The Best Rice Cooker For Sushi: Make Rolls At Home

I think this needs intervention.

In my post about tobiko, I mentioned that I’ve been frequenting this sushi place more often than I should (actually – three nights already in a row, that time). Earlier this week, I found myself in the same situation, scouting around virtual maps to see where my sushi craving could take me.

While doing so, I had a grand epiphany. I figured, why not make my own rolls at home? Thus, the hunt for the best rice cooker for sushi began.

I already knew which rice to use, and am very much acquainted with the ingredients (thanks to living half my life in Japan, LOL). I only needed a reliable rice cooker and my own sushi making kit, and I’m all set.

Best Sushi Rice Cookers

Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Rice Is Key To Good Sushi

Sushi is an infamous element of Japanese cuisine, which is primarily made of rice seasoned with vinegar, prepared with a wide variety of veggies, eggs and meat. Sushi is known worldwide, not only in Japan, largely for its popular recipes and various tastes. The key thing, though, in preparing sushi, is to cook fine and soft rice to produce exquisite sushi balls, which feels fluffed-up and light as you consume it.

Common Japanese rice, locally called uruchimai (粳米), is a fixture of Japanese cuisine. It is made of short grains, which are translucent. Once cooked, it acquires a texture that is somehow sticky, making it quite easy to be eaten with chopsticks, even doing so grain by grain.

In other parts of the world, Japanese rice is also referred to as sushi rice, being one of its popular uses. This rice is also used in producing the popular Japanese wine, or sake.

What To Look For In A Rice Cooker For Sushi?

If you enjoy sushi, you might think about getting sushi rice cookers with a specific setting. Yes, such cookers are accessible on the market, and serve as an excellent alternative for preparing a good platter of your favorite sushi. Why stop at looking for the best rice cooker, when you can find one with a mode for sushi?

It is recommended that sushi rice be cooked with less water, so that it does not become overly soft. If the rice becomes mushy, it will be partially crushed when you mix in the vinegar, resulting in a terrible texture and uneven mixing of the vinegar, which should be ideally coating the rice grains evenly.

Just to be clear, we are not looking only for the best Japanese rice cooker, but the best brands overall for making sushi. There are tons of wonderful products out there, such as the Cuckoo rice cooker, a Korean brand that is known all over the world owing to the great quality of their products.

Last update on 2024-10-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Top 10 Best Sushi Rice Cookers Of 2021

There are literally hundreds of various models of rice cooker in the market, making it difficult to choose one. However, with a little know-how, selecting the finest model for your needs is actually not that difficult.

The first step is to consider how frequently you will be utilizing your rice cooker. In the event that you are one of those professional sushi chefs operating in a high-end Japanese restaurant, it is only incumbent to go with the best model available. You might also want to consider acquiring a model with pre-programmed modes.

If you are just like me, a humble home cook (only, addicted to sushi), and you prepare sushi only a few times a month or a year, the essential factor is really: convenience. You’ll want a machine that’s easy to use, and I’ve discovered that selecting a rice cooker with a built-in timer is the way to go. These models are not inexpensive, but they are sure worth every penny.

An inner lid that can easily be detached is also a very handy feature. This makes it possible for you to put rice and water into your cooker without having to remove the lid. You just need to replace the lid as soon as you have begun cooking, so you can continue attending to your other chores or tasks, such as prepping your sushi toppings, chopping up veggies for a fresh side salad, or preparing wasabi.

I also have a personal inclination towards induction as heating source, whenever possible, since it reduces the amount of electricity used when cooking and, ultimately, environment-friendly.

Another factor to consider is cleaning convenience. To ensure that the cooker is as easy to clean as possible, look for one which is non-stick, plus an outer layer of stainless steel. Some cookers also have a self-cleaning mechanism, which is also handy to some folks.

I would also recommend that you look at the dimensions of the rice cooker, particularly the quantity of rice that it can cook. This may appear to be a minor matter, but if you are staging a sushi party, you must ensure that your cooker has adequate space.

Another excellent characteristic to explore is what we call the Neuro Fuzzy logic. If you can afford it, this is a really innovative technology that automatically adjusts the quantity of water, heat, or time based on how much rice you have in your cooker. This implies that even if you place various amounts of rice and water each time, the results will still always be consistent.

Another thing to think about is how crucial it is for your cooker to have a timer. This may not be as important if you only intend to prepare sushi on occasion, but if you’ll be using the machine on a daily basis, a rice cooker with a pre-program function will ultimately save you a lot of energy and precious time.

Here Are My Top 10 Sushi Rice Cookers:

The Intelligent Rice Cooker: Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker

With the Neuro, Zojirushi offers a simple, uncomplicated choice.

While the design is unremarkable, the sheer functionality of this machine more than makes up for it. The capacity is sufficient for a substantial 5.5 cups of rice, allowing you to easily serve a huge family or a group of friends in one sitting.

This cooker can accommodate several types of rice, including white and brown rice. The easy-to-use menu options allow you to customize the way you wish to cook you rice, be it for sushi or for porridge, taking practically all required effort away from the equation.

Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Menu is simple to use.
• Large capacity of 5.5 cups
• Built-in technology allows the rice cooker to control the temperature and heating time

Cons

• You might find the design not too appealing

Simple And Beautiful: Aroma Houseware’s Digital Cool Touch

One can immediately notice how this piece is both incredibly functional and aesthetically beautiful. When using this cooker for the first time, there is absolutely no need to be overwhelmed about needing to learn a slew of high-tech capabilities. In fact, you’ll find that with a single tap of a button, you can easily prepare your sushi rice.

While Aroma offers a number of models in terms of capacity, this particular model holds up to 8 cups of uncooked rice, more than adequate for most uses. This rice cooker also features a keep warm option, which keeps your rice ready to consume for up to half a day.

Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Stainless-steel style that is simple but appealing
• Extremely easy to use
• This enables you to prepare 8 cups of cooked rice

Cons

• Only white rice can be prepared with this cooker

For Energy Efficiency: Zojirushi Induction Rice Cooker

This stainless steel, clearly-coated rice cooker will not only look lovely in your kitchen, but it will also produce some of the greatest rice you’ve ever tasted.

This rice cooker uses induction cooking technology to produce a beautifully-cooked batch of rice every time. With this equipment, you may prepare 1 liter of uncooked rice in a range of varieties, from white to brown. You may also quickly change the settings to get your rice exactly how you want it.

Last update on 2024-11-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Induction heating technology is used
• Many different types of rice can be cooked in a variety of ways
• Elegantly crafted and long-lasting

Cons

• A bit on the heavy end compared to other models

For The Minimalist: Zojirushi Micom Rice Cooker

This model by Zojirushi is a wonderful minimalist option for little kitchens, despite being smaller than some of the other options we’ve highlighted – this yields only 3 cups of cooked rice. You’ll also get Neuro Fuzzy Logic, as with other models. This rice cooker recognizes what’s happening within the cooker, and modifies the temperature and cooking time as necessary.

With the capacity to prepare multiple varieties of grain including oatmeal, this cooker is an ideal versatile tool to fit your kitchen. There’s also a useful stay warm option that keeps your rice toasty for many hours.

Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Keep warm mode
• Timer for 2 hours delay
• Capability to cook grains aside from rice

Cons

• Longer cooking times than usual

For Big Families: Aroma Housewares ARC-5200SB 2020

Another one from the same line, this Aroma rice cooker is an excellent choice. This model is incredibly adaptable. It can be used to cook up to 10 cups of different types of rice, as well as oatmeal or cornmeal. If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, this machine can also function as a slow cooker, and can be used to prepare bread. In addition, the removable steam tray enables you to prepare another meal in the cooker as your rice cooks.

Last update on 2024-10-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Simultaneously cook rice along with your main meal
• Large storage capacity of up to 20 cups of cooked rice
• It is simple to use and clean

Cons

• A bit of a learning curve for new users

The Multifunctional Rice Cooker: COMFEE’ Rice Cooker

The outside of this rice cooker is very simple and stylish, with all the buttons for cooking presets readily available. There’s also no need to be concerned about the system’s confusing operation, thanks to straightforward button design. Pick any of the presets, such as “Quick Rice”, “White Rice”, “Slow Cook”, and even “Pasta” or “Chili”, then push the correct button to start cooking. The integrated steam rack cooks vegetables and other side dishes as you cook your rice, saving more time.

Last update on 2024-11-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Simple to use
• Large cooking capacity (20 cups)
• Comes with a steamer (basket) plus a “keep warm” functionality

Cons

• The lid is quite fragile

The Logical Choice: Tiger JBV Micom Rice Cooker

Tiger introduces yet another multi-purpose rice cooker with this model. This specific cooker is simple in design and straightforward to use. This Tiger rice cooker, like most of its models, has an “Automatic Cooking Logic” feature.

This mechanism enables you to monitor internal temperature in order to modify and cook excellent rice for your meals. There’s plenty to go around with its uncooked rice capacity of 5.5 cups, and the stay warm function keeps the rice at good temperature until everyone has a chance to eat. This rice cooker can also be used as a slow cooker, and includes a plate (Tacook) which allows you to cook separate sections of your meal at the same time.

Last update on 2024-10-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Makes a lot of rice
• It can be used to cook a variety of dishes
• The smart cooker can self-adjust

Cons

• Cleaning the cooker is a bit tricky because the lid is not detachable

Easy To Clean: Zojirushi NS-TSC10

This multifunctional rice cooker has a lot to offer. You can’t go wrong with this one, with several cooking settings accessible via a single button, an easy-to-clean exterior, and a clear LCD screen. This rice cooker produces a huge 20 cups of cooked rice. This is more than enough to feed an army! You will be able to cook rice or porridge, in addition to other kinds of rice.

You can also use this cooker to steam or slow cook dishes. Leverage the steam produced by cooking rice to prepare another meal by using the steam basket.

Last update on 2024-10-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Massive 20-cup cooked rice capacity
• The delay timer and the keep warm function
• Cooker with several functions

Cons

• No space to collect condensed liquid

The Smart Cooker: Hamilton Beach Digital Programmable Rice Cooker

This rice cooker, has its own pre-programmed settings, will collaborate with you to make sure that cooking rice would require minimal effort on your part. This cooker is ideal for families because it can give you 8 cups of cooked rice, and the keep the cooker in warm mode – maintaining the rice at the ideal warmth up to 12 hours, allowing you second servings or for later consumption.

Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Capability to cook one-pot meals
• Keep warm feature

Cons

• Some instructions can be difficult to understand

Compact And Colorful: Dash DRCM200BK Mini Rice Cooker

This rice cooker cooks both white and brown rice. It can cook 2 cups of rice and is relatively smaller than other cookers. Remember, this doubles in size when cooked, which should suffice for most purposes. Dash has made this rice cooker extremely user-friendly, with just one button to operate the cooker.

Last update on 2024-11-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros

• Capability to prepare brown rice
• Smaller sizes are ideal for small families or single folks
• Simple to use without sacrificing performance

Cons

• Quite small so you might need to prepare rice for each meal instead having some ready for an entire day and just re-heating

How To Cook Your Rice Like a Pro

• Here are some tips to have rice that’s close to perfect each time!
• Always rinse the rice thoroughly.
• Maintain the correct ratio of water: 2 parts water to every 1 part of rice
• You can add a pinch of salt once your rice starts to boil.
• Leave you rice alone. Avoid the urge to constantly peek or stir.
• After cooking, it’s good to allow the rice to rest a bit, with cover on.

Now that you are ready to make your sushi, don’t forget to try to decorate them with a generous garnishing of masago or tobiko!

FAQs

What Rice Cooker Is Good For Sushi?

There are lots of great models out there, but I would highly recommend rice cookers manufactured by Zojirushi and Aroma.

Do You Need A Special Rice Cooker For Sushi?

A rice cooker that can cook several types of grains would be great. That way, you need not be too strict with the brand or type of rice that you’ll purchase.

Do Sushi Chefs Use Rice Cookers?

Yes, they do! Especially those who already work in commercial kitchens. This is for several reasons, which include efficient and high volume cooking.

Why Are Japanese Rice Cookers So Expensive?

To be honest, I do not find them that expensive. But if they are, trust that these are made of top quality that can last you for many years (I’ve known some which have theirs span decades already), so it’s great value for your money.

Wrap Up

Once you’ve started creating those rolls at home, I promise you that you’ll always be on the lookout for the next sushi idea – it’s happening to me now! The possibilities are endless! With the right rice cooker such as the ones from Zojirushi or Aroma, you will always come up with the perfect rice for your sushi. Do you have additional tips on how to make the best sushi rice?

Which rice cooker are you using? Leave a message anytime in the comments below. Thank you and ciao!