Kitchen

Rice cooker

A small appliance that cooks rice by itself and keeps it warm afterwards. With many models you can steam vegetables or fish in a basket on top at the same time.

Rice and water in, press the button, done. You don't have to stand next to it: with the right amount of water nothing boils over, and at Stiftung Warentest nothing burned on in any of the cookers. Once the water has been absorbed, it switches to keep-warm by itself. So the rice waits for you, not you for the rice.

saves effortsaves time
My recommendation Yum Asia Tsuki Mini Price range: Mid-range
See price on Amazon* All 2 price ranges

* Advertising link

What it takes off your hands

How much effort you save
Before
With a rice cooker
Rice in a pot
  • Stand next to it so nothing boils over
  • Burnt at the bottom, still hard on top
  • Soak the pot and scrub it
With a rice cooker
  • Rice and water in, press the button
  • It switches to keep-warm by itself
  • Give the coated pot a quick rinse
Right for you if …
  • You like eating rice and eat it often
  • You want rice that turns out equally good every time
  • You want to steam vegetables at the same time or get on with something else
To be honest
  • Many cookers are slower than a pot: at Stiftung Warentest they took 13 minutes to a good hour, depending on the model, the rice and the amount. But you don't have to stand next to it during that time
  • It needs some space on the worktop or in the cupboard
  • A thin crust often forms at the bottom. With good cookers it stays light, with weaker ones it turns brownish

Which model is right for you?

One recommendation for each price range, plus good alternatives from other brands. You can see the current price on Amazon.

My recommendation
Mid-range

Yum Asia Tsuki Mini

  • Fuzzy logic: it adjusts heat and time to the rice by itself
  • 7 programmes, for example for long-grain, sushi and brown rice, porridge and slow cooking
  • With a timer of up to 24 hours, then it keeps the rice warm
  • Stylish matt look in white or grey, with a ceramic inner pot

For singles and couples. My tip, because I own it myself and think it's great. It also looks really stylish, and you can choose between two colours.

To be honest

It's small: up to 2.5 measuring cups of rice, enough for 1 to 2 people. According to the manufacturer, white rice takes about 30 to 40 minutes. You wash the ceramic pot by hand.

See price on Amazon*

* Advertising link

Also good
  • Cosori rice cooker (CRC-R501)*Also good at Stiftung Warentest (issue 5/2026), with a steamer basket and lots of programmes. But slow: in the test it took 43 to 68 minutes.

* Advertising link

Premium

Yum Asia Bamboo

  • Heats by induction: the pot itself gets hot, not just a heating plate underneath. That spreads the heat more evenly
  • Pot with a ceramic coating
  • Lots of programmes for types of rice, plus steaming, slow cooking and baking
  • Test winner at ETM Testmagazin (very good, issue 1/2024)

For you if you eat rice very often and want the best.

To be honest

Stiftung Warentest didn't test it. According to ETM Testmagazin, it could keep the rice warm better. Honestly, for most people the mid-range is more than enough.

See price on Amazon*

* Advertising link

Is it worth it in euros, too?

This product mainly saves you effort. If you want to know what it's worth in euros and minutes, open the calculator.

Open the calculator

Questions and answers

How much water do I add?

Lines inside the pot show you. You measure the rice with the cup that comes with it and pour in water up to the matching line. Stick to that and it's right almost every time.

Do I have to wash the rice first?

Yes, a quick rinse is worth it: then it sticks less and is less likely to boil over. Tip it into a sieve and rinse it with cold water until the water is almost clear.

Can I cook vegetables or fish in it too?

Yes, if your appliance has a steamer basket. Almost all do, the Tsuki Mini doesn't. It goes on top of the pot, and on many cookers vegetables or fish steam in it while the rice cooks below. Whether the vegetables stay crisp depends on the cooker: at Stiftung Warentest, only six cookers managed crisp green broccoli (issue 5/2026).

How long can the rice stay warm?

Not too long. Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment advises eating food that is kept warm no later than three hours after cooking, and it should stay above 65 degrees. Put leftovers in the fridge quickly and eat them within a day. Cooked rice shouldn't sit around lukewarm, or germs can grow.

Is the coating safe?

On most cookers, yes. But Stiftung Warentest found that much more aluminium leaches out of the coating on two rice cookers from Reishunger than on the other cookers, even though the limit is met (issue 5/2026). So I don't recommend those. Whatever the cooker: no metal spoons and no scouring pads, so that the coating lasts a long time.

Does rice from a rice cooker taste better?

It depends on the cooker. A rice cooker controls the heat itself and switches to keep-warm as soon as the water has been absorbed. But not every cooker does this well: at Stiftung Warentest only 6 of 13 rice cookers cooked rice well, including the two test winners (issue 5/2026). Nothing burned on in any of them.

More helpers for more free time

Instead of a frying pan and the oven Air fryer with two baskets Off to the sofa, and almost no washing-up afterwards. View
Instead of capsules and coffee to go Bean-to-cup coffee machine Freshly ground coffee and cappuccino at the push of a button, with no capsules at all. View
Instead of stirring at the stove Food processor with cooking function It stirs and cooks for you. You do something else. View
Instead of kneading by hand Stand mixer for kneading and mixing It kneads and mixes for you. Your hands are free. View

See all 19 helpers