker comes with additional accessories such as a measuring cup and a rice paddle.

Pros and Cons of the Cuchen CJH-PM0600iP

ProsCons
✔️ Induction heating technology
✔️ Allows you to control the rice taste and texture
✔️ Voice navigation
✖️ May not be best for beginners
✖️ Small, difficult buttons

Functionality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Quality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Price:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Tianji, a well-respected brand from China, has earned acclaim for its innovative approach to rice cookers. Their focus on traditional clay pot cooking methods integrated with modern technology sets them apart. Tianji rice cooker units are often equipped with inner clay pots that distribute heat evenly, enhancing the natural flavors and textures of the rice. 

These rice cooker units also feature intelligent cooking programs and advanced control systems, allowing users to cook various types of rice to perfection while preserving their nutritional value.

Tianji wants the best for their customers– and that’s why they come up with the best and healthiest designs for their rice cooker units. Instead of chemical-coated surfaces, Tianji’s ceramic cookers stand out in its market for sheer innovation and improved rice-cooking process. 

Designed to keep the original taste of your rice, the Tianji rice cooker serves to be an excellent choice for rice cooker enthusiasts.

This Tianji Ceramic Pot Digital Rice Cooker FD30D is the perfect choice for you, particularly if you’re health-conscious. Among numerous cookers, Tianji FD30D provides a healthier and safer option for providing different grain settings for cooking. Its 3-liter capacity can cook tasty rice for your whole family, as it can cook up to 6 cups. Named one of the best ceramic cookers on the market, this model boasts ceramic liners for their inner pot, which are healthy, environmentally friendly, and easy to clean.

By using ceramic whiteware, rice retains its original flavor and becomes more nutritious, resulting in perfect rice every time. This rice cooker even comes with a keep-warm function and a 24-hour smart preset timer so that you can easily cook soup, porridge, and white rice without getting worried about time running out. Last but not least, its innovative suspended bowl heating system can heat the rice evenly, resulting in crystal clear, plump, and delicious perfect rice.

Pros and Cons of the Tianji Ceramic Pot Digital Rice Cooker FD30D

ProsCons
✔️ Ceramic Inner Pot
✔️ 24-hour Delay Timer
✔️ Cooking Presets
✖️ Not ideal for large households
✖️ Keep Warm/Reheat Function only lasts 8 hours

Functionality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Quality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
Price:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Toshiba, a brand synonymous with electronic innovation, offers a range of rice cooker units designed to cater to diverse cooking preferences. Toshiba rice cooker units typically boast multiple cooking modes, such as keep warm, quick cook, porridge, and sushi settings. With user-friendly interfaces and durable construction, Toshiba ensures consistent results and convenience, making them a popular choice in Asian households.

Aside from conventional rice cookers with durable builds, Toshiba also provides innovative units that can cook not only plain rice but also rice recipes, making them one of the best rice cooker brands around. One of their more innovative models is their low-carb digital rice cooker, which lowers the starch content of your rice. This is unlike most cookers, where the unit cooks rice as it is.

Such models include the Toshiba Low Carb Digital Programmable Multi-functional Rice Cooker. This rice cooker simplifies healthy eating by removing excess starch from your rice. According to the world’s top CVC verification, the unit can eliminate up to 37% of bad digesting starch and boost beneficial resistant starch by up to 34%. 

The rice cooker’s Advanced Fuzzy Logic allows its cooking functions to make subtle adjustments to the temperature and heating time to flawlessly cook fluffy rice of all sorts. The unit also has induction heating, which distributes heat evenly throughout the inner cooking pot, resulting in perfect rice without the excess starch.The cooker also includes cooking functions for white rice, Japanese rice, mixed grain, quinoa, soup, stew, steam, and oatmeal settings; 8 pre-programmed modes to make cooking these grains easier. The unit comes with a detachable steam vent, rice paddle, and a rice measuring cup.

Pros and Cons of the Toshiba Low Carb Digital Programmable Multi-functional Rice Cooker

ProsCons
✔️ Advanced Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker
✔️ Eliminates up to 37% of bad digesting starch
✔️ Uses Induction Heating to cook rice
✖️ Unit may produce plastic smell for the first few uses

Functionality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
Quality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
Price:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Panasonic is a reputable brand in Asia, and the company is known to make appliances that are durable and high-quality. These rice cooker units adjust the time and temperature based on the type of rice being cooked. Panasonic rice cooker models often offer a wide range of cooking functions, including settings for steaming, and slow cooking, providing users with versatility and ease of use.

From simple stainless steel rice cookers to commercial models used in restaurants, the brand offers them all. It even has rice cooker units with fuzzy logic technology and other advanced features.

If you’re looking for a compact rice cooker that can create fluffy rice for your restaurant, the Panasonic SR-42HZP Commercial rice cooker can immensely help your business. This is a large-capacity commercial rice cooker with NSF-certified direct heating technology. It can cook up to 23 cups of grain in around 30 minutes.

Unlike many rice cookers, this rice cooker offers a two-hour keep warm function with an automated shut-off. Because of its built-in thermal safety fuse, the item is absolutely safe to use. The unit comes with a measuring cup, stainless steel lid, and an inner pan made from aluminum alloy.

Pros and Cons of the Panasonic Commercial Rice Cooker

ProsCons
✔️ NSF approved
✔️ Built-in thermal safety fuse
✔️ Easy to use
✔️ Can cook up to 23 cups of uncooked rice
✖️ Inner pot is not nonstick
✖️ Slightly expensive

Functionality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
Quality:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
Price:  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Tiger Corporation, another Japanese brand, has built a strong reputation for their many rice cookers being durable and reliable. With a focus on simplicity and efficiency, Tiger offer excellent performance in cooking various types of rice. 

Their models often feature multiple cooking functions, keep-warm settings, and user-friendly controls, appealing to consumers looking for dependable yet straightforward cookers.

This rice cooker uses vacuum insulation technology which makes cooking rice more convenient. This innovation helps retain the heat without the continuous use of electricity to keep food warm. It gives the customers the comfort they need, especially in Asian countries that love newly cooked perfect rice.

The Tiger JNP-S10U-HU Rice Cooker and Warmer is one of the brand’s best cooking appliances up to date. It has a stainless, steel gray, and non-stick inner pan which has the capacity of 5.5 to 10 cups for uncooked grain. The JNP-S10U-HU rice cooker is also very intuitive because it perfectly cooks rice in a short amount of time while staying true to its brand’s legacy.

The Tiger JNP-S10U-HU Rice Cooker and Warmer also automatically switches to “Keep Warm” after cooking the rice and keeps fluffy rice fresh and warm for up to 12 hrs. In addition, it has a removable and washable steam vent and a retractable power cord for safer use. The rice cooker comes with a rice spatula, measuring cup, removable steam vent cap, and a removable dew collector.

Pros and Cons of the Tiger JNP-S10U-HU Rice Cooker and Warmer

ProsCons
✔️ Ideal for beginners
✔️ Up to 12 hours keep warm functionality
✔️ Nonstick inner pot
✖️ Steam vent may be hard to clean
✖️ Not ideal for cooking brown rice

Are Asian Rice Cookers Better?

A rice cooker is almost a must-have in an Asian household since its not only for cooking rice, it can also steam vegetables and cook other dishes. The nice thing about a rice cooker is that they are easy to use and they make it simple to add nutritious perfect rice into your everyday meals, allowing you to build a well-balanced diet for your entire household.

So what makes an Asian rice cooker better? People in Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, China, and Thailand, where short and long-grain rice is a basic commodity and is used in practically every meal, take these units seriously. The best Asian rice cooker offers settings for cooking various varieties of uncooked rice and uses cutting-edge technology to assure high-quality results each cooking cycle.


What Type of Rice Cooker Do I Need?

There are several factors to consider before you purchase the best Asian rice cooker for your household. Choosing the ideal size is possibly the most important since a cooker’s capacity determines how much rice it can hold and it would be a waste of money to buy a unit that is too small or too big for your family. 

Asian rice cooker units are often available in 3-cup, 5.5-cup, and 10-cup sizes, but commercial rice cookers can accommodate more. Small rice cookers can’t handle big volumes of rice because they will overflow, while most large cookers can’t cook effectively with modest amounts of rice. If you consume rice throughout the day or enjoy leftovers, a medium to large cooker is best. 

Smaller households or individuals living alone might benefit from a small cooker. It’s also best to note that most cookers have capacities listed in the cups of cooked rice the unit can make. Therefore, a 3-cup rice cooker can make 3 cups of rice, a 5.5-cup rice cooker can make 5.5 cup of rice, and so on.

Aside from capacity, you also need to determine which features you think will benefit your kitchen work most. A nonstick inner cooking pan will make clean-up easier, while an automatic warm function can keep your rice warmed until you’re ready to eat it. Some have settings that turn your unit into a pressure rice cooker, while others have multiple pre-programmed settings that can cook rice for sushi and steam vegetables at the same time. You can even get one with a congee rice cooking setting.


How Do I Choose The Right Rice Cooker?

Choose the perfect rice cooker according to the preferences of your household, your kitchen needs, and your budget. Do you eat rice daily or only on occasion? Do you prefer a model that can also function as a pressure cooker and slow cooker? Most cookers are versatile and can be used to make a variety of dishes, but these added features and pre-programmed settings can add to the rice cooker’s overall versatility and quality.

A Micom rice cooker or a fuzzy logic rice cooker, for example, can cook more delicious rice way better than a conventional one. They are even better at cooking brown and sushi rice and have lower cooking time, so they are a better choice if these grains are part of your daily diet. If you only cook Jasmine rice and would like to keep the rice warm for hours, then a simple cooker should be enough.

Additional accessories like measuring cups, a spatula holder, a retractable cord, or a detachable lid aren’t as important, but they are ideal additions depending on your current living conditions. A glass lid, for example, lets you see how far into the cooking process you are without having to open your cooker. You can also read these tips to know which is the best rice cooker to buy.


Types of Rice Cookers

When purchasing an Asian rice cooker, you should be aware of the many types of cookers. Due to the advancing technology, there are plenty of cookers available that have different specifications, functions, and settings. All rice cooker models come with additional accessories such as an inner cooking pot, measuring cups, a spatula holder, and a steamer for steaming vegetables and meat.

Conventional Rice Cooker

Most rice cookers fall in this category and are the most basic and least expensive. They only have two settings which are the cook function and the keep-warm function. Most of these devices have only one switch or button that automatically switches from cook to warm when the rice is perfectly cooked. 

Despite their basic function, these cookers are exceptionally durable and have a long lifespan. The majority of these rice cooker types have a cooking pan made from stainless steel, though some are made from ceramic, and usually come in larger sizes that can hold up to 45 cups of uncooked rice.

These cookers, however, a slightly less versatile than the other rice cooker types. Some models can’t cook other grain types properly and are mostly made to cook white, long-grain rice.

Multi-Cooker

A multi-cooker is essentially a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and rice cooker all in one. Multi-cookers, as the name suggests, can cook more than simply rice. It can make side dishes such as soups and stews, as well as make perfectly cooked fluffy brown or white rice, risotto, and more. These cookers also have a keep-warm setting that you can use to keep your food warm for hours, which is perfect if you’re hosting a party.

Smart Rice Cooker

The cookers in this category are also known as neuro-fuzzy logic or a Micom rice cooker because they are built with artificial intelligence technology that does practically everything for you. A micom rice cooker can detect the amount of liquid and the type of rice and adapt appropriately during the cooking process. Whether it’s white rice or sushi rice, the cooker will cook rice perfectly. All you have to do is press a button and you’re all set. 

Micom rice cookers offer pre-programmed functions like the keep-warm or a slow cook setting, or a setting to steam vegetables. Settings for various rice types are available, such as sticky rice, porridge, white rice, and others. Some can even function as a pressure rice cooker. An example of a Micom rice cooker is the Zojirushi NS-WAC10-WD Micom Rice Cooker, which is one of Zojirushi’s user-friendly cookers. The Zojirushi NS-WAC10-WD micom rice cooker offers multi-menu cooking functions and Neuro-Fuzzy Logic technology that ensures you’ll have perfect rice every time. Smart cookers also have considerably less cooking time than other rice cooker types and almost always have a nonstick cooking pot.


Frequently Asked Questions

What rice cooker do most Asians use?

Which is the best Japanese rice cooker?

Do the Japanese use rice cookers?

Why are Japanese cookers better?

What is the difference between a rice cooker and a Japanese cooker?

Which rice cooker brand is best?

Which is the best rice cooker brand in India?

What is the best cooker brand in Korea?

What is so special about Korean rice cooker?

Is Cuckoo rice cooker Korean?

What rice cooker do Chinese people use?

How does a Chinese rice cooker work?

Are Tiger rice cookers made in China?

Are Zojirushi rice cookers made in China?

Which is the best inner pot for rice cooker?

Are Asian rice cookers necessary to have to cook Asian cuisine?


Final Note

If you like a bowl of perfectly cooked rice, investing in the best Asian rice cooker is definitely worth the money. Cooked rice made in a rice cooker is significantly superior to grains cooked on a stovetop, whether it’s white or brown rice, and you’ll get the same outcome every time. The majority of these Asian rice cookers also have stainless steel inner pot that is nonstick and easy to clean, making kitchen clean-up easier after every meal. For more rice-related news, as well as rice cooker reviews and guides, you can check out our site.


Editor’s Choice

Zojirushi has a long history, going back as far as 1918. The best Asian rice cooker brand, they launched their new electric rice cooker and warmer in 1970 and has continued to provide high-quality rice cookers that can cook any type of grain perfectly, from Jasmine or Basmati rice to sticky rice and sushi rice. The brand also features high-end models with multi-menu selections for quick cooking and keep warm in addition to other settings that make cooking rice efficient.

One of their best models is the Zojirushi NS ZCC10/18 Neuro Fuzzy rice cooker and warmer, which can make perfectly fluffy rice without much fuss due to the unit’s fuzzy logic technology.

It features several functions such as a spherical inner cooking pot for equal distribution of heat, pre-programmed cooking functions, and more. Overall, the NS ZCC10 is a good rice cooker to have in any household.