The Best Small Rice Cookers
Table of Contents
Your Ultimate Guide to the Best Small Rice Cookers
Rice cookers come in all shapes and sizes. Each one has its unique features that may or may not be for everyone. Some cookers make use of innovative technology and have a wide variety of menu settings. Others have simple operational features that make the cooking cycle a breeze.
And then there are small rice cooker models that have a compact build and a limited capacity. Often, they can only make up to 6 cups, which is why a small unit isnโt for everyone. Theyโre ideal for small households and those who want an easy way out when cooking their daily home-cooked meals.
The best perks that come with a little quality cooker are its portable build quality and user-friendly functions. Despite their size, many small cookers are built with great features that can come in pretty handy in the kitchen.
With that, we have listed the top 5 best small cookers in the market, plus their features, pros and cons, and more to help you make the best choice for your investment.
Which is the Top One?
Aroma MI Cool Touch MiniWeighing only 2.45 pounds, this cooker packs a punch with functions, versatile menu options, and a nonstick inner pot. | Instant Pot Lux MiniThis cooker functions as 6 kitchen appliances in one: a sterilizer, slow cooker, steamer, saute, warmer, and pressure cooker. | Tiger JAX-S10U MicomThis cooker comes with Tiger's Tacook technology that enables you to cook your grains and viand simultaneously in one cooking cycle. |
Functionality: Quality: Price: | Functionality: Quality: Price: | Functionality: Quality: Price: |
Letโs Go Over Each One
#1. Aroma MI Cool Touch
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Capable of making 3 cups, the Aroma MI Cool Touch is one with a sleek and simple design.
This best travel cooker only weighs 2.45 pounds and measures 6.75 x 6.25 x 7.25 inches, making it easy to use, carry, and bring with you to picnics and small gatherings. With these features, rave reviews, and benefits, itโs no surprise this highest-rated personal cooker makes it to the top of our list.
This portable Aroma flash rice cooker is operated with one simple push of a switch. That is enough to begin the cooking cycle. Once the rice has finished cooking, the switch will automatically flick back up to prompt the Keep Warm feature, which can maintain your rice at optimal serving temperature for up to 12 hours.
The Aroma MI Cool Touch can cook more than grains. You donโt even need a separate cooking pan to make a complete meal. Using one device and its accompanying measuring cup, you can serve yourself an entire meal with steel-cut oats, flapjack, pasta, veggies, and meat, and you can even bake cakes โ all while avoiding a sink filled with dirty dishes!
The nonstick inner pot and cooking lid are all removable, so, along with its paddle and measuring cup, itโs dishwasher safe and highly durable โ plus points for being easy to clean.
Pros and Cons of the Aroma MI Cool Touch
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โ๏ธ Budget-friendly โ๏ธ Portable and compact โ๏ธ 12-hour Keep-Warm function | โ๏ธ Does not feature advanced interface buttons โ๏ธ Simple build quality |
#2. Instant Pot Lux Mini Rice Steamer (3qt)
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The Instant Pot Lux Mini may be small, but in its small build also comes with 6 different kitchen appliances in one saving you ample counter space for the price of one.
It has the functions of a sterilizer, slow cooker, steamer, saute, and warmer, and can even pressure cook. Forget about all the guesswork that comes with cooking as these functions can help turn any cook into a pro. Keep in mind, that most rice cookers canโt offer multiple cooking options for steaming vegetables, making soup, and more.
The device is built with the latest 3rd generation microprocessor technology, enabling it to function effectively in different capacities. It can monitor its time, pressure, and temperature, and adjusts its heat intensity and duration to yield perfectly cooked rice or even risotto every time.
With the Instant Pot Lux Mini, you can enjoy a wide array of functions and features including a 24-hour delay timer for pressure cooking, automatic keep warm for up to 10 hours, 3 temperature options in sauteing and slow cooking, plus a reduced cooking time by up to 70%, thereby saving energy and helping you cook your meals quickly and easily, all while retaining the best quality of brown or white rice!
As to how much grains it can cook, this rice cooker prepares up to 3 cups, perfect as a cooker for 2 persons. Perfect for a single dweller, student, or small family, youโre definitely getting more than what you pay for with this compact Instant Pot. It also comes with a spatula, steam tray, and measuring cup.
Pros and Cons of the Instant Pot Lux Mini Rice Steamer (3qt)
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โ๏ธ Compact and portable โ๏ธ Innovative functions despite small build โ๏ธ 6-in-1 appliance โ๏ธ 10 smart programs that offer more food versatility โ๏ธ Affordable | โ๏ธ Users complain about the pressure cooking function having a weak steam valve โ๏ธ Has a tendency to burn the rice at the bottom because of the lack of an induction heating feature |
#3. Tiger JAX-S10U Micom
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The JAX-S10U may be one of the Tiger brandโs smallest electric models, but it does not fall short of all the best features that the Japanese brand Tiger is known for.
The JAX-S10U has the exclusive โTacookโ nonstick cooking pot that allows you to cook brown or white rice with your viand at the same time. The advanced technology in the BPA-free cooking plate ensures that the flavors and textures of each food do not affect each other even while cooking in the same nonstick inner pan simultaneously โ yielding one complete, perfectly cooked meal every time โitโs the smartest and fastest unit in this regard.
The JAX-S10U has 10 settings for making rice that you can choose from, including plain white rice, synchro-cooking, quick, sweet, mixed, porridge, multigrain, GABA, slow cooking, and steam. All of these are accessible through simple navigation and a digital display menu. The variety of cooking settings for healthier meals makes it one of the healthiest models in the market.
Menu settings on these cookers make navigating the different presets of this fast cooker a lot easier. Further, you can enjoy the benefits of 2 preset cooking timers, automatic warming features that keep food warm, and free accessories such as a spatula and measuring cup. Itโs no surprise this product garners a 4.5-star rating on Amazon and is regarded as the top cooker and vegetable steamer.
Pros and Cons of the Tiger JAX-S10U Micom
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โ๏ธ Small and compact โ๏ธ Innovative design โ๏ธ Has Tiger's Tacook cooking plate โ๏ธ Variety of menu settings โ๏ธ Has a nonstick pot | โ๏ธ May be difficult to navigate for some users |
#4. Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer
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Japanese manufacturer Zojirushi is known for incorporating advanced technology into its Micom cookers with the goal of making the cooking cycle more innovative for users. One of the Asian brandโs smaller cookers, NS-TSC10, holds the same high-tech features found in its bigger counterparts.
This cute Japanese cooker is equipped with Zojirushiโs famous micro-computerized fuzzy logic technology that learns and masters your preferred cooking method. The fuzzy logic settings then adjust its heat intensity, temperature, and time, in order to yield the best quality of grains for every meal.
This is the perfect mini cooker for grain varieties, including short, long, and medium-grain white rice, Japanese rice, sushi, mixed, porridge, sweet, brown, dry, fried rice, and even cake! Also in place are 2 delay timer settings and automatic warm settings and reheating cycle features that keep your grains warm when served. This Zojirushi rice cooker has a 5.5 to 6 cups capacity and comes with a mixing paddle and measuring cup.
Pros and Cons of the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer
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โ๏ธ Compact build โ๏ธ Advanced technology โ๏ธ Variety of menu settings โ๏ธ Comes with a steamer tray and basket | โ๏ธ Expensive for its size โ๏ธ Complicated for beginners |
#5. Dash DRCM200BK
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The Dash Mini rice cooker may be simple in functions but is one elegant unit. It comes in a variety of colors namely sky blue, pink, red, white, and black so you can easily match it to the aesthetics of your kitchen and counter space.
Not only do these rice cookers simply look good but they are also great at cooking rice, which is the most important feature of all when browsing through the list of best rice cookers. Itโs a no-nonsense cooker that can cook various grains and meals such as oatmeal, stew, soup, quinoa, pasta, veggies, and more. It even comes with a recipe book so you can do more in a single pot!
The small size of the Dash Mini Rice Cooker DRCM200BK makes for a quick and easy cleanup but its PFOA-free nonstick pot is a huge help as well.
Pros and Cons of the Dash DRCM200BK
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โ๏ธ Budget-friendly โ๏ธ Variety of fun color options โ๏ธ Easy controls โ๏ธ Meal versatility โ๏ธ Has a nonstick pot | โ๏ธ Lack of innovative functions and features |
What is the Best Mini Rice Cooker?
Among rice cookers in this list and the best in the market by far is the Aroma MI Cool Touch. It only measures 6.75 x 6.25 x 7.25 inches and weighs a meager 2.45 pounds.
What Size of Cooker is Good for 2 Persons?
To feed 2 people, you need a unit that can accommodate at least 3 cups. At full capacity, a 3-cup rice cooker can yield more or less 1 cup per person.
Is there a 1-Cup Rice Cooker?
Yes, there are 1-cup cookers in the market capable of making only a single cup of rice and feeding one person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a small cooker?
There are plenty of small rice cookers in the market perfect for a single-person household. We list the best ones in the market in this guide.
What is the smallest rice cooker?
There are plenty of small rice cookers in the market perfect for a single-person household. We list the best ones in the market in this guide. The smallest size for a cooker is 0.4 liters, which measures roughly 1.96 x 6.69 inches and weighs 2.16 pounds. A cooker of this size can make approximately 1.6 cups.
What are the sizes of mini rice cookers?
Mini units typically have a 1.5 to 3-cup capacity and measure less than 10 inches all around.
Is a 3-cup rice cooker too small?
It depends on how many people youโre looking to cook for. A 3-cup rice cooker is more than enough to yield delicious rice for one to two people.
How many liters is a small rice cooker?
A small unit usually ranges from 1 to 6 liters of cooking capacity.
How much cooked rice can a 1.5L cooker yield?
A 1.5L cooker can feed up to 4 to 5 people, yielding 5 regular portions. However, this would still depend on how much each person consumes.
Which rice cooker is best for 1 person?
The Aroma MI Cool Touch, which is the smallest one on our list, is perfect for single-person households. Capable of making 3 cups, it can yield rice for one person enough to last an entire day.
What size of cooker do I need for 4 people?
For four people, you need a cooker that can make up to 4 cups of cooked rice, assuming each person consumes 1 cup per serving. These cookers usually come with capacities of 2 to 2.5 cups of uncooked grains.
What is the best size for a rice cooker?
The best size for you will depend on how much you’re looking to yield. For reference, 3-cup rice cooker can feed up to 3 people, each with roughly 1 cup. Ultimately, determine how many you need to feed with your small cooker and choose one with a capacity enough for your household.
What is the best rice cooker for 5.5 cups?
If you are looking to cook 5.5 cups, try the Zojirushi 5.5-Cup Induction Rice Cooker and Warmer. Equipped with precise rice cooking functionalities and other reliable features, this model can help you cook your meals with ease.
Will rice cooked in a compact cooker burn?
No, most rice cookers are built to stop the cooking cycle when the grains are fully cooked. You will never encounter burned grains at the bottom of the pot with a cooker, especially if your model is equipped with advanced cooking technology and a nonstick inner pan.
How much water should you add to a mini or compact rice cooker?
The rice-to-water ratio when using a small cooker will still depend on the type of grains you are cooking. Generally, you should add one cup of water for every cup. But some varieties, such as brown or red, will require more water.
How long does it take for a small cooker to actually cook?
The cooking duration of a small cooker will depend on the type of grains youโre cooking and the grain cooker that you have. While it generally takes 15-20 minutes to cook, some models have quick cook settings that can cook grains faster.
Is a small cooker worth it?
These cookers in the list can be perfect kitchen companions for small households, solo dwellers, or University students, allowing them to cook their daily meals without all the fuss. It’s definitely worth the purchase, especially if you don’t cook and consume large amounts regularly.
How much does a cooker cost?
Prices depend highly on the brand and model that you choose. You can expect to shell out anywhere from $20 to $150 for a good unit.
Which cheap cooker is best?
One of the best cheap rice cookers is the Aroma ARC-150SB 20-Cup Rice Cooker, which features a large 20-cup capacity, cooking menus for white and brown rice, a Keep Warm setting, timer, steam, slow cook, and a flash rice feature. Read more about this model and other cheap rice cookers in our full guide.
What brand of cooker is best?
Can small cookers cook brown rice?
Generally, most rice cookers can cook brown rice, including small and mini units. However, more advanced models would have a specific brown rice setting to cook these grains perfectly.
Conclusion
Compact cookers are definitely a good buy, considering that they are budget-friendly, compact, and easy to use. Most, like a number of those we listed here, have the same functions you will find in bigger models but shrunk to a smaller package.
Ultimately, the choice between buying a small cooker or a bigger one will depend on your needs and preferences, because thereโs no such thing as a one-size-fits-all cooker. But for solo-dwellers, students, busy individuals, and small households, small cookers serve a good purpose and are definitely what we recommend for your daily rice dish fix.
If youโre looking for a much bigger model, take a look at our guide to the best rice cookers, where you will find large-capacity cookers like Hamilton Beach, Tiger, Cuckoo, etc.
Editor’s Choice
Aroma MI Cool Touch Mini Rice Cooker
The Aroma MI Cool Touch Rice Cooker is easily the best small rice cooker you can find in the market today. In fact, itโs probably the smallest cooker available.
This 3-cup rice cooker for one person or two has a very unique and innovative build, plus a sleek handle that makes it possible for you to bring the appliance anywhere you want to.
With its one-touch operation, keep-warm feature, removable inner pot, and nonstick coating, this portable cooker definitely does a great job of making the cooking process of rice a breeze.