Summary of Lesser-Known Rice Cooker Brands
When it comes to rice cookers, some of the big name
brands have a storied history. Brands like Zojirushi have prided themselves
on their rice cooker technology for generations, while Panasonic (formerly
National) and Sanyo (recently purchased by Panasonic), both have made names
for themselves at home and abroad as leaders in rice cooker technology –
providing high quality products that are some of the most popular appliances
available.
Other rice cooker brands are not so well known, but
still create some of the better rice cookers available, making them not bad
option if you find a model that you like, or a price that is more
affordable. Here are some of the other rice cooker brands and a little about
what they offer.
Aroma
Aroma Appliances has actually done a good job
making itself known in the rice cooker industry. Rice cookers are actually
one of their best selling products, and they have over 3 dozen different
models currently available.
Aroma does not offer very many of the more
technologically advanced rice cookers. Their prices are all reasonable,
ranging from as little as $20 to as much as $100 (but well below some of the
expensive Panasonic and Zojirushi models), and most of their products hover
around $50. One interesting product they have, however, is the Aroma
Housewares ARC-560 Forte Stainless-Steel Rice-and-Pasta Cooker. It is one of
the only combination Pasta and Rice cookers currently available. Aroma
products are very reliable, and they have quickly become one of the more
popular Western rice cooker brands.
Tiger
Unlike Aroma, Tiger America does offer some of the
more technologically advanced rice cookers – though not many. The TIGER
JKCR18U 10-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer uses Induction Heating and 1400 Watts
of power. It also comes with a considerable price tag of over $350.00.
Rather than offer several types of similar rice cookers, Tiger has fewer
types of almost every style cooker, with sizes ranging from 3 cups to 30,
and multiple commercial models available for restaurants and businesses.
Black and Decker
Black & Decker is another American rice cooker
brand that is widely purchased around the country. Their rice cookers are
all inexpensive, with few priced higher than $65 and most less than half of
that. Black & Decker is most well known for its power tools, and if its
foray into rice cookers is any indication, they should probably stay that
way. Black & Decker rice cookers are not bad for the price, and have
inexpensive larger sizes (a 17 cup rice cooker is just $35), but many of
their designs have flaws, and they provide incorrect size estimates for
their machines. When Black and Decker says “3 cups” they mean cooked rice,
while most other brands label their sizes in terms of how much dry rice it
can handle.
Thoughts on Alternate Brands
With a few exceptions, most rice cooker brands are
still adequate choices if they have the features you want. The rice cooking
industry is surprisingly competitive, and most brands fizzle out if they do
not offer a quality product. Still, it is best to go with a brand that you
know makes quality machines, because chances are you will be getting one
that is more reliable that way.
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