The 8 best rice cookers for perfect fluffy rice every time

Score: 85/100

With a generous 1.8L capacity, the Russell Hobbs 197500 Family Rice Cooker is ideal for busy dinner times. It comes equipped with all the basic accessories – a measuring cup and spatula – as well as a steam tray so you can cook vegetables too.

It barely dropped a mark in testing, producing beautifully fluffy rice every time, and our testers liked that it has a glass lid so you can sneak at a peep every now and again.

While it's not dishwasher-safe, testers found it super easy to clean with a damp cloth, even when given the task of tackling dirt traps around the rim. Priced at under £40, you really can’t go wrong with this rice cooker.

Score: 83/100

Our runner-up rice cooker's USP is that it assesses the weight of the rice and water, then adjusts the cooking time and temperature to create perfect results every time. This proved effective; our rice had a great colour and texture regardless of the type we cooked. Basmati took longer than boiling it on the hob though.

Our testers also tried out the machine's sauté and slow cook functions to create a fantastic French onion soup. Its 2.8-litre capacity makes it a great pick for large families, and the intuitive controls and dishwasher-friendly pot make it easy to use from start to finish.

Score: 81/100

The Judge rice cooker performs best when used for easy-cook, long grain white rice, which it made perfectly, locking in both flavour and texture. The fact it automatically switches to the ‘keep warm’ function once cooked and has a large 1.8L capacity, makes this a great choice for busy cooks who often have to make large portions.

It did leak slightly when cooking brown rice and it’s quite bulky, so it’s not the most attractive appliance to have out on your countertop. However, if you have sufficient storage and are after an efficient, non-stick appliance, this is a solid pick.

Score: 81/100

This compact rice cooker preps quinoa, oats, and grains as well as rice (hence the name, ‘EveryGrain’). At 2.3-litres, it comfortably makes enough rice for a family and its self-explanatory controls were a big hit with our testers.

Out of all the rice tests, basmati was best; it was notably tastier than when cooked on the hob. This one also turned out tasty white, easy-cook and brown rice. All portions were light, fluffy and flavoursome, but none of them were ready more quickly than the hob.

Our testers used the ‘delay timer’ and ‘keep warm’ settings to whip up porridge in time for breakfast, and it was just right when we were ready to eat – we’re sure even Goldilocks would be impressed.

Score: 81/100

This is a pricier option, but you do get four multi-cooker features for the money, including cake baking and porridge making functions. It produces fluffy, delicious results every time, particularly when it comes to sticky white rice.

The handy digital timer shows you how long your rice has left to cook but if you’re not quite ready to serve when the timer is up, the ‘keep warm’ function will keep it at the perfect temperature. Just bear in mind that it's a large model, so you'll need sufficient storage and countertop space.

Score: 77/100

Its sleek, smart appearance earned this Tefal rice cooker some extra brownie points from our experts. It also features a cool-touch exterior wall, so you won’t burn your fingers while cooking. In fact, the exterior only reached 44 degrees during use – this is handy as the base doesn’t have handles, so you’ll need to touch the cooker if you want to move it while it’s on.

Testers found this model best suited for easy-cook long-grain rice, but it does do a good job with basmati, too. Just note that it struggles to cook brown rice evenly and has a tendency to spit a little during the cooking process.

Score: 76/100

For such an affordable and compact appliance, this impressed our testers with its performance. It cooks white rice well, and comes with the basic accessories you'll need.

The generous 1.5L capacity allows you to cook for larger groups, too. It's ideal for those who are on a budget and don’t have much kitchen space.

Score: 73/100

Another Yum Asia model, this version also has a digital timer and the same cake and porridge-making capabilities as the Bamboo model, as well as a 24-hour preset option. It’s smaller, hence the lower price point, which means it’s ideal for those cooking for one to three people. It performed best when making easy-cook long white rice, which comes out light and fluffy.

Basmati rice was a little tricker – the grains were still quite hard after cooking. Our testers also spotted some dirt traps around the lid, which required extra scrubbing.