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If you’re making an effort to swap out the nonstick cookware for stainless steel in your kitchen, the best stainless steel rice cookers offer a foolproof way to make, fluffy, perfectly cooked rice, grains, and much more. Even better? Because they lack the Teflon coatings of some of their nonstick counterparts, stainless steel rice cookers can cook up all your favorite rice dishes without any risk of exposure to toxic chemicals. If you're shopping for a new rice cooker, here are some things to consider.
First, do your homework. Some rice cookers with nonstick pots are still marketed as being stainless steel. If you have any doubt, surfaces should have a shiny, metallic appearance, not a matte finish. Next, decide what you want to use your rice cooker for. If it’s simply rice, you can find affordable models that have basic on/off switches, and can prepare anywhere from 6 to 22 cups of cooked rice. Other models have digital controls, with settings for different rice varieties and cooking methods, but might come at a higher price.
Whichever capacity or technology you choose, the best stainless steel rice cookers simplify the process for making restaurant-quality rice at home. Here are our top picks.