The best rice cookers of 2024

Save some time in the kitchen by outsourcing the labor of making rice to a rice cooker. Rice cookers are kitchen essentials that do all the work of rice cooking for you, without making any mistakes. Use one of these genius machines and you will no longer have to deal with the trial and error that comes with making rice on the stovetop, which often results in rice being undercooked or overcooked -- or just plain burnt.

There are a lot of different rice cookers out there, so if you're new to the rice cooker game, it's easy to become overwhelmed with all the options. That's why we did the work for you and rounded up the four best options based on the extensive research we conducted about rice cookers. The best rice cookers churn out perfectly cooked rice every time and have a capacity big enough to suit your family.

Best rice cookers of 2024

Our picks for the best rice cookers of 2024 come from renowned brands in the rice cooker world. Not only that, they're also highly rated by customers -- all CBS Essentials suggestions have a reviewer rating of 4 stars or higher.

• Best rice cooker overall: Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom rice cooker and warmer
• Best budget rice cooker: Cuckoo six-cup Micom rice cooker (CR-0655F) 
• Best rice cooker for small kitchens: Zojirushi rice cooker/steamer NHS-06
• Most versatile rice cooker: Panasonic rice cooker SR-SN108

Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom rice cooker and warmer, 5.5 cups

Zojirushi is widely considered to be one of the best rice cooker brands on the market, so you'll definitely get a return on your investment if you splurge on one of these. The brand is lauded for being long-lasting, having multiple cooking options, and most importantly, making perfectly cooked rice with each use.

The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom rice cooker and warmer can cook white/sushi rice, mixed rice, brown rice and sweet rice (also commonly referred to as sticky rice). There's a quick cooking setting, a steam setting that allows you to prolong the life of your already cooked rice, and a cake setting (yes, you can actually make cake in here). You can even set a timer before you leave your home so that the rice is cooked and freshly made the moment you get home.

Out of all this rice cooker's capabilities, what really stands out is the sushi and quick cook settings, which aren't always common in rice cookers. Rated 4.7 stars.

Cuckoo six-cup Micom rice cooker (CR-0655F), six cups

This rice cooker has many of the same features of more expensive rice cookers, though it's less than $100 in price. It includes an LCD screen and has a tight-fitting lid that's optimal for keeping steam in and keeping rice warm. It can cook white rice, brown rice and mixed rice, as well as porridge and baby food. 

There is a multi-cook function that allows you to go beyond grains, giving you the capability to make dishes such as soups and roasts. Plus, if you're short on time, you can activate turbo mode which is essentially the brand's quick-cooking option. You are able to set a timer too to have your rice later, and can safely reheat leftover rice. It also has a unique auto-clean function that we can't say we've seen in other rice cookers. 

The Cuckoo six-cup Micom rice cooker has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, "The best rice cooker I have ever had. Worth the money." 

Another customer said, "I would give this rice cooker ten stars if I could. Rice is perfect every time, it is easy to operate and very easy to clean after use. The instructions can be a bit confusing but the operation is very simple. I am very happy with the quality of this cooker and the rice tastes so much better and has perfect texture every time. Highly recommend!!" 

Zojirushi rice cooker / steamer NHS-06, three cups

Zojirushi is so nice we couldn't help but name the brand twice on this list. If your budget can't accommodate a $100 plus rice cooker, get this simpler model from the highly rated brand. The NHS-06 model is great for someone who primarily cooks white or brown rice at home and doesn't have to feed a large family. This rice cooker only has one cooking function and yields up to six cups of rice, which is more than enough to feed two people for one meal.

(This Zojirushi rice cooker model is also available in larger sizes. The six-cup (uncooked) size is currently selling for $64 at Amazon, while the largest 10-cup size rice cooker is $73.)

Although this doesn't have all the bells and whistles of high-priced models, it still will make a perfectly cooked cup of rice. And at the end of the day, that is all that truly matters when you're shopping for a rice cooker. One of our CBS Essentials shopping experts, Rachel Center, who has owned this rice cooker for a year, can confirm this.

The Zojirushi NHS-06/10/18 model has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer said that this rice cooker was a game changer, adding: "I used to cook all my rice on the stove which is usually hit or miss with how it turns out. It would come out all stuck together and in clumps. We just got this rice cooker and it's like night and day! The rice tastes so much better! It doesn't come out stuck together and I don't have to worry about it burning on the bottom. I just put in the recommended water and rice and left it alone while I cooked the rest of dinner. I could tell a huge difference in how the rice came out. VERY HAPPY with this purchase!"

Panasonic rice cooker SR-CN108, five cups 

This rice cooker from Panasonic has an astonishing amount of cooking options, which is why we're so into it. You can cook white rice, brown rice, multi-grain, jasmine rice, sticky rice and even clay pot rice. You also get the option to customize the texture of your rice (soft, regular or hard), which is convenient as not everybody likes their rice prepared the exact same way. 

And that's just the rice. The SR-CN108 model also gives you the ability to make quinoa, porridge, cake, bread and slow-cooking soup. Plus, with a steam basket, you can steam veggies or meats to go along with your grain side. If you ever find yourself needing to transport this machine, such as if you're going over to a friend's house to help cook for a dinner party, it comes with a convenient handle. 

The Panasonic rice cooker SR-CN108 has a 4.3-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, "I've had this for over a month now. [I] have done four different types of rice, oatmeal, soup, and baked the banana cake recipe that comes with it ... Everything turned out great."