When it comes to cooking, there are few meals that cannot benefit with a little help from an appliance. While it is perfectly possible to prepare rice on a stove, investing in a good rice cooker will instantly take away the hard work and leave you with great tasting rice every time. Of course, not every rice cooker is good enough to deliver rice just how you like it, so your purchase choice must be a considered one. To help make your decision easier, here are our top five best rice cookers.

#5 Oster 4724

Oster dedicates its whole brand to manufacturing gadgets that make life in the kitchen easier, and this 20-cup appliance aims to do exactly that. This is a basic machine with a stylish stainless steel design, cool touch lid, and 700-watts of power. It is capable of steaming rice, as well as making chocolate fondue and soups and is easy to clean after every task. The downsides to this budget cooker are the fact that it has a tendency to overcook and, strangely, features no on/off switch.

#4 Panasonic SR-DE103

Panasonic is not normally a name you would associate with kitchen appliances, but the Japanese company has delivered a real good product with the Fuzzy Logic. Featuring a microcomputer that is able to adjust power depending on the amount of rice in the machine, this appliance is able to steam and slow cook rice for two people from its white anodized black pan. There are also options dedicated to white, brown, and sticky rice, as well as porridges. Sadly, the product is let down by a non-removable top gasket and fixture, making cleaning difficult.

#3 Aroma ARC-2000SB Sensor Logic Rice Cooker and Food Steamer

The Aroma ARC is a lot better looking than the Panasonic rice cooker and is able to prepare more rice – 4-20 cups. These features, plus the fact it is able to steam meat and vegetables while the rice cooks below, gives it a higher ranking in our list of rice cooker reviews. The Aroma also has a clever sauté-then-simmer control, which reaches a high heat for browning and then automatically switches to simmer when liquid is added – this is something that people will find themselves using a lot and really adds to the fuss-free experience of the machine. There are question marks over longevity though, with some consumers reporting problems after prolonged use.

#2 Zojirushi NSRNC-18A Automatic Cooker and Warmer

Zojirushi is a brand that not too many people will have heard off, but its rice cooker is really top notch. The floral imprint design is rather old fashioned; however, you should not let that put you off. This machine is capable of cooking up to 10 cups of rice and has a locking lid to keep contents fresh for 12 hours. The device has everything you need short of rice and water, and is probably the easiest appliance on the list to clean. Were it not for the expensive price tag, this product could well have topped our list.

#1 Aroma NRC-687SD-1SG NutriWare Digital Rice Cooker and Food Steamer

The second Aroma model on the list and our best rice cooker in 2016; the traditional pot-looking NutriWare is a great product. Not only is the best looking appliance on the list, it performs on par with the Zojirushi at a much more affordable price. The machine is capable of producing restaurant-quality rice and features a meat and veg steamer for a full meal cooking experience. It’s not quite as easy to clean as the #2 on our list, but that is only a very minor flaw in an otherwise flawless rice cooker.