How to Clean a Rice Cooker (the Easy Way!)

What’s the best way to clean a rice cooker? We’ve got answers. Aroma’s hardworking appliances are specially designed to simplify cooking and cleanup.

Follow this step-by-step guide for deep-cleaning advice and tips to clean your rice cooker after every recipe:

Daily Rice Cooker Cleaning Tips

– Unplug your rice cooker and let it cool down completely before disassembling it. If the outside of your rice cooker is warm to the touch, make sure to keep the cord clear until everything has reached room temperature. Other hot cooking surfaces can melt and damage your cord, too, so take care.

PRO TIP: Waiting for the device to cool won’t only save your fingertips from burns… ‘shocking’ a hot pot in cold water can damage the material and cause thermal microcracks. 

– Remove the inner cooking pot, condensation collector, and accessories, including the steam tray or spatula. If you’re having trouble removing the condensation catcher from the side of your rice cooker, we have a handy trick: try gently squeezing the sides, then pulling it straight out toward you.

– Wash the rice cooker’s inner pot and accessories in the sink with warm, soapy water and a damp sponge. Never use steel wool or abrasive cleaners that can scratch the surface.

PRO TIP: Aroma’s stainless steel rice cookers don’t have a non-stick coating, but you can still prevent sticky messes. If you know that your cooked rice will be sitting in the pot on ‘keep warm’ for more than 20 minutes, we recommend adding an extra ½ cup of water.

PRO TIP: Stuck-on food comes off a lot easier after it has had time to soak. 2-3 hours in warm, soapy water makes a big difference. Before filling up the pot to soak, we recommend removing what solid food and residue that you can.

– Are Aroma rice cookers dishwasher safe? It’s a common question! Yes, all removable components and accessories can be cleaned in the dishwasher, just make sure to use common sense – water and electricity don’t mix.

– Use a slightly damp cloth to gently wipe the inside and outside of your rice cooker. These pieces cannot be cleaned in the sink or dishwasher. Rice residue often builds up in the lid overtime, so it’s important to wipe off small crevices, steam vents, and seals. Choose a damp (not wet!) cloth to protect the heating element and avoid dripping water inside.

– Dry all parts and accessories thoroughly before putting your rice cooker back together. If it’s going to be stored for a while, you should close the lid to prevent dust from settling inside. We prefer to store our rice cookers on the countertop, so they’re prepped and ready for tomorrow! 

How to Deep Clean the Rice Cooker’s Inner Pot

Whether you’re battling a weird smell or stuck-on food, there’s probably an easy way to clean your rice cooker with gentle, all-natural ingredients:

– Boil a vinegar solution with one cup of distilled white vinegar and one cup of water. Pour it inside the pot, close the lid, and turn it on. After the unit reaches a boil, turn it off and let everything cool down before washing with soapy water.

– Try a baking soda reaction with lemon juice and a soft-bristle brush. Sometimes stuck-on, starchy grains are hard to scrub off. Let this solution bubble and soak for 10 minutes, then give the pot a gentle scrub before rinsing with soapy water.

Your Aroma rice cooker can last for years, especially if it’s cleaned and stored properly. Now you know how!