7 Best Pots For Cooking Rice Of 2024
Rice is a staple food consumed by over half of the world’s population. Previously, it wasn’t that popular in the US, but with Asian cuisine proliferated throughout the country, it has now become more common.
Considering its widespread consumption, it comes as a shock to learn how many people struggle with making good rice.
Steaming it on the stovetop may seem pretty simple but, surprisingly, it is very easy to mess up. Cooked rice must be fluffy and soft but not mushy, and must have a wonderful fragrance.
You need to be mindful of a few things, one of them being your preferred choice of pot for making the perfect rice. With so many options out there, it can be difficult to pick one fit for the purpose.
So, what are the best pots for cooking rice? The best pots for cooking rice have a few important features such as a tight-fitting lid to keep the steam in, a flat and thick base, and an average capacity of 3-5 quarts.
Additionally, it works best if it is made with stainless steel and aluminum to distribute the heat evenly and prevent the rice from sticking to the surface.
Read on to find out how to cook the perfect rice in a pot, a detailed buyer’s guide on how to choose the best one for your needs, and our top picks of the 7 best ones!
How To Cook Rice In A Pot
Making rice in a pot is a fairly easy process, considering you have the right tools and understand the basic techniques. Here’s what you need to do to make simple white rice:
- Place the uncooked rice in a strainer and wash it with cold water for about ½ a minute.
- Put the strained and washed rice in your cooking pot.
- Add 2 cups of water for every cup of rice in the pot.
- Turn on the flame and wait for the water to come to a boil.
- When the water starts boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer and place the lid over the pot.
- Cook it undisturbed for around 15-18 minutes before taking off the lid.
The total time it takes for rice to cook depends on what type of rice you are cooking. Each rice type has a unique consistency and requires different amounts of water and steam to cook perfectly.
Some of the most common types of rice are white rice, brown rice, wild rice, sprouted rice, black rice, jasmine rice, and basmati rice.
While white rice takes around 18-20 minutes to cook, brown rice takes slightly longer around 35-40 minutes, and black rice taking even longer around 40-45 minutes.
You may also read the cooking instructions your rice comes with based on their type and brand.
What To Consider
Rice is a delicate food that must be cooked using the right cookware or you risk having undercooked, mushy, or even burnt rice.
Here are few things to consider when buying a pot for cooking rice to ensure you end up with perfectly soft and flavorful rice any time of the day.
Size
An ideal rice pot has to be the perfect size to be able to cook enough rice for your and your family’s needs. It would be very inconvenient to have a small-sized pot for a large family, wouldn’t it?
If it’s too big, the rice won’t steam right, and if it’s too small, it will boil over and turn mushy.
Plus, you would probably be using the pot to make other meals as well. Therefore, it makes sense to go for a versatile pot with a cooking capacity of 3-5 quarts, which is perfect for most dishes.
Material
Stainless steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, clay, stoneware, ceramic, non-stick surfaces, and so many more. With so many cookware materials to choose from, how can you choose the best one for cooking rice?
Many people prefer using pots with a stainless steel or aluminum interior for cooking rice since they distribute heat evenly, are easy to clean, and help retain the original flavor of the rice.
Budget
With so many options, there’s something out there for everyone. Before making the purchase, you need to know how much you are willing to spend on the pot.
If you are planning to buy a versatile pot with more advanced features, you need to have a reasonable budget as compared to buying a basic stainless-steel pot.
Additional Features
If your budget allows it, you may opt for pots with additional features such as a glass lid for easy monitoring and side grips for easy handling.
For maximum ease and convenience, you may opt for electric pots that make it easy to not only cook rice but a variety of other dishes as well.
The 7 Best Pots For Cooking Rice Of 2021
A few main factors go into making the perfect rice: the rice itself, the amount of water, and the pot used for cooking it. To help you choose the best pot for cooking rice, here are our top 7 picks that include both traditional and electric pots!
| Rank | Product | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Instant Pot Duo | Durable and multi-purpose |
| 2. | Tiger JBV-A10U Rice Cooker | Syncro-cooking function |
| 3. | Farberware Classic Stainless-Steel Saucepot | Affordable and great value |
| 4. | Simply Calphalon Non-stick Saucepan | Made with hard-adonized aluminum |
| 5. | Cuisinart CRC-400 Rice Cooker | Automatic keep-warm function |
| 6. | Tianji Electric Rice Cooker | Ceramic inner pot |
| 7. | Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven | Made with enameled cast iron |
1. Instant Pot Duo
Touted as America’s most loved multi-cooker, the instant pot duo is an electric stainless-steel pot that is perfect for making rice.
It is a fantastic machine that can be a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and warmer.
With an 8-quart large capacity, it is perfect for large families, and it comes with one-touch customizable programs to cook rice, soup, beans, poultry, and absolutely anything you want.
Its food-grade stainless-steel inner pot and tri-ply bottom make it super easy and convenient to cook rice without worrying about it sticking to the surface.
In addition to that, it is equipped with a safety lid lock that stops the lid from opening due to high pressure and keeps the steam in for perfectly cooked rice.
2. Tiger JBV-A10U Rice Cooker
Tiger Corporation is a renowned manufacturer of rice cookers, with the JBV-A10U being one of its best ones.
With 4 cooking menu settings, it is not only a rice cooker but also a slow cooker, steamer, and warmer.
This multi-functional rice cooker comes with a syncro-cooking functionality that allows you to cook two dishes simultaneously.
With the push of a simple button, you may pick between your cooking preferences and choose among two preset options for plain rice and brown rice.
3. Farberware Classic Stainless-Steel Saucepot
The Farberware classic stainless-steel sauce pot is a versatile cooking pot that comes with an affordable price tag.
With a 4-quart capacity, it is perfect for making rice for small and large families.
It has a durable stainless-steel base with an aluminum core that allows heat to be distributed evenly, ensuring there is no burnt rice or uncooked spots.
It is polished to a mirrored finish for a classic look, is fairly lightweight, and comes with a lid to help you trap in the steam while cooking rice.
In addition to being a great stovetop pot, it is also oven-safe up to 350°F and can be put in the oven for some final touches to your dish. It is also incredibly easy to clean and is dishwasher-safe.
4. Simply Calphalon Non-stick Saucepan
Similar to the Faberware saucepot, this saucepan from Simply Calphalon is versatile and can be used to prepare a variety of dishes.
Made of hard-adonized aluminum, it has a non-stick interior that prevents rice from sticking to the surface.
It has comfortable silicone handles on the sides for easy handling and has a tempered glass dome cover to allow you to see how fluffy the rice is without having to open it.
In addition to that, it can safely be exposed to temperatures up to 400°F and comes with a 10-year warranty.
5. Cuisinart CRC-400 Rice Cooker
Cuisinart is a renowned name when it comes to kitchenware and appliances, and it is not so far behind in rice cookers and pots as well.
With a brushed stainless-steel housing with chrome-plated handles, the Cuisinart CRC-400 rice cooker makes 4-7 cups of cooked rice.
In addition to rice, it allows you to cook and steam other foods too.
Its automatic keep-warm function automatically switches on when the rice is cooked, indicated by “warm” and “cook” lights on its panel.
It comes with a tempered glass cover that keeps the steam locked in and makes it easy for you to see the status of your rice without opening it and letting all the steam escape.
6. Tianji Electric Rice Cooker
The Tianji electric rice cooker is a breath of fresh air from aluminum pots and PTFE coatings.
With a ceramic inner pot, it is healthy, environment-friendly, and preserves the original flavor of rice.
It has a 3-liter capacity that holds around 6 cups of uncooked rice and 12 cups of cooked rice and is suitable for single-use as well as for big families.
Its high-quality ceramic inner pot has high-temperature resistance and prevents rice from burning or sticking to the surface.
7. Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
This enameled cast iron saucepan is a great option for cooking rice due to its innovative design and sturdy lid.
The moisture locked inside ensures that the rice is perfectly soft and fluffy, without being hard at the end or too soft and mushy.
The pot has a somewhat non-stick surface that prevents rice from sticking too much to it and makes it easy to clean up.
It is a versatile kitchen tool that is great for making stews as well. You can use it in the oven at any temperature without worrying about damaging it.
Also, unlike traditional cast iron cookware, it is far easier to clean enamel cast iron, which is always a plus point.
Related Questions
Now that we have discussed how to choose the best pots for cooking rice and our top 7 picks of the best ones, here are a few additional questions we thought you might have!
Can you cook rice in a stockpot?
Yes, stock pots are a great option for cooking rice at home, with many chefs recommending using a 4-5-quart stockpot when cooking rice for a small family.
Due to their lightweight design, many people enjoy using them since they are easy to move around and carry, especially when straining rice after boiling it.
What’s great is that many stock pots these days are made using stainless steel and aluminum, both of which are the best cookware materials to look for in a rice pot.
Can you cook rice in a non-stick pot?
Yes, non-stick pots are another great option for cooking rice, and since these have a non-stick coating, they prevent your rice from sticking to the bottom, which is one less thing to worry about.
However, if you are using a non-stick pot to make rice, make sure to avoid using metal utensils since they will leave scratch marks on the surface.
Also, the Teflon layer on non-stick cookware does not work well under extremely high heat and starts to wear away, so be mindful of that.
Can you cook rice in a frying pan?
If you cannot find a decent pot to make your rice in, you can use a frying pan to do the job. It’s a simple process that follows almost the same steps as making rice in a pot.
Start with rinsing your rice under some cold water and place it in the frying pan. Cover the frying pan with water until the rice is slightly submerged.
Next, place a lid over the frying pan and crank up the heat. Once the water starts to boil, lower the heat and bring it down to a simmer. Keep cooking it for around 5 minutes.
When you notice that the rice is beginning to cook and is plumping up, turn up the heat and cook it until you hear a sizzle. Turn off the heat and let the rice steam for around 10 minutes until it is completely cooked and perfectly soft.
What is the difference between boiled rice and steamed rice?
The main difference between boiled rice and steamed rice is the amount of water used during the cooking process.
Boiled rice remains fully submerged in water and drains off the excess liquid once it is cooked, whereas steamed rice cooks using the heat trapped from the water vapors.
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