The 5 Best Rice Cookers, From a $34 Budget Pick to the Test Winner

Five rice cookers worth buying, picked from America's Test Kitchen's test of 14 cookers and Engadget's side-by-side testing: the best rice, the best value, a small 3-cup pick and a budget cooker under $50.

By Tyler RamirezUpdated November 9, 2026How we pick products

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A rice cooker that costs under $50 will finish white rice faster than a Zojirushi that costs over $200. In Engadget’s testing, the budget Hamilton Beach was done in about 37 minutes and the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy took about 48. The Zojirushi still won America’s Test Kitchen’s test of 14 cookers. That slow, careful cooking is most of what you pay for.

I went through America’s Test Kitchen’s test (50 batches of rice in 14 cookers), Engadget’s side-by-side test and every maker’s spec sheet to get to these five.

Quick comparison

Test results are from America's Test Kitchen (14 cookers, 50 batches) and Engadget's side-by-side testing. Prices are typical November 2026 Amazon prices.

1. Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker: Best rice

Best for: People who make rice a few times a week and want it right every time.

This was America’s Test Kitchen’s winner. It made excellent rice in small batches and big ones, it was easy to clean, and it gives you an audible alert when it’s done. Engadget also praised the rice and the build quality. It holds 5.5 cups of dry rice.

What bugs us: It’s slow. White rice took about 48 minutes in Engadget’s test and brown rice almost two hours, and the quick setting only saved about ten minutes.

Skip it if: you need rice on the table in half an hour. The Hamilton Beach is faster.

2. Toshiba 6-Cup Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker: Best value

Best for: Anyone who wants consistent rice for a lot less than the Zojirushi.

America’s Test Kitchen named it their budget winner because it made evenly cooked rice in all of their tests. It holds 6 cups of dry rice, has seven cooking settings, easy-to-read water lines and keeps rice warm for up to 12 hours.

What bugs us: The handles don’t stay cool, so keep a towel nearby.

Skip it if: you only cook for one or two. The 3-cup Zojirushi is a better size.

3. Cuckoo 6-Cup Micom Rice Cooker: For long-grain rice

Best for: Jasmine and basmati.

Engadget picked it as the best rice cooker for most people, with strong batches of white, brown and basmati. It holds 6 cups of dry rice (12 cooked) and has 11 menu settings.

What bugs us: America’s Test Kitchen got great long-grain rice from it, but short-grain and brown rice came out wet at the recommended water. The lid also springs open hard, and the water lines are hard to read.

Skip it if: you mostly make sushi rice or other short-grain rice.

4. Zojirushi 3-Cup Micom Rice Cooker: For small kitchens

Best for: One or two people, or a small counter.

It holds 3 cups of dry rice and can cook as little as one cup. America’s Test Kitchen recommended it, and their testers got great brown rice from it using a little less water.

What bugs us: You pay Zojirushi prices for a small cooker.

Skip it if: you regularly cook for four or more.

5. Hamilton Beach Digital Rice Cooker: Budget pick

Best for: Decent everyday rice without spending much.

This was Engadget’s best budget rice cooker. White and basmati rice were done in about 37 minutes and brown rice in 51. It has a delay start, a steam and rinse basket, and it holds 4 cups of dry rice (8 cooked).

What bugs us: There’s no fine control over texture, and testers found some browning on the bottom, mostly with brown rice. Letting the rice sit on warm for a while improved the texture.

Skip it if: you want restaurant-quality short-grain rice. Save up for the Toshiba or the Zojirushi.

Our research

We relied on America’s Test Kitchen’s testing (50 batches of rice in 14 cookers, small and large batches, short-grain, long-grain and brown rice) and Engadget’s side-by-side testing of white, brown and basmati rice. We focused on:

• Rice quality across grain types and batch sizes
• Cook time
• Ease of use and cleaning, including how readable the water lines are
• Keep-warm performance

We haven’t tested these ourselves. Prices are typical November 2026 prices and change often. Read more about how we pick products.

The measuring mistake that makes crunchy rice

The little plastic cup in the box isn’t a regular measuring cup. Zojirushi’s cup holds 180 milliliters, about three quarters of a US cup, and the water lines inside the pot are made for that cup. If you scoop with a kitchen measuring cup and fill to the line, you get about a third more rice than the water is meant for, and that’s crunchy rice.

Use the cup that came with your cooker. If you lose it, check the manual for its size, since not every brand uses the same one.

Short answers

Is a fuzzy logic rice cooker worth it? If you make rice often, yes. In testing, the fuzzy logic models from Zojirushi and Toshiba made the most consistent rice.

How long should rice sit on warm? A short rest helps. Engadget found white rice from the Cuckoo and the Hamilton Beach was better after about 30 minutes on warm.