Rice makes everything better. But which instant cooker is best for making rice?
The Instant Pot or Aroma Rice Cooker?
We’re sure that by now you’ve seen today’s selection of instant pots, rice cookers, roti makers, air fryers, and similar quick cook options. It can be overwhelming.
Our focus though is on rice – specifically, making the best rice.
In this article we compare two of the best instant cookers on the market for rice: the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt and the Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBDr.
Both of these small kitchen appliances are used for instant cooking and are a form of pressure cooker that can cook six to eight times faster than traditional methods. Both are known for their reasonable price and exceptional performance.
But which is the better choice for cooking rice?
Features to Consider
Instant Pot and Aroma Rice Cooker are two of the biggest and best names in the instant pot category.
Both companies offer reliable, high-quality products that consumers love.
So which features are important for an instant rice cooker?
- Versatility
- Options
- Capacity
- Maintenance
Versatility
With limited kitchen space, nobody wants a lot of equipment in their kitchen. Many people now, try to find something that features an “all in one” feature.
The Instant Pot wins this category as it is much more versatile than the Aroma rice cooker.
The Instant Pot can easily replace your slow cooker, pressure cooker, steamer, rice cooker, yogurt maker, sauté, and warmer with its seven in one operation.
On the other hand, the Aroma Rice Cooker, as the name suggests, can only cook dishes related to rice like jambalaya, steamed veggies, and plain rice, or in some cases a fluffy cake.
Since, the Instant Pot can do the work of several appliances, it wins out in versatility.
Winner: Instant Pot
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Feature-wise, both machines are extremely programmable; which means if you want to prep your meal before going to the office, and want a hot dish served as soon as you get home, both machines can be programmed to give you a prepared, hot and fresh dish at a preset time.
That feature alone has us sold.
How about the Instant Pot’s features? It features proper pressure monitoring thanks to a built-in barometer, temperature control depending on the type of task at hand and heat adjustment depending on the designated time.
The Instant Pot is also equipped with Alexa controls and Wi-Fi, meaning you can control it via remote access as well.
Moving on to the Aroma Rice Cooker. At a reasonable price, the machine features a built-in steamer function.
The main mistake that rids many veggies of their nutrients is draining the water in which they are cooked.
Thanks to the advanced technology used in the Aroma Rice Cooker, the nutrients of every veggie are perfectly preserved.
It also has options like sauté, simmer, and slow cooking. Moreover, the set and forget it option makes things a TON easier.
Again though, the Instant Pot simply has too much going for it. Its connectivity features gives it the win here.
Winner: Instant Pot
Capacity
Both the machines were selected based on their approximately equal capacity.
The Instant Pot has enough capacity to prepare food for 6 adults at one time with 6 quarts capacity in total.
On the other hand, the Aroma Rice Cooker does not directly say the number of quarts it can manage to cook, but when used to full capacity, it provides a total of eight cooked cups of rice; which is roughly enough to feed 4 to 5 adults or a family of 6 with children.
This one is too close to call. It’s a tie.
Winner: Tie
Maintenance
Even though maintenance is usually not something on the top of your mind, maintenance is extremely important.
Why is maintenance important? Well for starters, if not cleaned properly food debris and residue might develop on the bottom of the pan which means every subsequent meal will have a fair share of germs.
Apart from this, the residue will also hinder proper and even heating of your food resulting in a poorly cooked meal.
Let’s see what both these products have in store maintenance wise.
The Instant Pot comes with a fingerprint-resistant finish. The inner pot with its three-ply bottom and the lid of the pot, both are dishwasher safe, so are all the other accessories that are included.
The Aroma Rice Cooker comes with a non-stick inner pot, steamer tray, rice measuring cup, and a plastic rice spatula. Every component is dishwasher safe and can be easily cleaned with manual wash as well. The stainless steel and non-stick construction ensure easy cleaning.
When it comes to maintenance requirements, ease of cleaning, and general simplicity, the Aroma Rice Cooker wins out.
Winner: Aroma Rice Cooker
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Instant Pot Reviews
“This is my first review I’ve written about a kitchen appliance, but the instant pot deserves it. I used it nearly every day, especially for soups and meats. It just makes things so easy. Especially the time delay button. I put things in the pot in the morning and have it set to cook for dinner.”
***
“Received as a birthday gift. Didn’t really think I needed but have been using every week to make hard boiled eggs. It can make at least ten hard boiled eggs in only 15 minutes.”
***
“No problems. Cooks fast and easy to clean.”
***
“I bought the Instant Pot on Amazon to cook rice, but keep finding myself winding up using to make all sorts of dinners because it is so convenient.”
Aroma Rice Cooker Reviews
“My family probably eats more rice than most. I bought the Aroma rice cooker to save me time. It’s superrr easy – just add rice and water to the indicated lines.”
***
“Really does a good job cooking rice quickly. However, the hook to keep the lid closed can be a little better. Mine is already starting to come loose. Would be better if it was made of metal instead of plastic. Otherwise, I’m liking it so far.”
***
“Between the great price point and unknown brand name, I was a little skeptical at first. I gave it a try though and the rice it makes is GREAT.”
Final Verdict – The Best Instant Cooker for Rice
Both of these products are tops of the instant cooker industry. With extremely reasonable prices, both excel at instantly cooking rice.
However, since the Instant Pot is loaded with more features, and is designed to replace seven products in your kitchen, it gets our vote over the Aroma Rice Cooker as the best instant cooker for rice.
Check Latest Instant Pot PriceThat’s not to discount the Aroma Rice Cooker. If you are a rice lover and want something that is easy to handle, there is nothing more efficient than the Aroma Rice Cooker. It is not at all hard on the pocket and will make great rice.
We’ve hoped that our comparison has helped you make a decision as to what instant cooker is best for your family.
If you are interested in other quick cooking options, make sure to check out our air fryer comparison between the Ninja vs Cosori Air Fryer.
Instant Cooker FAQs
How Does An Instant Cooker Work?
Instant cookers, or pressure cookers, work by trapping steam in a metal pot – it’s really that simple. While exposed boiling water can only reach the boiling point, trapped moisture, as in a pressure cooker, can exceed the boiling point.
Your instant cooker can alter its temperature by releasing pressure. Essentially, it uses pressure to cook your food – resulting in tender cooked food, faster.
Are Instant Cookers Safe?
Cooking under pressure sounds dangerous. However, as long as you follow the cooker’s instructions, instant cookers are perfectly safe.
Importantly, do not overfill your pressure cooker as too much liquid or food can alter the unit’s pressure levels.
Also, make sure that enough liquids are placed into the cooker to ensure proper pressurization. Most units recommend at least 2 cups of water.
If you follow the instructions, pressure cookers are perfectly safe.
Is It Easy to Overcook Food Using an Instant Cooker?
No, instant cookers’ self-regulation and sensors are one of their most loved features.
With most models, simply set it and forget it. The instant cooker will shut itself off before it cooks your food too much.
How Do I Cook Rice In A Rice Cooker?
Instant cookers for rice are designed to make your job easier.
The Aroma Rice Cooker and Instant Pot are two of the best when it comes to quick and tasty rice.
To cook rice in a rice cooker:
1. Measure Out Your Rice
Rice can be a little deceiving. Depending on the variety, one cup of uncooked rice can make anywhere between one and three-fourths to three cups of cooked rice.
2. Rinse the Rice
We’ll admit, we’re guilty sometimes of skipping this step.
It’s one more thing that you have to do, but it will prevent your rice from becoming clumped up.
It’s also not a bad thing to get rid of any lingering pesticides and debris.
3. Measure Out Matching Water
If you are making 1 cup of rice, measure out 1 cup of water.
Your water quantity should match your rice.
4. Add Your Flavoring Before Cooking
Include whatever seasoning you want. Salt, butter, olive oil, they all go in before you cook.
In fact, they will help to prevent your rice from sticking together.
5. Combine And Push The Button
If you are cooking white rice, combine everything together in your cooker and push the “Rice” button!
If you are cooking brown rice, or long grain rice, you’re going to want to use the manual timer.
For long grain rice, try 10 minutes.
For brown rice, try 25 minutes.
What is the Best Rice to Water Ratio to use for the Aroma Rice Cooker?
The most important thing to remember is that the water ratio varies for white and brown rice.
Use the chart below to ensure that you are using the proper ratio of water to rice.
White rice:
1 cup rice + 1 .5 cups water or fill to water line 1 = 2 cups cooked rice
2 cups rice + 2.5 cups water or fill to water line 2 = 4 cups cooked rice
Brown rice:
1 cup brown rice + 1.75 cups water = 2 cups cooked rice
2 cups brown rice + 3 cups water = 4 cups cooked rice
We have an Auroma rice cooker (same as one in you have displayed in your article). We have owned this for about 6 years. The one we have is very versitle and has multiple cooking levels. I know it does not pressure cook as the instant pot does, but the Auroma Rice Cooker is my choice.
I cook a lot of rice mixed with vegies and meats that require a crusty bottom, sort of like paella or tahdig. My had a 2.5 qt. Aroma pressure cooker had quit working. So I bought an Instant Pot mini ultra. It kept giving me the “burn” message and stop cooking before done. So I got a instant pot mini nova, thinking it may not be as smart and I could accomplish my cooking mission. Very disappointed because the same thing happened, and I couldn’t get around the “burn” message unless I just put a lot of water and have a mushy rice. I am going back to Aroma that had worked for me perfectly for years.
Aroma Rice Cooker can cook rice related foods like plain rice or in some cases fluffy cakes. Although Instant Pot is much more multipurpose than Aroma Rice Cooker, Aroma Rice Cooker is more preferred by me.