Rice cookers have been around for a long time. Rice cookers are one of the most versatile appliances that we have in our kitchens, and they are very useful kitchen appliances that make work easier for us when it comes to cooking rice.
Many adjustments have been made to make sure that the rice cookers are able to serve you well and make you that steamy nice smelling rice you have always wanted every day, with just a push a button.
Other adjustments that have been made include the invention of the small rice cookers. These rice cookers have been around for a while now, and they have helped us a lot. They are mostly popular with people who are single or a small couple. They really are quite a life saver, and they will also save you a lot of cash in the process as they are cheap and affordable in the market.
First, let’s get to know the popular sizes of rice cookers.
Popular sizes of rice cookers
Rice cookers come in different shapes and sizes. We have rice cookers that range from the 12-cup rice cookers to the 2-cup rice cookers. You should not buy a rice cooker with a larger unit than you need since the only thing you need is rice and water. In the same sense, you should prevent yourself from purchasing a rice cooker that you are sure won’t make enough rice to cover your needs. That is why most people choose the 10 and 3-cup rice cookers.
Some rice cookers are known to be large rice cookers, others are known to be medium rice cookers and others are known to be small rice cookers. All of them perform the same function of cooking rice, and they all do it in the same way. The only difference is the number of cups that each can cook. Here is how many cups each of these rice cookers can cook;
- Small rice cookers: 3-6 cups
- Medium rice cookers: 6-10 cups
- Large rice cookers: 12+ cups
The purpose of each rice cooker is different. The most commonly used in most homes are the medium rice cookers which can cook from 6 to 10 cups of rice. The large rice cookers are used in big families and gatherings too though they are not that common. The small rice cookers are for individuals and maybe a small number of people.
Sometimes we just need a small rice cooker. This is for many reasons, but sure enough, they work very well too.
When should you buy a small rice cooker?
Small rice cookers have become common too in the market. Not everyone needs the medium sized or the extra large-sized rice cooker in this case. Choosing between a small rice cooker and a medium rice cooker is a very tricky situation. In this case, the large-sized rice cooker is only used when there are many people, like in gatherings or in large families.
Here is a perfect example of when you should consider buying a small rice cooker;
Small number of people
If you know that there are few people eating the rice, it is advisable for you to buy a small rice cooker. A small number of people ranges from 1 to around 3 people. A rice cooker that can cook 3 to 6 cups of rice can surely serve you well.
Want to save
If you know that you would like to save some money, I think the small rice cooker will be a great fit for you. One thing, it is cheaper than the medium and larger rice cookers.
If you live alone
I guess that this should come obvious to you. If you live alone, the small rice cooker will be a perfect fit for you. It will save you the extra money and still at the same time, make your rice the way you want it.
Top 3 Best Small Rice Cookers to Buy in 2020
#Oster 6-Cup Rice Cooker with Steamer
This is a rice cooker that has descended from the line of the Oster rice cookers which range from the large rice cookers to the small rice cookers. This rice cooker is a 6 cup rice cooker, and it does the job perfectly.
For one thing, it is easy to operate and it has a simple look which takes away the difficulty in operating it. This is an added advantage as you won’t have to always keep on referring to the manual whenever you want to operate it. It is made up of a very great material which is not used by some other types of rice cookers, and this gives it a thumb up.
Other rice cooker models tend to offer plastic pots. When it comes to the Ouster rice cooker, they have implemented it with an inner pot that is completely made of metal. This is accompanied with a very good-looking glass lid that has a steaming vent in it. In short, the design of the Oster rice cooker is modest just to say the least.
Its outer shell’s design isn’t that sleek as the more expensive rice cookers, but it is still quite a good catch as it also comes in either a red or a black color. It, being called a 6 cup rice cooker means that it can hold 3 cups of uncooked rice, which will yield itself into 6 cups of fully cooked rice. This all depends on the type of rice that you are cooking as some will turn into fewer cups of rice or a bit more. This makes it very suitable to be used by a small number of people, maybe five people or less.
The rice cooker can warm and cook rice as well as other foods like soups, fondue and other types of foods. Cooking with it is very simple as the controls are straight and direct. It has a switch which is used by just pressing a button. It has small graphics, which tend to show you whether the food is cooking, or if it is just warming. Unplugging the unit will shut the rice cooker off, that is when the food is ready.
#Aroma 3-Cup Digital Cool Touch Mini Rice Cooker
3 cups is really a small amount of rice to be cooked. Hence this rice cooker serves to its name. It is able to hold 1.5 cups of uncooked rice and later on you will get 3 cups of cooked rice, and it all depends on the type of rice that you are cooking, as some will give you a small amount of rice and others a larger amount of rice. All in all, this is a great fit if you don’t need that much rice, and you only need a few cups of rice in your meal, or even if you live alone it will be able to satisfy you.
The working mechanism for this cooker is quite easy yet very effective as it delivers outstanding results. It has an inbuilt thermometer. Its function is to detect whether the rice water that is being absorbed by the rice in the cooker has reached boiling point.
When the water reaches a boil, the rice cooker is set to switch the temperatures to a temperature that ensures that the food is kept warm but not boiling. This is due to the fact that this rice cooker keeps the food between 10 to 20 degrees above and below the recommended food temperature which is 140. This proves that your race is safe when it is in the hands of the Aroma 3 cup rice cooker.
The cooking pot of this rice cooker is non-stick hence it is easy to clean as the rice won’t stick on its surface after it is cooked, and it is also well-equipped with a lid that is very easy to remove. The pot of the rice cooker is also safe to be washed in a dishwasher.
To cook using this rice cooker you only have to add 1.5 cups of rice into the cooking pot and then add the required amount of water. All you have to do from then on is to ensure that the rice cooker is plugged into the socket, and then you just push a button, and the rice will start to cook. Quite easy to use yet very effective.
#Oyama Traditional Rice Cooker-Warmer
This is a small yet very great and efficient rice cooker. It is a product from the Oyama company in China. The rice cooker is only 2.5 pounds heavy and hence moving it around is not considered a heavy task at all. It is of an average size, and this gives it the ability to easily fit on the top of your counter table without the need of extra space.
The Oyama rice cooker’s exterior is made up of stainless steel. This is very effective as it is easier to clean. Apart from that, the stainless steel gives it a quite modern look. Then it also has a white color which makes it fit quite well with your kitchen.
It has a cooking bowl which is non-stick. This makes it easier for you to clean it as the rice while not stick onto the surface of the cooking bowl after it has been cooked. The cooking bowl has a fitting lid which is made of glass and it also has a white handle which gives it a majestic look.
This rice cooker cooks 3 cups of rice. What this means is that, if you place 3 cups of uncooked rice in it and add some water, which is double the number of cups of rice, you will get 6 cups of rice as the end result. This might vary as some types of rice can end up producing more rice and others less rice. It all depends on the type of rice. Cooking the rice is very easy as it is done by pushing a button on the rice cooker and everything else is automatic as it also turns itself off when the rice has cooked.
The Oyama 3 cup small rice cooker also has some extra features that are quite impressive. It comes with a steamer which is usually already inbuilt into the rice cooker. After the food has been cooked, the rice cooker turns into the keep warm functionality. This enables the cooker to keep the food warm. In this outstanding rice cooker, the food can be kept warm for more than over 24 hours, which is quite a great feature for a small rice cooker and at its price too.
What to note about small rice cookers
Surely, everyone has a size of a rice cooker that is meant for you. In this article, we have discussed the small rice cooker, and also we have given reasons as to why you might need it. Note that those are not the only reasons as some of us might need the rice cooker for various reasons. Otherwise, you can buy the rice cooker and enjoy them as they are sure to serve you the best rice. Get your best small rice cooker!!!
Hello,
This is a nice blog, like it. Thanks for sharing the great article about rice cooker.
Thanks,