Top 9 Best Brown Rice Cookers 2024 – Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

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For those who give importance to healthy eating habits and their personal fitness, brown rice are an important part of their diet. Also, people who are familiar with kitchens and cooking, know how hard it can be to cook brown rice.

I, for one find it really hard to cook the brown rice myself. So, I turn to the kitchen expert of the house, aka the Mrs. And every time, she asks me to find an alternative to them or stop eating brown rice at all. As someone who loves rice and has been struggling to lose weight, an alternative is not an option.

So, I did the next best thing I could. I went online and ordered a brown rice cooker. Which made things really easy and now I can cook the rice on my own (an accomplishment indeed).

You see, unlike the regular white rice, brown rice has its hull intact. The hard shell makes it difficult to cook them. Unfortunately, the hull is where all the nutrients of the rice lie. That is why it requires more time and water to cook brown rice.

Anyways, I told a couple of like minded people about how easy it was for me to cook brown rice since I bought the cooker. Eventually, I found out that most of those people had also bought them, albeit different brands. Hence, I got an opportunity to test all of them out and share this listicle stating the best brown rice cookers that can be bought online :).

List of Best Brown Rice Cookers in 2024

Let’s look into my favorites in no particular order.

#1. Aroma Housewares Digital Rice Cooker for Brown Rice – Budget Friendly

 

The first one on the list is a digital cooker that provides multi-functionality. From steaming and warming, to slow cooking and saute-then-simmer it can do all this easily. And of course, cooking brown rice is also one of it’s perks.

I personally like it because of its ease of operation. If you can microwave popcorn or heat a TV dinner, you can operate this cooker as well. It comes preprogrammed to perform most of it’s cooking functions with a touch of a button. For those who are even a little familiar with cooking can do wonders with this. I found myself using it mostly for steaming veggies and sauteing them.

Capacity-wise, this cooker can hold cooked rice up to 20 cups. The inner pot that come with it is non-stick. You also get a spatula and a measuring cup out of the box. Oh! You also won’t believe the price it can be bought at. It’s really affordable.

#2. Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) – Editor’s Choice

 

Although a little on the expensive side, this 1.0 liter capacity cooker from Zojirushi comes with their trademarked Micro Computerized Neuro Fuzzy technology. If you are not familiar with this tech, it allows the cooker’s time and temperature to be monitored and controlled by a computer chip.

If measured in cups, it can hold up to only 5.5 cups of rice. While it has a little less of a capacity, it works really well. Once done cooking, it automatically goes to keep warm mode. It’s made of stainless steel and is coated for extra protection. Apart from cooking brown rise, it’s also very convenient for baking cakes and steaming vegetables.

The inside pan is non-stick and easy to wash. One thing that I like the most about it is it’s retractable cord. When you are not using it, the cord stays hidden without getting in your way.

#3. Tiger Corporation JBV-A10U-W 5.5-Cup Micom Rice Cooker

 

Another microchip operated cooker on the list, only this one is from Tiger Corporation. A little cheaper than the last entrant on the list, it works mostly like the Zojirushi cooker.

It comes preprogrammed with four cooking settings that can be used with a single touch of a button. I especially like it’s syncro-cooking feature. Using this feature you can cook your main meal with the rice at the same time. It’s works really well and save you a lot of time. This one also has auto enabled keep warm setting.

It’s small in size and can hold only 5 and a half cups of rice at max. On the positive side, you get a lot of accessories in the box, including a cookbook dedicated to its syncro-cooking feature.

#4. The NS-LGC05XB Cooker from Zojirushi

 

Zojirushi is known for making some of the best brown rice cookers in the world. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you if a couple of its products show up on this list. But the reason for including the NS-LGC05XB on this list is just one, it has multiple rice cooking options. From white and brown rice to sushi and long grain, it can flawlessly cook any type of rice quite easily without ruining their texture.

It has a triple heat generation system that cooks the rice and everything else evenly. It can cook up to 3 cups of short grain rice easily. The quantity can vary for other grain types and sizes.

It also carries some of the common features of Zojirushi cookers like the retractable cord, the detachable inner lid and the beep signal. There’s a removable vent cap under the lid which allows you to cook on high-temperatures without worrying about overflows.

#5. NS-LHC05XT Brown Rice Cooker From Zojirushi

 

Just like the last cooker we mentioned from Zojirushi, this one also comes preprogrammed to cook multiple types of rice with just the touch of a button. It houses the same triple heating system for thorough cooking. The micro computer controlled keep warm feature effortlessly shifts modes when done with cooking to keep the food warm until it’s taken out of the cooker.

You get the same high-quality stainless steel build, making the cooker easy to clean. It has a brown color coating which also makes it appeasing to the eyes. Like most Zojirushi cookers, the inner lid is detachable for washing convenience.

It’s small in size and the inner non-stick pan can only cook up to 3 cups of rice. There’s also a removable vent cap to let the steam out when cooking on higher temperatures. It has an easy carry handle and a retractable cord to take it with you anywhere.

#6. Instant Zest Brown Rice Cooker

 

This one is for those hunting for a brown rice cooker on a budget. It’s affordable and does its job well. The Instant Zest is ideal for cooking brown and white rice, oatmeal and quinoa. It’s automatic and operates with a touch of a button.

It comes with four different smart programs for cooking multiple kinds of grains. It can warm food as well as steam it. The Zest has a capacity of 8 uncooked cups, provided you use the included measuring cup. The inner pot is ceramic coated for better conduction of heat and delivers great results. It’s also easy to clean.

Appearance wise, the Zest is pretty standard looking but it’s really lightweight and easy to handle. Apart from the non-stick, ceramic coated inner pot, a measuring cup, a steam tray and a spatula is included in packaging. With everything said, this one is a real steal for cooking enthusiasts.

#7. 1 Liter Fuzzy Logic Brown Rice Cooker From Panasonic

 

And last, but definitely not the least, is the SR-DF101 brown rice cooker from Panasonic. Made to mimic the Japanese rice cookers, it cooks using the electrical induction technology. The built-in micro computer monitors and adjusts cooking temperatures as needed to deliver consistent and thoroughly cooked food.

It’s automated and operates on a touch of a button, however, lacks an LCD display. The buttons are programmed to cook rice, soup, porridge and steam cook. There’s an added button for the ‘Keep Warm’ function. Like most cookers, the keep warm feature turns on automatically, once it’s done cooking.

Aesthetically, it’s very pleasing and the white body compliments every modern kitchen. You get the usual stuff like a spatula, a measuring cup and a steam tray in the box. Although I got to try the 5 cup variant, you can get it in a larger capacity as well.

How to Pick the Best Brown Rice Cooker – Buying Guide

So, that’s that for the list. Unfortunately, just providing you with a list isn’t enough. You need to understand your requirements, as well as the differences each of the cookers have, to make a sound purchase decision. Don’t worry. This buying guide will help you in clearing most of these things for you.

Budget

First and foremost, you need to decide a budget. Once you have a price range in mind, you have already won half the battle. For instance, if you are looking for a brown rice cooker between the range of $75 to $100, you can ignore everything that falls below it or goes above. A budget can really narrow down your choice, making your decision much easier.

Cooking Capacity

Once you have a range set, you can sort through the options by looking at their cooking capacity and your requirement. If you have a large family, you may need a cooker with a 5 or 8 cups capacity. While for smaller families, even a 3 cups cooking capacity is enough.

Cup Size

When deciding your required capacity, don’t go for a measuring cup that you might have at home. Since almost all rice cookers come with their own measuring cups, the capacity stated on their box is usually according to that accompanying cup and not a regular measuring cup. So, check the available details about the brand you wish to buy, especially the size of the included measuring cup, to ensure you get the capacity you actually require.

Cooking Time

Again, cooking times can vary from brand to brand. Some cookers can actually take more than hour to cook the rice while others are capable of doing it in 20 – 25 minutes. Cooking times can also vary depending upon the heating technology of the cooker used. Also, keep in mind that brown rice, itself, is hard to cook and takes longer than white rice to fully fluff.

Weight

Weight is also an important factor that you need to consider when buying a cooker. If you plan to keep your rice cooker in a fixed spot in your kitchen, going for a heavier one wouldn’t be an issue. However, if you wish to use it at different spots, your dinner table for instance, choosing a lightweight one would be ideal. In any case, the choice of weight will entirely depend upon your individual need.

Steam Cooking Feature

While most cookers provide the steam cooking feature, there are some that don’t. It is a handy feature to have, especially if you like to eat healthy and keep a count of your calories. A cooker without steaming feature is very likely to be cheaper than the one with it. Whether you need it or not can be another factor impacting your decision.

Final Thoughts:

In the end, all the cookers mentioned in this list have different qualities and features. I can’t say that X is better than Y because I’ve tried all of them and they all of different pros and cons. Nonetheless, they all do their job of cooking brown rice, very well. I will say that my favorite was the Zojirushi 1.0 Liter Micom Cooker. But, again, that’s because it serves my needs perfectly and there’s is a likely chance that it wouldn’t be the case with you.

Anyways, I tried to make this list of the best brown rice cookers as detailed and comprehensive as possible. So, I hope you find what you are looking for through this list and the accompanying buying guide. However, if you still have any confusions or want to ask something related to brown rice cooking, leave your thoughts in the comments and I’ll try answer to all of them 🙂 .