It sometimes happens that there are still some rice left over after everyone has eaten. You may want to keep the rice warm for a few hours to eat again at the next meal. Therefore, you need a rice cooker with a keep warm function.
Introduction
As far as I know, almost all electric rice cookers have a keep warm function. After cooking the rice, an electric rice cooker should automatically switch to the warmer mode, and keep the cooked rice warm and ready to eat for at least a few hours.
The keep warm function must keep the rice at a high enough temperature (higher than 60 degrees Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit) to discourage bacterial growth, but it must not be so warm that it dries out or burns the rice.
Keeping rice warm for multiple days in a rice cooker is normally not recommended because of the danger of bacterial growth and possible food poisoning.
Generally, electric rice cookers can keep the rice warm for up to 12 hours without it becoming spoiled.
I have selected a few examples of the best rice cookers with an automatic keep warm function. Keep reading for an overview of these rice cookers with automatic warmers.
Aroma Rice Cooker With Automatic Warmer
The Aroma ARC-150SB rice cooker can cook a maximum of 10 cups of uncooked rice to prepare 20 cups of cooked rice. It automatically keeps the cooked rice warm after the cooking has been completed. However, do not keep the rice warm for more than 12 hours, for the reason that it might spoil. It does not have extended keep warm or reheat functions.
This Aroma rice cooker can cook white rice, brown rice, steam vegetables or slow cook soups and stews. The delay timer can be set for up to 15 hours.
There are a few small things to point out. The lid is not removable, so it is more difficult to clean. Furthermore, the nonstick coating of the pot can get scratched, but replacement cooking pots are inexpensive. When it comes to benefits, here are a few to consider:
- Automatic keep warm function.
- 15-hour delay timer for delayed cooking.
- The nonstick cooking pot can be removed and cleaned.
You can get a more complete overview of this Aroma digital rice cooker by reading my ARC-150SB review. Otherwise, you can also read what other people are saying about it, or view online prices, by visiting Amazon (paid link).
Toshiba Rice Cooker With Keep Warm Feature
The Toshiba TRCS02 is a compact rice cooker that can prepare up to 3 cups of uncooked rice, which translates to 6 cups when cooked.
It’s versatile and can cook more than just rice, offering eight different cooking options: White Rice, Quick Cook, Brown Rice, Mixed Grain, Slow Cook, Porridge, Cake, and Egg.
This mini rice cooker is ideal for small families or individuals looking to make just a few servings while taking up minimal space on the counter.
A key feature of the Toshiba TRCS02 is its keep warm function, which maintains the temperature of cooked rice for several hours. There’s also a Keep Warm/Reheat button for easy reheating. The keep warm feature activates automatically once cooking is finished and continues until the rice cooker is turned off with the Off/Cancel button.
In summary, the Toshiba TRCS02 is a practical rice cooker with keep warm and reheating capabilities, making it an excellent choice for households with up to three people. Click here to read more on Amazon (paid link).
Cuckoo Rice Cooker With Keep Warm Function
The Cuckoo CR-0675FW is a fuzzy logic rice cooker that can hold 6 cups of uncooked rice, which equals 12 cups of cooked rice.
This Cuckoo rice cooker offers various preset options, including white rice, GABA rice, porridge, and scorched rice.
Additionally, this model features a keep warm function that maintains the rice at a suitable temperature for several hours without allowing it to stick to the bottom of the pot until the cooker is turned off.
It also includes a self-cleaning function designed to reduce bacteria and eliminate unpleasant odors by circulating steam throughout the cooker.
Overall, the Cuckoo CR-0675FW stands out as a popular and budget-friendly choice in the rice cooker market, thanks to its keep warm feature and its stylish design. Click here for the price on Amazon (paid link).
Zojirushi Rice Cooker With Extended Keep Warm
The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 microcomputer rice cooker can cook up to 5.5 cups of uncooked rice to prepare about 10 servings of cooked rice.
It keeps the rice warm for a maximum of 12 hours after it has been cooked, but it also has an extended keep warm function. The Keep Warm button is located on the control panel, and the Start/Reheat button can also be pressed for reheating the rice.
The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 is a fuzzy logic rice cooker that usually takes longer to cook rice when compared to a cheap single switch rice cooker. This is because a microcomputer controls the cooking process. The end result is tastier rice, even though you have to wait a little longer to taste it.
The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 has much more benefits than costs. I will list a few benefits below:
- Built-in retractable power cord.
- Delay timer for delayed start cooking.
- Use the BPA-free plastic steaming basket for steaming food.
- Automatic keep warm, extended keep warm and reheating functions.
- Microcomputer (MICOM) Fuzzy Logic technology which adjusts cooking according to rice type.
You may read my NS-TSC10 review for a longer discussion of its features, likes and dislikes. If you want to buy this Zojirushi Micom rice cooker and warmer, then you may find online pricing, more details, and customer reviews at Amazon (paid link).
Conclusion
The Aroma ARC-150SB is probably the least expensive choice of the examples I discussed above, but it does not have an extended keep warm feature. It probably will not work for keeping leftover rice warm for longer than a few hours at a time because it might burn the rice. Nonetheless, the Aroma ARC-150SB is one of the most affordable choices for an electric rice cooker with an automatic keep warm function.
In contrast, the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 is one of the more expensive choices. However, it has extended keep warm and reheat functions, which might prove useful if you want to keep leftover rice in the rice cooker for up to 12 hours or longer.
Although, I would not keep rice in a rice cooker for longer than 24 hours. At some point, it might start to either dry out or lose its freshness.