If there’s one underrated kitchen appliance that definitely deserves a spot in your kitchen, it is undoubtedly a humble rice cooker. And if you’re yet to get your hands on one of these much-loved appliances, the Aldi rice cooker Specialbuy is coming back to stores this week, and it’s only £9.99.
Landing in stores on Thursday (20 August), Aldi’s rice cooker has arrived back in stock right on time for freshers heading off to university. But I think this star buy deserves a place in every kitchen - especially if you struggle to nail perfect, fluffy rice every time.
At just £9.99, this incredibly affordable kitchen gadget is not to be missed. Here’s why we at Ideal Home rate it so highly as a kitchen essential.
Perfect for couples, this small rice cooker is not only a bargain price, but will ensure you eat perfect, fluffy rice every time.
We've tried the Joseph Joseph rice cooker and love it. It takes just 10 minutes to produce perfect, fluffy rice in a microwave.
The best rice cookers deserve a place in every kitchen simply because they produce perfect rice every time, take up minimal counter space and make batch cooking and meal prep easier.
It’s a kitchen gadget that our Kitchen Appliances Editor, Molly Cleary, recommends, as well as being the Christmas gift Nigella Lawson swears by - and if anyone I know is reading this, I’d like a rice cooker for Christmas, please.
'I never saw the use in a standalone rice cooker before I tried one, but now I wouldn't be without mine. I used to have Lakeland's £50 version, which also has a porridge setting, but I just swapped it out for Joseph Joseph's microwave version as it saves so much space and doesn't require another plug socket to be taken out. It takes 10 minutes to whizz up perfect rice every time, and it's only £25! I use mine every single week for meal prep,’ said Molly.
At just £9.99, Aldi’s is one of the most affordable plug-in rice cookers that I’ve seen. It’s small, as to be expected with the price, making two cups of rice at a time. Because of this, it’s an ideal choice for couples and those of us living alone.
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The cooker itself is available in three colourways - black, warm grey or sage green - and includes a measuring cup and spatula. It has a three-year warranty, too, so you can expect to get a good amount of use out of it. I’ve seen this rice cooker doing the rounds on social media every time it comes back into stock ( so you can expect it to be popular), with many users stating it takes about 20 minutes to cook rice.
While I haven’t tried the Aldi rice cooker, I use Salter’s 3-tier 7.5L food steamer, which also cooks rice in 20 minutes, as well as steaming veg and fish at the same time. If Aldi hasn't caught your fancy, I highly recommend this steamer.
Alternatively, here are a few more rice cookers we recommend that you can shop online.
Kitchen Editor Molly uses this Lakeland rice cooker. It makes four to six portions of rice at a time making it great for meal prep or families.
Making eight cups of rice at a time, this super affordable rice cooker has thousands of positive reviews. It can make everything from fluffy basmati to sticky sushi rice.
This rice cookers makes six portions at a time and it's parts are suitable for your dishwasher, making it really easy to clean, too.
If you're after perfect rice every time, a rice cooker is the way forward.