Every mother in the world knows that preparing good food for their children is the best way to show their love. As such, moms try to look for the best meal and snack recipes that they can prepare for their kids. They also need good cookware such as the best stainless steel rice cooker to come up with the best food to satisfy the needs and cravings of their loved ones.
When trying to find the best stainless steel rice cooker, you will most likely be faced with lots of options. However, a good mom always knows how to discern which is the best. Here are 5 of the best variants available in the market today.
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- Best overall Stainless steel rice cooker: Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-Purpose Cooker
- Best alternative Stainless steel rice cooker: Zojirushi NHS Rice Cooker
Best Stainless Steel Rice Cookers
Oyama CFS-F12W Rice Cooker
This rice cooker offers a cooking bowl and a steamer tray which is 100% stainless steel that is of 304 surgical grade. This type of stainless steel contains at least 50% iron and only 0.8% carbon which makes the cooker highly resistant to corrosion. The inner lid is also made of stainless steel and is secured by a silicone center grommet that is non-reactive, high temperature resistant and prevents harmful chemicals from leaking into the food that we prepare. This is good for the health especially for the kids since non-stick coatings are not placed on the surface which helps keeps you and your kids away from the harmful chemicals used for the coatings. It is for this reason that the Oyama 7-cup rice cooker is often called the “healthy cooker”. Since it can cook up to 7 cups of rice (or 14 cups if cooked), it is best for medium to large-sized families.
The Oyama rice cooker operates through 3-dimensional heating mechanism. This means that heat comes from the base, the side and the lid which ensures that rice and other food are uniformly cooked and it also keeps it from getting burned. This 3-dimensional heating feature keeps the rice warm even up to 24 hours. This is way better than other rice cookers whose keep warm cycles last only up to 18 hours.
Just like other rice cookers, the Oyama rice cooker can steam meat, poultry, vegetables and other stuff through its steaming tray. The difference is, the Oyama’s steaming tray is all stainless steel without chemical coating which keeps the food fresh and healthy. It also comes with the usual measuring cup and spatula.
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Aroma Simply Stainless Rice Cooker
The Aroma Stainless 3-cup Rice Cooker is best for a small to medium-sized family since it can prepare from 2 up to 6 cups of rice of any kind. Just like the Oyama variant, the Aroma rice cooker is made from 100% stainless steel with surgical grade 304. It is simple and user friendly since it operates by just a touch and even the Keep-Warm feature is automatic. When the food gets cooked, the Keep Warm function automatically switches on. It also comes with a measuring cup and a serving spatula.
Since it is relatively small, it may be used to cook simple food like soups, steamed fish and vegetables. The removable inner pot is very easy to clean so your children can help you cook and clean up after with your supervision. If you are looking for a no-nonsense stainless steel cooker that comes with a one-touch design, complete with accessories and can give you meal variety, then the Aroma Stainless steel rice cooker is the best choice for you.
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Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-Purpose Cooker
If you are cooking for a family of 4-6 and want a rice cooker that is 100% stainless, then you might consider the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Purpose Cooker. Yes, you heard it right. It’s not only a rice cooker, it also doubles up as slow cooker, pressure cooker, yoghurt marker and, of course, steamer and warmer. You can also do your sauteeing in it. This cooker can be called the Smart Cooker because it has 14 Smart Programs built into it so it can cook rice, soup, bean/chili, meat/stew, porridge, multigrain, meat/stew, yoghurt, jiu niang or sticky rice. It also has the automatic keep-warm function. You can choose from its three temperature setting for your sauteing and slow cooking requirements.
This multi-purpose cooker comes with durable stainless steel cooking pot equipped with a 3-ply bottom, a steamer rack with handle, also stainless steel. So it’s friendly to your family’s health and is in fact given UL and ULC certification and has been proven to have 10 safety mechanisms. It is kitchen friendly and highly energy efficient.
It has a capacity of 12 cups which yields 24 cups of cooked rice, thus, perfect for a big family.
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Zojirushi NHS-10 Rice Cooker
Another stainless steel rice cooker available in the market today is the Zojirushi NHS-10 rice cooker. It can cook up to 6 cups of rice and doubles up as a steamer and warmer. It comes with a steaming tray which is all-stainless steel and a removable non-stick inner cooking pan. It also comes with the usual measuring cup, removable cord and spatula.
It has a transparent glass lid that allows you to check the food as it cooks and durable handles that stays cool throughout the cooking. With the “stay cool feature”, you don’t have to worry that your kids might touch it and get burned. Thus, the cooker is safe to use. The stainless steel steaming tray and non-stick inner cooking pan is very easy to clean. It operates on a one-touch function that sets to keep-warm automatically.
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Tatung Multi-Functional Stainless Steel Rice Cooker
The keyword for this rice cooker variant is multi-functionality. It functions as a rice cooker and steamer at the same time. Plus, you don’t just steam rice in it. You can also use it for other simple cooking tasks like light frying and stewing. The cooking function has different and distinct cooking modes which are perfect for every event. First is the braise mode which is best for light frying. Second is the steam mode which is used for cooking rice and steaming other food and finally the stew mode which is perfect for cooking stews and soups. It is large enough for a big family since you can cook up to 6 cups of rice which is equivalent to 12 cups of cooked rice. This has the same capacity as the ME81 rice cooker by Miracle Exclusives.
It is also made from surgical grade 304 stainless steel so it is chemical-safe. Since it is stainless steel, it is easy to clean and looks new over time even after long usage. It works on indirect heating technology so the entire pot is heated and steamed while cooking. This way, the dishes are uniformly cooked and taste better. There is a Keep Warm On/Off function. To automatically keep warm after cooking, the Keep Warm On should be selected. The cooker comes with an inner pot lid, steam plate, measuring cup and rice spatula.
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The top 5 rice cookers identified have their own advantages and disadvantages. Here is a summary of their in terms of capacity, material type, dimensions, keep warm function and accessories.
Comparisons of the Best Stainless Steel Rice Cookers
Rice Cooker | Capacity | Material | Warm Function | Accessories | Current Price | Our Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 cups | Stainless steel, 304 surgical grade | Automatic | Steamer tray, measuring cup, serving spatula | |||
3 cups | Stainless steel, 304 surgical grade | Automatic | measuring cup, serving spatula | |||
12 cups | Stainless steel | Automatic | Stainless steel steamer rack with handle | |||
6 cups | Stainless steel steam tray, non-stick inner pot | Automatic | measuring cup, removable cord, spatula | |||
6 cups | Stainless steel, 304 surgical grade | Automatic, also comes with Keep Warm Off feature | inner pot lid, steam plate, measuring cup rice spatula |
The Final Verdict
It is not easy to find the best stainless steel rice cookers. There are a lot of options available in the market. If you have a big family, then choose one large enough to cook enough rice or food for everyone. If you want one which keeps your food warm longer, then get one which have that feature. Moreover, if you are thinking about a rice cooker which does not only cook rice, then there are good options for you as well.
With all the available options, deciding on one might be difficult but as the saying goes it is always true that “mothers know best”; therefore, our top choice among the 5 rice cookers would be the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Purpose Cooker. It is great for everyday use and although a little technical for some, it still is a good cooker. Aside from rice, if you do not eat rice a lot, you can use it for cooking other types of food. As a mom, your choice would depend largely on what your family needs. For example, if you want to serve only healthy foods, then it is best to go for stainless steel rice cookers than non-stick ones.