Cooking rice is boring and time-consuming and not all of us have the patience to deal with it. If you’re one of those people who under or overcook their rice every time, then rice cookers are your ultimate savior.
No matter if you’re cooking short or medium-grain white or brown rice, both demand undivided attention. However, each category needs a different cooker or one that cooks all types of rice. Thanks to technology today, you can spend that time and attention elsewhere and let the rice cookers effortlessly do that job for you. The best rice cookers for brown rice cook the most flavorful, plump, and perfect grains of rice. The cooking time varies from machine to machine. Instant cookers may cook the rice within 15 minutes while others may take 30-90 minutes at max. The following is a list of our best picks for rice cookers for brown rice so check the review and find the best one for yourself.
Which are the best Best Rice Cookers for Brown Rice ?
- Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
- Aroma Housewares Cooker
- Instant Pot Zest
- Zojirushi NS-LHCO5
- Toshiba TRCS01
- Moss and Stone Multi-cooker
- CUCKOO CRP-P0609S
- Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Rice Cooker
- COMFEE Rice Cooker
- Aroma ARC-994SB
1. Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
- Capacity: 3 Quarts
- Power: 700W
- Program: 11 Automatic Programs
- Material: Stainless Steel
This electric pressure cooker will provide you with 7 functions in a single pot. It works as a pressure cooker, sauté pot, slow cooker, rice cooker, and even more. The cooker can perform both as an instant and slow cooker.
It is a great choice for cooking rice apart from broth, soup, meat, and vegetables, etc. We consider this cooker an amazing option as it can entertain a variety of rice such as white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, wild rice, risotto rice, etc.
The cooker has the perfect amount of temperature and moisture detection that allows it to cook different varieties of rice. The warmer function helps to keep rice warm for as long as you want/until serving.
It can house up to 6 cups of uncooked rice which means you can have 12 cups of cooked rice just with the touch of a button. The cooker also features a 24hr delay timer that is super convenient for when you need fresh food ready after you come back from a long day at work. Overall, this cooker is a great option to cook brown rice.
2. Aroma Housewares Cooker
- Capacity: 2 Quarts
- Power: 450W
- Program: 4 Preset Functions
- Material: Stainless Steel
This cooker is predominantly a rice cooker, however, it still performs well for cooking other nutritious meals as well. This versatile cooker boasts a dozen functions that help you make endless meal varieties in nearly half the usual time.
It makes the perfect, restaurant standard rice and can fit nearly 2 to 8 cups of rice. This cooker has specialized functions for brown rice separately. Also, the Flash Rice function of the cooker cuts the cooking time up to 50%.
In addition, there’s an automatic keep-warm function that activates right after the rice is cooked. Apart from all this, the cooker is an amazing option for oatmeal, chili, jambalaya, soups, and many more things.
The steamer tray is yet another thing that we admire about this cooker; You can steam vegetables or meat on top of your rice and save yourself lots of time.
It has a 15-hour delay function and also provides you with the option of slow cooking, or sauté then simmer STS that results in tasty and nutritious meals.
3. Instant Pot Zest
- Capacity: 2 Quarts
- Power: 120W
- Program: 4 Smart Programs
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic
This one is a rice cooker in its true sense as it has been designed specifically for that. This cooker does not function as a pressure cooker, instead works as a rice/grain cooker as well as a steamer. Te cooker not only makes cooking convenient and less time-consuming but also gives great value for money.
It features 4 smart programs that are perfect for cooking brown rice, white rice, quinoa, and oatmeal. It renders great results in terms of cooking brown rice. The rice grains are the right amount of fluffy and soft within minutes.
In addition to that, the cooker also allows you to steam veggies, fish, dumplings, tamales, cabbages, wontons, and many other things which means that you can prepare not only rice but an entire meal in this instant cooker.
The cooker features a delay start and keeps warm function up to 10 hours which is always a plus point. And let’s not forget about the 8 cup capacity which is quite enough for 2-3 persons. The non-stick coating is durable and overall, the cooker cooks perfectly and effortlessly.
4. Zojirushi NS-LHCO5
- Capacity: 1.5 Quarts
- Power: 450W
- Program: Automatic/multi-menu
- Material: Stainless Steel
This rice cooker by Zojirushi is a very promising choice for small families, couples, or small kitchen settings. Of course, it is a bit pricey but the phenomenal performance of the cooker makes it worth every penny. Undoubtedly, it is the best rice cooker for brown rice.
This cooker allows you to effortlessly prepare brown rice, white/mixed rice, sushi rice, porridge, GABA brown, and even jasmine rice to perfection. The rice is the fluffiest and most flavorful you’ll ever have because this cooker has a triple heating system that renders heating and cooking all around. Though the cooker is small, it is sufficiently loaded with features needed to cook various types of rice.
And what’s laudable about the cooker is the fact that it doesn’t let your rice burn even if you leave it sitting on the keep warm mode for hours. So you can devour fresh warm rice even after 24 hours of cooking them. If you have a few extra bucks, spend them over here because surely you’ll not regret it.
5. Toshiba TRCS01
- Capacity: 3 Quarts
- Power: 120W
- Program: 7 Automatic functions
- Material: Non-stick
You can always trust Toshiba with its innovative and durable technology. This rice cooker from Toshiba serves a multitude of functions and is able to cook the perfect brown and white rice, short/long grains, oatmeal, and porridge.
Not only is it a master in terms of cooking rice but also functions as a food warmer and steamer. The cooker can house up to 6 cups of uncooked rice (12 cups cooked) which is sufficient to entertain 5 to 6 people.
And one of our favorite functions of this cooker is the quick cook setting. This feature will allow you to accelerate the cooking process to up to 30 minutes which is super convenient especially when you’re running out of time.
Moreover, the steamer function of this cooker will allow you to cook an entire meal at once since you can steam your veggies, fish or meat on top of the rice. The cooker can also function as a warmer and supports a delay timer feature too. All in all, this cooker will make the kitchen easier than ever for you!
Read More: Best Zojirushi Rice Cookers
6. Moss and Stone Multi-cooker
- Capacity: 2 Quarts
- Power: 500W
- Program: 10 Automatic
- Material: Stainless steel, Aluminium
This multi-function cooker is designed to put an end to all your kitchen miseries. It can cook anything and everything from basmati rice to spaghetti and yogurt with berries. It has specialized functions separately for brown rice and white rice.
This electric cooker cooks perfectly steamed fish, vegetables, and various kinds of rice such as white rice, sushi rice, or brown rice, etc. While you’re cooking your rice, you can easily steam other foods with the help of a steamer tray at the same time.
Simple and quick preparation is needed to put this cooker to work and it will cook you up to 8 cups of rice within minutes. The pot is nonstick made with BPA nontoxic material and is a great choice for healthy, nutritious meals.
Another thing that’s worth mentioning about this cooker is the fact that the outer side of the pot is insulated and remains cool no matter what. This makes the cooker super safe especially if you’ve kids running around the house.
7. CUCKOO CRP-P0609S
- Capacity: 3 Quarts
- Power: 1027W
- Program: 13 Automatic
- Material: Stainless steel, Aluminium
This Korean-made multipurpose cooker will prove to be a phenomenal choice for anyone willing to spend over 200 bucks for a cooker. The exceptional feature of this cooker is its innovatively designed heating plate that renders flavorful and healthy rice in less time.
This cooker features 13 options on the menu and can be used to cook brown rice, white rice, GABA rice, porridge, and essentially all types of rice. While the other options in the menu allow you to steam cook meats, veggies, steamed ribs, Nu Rung Ji, and many such unique options.
The cooker is sufficient to entertain a family of 5 to 6 people yet has a very compact design and will not take much of your kitchen space. The pressure cooker can turn out delicious rice within 20 minutes that you can keep warm until you serve.
An exceptional feature about this cooker is the smart voice guidance that’ll assist you throughout the process, but only if you want of course. The supported languages are English, Chinese and Korean.
8. Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Rice Cooker
- Capacity: 2.5 Quarts
- Power: 300W
- Program: Automatic
- Material: Stainless steel
Adding another professional rice cooker to our list and this one is a super affordable option. It can cook all your favorite types of rice be it jasmine, basmati, or brown rice. This cooker will cook you fluffy rice with a mouth-watering aroma within minutes.
Moreover, it can also cook other food items such as soup, oatmeal, seafood, veggies, and everybody’s favorite pasta! The cooker emanates an equal amount of heat from all around and cooks rice to perfection every single one without leaving them a mushy or lumpy mess.
It can handle up to 5 cups of uncooked rice and the very useful keep-warm function that turns on automatically will help keep your rice warm for hours. Also, I cannot help but mention the tempered see-through glass lid which is a blessing for all our anxious fellas out there. You can always keep an eye on the food whilst it cooks. This cooker is going to be your best friend in the kitchen.
9. COMFEE Rice Cooker
- Capacity: 5.2 Quarts
- Power: 120W
- Program: 12 Digital
- Material: Stainless steel
This cooker is a tough competitor of Zojirushi at number 4 in terms of its performance. And in terms of money, it’s even better than that. This rice cooker is ideal for making large portions of food. It features 12 digital cooking programs that give you an option to make pasta, soup, stew, sautés, steamed veggies, and a DIY function for endless cooking options.
This rice cooker is a giant when it comes to capacity for it can house up to 20 cups of cooked rice. This makes it the largest cooker on our list so far. All types of rice can be cooked in this cooker no matter brown, white, or basmati.
The digital control panel with 17 preset cooking functions is not complicated and very easy to operate. The exterior of the cooker is also brushed stainless steel which paves the way for easy cleaning from the outside as well. The cooker is quick in its function and cooks most stuff within 30- 40 minutes. And the best part is that it can also be used to make dessert.
10. Aroma ARC-994SB
- Capacity: 2 Quarts
- Power: 120W
- Program: 7 Auto
- Material: Stainless steel, plastic
Last but not the least, this Aroma Rice Cooker is a must-have if you’re looking for affordable but functional and durable rice cookers. It features 7 Automatic programs that allow you to cook every grain of rice to perfection.
It can be used to steam veggies, cook brown rice, white rice, risotto, oatmeal, and whatnot. This cooker can easily handle 4 cups of uncooked rice. Moreover, you can enjoy nutrient-rich and exceptionally delicious meals with the help of a slow cook function.
Like most of the cookers mentioned in our list, this one also supports steaming and cooking side by side which means you can save lots of time by steaming veggies or meat on the steaming tray while your rice cooks below.
This cooker features programmable digital controls and an automatic keep-warm mode. Also, a 15-hour delay timer is another great feature if you like planning your meals. Overall, this cooker is an ideal option for healthy one-pot meals.
Best Rice Cooker for Brown Rice – Buyer’s Guide
Brown rice is a very healthy and nutritious food option but cooking it to perfection is not as easy as it sounds. But thankfully, the rice cookers today solve that problem effortlessly. You don’t need a cooker specifically for brown rice because the good ones come with multiple options.
There are a few things that you need to consider while purchasing a rice cooker and you’ll be good to go.
Size
Well surprisingly, we’ve seen plenty of people complaining about the size of their cooker being too big or small for them and that makes us wonder why do you not consider it beforehand? You’ll have to choose the size of your cooker according to the number of people you cook for.
There are multiple sizing options available for every cooker normally ranging from 1-6 quarts. If you have a bigger family, you would need an even bigger one. But usually, 3 quarts is an ideal size since it can take 5 to 6 servings of rice.
Material
The most common and best type of material for a rice cooker is stainless steel with nonstick pots. It makes cleaning super easy and usually lasts a long while if it’s good quality. While nonstick pots are very useful to prevent the burning of food. Also, nonstick pots are easy to clean and create less mess. Other than that, if you prefer a dishwasher-safe cooker, you’ll have to specifically look for that one because not all of them are made for dishwashers.
Functions
The versatility you want in the functions of your cooker is totally up to you. But we suggest you get your hands on cookers that not only cook rice but also support additional cooking and steaming functions such as cooking meat, veggies, and other stuff. Also, when you’re specifically looking for a cooker that cooks brown rice, make sure that it has a specialized function for brown rice.
Additionally, keep warm and delay start functions are additional but very common features of rice cookers. They’ll make cooking even easier for you. So watch out for them as well.
FAQ
What is the best rice cooker to cook brown rice?
Well, all of the products mentioned in our list are really good options for cooking brown rice. But if you ask our favorite one that’d be not one but two rice cookers. Zojirushi mentioned at #4 and COMFEE Rice Cooker at #9 is the best of all.
Zojirushi is a very durable option and there’s no doubt that it cooks the most flavorful and perfectly fluffy brown rice every single time, however, the capacity is not suitable for more than 2 people. COMFEE, on the other hand, is better in terms of its price as well as capacity but we cannot vouch for its durability as much as Zojirushi.
Do rice cookers work for brown rice?
Yes, of course, rice cookers do work for brown rice. Just make sure that the cooker you’re buying has a separate cooking function for brown rice which by the way is available in all the rice cookers mentioned on this list. However, if your existing rice doesn’t have that option, you can tweak your method of cooking a bit to cook brown rice at a white rice setting.
What is the best brand of a rice cooker?
There’s a lot of competition in the market today because each brand is striving to manufacture a product that puts everyone else to shade. However, not all of them become successful in doing so. Currently, the brands that are leading the market for rice cookers are Zojirushi and Aroma. They manufacture very durable and exceptionally performing products.
Does brown rice need more water in a rice cooker?
Every rice cooker has its functioning as well as measurements. So there can’t be a definite answer to this question. Some rice cookers might need more water than usual to create the perfect fluff while others may cook mushy rice with the same quantity of water. Just follow the instructions that come along with your rice cooker and you’ll be able to learn to make the perfect rice within no time!