We recommend rice cookers with a CHOICE Expert Rating of at least 85% and at least 90% for jasmine rice, 80% for brown rice, and at least 75% for ease of use.

The CHOICE Expert Rating is made up of rice cooking (60%) and ease of use (40%).

This is the combined score for jasmine rice and brown rice, equally weighted.

We assess how easy it is to use the rice cooker, including assembly, removal of rice, cleaning and operating the controls.

We cook both jasmine and brown rice according to the manufacturer's instructions and assess the quality of the cooked rice. Good quality cooked rice should be firm, separate and neither crunchy in the centre nor mushy on the outside. We also check for browning of the rice at the bottom of the bowl.

We cook both jasmine and brown rice according to the manufacturer's instructions and assess the quality of the cooked rice. Good quality cooked rice should be firm, separate and neither crunchy in the centre nor mushy on the outside. We also check for browning of the rice at the bottom of the bowl.

Measured cooking time for jasmine and brown rice. This excludes the warm time that's needed to complete the cooking – most manufacturers recommend at least 10–15 minutes of 'warm time'.

Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social impact of the company (not the product) using independent sources. This rating is not included in our total score. The rating ranks from A (highest) to F (lowest); N/A means there is no rating for that company.

The model has a claimed origin somewhere on the model itself. This should be taken with a grain of salt, as it's rare that all the materials for a product come from the one country.

Manufacturer's stated warranty.

'Tested models' are currently available in shops, while 'discontinued models' are from earlier tests and are no longer available. However, you may find them in second-hand stores or discount retailers as stock is cleared.

This is the manufacturer's recommended retail price. You can often get a better price by shopping around.

Manufacturer cup measures used (not a standard 250mL cup).

Is there a setting to cook brown rice?

Can you set the rice cooker to delay cooking till you're ready? This is handy if you want it to turn on while you're out of the kitchen.

Is the cooking bowl dishwasher safe?

Does the rice cooker have a visual or audible alert to let you know cooking has finished?

Can the rice cooker make porridge or congee?

Can you sauté or sear food in the rice cooker?

Is there slow cooking functionality?

Does the rice cooker have steam cooking functionality?

A timer is helpful as it counts down the amount of time left on your rice cooker.

Does the rice cooker have a removable cord, or can the cord be wrapped underneath the unit for convenient storage?

A sealed lid usually means less of a mess on the kitchen bench, but these units can be a bit more complex to clean, having an inner lid that's removable and an outer one that usually isn't. The steam vents in these also need to be cleaned – some have removable vents, but many do not.