If you love a good stir fry, homemade sushi, or basically any other dish made with tasty rice, but don’t like the hassle of cooking it often, a rice cooker can be a really useful appliance. It can save you time with its automatic functions or even cook parts of your meal simultaneously. But which rice cooker will be the best for you? Luckily, my family loves rice in almost all our dishes, and in this short review, I have decided to take a look at one of the best-selling family-sized rice cookers on the market the Aroma ARC-914SBD.
It is a large 8 cup rice cooker (4 uncooked cups) and it has easy to use functions with an intuitive design. It has a delay timer with a range of 15 hours and programmable settings for steaming or for cooking different types of rice. You can also keep the rice warm with the cooker.
It has an extra steam tray and comes with a measuring cup and spatula. It also has dual functionality so you can cook rice and steam other dishes at the same time. So, that covers the features, but how does it perform in the real world? Well, I have listed the pros and cons and if you keep reading you will find my verdict on this Aroma cooker.
Features
- It yields up to 8 cups of cooked rice
- It can handle 4 cups of uncooked rice
- It has easy to use functions
- It has a delay timer of a range of up to 15 hours
- It has different programmable settings for steaming, for different types of rice or keeping it warm
- The inner parts are removable for cleaning
- It comes with a BPA free plastic steam tray
- It comes with a separate measuring cup and spatula
- It has a dual functionality for cooking rice and other meals simultaneously
- It has a black trim and stainless steel design
- Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.8 x 8.7 inches (23.6 x 14.7 x 22 cm)
- Weight: 4.2 pounds (1.9kg)
Pros
- The delay timer is very useful
- The on/off function is also very convenient
- It is a really good mid-range cooker for its size
- It works well with different types of rice and oatmeal
- The timer is very handy and helps you to manage your cooking
- It is easy to use and well-priced
- The buttons are easy to understand and to use
- It has a good capacity for rice and the steamer can handle quite a lot as well
Cons
- It can be unreliable and not as durable after months of use
- The brown rice cycle is not reliable and either overcooks or underheats
- The steamer accessory is tricky to figure out and can overflow
- There can be a lot of water left over after cooking
- It can boil over easily and can be difficult to keep clean
Summary
This Aroma rice cooker is a great mid-range option if you want a little more versatility from your cooker. The simultaneous steaming and cooking feature is very convenient and the timer is a nice feature, especially if you want to come home to a meal that is seconds away from eating.
It can take a little experimentation to get used to how the cooker works and, in the beginning, you will need to play around with the quantities a little. It is one of the few cookers that have a clear on/off switch which I found very useful. It easily cooks different types of white rice and will ensure you can have oatmeal ready in the morning, just right for eating.
On the other hand, no rice cooker is without its quirks or faults. So in this price range you have to keep in mind that this cooker can have issues with its reliability, especially after months of heavy use. The steamer accessory is a bit tricky to get used to, and can cause overflow.
It has a tendency to lose its cool and boil over. This is a hassle and makes it difficult to clean and detracts from the convenience. Unfortunately, if you love brown rice, this cooker is not up to the task. The brown rice cycle either does not give you fully cooked rice, or it can burn to the bottom of the pot.
The final verdict
The Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD is a cooker that will respect your wallet. It is well-priced and comes with a good range of features and a good level of performance for a mid-range option. It will serve you well if you prefer to cook white rice types, from basmati to jasmine, and other cereals like oats. But it does not really perform well with brown rice and can throw a tantrum by boiling over if you don’t follow the instructions very carefully.
As a mid-range rice cooker, for someone who doesn’t want to cook brown rice often, it is a great choice. The timer is very useful and I think it is one of the best parts of this cooker. It has a beeper to tell you when it is done, and you can wake up to a warm bowl of oatmeal, or come home after a long day to rice and veggies ready for you to enjoy.
If you are fine with a rice cooker that does not handle brown rice well, but performs in all the other ways you need it to. This is a good option, but if you dislike cleaning and want to know that you will never have to deal with something that boils over, this may not be the cooker for you.
- Multi-Functional Use – Whether youre in the mood for a hearty jambalaya, steamed veggies and rice, or even a delectable cake, you can accomplish it all with your rice cooker. The possibilities are as creative as you are.
- User-Friendly Programming – Easy-to-use with 4 preset digital functions and automatic Keep Warm mode when the cooking is finished.
- Nutritious & Delicious – The built-in Steam function allows for nutrient-rich meals to be prepared above while rice, soup, or any other meal simultaneously cooks below, allowing you to save time without sacrificing quality.
- 15-Hour Delay Timer – The programmable delay timer is great for families on the go, delivering delicious meals ready when theyre needed, up to 15 hours in advance.
- Compact Capacity: 4-Cup (Uncooked)/8-Cup (Cooked). Its compact capacity is perfect for preparing small individual meals or delicious side dishes.
- Accessories – Includes a Bonded Granite nonstick inner pot, steam tray, rice measuring cup, and serving spatula. Power consumption: 120V/60Hz 450W
- Upgraded Inner Pot – The provided 8x Bonded Granite nonstick inner pot that is more durable than ceramic and traditional pots, has a completely toxic-free makeup and is dishwasher safe
- Item holds up to 2 to 8 cups of cooked rice. 8 cups is the cooked rice capacity. Rice must be cooked in the cup that comes along with this product.
- Steams meat and vegetables while rice cooks below
- Easy-to-use, programmable digital controls with automatic Keep-Warm and White Rice and Brown Rice functions
- Great for soups, jambalaya, chili, and more. Save time with the Flash Rice function which cuts cooking time by up to 50%
- 15-hour Delay Timer for flexible meal planning
- Includes steam tray, rice measuring cup, serving spatula, and exclusive recipes and coupons for Mahatma and Carolina R
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