In a hurry, here are our top pick, editor’s choice, and best value.
Top pick
Black + Decker Rice Cooker
This rice cooker is the best for anyone who wants a great and versatile appliance. It is a 2-in-1 appliance and with it, you can cook rice, lentils, or steam vegetables among other steaming needs.
Editor’s choice
Dash Mini Rice Cooker
Dash Mini Rice Cooker is a great appliance that is versatile and works for rice cooking and steaming.
This rice cooker is an ideal choice for students due to its manageable capacity.
Best value
Aroma Housewares
As a student, you need something versatile like this rice cooker model. Apart from being versatile, you can enjoy cooking with this awesome appliance and you are not limited to cooking your food alone.
When you are in college, you want to spend less time in the kitchen and perhaps more on your studies. It is possible to achieve that when you have the right cooking appliances to sort the long hours of cooking.
Of course, rice is also a common meal for students. Therefore, we thought of coming up with the best rice cookers for college students so that you can have one for yourself.
You will find all the varieties and options to choose from based on the specific features that you are looking for. The good thing is that we have picked the best-rated and positively reviewed brands and models after our analysis and comparisons on the market.
With the list, therefore, we guarantee that you will never go wrong with any choice that you can make.
Table of Contents
What Are the Main Things to Check When Looking for The Best Rice Cookers for Students?
Without getting equipped with details of what to check for in a rice cooker, you may end up making the wrong choices. Therefore, you don’t want to make a costly mistake when it is free to find advice. Among the things to find out include:
What is the capacity of the cooker?
This should be the first thing to check. It all depends on the number of people you will be cooking for. If you need one for yourself alone, and perhaps a friend in a while, then you should go for a mini type that can suit 1 to 2 people. For a greater number of people to cook for, you should go for a bigger one.
Ease of use and cleaning
Any kitchen appliance that you can use to cook food should be easy to clean. In this case, you should check whether the parts are dishwasher safe or not. In addition to that, check the quality of the pot whether it is nonstick or not.
What accessories does it come with?
You will also need cooking accessories to help you out when preparing your dishes. The most important when cooking rice include the scoop, paddle, and measuring cup. Therefore, you should check the accessories that you want and whether they are included or not.
Does it have a timer for programmed cooking?
When cooking, a timer is an important feature for any cooking appliance. It will help you time your food while it cooks, and where the appliance is programmable, and perhaps with a delay timer, that will make cooking effortless.
Does it keep the food warm after cooking is done?
You will know this if the appliance, or rather a rice cooker comes with an automatic keep-warm function. This works to keep your food warm after it’s done cooking for some time until when you are ready to serve. It is an important thing to check when or before buying a rice cooker.
Rice cookers come in different brands and models. The list below will help you compare and pick the right choice for yourself:
BLACK + DECKER Rice Cooker
Features highlight;
- Comes with a 6-cup cooked rice capacity.
- 2-in-1 and works for steaming needs.
- Automatic keep-warm mode.
- Comes with a rice measuring cup and rice scoop.
- Dishwasher-safe and easy to clean parts.
- Measures 10 x 9.0 x 5.5 inches.
- Comes with a nonstick rice pot.
- 300 watts power.
This rice cooker is the best for anyone who wants a great and versatile appliance. It is a 2-in-1 appliance and with it, you can cook rice, lentils, or steam vegetables among other steaming needs.
It can accommodate up to 6 cups of cooked rice and hence is enough for a student, or even for a small family. You don’t need any experience or skill to operate this BLACK + DECKER Rice Cooker.
Everything is just easy to understand. You will see the buttons for the cook, on/off, and keep warm. It is, therefore, one of the best rice cookers for students who want to make rice cooking an easy task.
The lid comes with a cool-touch knob making it easy to hold when the contents are still hot. In addition to that, the lid is transparent, and monitoring the cooking progress is an easy thing. There is also a non-stick rice pot that makes cooking and cleaning a breeze.
Dash Mini Rice Cooker
Features highlight;
- 2 cups capacity.
- Versatile and cooks more than rice.
- Indicator light and keep warm function.
- Comes with a measuring cup and mixing paddle.
- Measures 6.5 x 8.5 inches.
- Removable nonstick pot.
Just like the previous brand that we just reviewed, Dash Mini Rice Cooker is a great appliance that is versatile and works for rice cooking and steaming.
The first difference that we can notice is the size. While BLACK + DECKER Rice Cooker comes with 6 cups capacity of cooked rice, this one comes with 2 cups capacity.
This rice cooker is an ideal choice for students due to its manageable capacity. It is enough for 1 or 2 people. The compact size of this rice cooker also makes it highly portable and students find it easy to move with it from one place to the other.
If you are a student and you like this product then make sure to read the full review.
Aroma Housewares ARC-743-1NGR
Features highlight;
- 1.5 quarts/3-cup uncooked capacity.
- Made of aluminum material.
- Comes with a steaming tray.
- Auto keep-warm function.
- Comes with a nonstick inner pot.
- 350 watts power.
As a student, you need something versatile like this rice cooker model. Apart from being versatile, you can enjoy cooking with this awesome appliance and you are not limited to cooking your food alone.
It is a bit large and you can enjoy rice with your classmate friends whenever you want. Aroma Housewares ARC-743-1NGR is easy to use and also to clean.
With a press of a button, you get your rice cooking or any other food that you want. It doubles as a food steamer and hence is a fantastic appliance for your hostel.
When your cooking is done, an automatic keep-warm function takes its work to warm your food until you are ready to serve.
Zojirushi NHS-06 Rice Cooker
Features highlight;
- 300 watts of power.
- 3 cups uncooked rice capacity.
- Durable stainless steel construction.
- Transparent glass lid for viewing.
- Nonstick inner cooking pot.
- Stay-cool comfortable handles.
- Comes with a measuring cup.
- Single switch for control.
This brand can cook 3 cups of rice. That means it comes with a capacity of 6 cooked cups of rice. Zojirushi NHS-06 Rice Cooker is, therefore, the best rice cooker for any student who wishes to enjoy effortless rice cooking.
The transparent glass lid that comes with Zojirushi NHS-06 Rice Cooker is a feature that makes it work better for its purpose. This lets you view the cooking progress without opening the lid. And with the stay-cool handles, you will find this cooker comfortable to handle and for serving as well.
Reishunger Rice Cooker
Features highlight;
- 1.2L/5 cups capacity.
- Keep warm function available.
- Comes with a steamer insert.
- Features 500 watts power.
- Comes with an inner pot, measuring cup, and rice cooker spoon.
- Measures 9.64 x 9.64 x 9.64 inches.
This rice cooker is worth the choice to make. It is versatile and suitable for cooking white and whole grain rice. Reishunger Rice Cooker comes with a capacity of 5 cups and that means it is enough to cook for up to 6 people.
Therefore, whether you are a student or just need the best rice cooker for your family, this can work for you. The appliance boasts of an automatic keep-warm function.
This is the same case with some of the rice cookers that we have on this list featuring the same. This helps in keeping the food warm before you are available to serve.
In addition, this versatile multicooker also doubles as a steamer. Therefore, you have an appliance that would be helpful in your hostel or kitchen.
Joseph Joseph 45002 Rice Cooker
Features highlight;
- 900 watts power.
- 2 liters capacity cooking pot.
- Include cooking paddle and measuring spoon.
- Dishwasher safe.
This is an excellent rice cooker with 2 liters capacity. It is not just the best for students but also for anyone who might be one the best rice cooker for small-scale use.
The good thing with Joseph Joseph 45002 Rice Cooker is that it comes with a manageable price that any college student can afford.
Joseph Joseph 45002 Rice Cooker also comes with accessories that you will need for cooking. That includes a rice paddle that also serves other uses and a measuring cup.
The paddle design is what makes all the difference. It locks the lid while serving as stay-cool handles. Therefore, this rice cooker has been designed innovatively and works efficiently. If you like this product’s features then make sure to check the full review.
Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker
Features highlight;
- 8 cups uncooked, and 16 cups cooked rice capacity.
- Cooks and shifts to keep warm automatically.
- Steam and rinse basket available.
- Dishwasher safe parts.
- Nonstick dishwasher-safe pot.
Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker looks elegant in design and is also one of the best rice cookers for college students. The difference that comes with this model is the size or rather capacity.
It is one of the largest on this list and good for a student who needs a big rice cooker. The design and capacity also make it a good choice for home use.
Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker comes with a capacity of 8 cups, and that means 16 cups of cooked rice. This can serve more than 15 people.
An automatic keep-warm function is available and hence will keep the rice warm until you are ready to serve them.
Elite Gourmet ERC2010B Rice Cooker
Features highlight;
- 5 cups uncooked rice capacity.
- Stainless steel nonstick pot.
- Tempered glass lid.
- Cool-touch handles at the base.
- Durable and BPA-free materials.
- Comes with a measuring cup and scoop.
- Auto keep-warm mode is available.
- Cook and warm indicator lights.
Elite Gourmet ERC2010B Rice Cooker is one of the choices that you should consider if you need a reliable cooker for college.
It comes with 5 cups of uncooked rice capacity and is thus ideal for someone who wants to enjoy cooking for about 10 people.
The size and design of this rice cooker make it versatile. It is, therefore, ideal for use at home, and for cooking different types of dishes.
The transparent lid is also a feature that will give you the convenience to monitor your cooking progress without opening the lid.
Oster Titanium Rice & Grain Cooker
Features highlight;
- 6 cups capacity.
- Comes with a 1-liter steamer tray.
- Includes non-scratch rice paddle and measuring cup.
- Nonstick healthy and natural coating.
- Tempered glass lid.
The good thing with Oster Titanium Rice & Grain Cooker is that you can use it to cook different food types. As the name suggests, it works for rice and whole grains, of course, among other dishes.
It is one of the best for college, and also for home. The capacity that comes with Oster Titanium Rice & Grain Cooker is just ideal for a college student.
Sometimes you may need to cook and enjoy yourself with your friends. Therefore, this appliance gives you the allowance to accommodate about 6 more friends. It is also efficient and comes at a good price.
WHITE TIGER Mini Rice Cooker
Features highlight;
- 1.0-liter capacity.
- Suitable for 1 to 2 people.
- Keep warm mode and indicator light.
- 200 watts power.
- Made of aluminum material.
- Removable nonstick pot.
WHITE TIGER Mini Rice Cooker is a highly portable option that is suitable for college students. It is small in size and can cook for 1 to 2 people. This also makes it great to use when going on caravan trips.
Therefore, if you are looking for and small and the best rice cooker for college students, then the WHITE TIGER brand is a good choice.
The appliance cooks food faster and in a matter of 15 minutes, you will have your rice ready to serve. The other awesome feature to note about the WHITE TIGER Mini Rice Cooker is that it cooks different dishes perfectly.
That means it is not only for rice but can cook whole grains and other foods as well.
Final thoughts…
As a student, you need a rice cooker that meets your demands. If you love dining with friends, then you may need a larger one than if you want one just for yourself. Of course, the list is rich with options to help you choose the right math of the best rice cooker.
