Rice Cooker or Stove Top? You Were Probably Taught Wrong

Everyone has a different opinion about the perfect rice cooking method. Whether you learned how to cook rice from a parent, in culinary school, or by reading a Reddit thread, you’ve probably heard lots of conflicting advice. 1:1 or 2:1, salt or no salt, simmer or boil, 10 or 20 minutes…

Stove top or rice cooker? That’s easy. Let’s answer this question once and for all.

Best for Convenience? Rice cooker

Pour your grains inside, close the lid, and press the start button. Most modern rice cookers even have delayed start timers and keep-warm functions, so you can prep meals ahead of time – all without monitoring timers, adjusting temperatures, or lifting lids.

Best for Speed? Stove top

If you’re willing to babysit your saucepan, cooking on the stove is the fastest way to get dinner on the table. Of course, you also risk ending up with an overcooked, gummy mess.

On average, cooking white rice on the stove takes about 20 minutes. A rice cooker usually takes about 30 minutes, but the results are worth the wait.

Best for Versatility? It depends.

Modern rice cookers are true multicookers, and many of Aroma’s best-selling models are equipped with innovative, smart cooking modes, so you can sauté, simmer, steam, sizzle, braise, and slow cook. With the right recipe, you can even cook porridge, pudding, or cake!

But if you’d like to tweak your rice cooking recipe down to the smallest detail – 30 extra seconds of boiling, turn the heat dial 1/8-inch, lift the lid twice for good luck – you’ll need to cook on the stove top.

Best for Storage? Stove top

You probably already own a saucepan. If your kitchen is crowded, it might not make sense to purchase another countertop appliance. Luckily, Aroma makes mini 8-cup (cooked) rice cookers that fit in even the smallest spaces.

Best for Portability? Rice cooker

The stove top rice cooking method wins out for storage, but rice cookers are better on the go.  Whether you choose to cook at the party or prep the meal before you come, Aroma’s keep-warm function works anywhere there’s a plug-in. 

Best for Bulk? Rice cooker

Aroma’s largest rice and grain cookers hold up to 60 cups (cooked). These commercial rice cookers are designed with restaurant-grade efficiency, but it’s also helpful for large families, parties, and bulk weekly meal prep.

Best for Consistency? Rice cooker

There’s no comparison. Aroma rice cookers produce fluffy, perfectly cooked rice every single time. Even if you add a little too much water or forget to rinse your rice, professional rice cookers can automatically adjust temperature and cook time.

Plus, most modern appliances have smart settings for different grains. Whether you’re cooking brown rice, quinoa, long-grain white rice, or short-grain sushi rice, you can’t beat the consistency of an Aroma rice cooker.