You can get a discount 8 cup rice cooker on Amazon. These devices are cheaper than most Japanese brands and offer pretty good value for money. The issue is that they do not have quite the same level of electronic components. So if you require a Micom rice cooker, then you would be better off with a Zojirushi, Panasonic or other Japanese brand.

However, if you are more interested on saving money on the purchase of your unit then an 8 cup rice cooker makes a great choice. There are a few Western brands to choose from. The machines featured above are produced by Aroma and Cuisinart (then Aroma again).

The beauty of these 8 cup rice cookers is that they are capable of preparing more than just rice. In effect they also have some slow cooker functionality as well. You can make soups, stews and use them to steam vegetables too. For well under $100, these appliances might be the right option for you.

To be honest, I personally prefer the functionality of rice cookers that have the Micom (Micro Computerized) chip. But this sort of device is more expensive than the 8 cup rice cookers pictured above. If you take a look on the Amazon website, you will be able to find out more about their specifications.

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For many people, a stainless steel rice cooker is the most attractive choice. The model that I have myself, the Zojirushi NP-GC05 is this style. For me, they are the most attractive sort that are on sale today. They are really easy to keep clean too.

We have to remember though that as far as their functionality is concerned, they are still just machines for making rice. This is all about the design and styling. Of course, this is something that is very important if you want to leave your machine on display in your kitchen. The best rice cooker is one that not only makes great tasting rice but also looks good.

As always, you can find these machines for sale on the Amazon website at decent prices. Just having the stainless steel styling does not seem to alter the price of the units significantly. Instead, it is the technology that they contain, e.g. Micom, Induction Heating and so on that affects the price to a much greater extent.

The Zojirushi NP-HTC10 is a pretty cool machine. This is in fact the top of the range model sold in the U.S. today. The price of the unit reflects the fact that it is a feature packed model. It includes, Micom, Induction Heating and Pressure Cooking. On top of this, it has a unique stainless steel body. Zojirushi call the coating, stainless brown.

When you look at rice cooker reviews, the main choices that you have are the size of machine as well as the price of the unit. Design is of course a very important issue, but I would personally class this as an item of secondary significance.

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The rice cookers featured on this page are all 3 cup models. These are perfect for students or anyone who likes to make straightforward one pot meals. The 3 cup size is sufficient for a small family and of course couples and people living alone. They are sometimes called single serving rice cookers. If you are looking for a cheap rice cooker then the three above all fit the bill. The Panasonic SRG06FG is a Japanese rice cooker while the Black & Decker RC3303 and Aroma ARC-733G are made by U.S. firms.

One of the models above may well be the best rice cooker for your needs. The quality of the finished rice that they produce may not be quite as high as say a Zojirushi or Tiger machine. However for the amount you are paying, you are getting a very reasonably priced appliance that can cook decent rice. All the machines pictured above are available for less than $30. Visit Amazon for the latest prices. There is not too much of a difference between the quality of rice that these machines can cook. So which one to get comes down to which brand you prefer the look of. The price of these rice steamers is low but some are cheaper than others. You should compare prices of these 3 cup rice cookers before you make your final decision.

Compared to more expensive models there are less settings on the machines to cook different kinds of rice. This does not mean you can’t cook say, brown rice. Rather, if you do want to make anything other than regular white rice, then you will have to experiment a little with the quantity of water that you add. You may find that stirring the rice towards the end of the cooking process helps it to avoid sticking to the base of the cooking bowl.

For those of you looking for the best rice cooker deals then shopping on Amazon may save you a few dollars. They offer some of the best prices online and are usually cheaper than making your purchase at an electrical store.

If you are new to making your own rice then it may be a good idea to start off with a cheaper machine. It might turn out that you decide not to eat rice regularly after all. In which case buying a Zojirushi rice cooker would be a bit of a waste of money. On the other hand, they offer a great introduction to the world of making rice and in the future you may well decide to get a machine with more features.

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The Aroma ARC-733G 3 cup rice cooker is even cheaper than the Aroma ARC-838TC 8 cup rice cooker. It is surely one of the cheapest rice cookers on the market today. Even though it is small, 3 cups is still perfectly adequate for a small family as well as being more than enough for people living on there own. It is a no frills rice cooker that can be used to steam anything you like. The Aroma ARC-733G is well worth checking out if you are on a budget or if you are just beginning to get interested in eating more rice in your diet.

This basic rice cooker from Aroma can cook almost any kind of rice. You simply have to add the number of cups you require and the measure the appropriate amount of water and then turn it unit on. It can be used for a wide range of other types of cooking including homemade soup or stew and can also be used to steam seafood, poultry or vegetables while simultaneously cooking rice thanks to the included wire steam rack. On top of this, it comes with a tempered glass lid with a steam vent which keeps in heat and moisture and allows you to check on food easily.

After switching the Aroma ARC-733G 3 cup rice cooker on there is nothing else to worry about. Once it has finished cooking your rice it automatically switches to keep-warm mode. This keep-warm mode maintains an ideal serving temperature without over-cooking. This may well be the best rice cooker for your needs. It certainly is a very low priced model.

This rice cooker has a cooking bowl that is made of aluminium and is not coated in Teflon as many other cookers do. This may be a good or bad thing depending upon your point of view. Rice will certainly tend to stick more to this type of cooking bowl however for those worried about possible health concerns of Teflon, this may be a more suitable rice cooker for your needs. While rice will stick to the bottom of the pan, this is easy to clean simply by soaking it in water.

The  Aroma ARC-733G comes with a measuring cup, rice spatula as well as a wire rack for steaming. At under $20 this really is a bargain U.S. made machine. Even though it is not a Japanese rice cooker I still feel it is worth writing this review.

Despite this site being primarily about Japanese rice cookers we also want to provide as complete information as we can. So with that in mind we want to mention the Aroma ARC-838TC rice cooker which in not actually Japanese but is manufactured by the Aroma Housewares Company based in San Diego. This is a great rice cooker if you want to start eating more rice but do not want to buy an expensive appliance. This is a basic model BUT to cook plain brown or white rice it has all the functionality you need.

This rice cooker from Aroma is a fairly large model that can cook up to 8 cups of rice at one time. This is enough to feed about 12 people. If you do not need a rice cooker this size, you could instead buy an Aroma ARC-733G which is a 3 cup rice cooker. The Aroma ARC-838TC certainly looks more basic than many of the top of the range Japanese rice cookers. However you have to ask yourself how much functionality you really need. My Zojirushi rice cooker has settings for normal rice, a speed cook setting, rice porridge and one for rice with red beans as well as a warming setting that can be used to keep the rice ready to be eaten for up to 12 hours. After living in Japan for over 5 years, I have only actually used the first of the cooking settings and the warming functionality.

U.S. made Aroma ARC-838TC rice cooker

The Aroma ARC-838TC appears to have just the basic options of cooking and warming. For me, that’s all I really need. So before going out and splashing over $100 on a luxury rice cooker, think about a cheaper model from a U.S. company and consider buying an Aroma ARC-838TC rice cooker. At under $35 they are a very affordable entry model into the world of rice cooking. You can find a host of cheap rice cookers on Amazon. They are a great place to find the best price.

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