Consumer Reports Says This Is The Best Rice Cooker Under $50

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One kitchen tool both amateurs and professionals alike swear by is a rice cooker. Considered an essential appliance in many parts of Asia, rice cookers are less common in America, but those in the know are making better rice than everyone else. And though they can be expensive, they don't have to be.

In Consumer Reports' ranking of rice cookers, the Hamilton Beach Cooker and Steamer 37519 tied for second place, and was the top model priced under $50 — Walmart carries it for a full price of $46.69. (The other second place finisher, the Instant Zest, carries a full price of just over $50.)

Satisfied buyers love its ease of use and ability to make perfect rice every time, which is exactly what you want in this machine. It sounds a lot like reviews for Consumer Reports' top overall rice cooker, the Zojirushi NP-GBC05 Induction Heating System. But Zojirushi has been a rice cooker industry leader for decades, and you're paying for that pedigree: over $360 for the NP-GBC05. It is an excellent machine, yet it's hard to ignore that the also-great Hamilton Beach cooker is less than 1/7th the price.

However great a machine the Hamilton Beach rice cooker might be, for some diets it may seem like an unnecessary, if not wasteful, purchase. But such people may want to reconsider those assumptions, because a rice cooker is a great buy even for people who don't eat a lot of rice. Modern rice cookers can also make various oats, breads, soups, and more, even if the main draw is better rice than you could ever make on the stovetop.

Non-rice dishes that can easily be made in a rice cooker include but are not limited to frittatas, shrimp and grits, stratas, and both cheesecakes and regular cakes. If cut into small pieces and cooked in broth (or alongside rice), it's even possible to cook ultra-tender meat and fish in a rice cooker.

It's clear that only making rice is one of the mistakes to avoid with a rice cooker. But it's not a foolproof device, either. You have to make sure it's not overfilled, you're using the correct ratios of water or broth, and the lid isn't opened while cooking, among other basics. These errors are easy to avoid, though, and once you get the hang of it, that rice cooker will seem like the best $46 you've spent in a while.