Kitchen Favorites: Aroma Professional Plus Rice Cooker
My kitchen favorites series is all about the things I reach for every single day, and this week it is my rice cooker. I am not paid by Aroma, y’all — my family gave me this rice cooker for Mother’s Day one year, and I have not had a pot of rice turn out wrong since. Before this thing came into my life, I could ruin rice six ways to Sunday: too liquidy, too dry, too sticky, or burnt right to the bottom of the pan. Now I push a button and walk away, and dinner comes with perfect, fluffy rice every single time.
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Watch the full video above — or keep reading below.
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• This is the rice cooker my family surprised me with one Mother's Day, and it ended my rice struggles for good. It holds a ton — perfect when I'm cooking for a crowd — the inner pot lifts right out for the dishwasher, and it keeps everything warm and fluffy until dinner's on the table. It does white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, and quinoa, and even came with a steamer basket for veggies, though I mostly just use it for no-fail rice.
Let me tell you why this one earns its counter space. I used to have a genuine problem with rice — I know that sounds a little silly coming from someone who cooks for a crowd all day long, but stovetop rice and I were simply not friends. One year my family decided enough was enough and gave me a rice cooker for Mother’s Day, and it might be the most-used gift I have ever received. Now rice is the easy part of dinner instead of the part I quietly dreaded.
What I love most is that it does the thinking for me. It has a cute little inner pot with measuring lines right on the side, so I add my rice, fill the water to the line, push the button, and that is it. When the rice is done it automatically switches to keep warm, so if dinner is not quite ready, my rice sits there hot, soft, and steamed — never mushy, never dried out, never overdone — until I am ready to serve. And it holds a ton, which is everything when you are feeding a houseful. If I need to bulk up a meal or make a big batch of rice for any kind of dish, this is my go-to.
One honest note, because I always tell you the truth: nobody is paying me to say any of this. My family bought me my rice cooker, it earned its spot by never once failing me, and the one I have linked is the same Aroma Professional Plus I actually use. It has settings for white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, quinoa, even a delay timer and a soup function — I will be honest and tell you I have mostly just stuck to rice, but even doing only that, I reach for it constantly. And if you are someone who nails rice on the stovetop every single time, more power to you — RecipeTin Eats has a great guide to the perfect rice-to-water ratio if that is your path. That was never me, and this rice cooker is why I finally stopped fighting the stovetop for good.
Why a Rice Cooker Is One of My Kitchen Favorites
A pot of rice sounds like the simplest thing in the world, right up until it is sitting there gummy or scorched and the rest of dinner is waiting on it. A good rice cooker takes that whole worry off the table. Mine turns out perfect rice hands-off every time, keeps it warm until I am ready, and makes more than enough to feed my whole crowd — and honestly, taking one more thing off my mental list at dinnertime is worth its weight in gold. When the tool does the hard part for you, cooking for a family stops feeling like a juggling act.
Rice Cooker Kitchen Favorites FAQ
Is a rice cooker really worth it?
For me, one hundred percent. If you cook rice even semi-regularly and you have ever ended up with a mushy or scorched pot, a rice cooker pays for itself in saved rice and saved frustration. It frees up a burner, it keeps the rice warm until dinner is ready, and it takes all the guesswork out — I have not had a batch fail since mine came home.
What can you make in a rice cooker besides rice?
More than I actually use it for, if I am honest. Mine does white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, and quinoa, it came with a steamer basket for vegetables, and it even has a soup and a slow-cook setting. I have mostly stuck to plain rice because that is my main need, but all the options are there if you want to branch out.
How much rice does this rice cooker hold?
A lot — that is one of my favorite things about it. It makes more than enough for my family of seven, and when I need a big batch to stretch a meal for a crowd, it handles it without a fuss. If you regularly cook for a full table, that bigger capacity is a real gift.
Do you have to rinse rice before using a rice cooker?
You can, and for some kinds of rice it helps, but I keep it simple. I add my rice, fill the water to the line on the inner pot, and let the cooker do its thing. If you like to rinse, just remember to hold back your water a little so the rice does not turn out too soft — but the cooker is forgiving enough that I rarely fuss with it.
Is Stephanie paid by Aroma?
No — not at all. My family gave me this rice cooker as a Mother’s Day gift, and it made my kitchen favorites because I genuinely use it and love it. I use Amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through my link at no extra cost to you — but the recommendation is entirely mine.
More Kitchen Favorites You’ll Love
- Crock-Pot 7-Quart Slow Cooker — the big turquoise slow cooker I love so much I actually take it on vacation, and another countertop workhorse for feeding a crowd.
- SENSARTE Nonstick Skillet — the deep nonstick pan that lives on my stovetop and handles dinner for all seven of us in one pan.
- Pyrex 9×13 Glass Baking Dish — the deep glass dish with a lid I reach for constantly, from casseroles to leftovers headed to a potluck.
- Kinder’s Garlic and Herb Seasoning — the seasoning that has a permanent spot on my counter, and a little shake turns plain rice into something special.
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Rice Cooker — About Stephanie Longstreth
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.