3 Best Tried and True Japanese Rice Cookers in 2022 (Consumer Electronics Salesman and Advisor-Reviewed)
Invented and perfected in Japan, rice cookers are convenient products that allow us to eat delicious rice, and are a staple appliance in Japanese households. In fact, there are so many types of rice cookers, such as those for people who live alone, those for big families, and those that not only cook rice but also can bake bread or also double as a slow cooker. On top of that, there are high-end rice cookers as well as entry-level rice cookers from various manufacturers like Zojirushi, Panasonic, Tiger, and Toshiba, all with different strengths and weaknesses, making it difficult to choose the best rice cooker.
To determine what the best rice cooker is, we compared some of the best-selling Japanese rice cookers found on popular e-commerce sites in Japan, such as Amazon, Rakuten, and Yahoo! Shopping, and put them all to the test.
We tested each rice cooker for the following:
- Deliciousness
- Functionality
- Usability
- Ease of Maintenance
Keep reading to find out more about the best Japanese rice cookers!
Quick List - Top Japanese Rice Cookers
Panasonic
The Rice Cooker for Those Who Value Deliciousness Over Everything
Tiger
Authentically Replicates Rice Cooked in an Earthenware Pot
Akira Nomura is a 35-year-old who loves video games, his wife, and visiting hot springs. At the age of 20, he entered the world of consumer electronics by working at a mass retailer as a manufacturer helper. Always having an interest in customer service and home appliances from the beginning, Akira spent his days studying while making use of his PC skills, and started his own blog, where in two years, he exceeded 200 million yen in annual sales. In his fifth year, he recorded an annual sales of 300 million yen and received an award for being the top corporate salesperson. He currently runs the blog "Professional Salesperson Teaches You How to Buy Home Appliances without Losing Money" under the name of Tarossa.
mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Why You Can Trust Us
Every mybest article is crafted with hours of in-depth research and interviews with experts. Each month, we are continually expanding our database of products based on our research. By emphasizing user insight and reliable information, we deliver trustworthy content to readers.
What's Special About Japanese Rice Cookers?
Rice cookers just cook rice, right? Well, not really. Since rice is arguably the centerpiece of Japanese cuisine, Japanese rice cookers have continuously innovated their products since the world's first-ever consumer electric rice cooker was released by Toshiba in 1955. Today, rice cookers not only cook rice perfectly, but have a multitude of other functions as well.
Unlike your average rice cooker, Japanese rice cookers cook rice with lots of steam and pressure to force the grains of rice to absorb more water. They're also incredibly consistent, always cooking rice to perfection regardless of the type of rice you use, allowing you to simply add rice, water, and push a few buttons to cook perfect, fluffy and delicious rice.
3 Best Japanese Rice Cookers Ranking
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Panasonic Steam and Variable Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker SR-VSX181 | | The Rice Cooker for Those Who Value Deliciousness Over Everything | |
2 | Tiger Induction Heating Rice Cooker JPW-A180 | | Authentically Replicates Rice Cooked in an Earthenware Pot | |
3 | Mitsubishi Electric Bincho Charcoal Induction Heating Rice Cooker NJ-VEB18-W | | Best for Fluffy and Sweet Rice |
PanasonicSteam and Variable Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker SR-VSX181
The Rice Cooker for Those Who Value Deliciousness Over Everything
Panasonic's Steam and Variable Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker SR-VSX181 allows you to set detailed settings for various rice textures specifically for various rice types via touchscreen.
This rice cooker was able to get our appetites going right away, thanks to the strong, delightful scent of the rice and how glossy it looked. When trying the rice, it was sticky and fluffy and had a naturally sweet taste. However, leaving it in the pot with the heater on made the rice softer. There was also a strong oxidized scent after the 12-hour mark, so we recommend separating and freezing the rice.
In terms of usability, there were some points that concerned us. For one, the inner pot is quite heavy, and its uneven bottom made it difficult to clean out all of the individual grains of rice that got stuck in there. Additionally, this rice cooker generates a lot of steam when cooking, requiring you to wipe things down after cooking.
Still, we felt that this cooked particularly delicious rice and there were no drawbacks in terms of its features, so if you want to eat delicious rice frequently, this is one to consider.
TigerInduction Heating Rice Cooker JPW-A180
Authentically Replicates Rice Cooked in an Earthenware Pot
Tiger's Induction Heating Rice Cooker JPW-A180 has a broad range of cooking settings, which also includes the ability to steam various foods and cook pasta, making it great for busy users who don't have time to cook.
The rice turned out to be very close to rice cooked by an earthenware pot, and was incredibly delicious. The sweetness of the rice wasn't excessively drawn out, allowing you to taste the natural and neutral flavors of the rice itself. Freezing the rice didn't lead to a loss in deliciousness, so it's great for cooking plenty of rice in advance and freezing it for later.
As for usability, we were disappointed that there was only a timer. Since it also requires you to set a timer for soaking water, this will take some time to learn if you're unsure at first. Aside from that, there were no drawbacks, making it a versatile rice cooker.
Mitsubishi ElectricBincho Charcoal Induction Heating Rice Cooker NJ-VEB18-W
Best for Fluffy and Sweet Rice
Mitsubishi Electric's Bincho Charcoal Induction Heating Rice Cooker NJ-VEB18-W uses a proprietary variable ultrasonic water soaking function that promotes more water absorption.
The rice turned out fluffy and sweet. While it was on the softer side, it didn't lose its taste even several hours later. Its buttons were easy to navigate, and the settings didn't require complex combinations. While it has plenty of features, cooking rice was simple and straightforward, and its large panel also made it easy to use.
However, this rice cooker specializes in cooking rice, so if you want a rice cooker that can do more than just cook rice, you might find it lacking in versatility. Still, if you want delicious rice, this is a great product.
How We Tested the Rice Cookers
We gathered the 9 most popular Japanese rice cookers available online from e-commerce sites popular in Japan like Amazon, Rakuten, and Yahoo! Shopping, and put each one to the test in order to find out which was the best rice cooker.
We tested each product for the following:
- Deliciousness
- Functionality
- Usability
- Ease of Maintenance
Test ① Deliciousness
The most important thing in rice cookers is whether or not they can cook delicious rice. For this test, we cooked rice at different volumes with each rice cooker. For the compact rice cookers, we cooked rice once at minimum volume and again at maximum volume and conducted taste tests after we cooked each time.
We cooked three and seven cups for our 5-cup and 10-cup rice cookers, respectively. We then conducted four taste tests in total: once immediately after cooking, once after leaving it heated in the cooker at six hours, again at 12 hours, and finally, frozen rice that was defrosted using a microwave.
We then invited two 5-star Rice Meisters, Keiichiro Yamanabe and Muneyoshi Nitta, who are expert rice tasters, and had them rate the rice on a scale of 1 to 5 based on the following criteria:
- Whether or not the rice was soft and fluffy
- Whether or not the center of the grains of rice were able to absorb water
- Whether or not the rice cooked evenly
- Whether or not the rice was glossy
- How tasty the rice was
- How dried out the rice got after leaving it on warm
Test ② Functionality
Next, we tested the functionality of each rice cooker. We invited Japanese editors from mybest's Japanese team and had them evaluate each product's functionality on a scale of 1 to 5.
We asked them to focus on the following:
- The rice cooker's heating function
- The rice cooker's steam reduction structure
- The number of cooking settings and how easy it was to select them
Test ③ Usability
In this test, we again had our Japanese editors test each rice cooker for how easy each rice cooker was to use.
We had them rate the rice cookers based on the following aspects on a scale of 1 to 5.
- How intuitive navigating the settings was
- Whether or not the rice cooker is too heavy
- Whether or not the manufacturer try to make it easy to use
- Whether or not the labeling and structure straightforward
- How big the screen was and whether or not the text was easy to read
Test ④ Ease of Maintenance
Finally, we tested for how easy the rice cookers were to maintain, since rice cookers are something that sees a lot of use.
We evaluated the rice cookers based on how easy the parts were to wash and how heavy the inner pot was on a scale of 1 to 5.
More Japanese Kitchen Tools
Now that you've gotten a Japanese rice cooker, time to get some more products that you might find useful!
Top 3 Japanese Rice Cookers
No. 1: Panasonic｜Steam and Variable Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker SR-VSX181
No. 2: Tiger｜Induction Heating Rice Cooker JPW-A180
No. 3: Mitsubishi Electric｜Bincho Charcoal Induction Heating Rice Cooker NJ-VEB18-W
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
Most ViewedFeatured Rankings Similar to Rice cookers
Search by category
Health
Body care products, Health accessories, Health foods and supplementsBeauty
Blushes, Bronzers, CleansersHome goods
Bath supplies, Ceremonial occasion supplies, Cleaning suppliesHome electronics
Air conditioners and coolers, AV accessories, Blenders and food processorsPC
Computer supplies, Desktop computers, TabletsCamera
Camera bags and backpacks, Camera supplies, Digital single lens camerasFood and drinks
Jams and Jellies, Alcohol, BreadsKitchen
Coffee and tea products, Cooking utensils, CupsFashion
Footwear products, Men's shoes, SandalsAccessories
Wristwatches, Accessories and jewelry, Umbrellas and parasolsKids and baby
Baby carriers, Baby food, Baby formulaInterior
Beds, Beds and bedding, ChairsHobbies
Aromatherapy products, Art supplies, Arts and collectiblesOutdoor
Barbecue grills and fire pits, Camping beds and cots, Camping gearHome, garden, and tools
Agricultural materials and gardening supplies, Exterior and garden furniture, Materials and repairing agentsSports and fitness
Sports shoes, Surfing supplies, Badminton suppliesPets
Bird and small animal supplies, Cat Supplies, Dog SuppliesMedia
Books and magazines, CD, Children's books, picture books and illustrated encyclopediasGames
Gaming accessories, Nintendo Switch games, PC gamesApps
Business apps, Cooking apps, Dating appsAutomotive
Car accessories, Car navigation systemsGifts
Christmas gifts, Father's Day gifts, Gifts for childrenMobile devices
Mobile phone and smartphone accessories, Wearable devices and smart watches