Browse More Cheap Rice Cookers

For those of you searching for the cheapest rice cooker, the Rival RC61 is it. Would you believe that you can buy this product for around $10? That is an outrageous price for a kitchen appliance that you can use to cook decent rice. You can read customer reviews for this product on the Amazon website. This is the place where you can buy the Rival RC61 for the lowest price. It is a simple electrical rice cooker and does not have the fancy Micom component that more expensive models like the Zojirushi NS-LAC05 has and indeed the quality of the rice is makes is not quite as good. But if you are keen to save money while getting a machine that can make reasonable rice then this may well be the machine for you.

When you compare the Rival RC61 with Micom rice cookers, one of the main differences is that you have to do a little bit more “cooking” with the cheapest machines. If you have a Micom device on the other hand, the Micro Computer chip controls the cooking process leaving you free to do other things. One thing that cheap rice cookers are really good for is making risotto and hot pot style dishes. This is because they have a glass lid which makes it easy to see what is going on inside. You can read about other cheap rice cooker models here.

If you want to purchase one of the cheapest rice cookers then a good place to start is Amazon. Why not compare prices and find one that is right for you. Did you know that Panasonic, a Japanese company, makes rice cookers that are on sale for under $30?

Typically this sort of machine has a simple on/off switch. When your rice is ready they automatically flick to the off position. Some cheaper models have a keep warm function while others do not. However, to be honest, it does not really matter if they have this feature or not because with it, your rice dries out quite quickly. More expensive machines on the other hand have a more sophisticated keep warm feature. With the cheapest rice cookers, it is best to eat your rice soon after it has finished cooking.

Browse all 3 cup rice cookers

My own personal opinion is that the Zojirushi NP-GBC05 is the best 3 cup rice cooker that is sold in North America. Now I must admit, I am biased. I actually own this device myself. However, since I live in Japan it is called a NP-GD05. You can read more about my rice cooker by following that link. Briefly, if you buy a Zojirushi NP-GBC05, the only difference between it and my machine is that the Japanese version has a retractable power cord while the American model has a detachable cable. And of course, the U.S. and Canadian machine has English buttons while mine are Japanese. So in this Zojirushi NP-GBC05 review I will discuss why it is the best rice cooker I have ever owned. Currently I am on to my third Zojirushi.

Firstly, if you have a family or will be regularly making rice for more than three people then perhaps this model will be a bit to small. You could read a Zojirushi NP-HBC10 review for details of a comparable 5 1/2 cup machine. The NP-GBC05 is the perfect size of you live alone or with your partner. Admittedly, it can actually prepare rice for up to five people but I like to make more than I need so that there will be left overs that I can freeze or take to work for lunch the following day. One of my current favorites is Jambalaya which I discovered on the Zojirushi website. I just half all the measurements and this makes enough for a very large dinner or two meals. The NP-GBC05 can be used for much more than cooking plain rice. But it has to be said that it makes great tasting white and brown rice. The white rice is succulent and the brown is much more palatable than any brown rice I have ever eaten before.

Technically, this is the highest quality 3 cup rice cooker in the Zojirushi range and I would argue, the best 3 cup rice cooker available outside of Japan. Of course it features Micom technology. However, this is not all. It also has their Induction Heating system. My previous two rice cookers were Micom but just had a standard heating element. So although the rice was good quality, the Induction Heating makes a noticable difference to the taste and texture of the rice. It is hard to describe. The rice comes out soft but still has bite to it. Simply put, it makes the best rice I have ever eaten. To be honest, living in Japan, eating out is economical and delicious. But now with my new Zojirushi NP-GD05, I am quite happy to cook for myself. And indeed this is actually saving me money on my food costs. This is an important point to consider. Yes, if you buy a Zojirushi NP-GBC05 it will be quite expensive. This unit costs well over $200. But over time you are likely to make savings on your food bill. So if you look at it as an investment rather than an expenditure, it becomes a more attractive purchase.

If you are interested in the NP-GBC05 or simply want to compare it against other machines then you can check out their prices on Amazon. They are known for having the best prices available online. This is definitely the best rice cooker for those of you who live alone and want to make your own great tasting rice based meals.

3 Cup rice cookers · 5 1/2 Cup rice cookers · 10 Cup rice cookers

Browse rice cookers by size or price

Under $25 · $25 – $100 · From $100

If you are trying to find out if a large or small rice cooker is better. Or are asking yourself “Does the larger Zojirushi induction rice cooker cook better than the smaller one?” Then hopefully I can help.

First of all, size of rice cooker alone does not determine how well it will cook your rice. Of course, the quality of the rice cooker you use will have a large bearing on how well your rice will be cooked. So if you can afford to get one, you should definitely try to get a Micom rice cooker. What does Micom mean? It is a type of rice cooker that is Micro Computerized. This means that the rice cooker itself takes care of things like how long to cook your rice for as well as the exact temperature at which it cooks. Then if you can afford an Induction Heating machine the rice will taste even better. Having owned both regular Micom machines and now an Induction Heating rice cooker I can tell you that the difference in taste and texture is noticeable. The only issue is that it does cost quite a bit more.

How to get the best tasting rice

As I have said above, a bigger rice cooker does not mean you will get better rice. What matters is the quality of the rice cooker you use as well as the quality of the actual rice you are cooking. But, say you have two rice cookers that are technologically identical such as the Zojirushi NP-GBC05 and the Zojirushi NP-HBC18 but different in size, the first is a 3 cup cooker while the second is a 10 cup machine, and you cook just 1 cup of rice, I would argue that the smaller machine will give you better quality cooked rice. Obviously, with a smaller machine you are limited to making 3 cups maximum.

Now, this is not to say that smaller rice cookers are better than larger ones. The most important point to bear in mind is that you should aim to cook at least 1/3 of your rice cooker’s capacity to ensure that the rice it makes tastes as good as possible. From owning both 3 cup and 5 1/2 cup rice cookers I can say with confidence that only cooking 1 cup definitely comes out better in the smaller rice cooker.

If you need help choosing one, there are a host of rice cooker reviews on this site that will be of interest and can help you choose the perfect device for your kitchen.

Browse all 3 cup rice cookers

To find a Zojisurhi NP-GBC05 for sale is easy. There are many places that sell this cooker online, for example Amazon. To be honest, they are a great place to start looking. Often they offer the lowest price so they are a good benchmark if you are trying to find the cheapest machine.

The Zojirushi NP-GBC05 is their premium rice cooker, in the 3 cup range, sold in the United States and Canada today. There literally is no better machine in the 3 cup rice cooker range. This is as good as it gets. If you need a larger size, you may want to buy a Zojirushi NP-HBC10 instead. A 3 cup machine is perfect for small families, couples and those of you living alone. It allows you to cook as little as 1/2 a cup of rice. I have owned both 3 cup and 5.5 cup rice cookers and to be honest have never needed to cook more than 3 cups in either of them so for me, I prefer the smaller machines.

It has a load of different cooking cycle settings. The NP-GBC05 is the only 3 cup rice cooker that I am aware of that has a special GABA brown setting. The allows you to prepare a supposedly healthier brown rice but it does take a long time. The rice is soaked for 2 hours at 104°F. This is supposed to activate the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which occurs naturally in brown rice so that we can get even more health benefits from eating it.

There are many different Zojirushi rice cookers for sale so it can be hard to decide which one to select. I put my money where my mouth is because I actually use the Japanese version of this machine, the NP-GD05. The good news for me is that rice cookers in Japan are cheaper than in North America.

The NP-GBC05 is a dream to use. When you have finished making your rice it is easy to clean up when you are done. All the sections that you need to clean are removable, e.g. the inner lid and the steam vent as well as the cooking bowl of course. Because the cooking bowl is coated with a non-stick material I always like to let it cool down fully before washing it. In fact, once it has cooled down and dried out, it is easy to simply wipe out the remains of the rice with some dry kitchen paper. Then wash it in warm soapy water and you are done.

The cheapest place that I have found to purchase a Zojirushi NP-GBC05 online is through Amazon. They offer great deals and are well known for their safe and reliable ordering system.

Click an image to buy now

To find the cheapest Zojirushi Rizo rice cooker it is a good idea to compare the best price you can find with that on Amazon. They offer some of the lowest prices online and when you combine this with their reputation it is no surprise that so many shoppers trust them.

The Zojirushi Rizo rice cooker and warmer is a 3 cup machine. It looks different from their normal rice cooking appliances. This is because it was designed by an award winning product designer called Toshiyuki Kita. It is a very easy machine to use because it makes use of simple one touch cooking options. You cannot actually cook as many different varieties of rice as other Zojirushi rice cookers. But it has a risotto setting which is unique to the Rizo. It also has settings for plain white rice, sushi rice and a steamer cycle. It also comes with a special steaming rack so that you can prepare vegetables the healthiest way.

When you buy a Zojirushi rice cooker there are some features that you come to expect. The Rizo is no different in this regard. It has a detachable inner lid, a sperical non-stick inner cooking bowl and keep warm functionality. As you can see from the images above, it is available in three different colors. The Rizo comes with a non-stick rice spatula, a spatula stand and a rice measuring cup.

The Rizo rice cooker model numbers are NS-XAC05 (stainless steel) and NS-XBC05 (white and yellow). They are Micom rice cookers which means that they are Micro Computerized. They also make use of Zojirushi’s Fuzzy Logic technology which helps to ensure that every rice grain is cooked equally.

This is one of the simplest Zojirushi rice cookers to use and is perfect for making enough rice for up to five people at once. If you are searching for the lowest price Rizo, we recommend shopping on Amazon.

Browse the full range here

The cheapest Panasonic rice cooker is their SRG06FG 3.3-Cup Automatic Rice Cooker. This machine is available for a very reasonable price. There are in fact machines made by other manufacturers such as Aroma and Black & Decker that are even cheaper. However if you buy a Panasonic SRG06FG you are getting a Japanese rice cooker rather than one from an American company. Due to the fame of the Japanese electronics industry and the fact that people in Japan eat rice every day and therefore require the best appliances available, the best rice cookers come from that country.

This Panasonic rice cooker is admittedly a very simple model. It does not have the fancy electrical components nor the sleek design of many other Japanese machines. However it is a fraction of the price of units such as the Zojirushi NS-TGC10 or the Sanyo ECJ-PX50S. These are more appropriate choices for people who have more money to spend and demand a machine that can cook a range of different styles of rice. Also, it is only really worth buying a more expensive rice cooker if you plan on using it regularly. If it ends up just sitting on your kitchen counter then it would be a waste of money to do get one.

What I like about the SRG06FG is that it can easily be used to make hot pot style dishes too. This is not so easily the case with a more expensive model. This is because the Panasonic cooker has a glass lid that you can just lift off to give your food a stir. Also the fact that you can see into the cooker without having to take the lid off makes it an appropriate choice for anyone who wants a rice cooker to make more than just rice. As already mentioned, this is a basic rice steamer. It would be a good machine for a student. It is easy to make up your own hot pot recipes. Just chuck in some things that you like, flick the switch to on and see what happens. There is nothing like a bit of experimentation in the kitchen. This kitchen appliance would be perfect for anyone living alone, couples and even small families. If you have more than five or six people to feed then the Panasonic SRG06FG would probably be a bit too small for your needs.

It is simple to operate. It has an on/off switch with an automatic shut off when the rice has finished cooking. Even though it does not have specific settings for different kinds of rice, this does not prevent you from using it to make whatever type of rice you want. It comes with a measuring scoop so you just add the amount you require. Then as with any rice cooker it is best to wash your rice before cooking. You do not have to but it makes for a better final product. Then add the appropriate amount of water. This is easy, you just add the water up to the line equaling the number of cups of rice you added. So two cups means you have to fill up the cooking bowl to the line marked two. Brown rice may require a bit more, just use your discretion.

Three tips to help your rice have a better texture and taste great are:

1. Wash the rice in the cooking bowl before you start cooking – you can find out how to wash rice here.
2. When you have cleaned your rice and added the water to the pan, let it sit for between 10 minutes and half an hour, then start cooking.
3. After the machine switches itself off let it sit for a little while, 10-15 minutes or so, and then serve.

These tips will help you get the best out of this budget rice cooker.

Other rice cookers in this class include the Black & Decker RC3303 3-Cup Automatic Rice Cooker and the Aroma ARC-733G 3-Cup Pot-Style Rice Cooker and Food Steamer. If you want something larger then it might be worth considering the Aroma ARC-838TC 8-Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer.

buy a Micom NS-LAC05 · buy a Micom NS-VGC05

When we look at the price of these two Zojirushi rice cookers we can see that you will pay a bit less if you buy a NS-VGC05 Micom cooker. If cost is the most important factor then this may be a better choice to make. However if you really want to save money then there are cheaper rice cookers made by Aroma and Black & Decker. However we will assume that you are interested in one of the best rice cookers. Zojirushi are the biggest seller of these machines in Japan which is a massive endorsement for their products. There are differences between the Zojirushi NS-LAC05 and the NS-VGC05 which I shall now outline.

As you can see from the pictures above they look completely different. One has a stainless steel finish while the other a beige plastic outer shell. Both of the machines have detachable inner lids which is a feature I am really keen on. It makes it so easy to clean the cooker after use. The Micom NS-LAC05 has a color LCD display whereas the other model has a standard LCD screen. They have slightly different settings as well. If you want to make cakes in your rice cooker then the NS-VGC05 is the one to go for or you could buy a NS-TGC10 which is a larger version of the NS-LAC05 as the larger one also has a cake cooking setting. But to cook brown rice you want to go for the NS-LAC05. The NS-VGC05 can also handle rinse-free rice where as the other model does not have a specific setting for this.

Both of these rice cookers are available on Amazon. You can check out more customer reviews on that site. Personally I prefer the Micom NS-LAC05 because of the way it looks and the option to cook brown rice. If you want a 3 cup rice cooker with even more options you could get a NP-GBC05. This model uses Induction Heating instead of Fuzzy Logic technology like the two devices above. It really depends how much you are prepared to spend. With Zojirushi, you really do get what you pay for. All their machines are top quality and whichever one you go for you will be more than satisfied.

Read customer reviews on Amazon

When you compare prices for the Zojirushi Micom NS-LAC05 3 cup rice cooker you will find that Amazon offer one of the lowest prices. If you are looking for a top quality reasonably priced model, then this may be perfect for your needs. A feature of this kitchen appliance is that it has a spherical inner cooking pot. This means that the rice should be heated more evenly. The end result is that the rice that comes out always tastes great. The cooking bowl has a non-stick coating so cleaning it after use is easy. Once you have scooped out all your rice let it cool and allow the remains to dry out completely. Then simply wipe with a piece of kitchen paper. This should be enough to remove most of the “rice paper” covering that remains. Then simply soak in warm soapy water for a little while and the rest is easy. The inner lid also comes off making it easy to clean this part too.

The Zojirushi Micom NS-LAC05 is a three cup rice cooker and is the perfect size for singles, couples and small families. It makes enough rice for 4 or 5 people when filled to capacity. When you buy a Zojirushi micom rice cooker you get a machine that is rated as a 5 star appliance on Amazon with about 200 customer reviews. Having a maximum score after so many customers have added comments goes to show that it is impressing a lot of people. For me Zojirushi produce the best rice cookers. They are good value for money but this does not mean that they are necessarily cheap. The micro computer chip set inside this machine gives it the capability to make small temperature adjustments as your rice is cooking.

You can read a further Zojirushi Micom NS-LAC05 rice cooker review here.

Buy now from Amazon

3 cup Micom · 5.5 cup Micom

To find out where to buy a Zojirushi Micom rice cooker you have come to the right place. If you want to find the lowest price Zojirushi machines then you should compare prices on Amazon. We recommend Amazon because they provide a fast and efficient service with some of the best prices available online. Also as they are such a reputable company you can be confident that they will provide an excellent service. There are a variety of Zojirushi Micom rice cookers. The two pictured above are very similar. The main difference is that they are different sizes. The smaller machine, the NS-LAC05, is a 3 cup rice cooker while the larger of the two is a 5.5 cup device. 3 cup rice cookers are perfect for people living alone, couples and small families (up to about 4 members). The NS-TGC10 is better suited for people who often hold dinner parties or those with families. Further the NS-TGC10 5.5 cup rice cooker is large enough to cook things like cakes as well.

As these machines are made by the Japanese electronics manufacturer Zojirushi their high quality is guaranteed. They both feature Zojirushi’s advanced Neuro Fuzzy logic technology. This gives the rice cookers a mind of their own. What this means in practice is that as the machines cook the rice they can make tiny adjustments to the temperature so that the rice will not burn and will come out perfectly each and every time that you use the machine. Micom rice cookers have a detachable inner lid. This is great as far as cleaning up is concerned. Rather than just giving the inside a wipe which is all you can do when the inner lid does not come out, you are able to ensure that the inner section gets cleaned completely when you wash it by hand. When you buy a Zojirushi Micom rice cooker, also included in the package is a special rice measuring cup, a non-stick spatula and a spatula holder that attaches to the rice steamer. Their design is very attractive and they have a stainless steel finish. This means that they are able to fit into most kitchen designs comfortably. The cooking bowl is extra thick which helps longevity.

The two rice cookers featured in this article are the basic Micom models. If you want something a bit more advanced you could buy a Zojirushi NP-GBC05 which features their Induction Heating system. It is the best rice cooker in the single serving range. This machine is double the price of the 3 cup machine pictured above but it is able to make even tastier rice.

Hopefully this review of these two kitchen appliances has been useful. If you want to buy a Zojirushi Micom rice cooker check out Amazon.com for some of the lowest online prices.