Best 5 3-Cup Rice Cooker You Can Find In 2022 Reviews & Tips

Do you need a rice cooker for a couple of people?

Then 3 cup rice cooker is just for you, so keep reading.

In this post, you can read about the best 3 cup rice cooker models you can purchase. Compare these 5 models and see which one meets your needs the most.

About 3 Cup Rice Cookers

What Is A 3 Cup Rice Cooker?

Rice cookers are selected based on the amount of rice they can contain. Rice cooker 3 cup is the rice cooker which can contain 3 cups of rice. This is the smallest version of rice cookers you can buy. This amount of rice is purposed for 1-3 persons.

How Many Rice You Can Get?

The signification 3 cup means that the rice cooker can store 3 cups of uncooked rice. You need to rinse rice and place it in the rice cooker. You need to pour a double amount of water, which means that you need 6 cups of water. When rice is cooked, you will get 6 cups of rice.

Which Measuring Tool To Use?

The optimal measuring tool for rice cookers is the measuring cup which is included in the package. This is a plastic cup whose size is 180mL. It’s smaller than the usual cup in your household and the measurement of 3 cups means 3 measuring cups only. If you want to use else cup for 3 cup rice cooker, make sure you’re poured 540 mL of rice.

How Rice Cooker 3 Cup Is Priced?

Since it’s the smallest model of rice cookers on the market, the price is also small. On webshops like Amazon, most of 3 cup electric rice cookers have a price under 100 dollars. The cheapest models you can buy for 20-30 dollars. However, some small rice cookers have a price of nearly 100 dollars or a little more. Usually, brands have an influence on the price.

Top 5 3 Cup Rice Cooker Reviews

Best Stainless Steel Rice Cooker 3 Cup

Aroma Simply Stainless Rice Cooker

Stainless Steel Inner Pot

This Aroma 3 cup rice cooker is made of stainless steel including the cooking pot. This is a guarantee that the cooking surface is not toxic, so the cooked rice will be healthy for you. The 3 cup rice cooker stainless steel inner pot is washable in the dishwasher, so it’s practical for cleaning.

Simple To Use

This stainless steel rice cooker 3 cup has a simple design and simple usage. It’s white-colored and there’s only one button. You can press it when you want to start cooking and you don’t need to press it to finish because the rice cooker has detectors that recognize when the rice is cooked. The rice cooker switches off automatically.

Automatic Switch Off

When the cooking is over, you can see yellow light illuminates. That means that the keep-warm function is turned on. This function switches on automatically when the cooking is finished. During cooking, you will see red light illuminating. The red light is placed right next to the yellow light.

Less Than A Half Of Hour

If you cook rice with this Aroma 3 cup rice cooker, make sure you’ve measured the right amount of rice with the measuring cup you will get in the box. You can also cook soups, pasta, oatmeal or meat. The cooking time for white or brown rice is about 20 minutes. There’s a glass lid, so you can oversee the cooking by looking through the lid.

Size Like Human Palm

This 3 cup rice maker has a compact size. It’s about 10 inches high which is the size of an average human palm. The small size is helpful during storage. You can place the rice cooker in the kitchen closet and take it out when you need it again. There are two handles which helps you to carry the rice cooker. There is a spoon holder, too.

Best 3 Cup Rice Cooker With Steamer

Zojirushi NHS-06 Rice Cooker

One Indicator Light

This Zojirushi rice cooker 3 cup has a similar design to the exterior design of the Aroma rice cooker that I reviewed above. It means that there are also one button and indicator light. But this rice cooker has only one light that switches on when the cooking begins and switches out when it’s over.

Cool Handles When Holding

This Zojirushi 3 cup has two handles and they are cool-touch which means that you can hold the rice cooker comfortably and relocate it without force. The rice cooker stands on feet which are stable but make sure you’ve placed the rice cooker on the straight ground. You can store this small rice cooker easily, but there’s non-retractive cable.

Easy Cleaning 

The lid of this 3 cup mini rice cooker is glass which enables you to watch how the rice is cooking. The knob which stands in the middle of glass is cool-touch. There is a vent for the steam, too. The rice is placed in the cooking bowl which is non-sticking, so you won’t have a problem with cleaning. You can take the rice out completely and then wash the inner pot by hand.

Stainless Steel Steamer Tool

When you buy a rice cooker, you will get needed accessories, too. There will be a measuring cup, a spoon, and a steam tray. The steamer is made of stainless steel, so you will get a durable tool for steaming. You can put it to the top of the cooking pot and steam food like vegetables.

Best Japanese Rice Cooker 3 Cup

Tiger JNP-0550 Rice Cooker

Flower Modern Design

This Japanese rice cooker 3 cup has an attractive design. The exterior of the rice cooker is blue colored and has a floral pattern. This model is available in different sizes. The smallest size is 3 cups, but there’s also 4 cups and 5,5 cups, so you can purchase these versions if you need a little bigger rice cooker.

Locking Lid For Safety

There is a lid that isn’t glass and it’s locked during cooking. The handle lock prevents accidents and makes the cooking process better. The lid has a handle that is long enough for you to hold it comfortably. You can lock the rice cooker and carry it by holding the lid handle. It’s practical if you want to relocate the rice cooker or if you need to store it. The retractable cord eases you the storing.

Visual Notification System

This Tiger rice cooker 3 cup has one operation button which is purposed to start cooking. You can see if the cooking is in process or if it’s over. You need to look at the light indicators above the button. The left light indicates the rice is cooking and the right light appears when the rice is ready.

Up To 12 Hours Of Warmth

The keep-warm function activates automatically when the cooking is over. The rice stays warm inside the rice cooker for 12 hours. So you can use a rice cooker as a storage container and take the food depending on your needs. You should take the rice with a spatula which is included in the package because it’s safe for the pot surface.

Removable Accessories

The pot surface has a non-sticking coating, so you have to take care not to scratch it with cutlery. The non-sticking material is simple for cleaning. You can remove the inner pot and wipe it with a wet sponge. There are a removable dew collector and a steam vent, too.

Best Korean 3 Cup Rice Cooker

Cuckoo CR-0351 Rice Cooker

Red Colored Small Appliance

This small rice cooker 3 cups has modern design because of its red color. It has a round shape and practical size for carrying. It stands on feet that ensure the stability of the rice cooker. There is an inner pot with measurement marks inside, but you also measure the amount of rice using a measuring cup.

Developed Technology

The Cuckoo rice cooker 3 cup has multiple options for cooking. There’s no only one button but the whole complex of functions. This rice cooker technology is based on fuzzy logic algorithms. It means that you can choose the level of glutinously of rice and adjust the cooking to the type of rice.

Two Language Control Panel

You can operate with Cuckoo 3 cups using a control panel on Korean and English language. There’s an LCD screen in the middle of the device and buttons around it. You can choose a menu option to set the cooking mode you want. You can cook mixed or brown rice as well as porridge. There are more functions such as turbo and steam cooking.

Warm Rice For Hours

You can also set the timer and reheat the rice option. You can set the timer for cooking a couple of hours in advance. There’s a keep-warm option that you can use if you want to eat rice later. The rice cooker will keep the rice fresh. It’s not possible to see through the lid. It’s closed firmly during cooking and later, you can remove the inner lid and disinfect it.

Best Cheap Rice Cooker 3 Cup

Black+Decker RC503 Rice Cooker

Washing In Dishwasher Permissible

This Black & Decker 3 cup rice cooker has an ordinary exterior design. The interior includes a removable cooking pot that has a non-sticking surface. You have to wash the inner pot after every usage. You can clean it by hand but you can make the cleaning easier and put the pot in the dishwasher.

Only One Button

When you want to start cooking, you need to measure 3 cups of uncooked rice and rinse the rice. Then you can pour it in the bowl and add the water. When you close the lid, you need to push only one button. Then the left light will switch on and it will illuminate till the cooking is over.

Automatic Turn Off Function

You don’t need to take care of the cooking time because the rice cooker stops cooking automatically. The right light is a sign that the cooking is finished and the rice is ready for eating. When the rice cooker is finished, the keep warm function activates. So you don’t have to hurry to take the rice out.

Plastic Non-Scratching Spoon

The Black And Decker 3 cup rice cooker package includes a bowl, glass lid, measuring cup and spoon. The spoon is plastic, so it prevents scratching. All these parts are washable in the dishwasher. The lid has a big knob which is practical for usage.

Conclusion: Which 3 Cup Rice Cooker Is Worth To Buy?

All the reviewed rice cookers are practical and quality for cooking a small amount of rice. The two best choices I recommend are Zojirushi rice cooker 3 cup and Tiger rice cooker 3 cups. Both models have one button, an automatic keep-warm function, and a non-sticking inner pot. The difference is in price. Zojirushi is cheap and Tiger more expensive.

If you want to see more small models, check this post about the small rice cooker. If you like Japanese models like Zojirushi and Tiger, then this post about the Japanese rice cooker is for you. Or you want to know all about rice cookers? Then read this post about the best rice cooker.