Good Rice Cookers - What would be a better purchase: Breville BRC460 Rice Box Cooker or Tiger JNP1000

I understand that Tiger Rice Cookers have the ultimate good rep on OzB and around the place - but has anyone compared the basic Tiger model (JNP1000) to the Breville Rice Box? I need a new rice cooker and don't want to spend more than $200. Does anyone have any advice about the quality of the rice made in both models (I want to cook koshihikari and basmati rice mostly)? I'd be prepared to pay the $198 for the Tiger model if it is indeed amazing rice, but I don't really want to spend the extra $100 on top of the Breville if it simply is a brand name that I'd be paying for.

I'm a bit over the $9 rice cooker models and am making rice about once a week.

Poll Options

  • 24
    Tiger JNP1000
  • 5
    Breville Rice Box BRC460

Comments

  • For rice once a week I would just use a saucepan and absorption method (heat up high to boiling, then lid on and turn the heat all the way down). The key is putting the right amount of water in.

    Works as well for me as the cheaper rice cookers..

  • 2 cups of water to one cup of rice and 11-12 minutes in any microwave has always worked for me.

    My new Breville microwave has a rice cooker mode that seemed to double that time and give a good result as well.

  • It really depends on how you want to use the rice. If you're going to cook and eat, I actually wouldn't get a proper rice cooker. I'd go with a multi-pot pressure cooker type thing. I'm pretty picky about my rice but became a convert to the pressure cooker out of necessity (moved and it was a good multi-tasker.) They cook fast and once you get used to it (figuring out the time/water/rice for your pot) it produces consistently great results fast. I can have rice ready in < 10 mins w/ a pressure cooker. A regular cooker would be much more time than that.

    The only real advantage of a rice cooker is that it's better at holding rice for later service. I used to have a fancy fuzzy logic zojirushi that was great at making rice and then holding it all day. But, if you're not going to do that, a good ~$80 electric pressure cooker is a better option.

  • I've got the Breville Rice Box and I eat rice almost everyday, it does it's job and you get fluffy rice, got to use the right water amount though. That comes with practice and different rice type. Also the bowl is a bit more solid looking and the coating looks a lot better than the cheap stuff. I'm more than happy with it, haven't use the more expensive cooker yet so can't comment on the rice. I think it depends on the rice and brand, usually the one that's just been harvest and shipped not long ago is the really soft one when cooked(jasmine variety). If you leave them for a while or the one that's been sitting in the warehouse for a bit, you can tell when they are cooked they're not as soft or fluffy even though the same brand and water amount is used.

  • if it's for once a week rice, then you can go for those cheap rice cooker. Does the job well for at least a few years..2 bowls of rice cooked from 2 different cooker (in which one might be $200 more expensive than the other) place side by side for a blind test, result was : indistinguishable .. provided that you've put in the right amount of water into cooking it. I used to be a rice cooker seller. LOL. Anyway you can't go wrong with Tiger brand rice cooker..although nowadays i found out that their quality is not as good anymore.

  • Have a Tiger - used every few days to cook 500g rice. Solid and made in Japan, still going strong after 5 years. I think current ones are made in China?

    Have various "Philips/Breville/Kmart/overseas" rice cookers. They can still make rice fine. The Philips/Breville stopped working one day (heater doesn't work) but before that rice was sticking to the bottom. Lasts about 2-3 years.

    If you have Costco membership, they have a rice cooker for $160ish. If you don't like can always return.

  • I have this rice cooker. It is fantastic, always cooks well (assuming you add the correct amount of water):

    https://www.binglee.com.au/panasonic-sr-ze105wst-1l-rice-coo…

    • The panasonic ones are very slow to cook for some reason.

  • Get the Tiger, if you don't want to use the $9 ones.

    I have a large Panasonic 10 cup rice cooker and also a cheap 5 cup rice cooker.

    Same results, however the 10 cup rice cooker doesn't cook less than 2 cups well, but the smaller cheaper one can.

    We don't eat much rice, all to do with the low carb fad.

    What's the issue with the $9 ones?

  • I have a Breville rice cooker (not sure of the model), purchased about 5 years ago. I think it was around $100 at the time. Still going strong, used several times a week. I can't attest to the Tiger but I don't see the need to upgrade what I have.

  • sure, rice cooker is important, the right amount of rice to water ratio…

    but most people are forgetting the quality of the rice is very important…

    just a simple jasmine long grain rice, you can find different price points at the supermarket…

    the amount of rice you intend to eat and what quality of rice you want to eat is also a factor in purchasing a rice cooker.

    I'm no rice connoisseur but every time I go to a restaurant and have rice, the quality, taste, and the way it is cooked is a good indication of the quality of the rest of the food in the establishment.

  • It all comes down to how often do you eat rice? Do you eat it every day? If so get a tiger.

    If not buy a kuckoo - korean made around $150. 10 cup rice cooker. Tiger is around $300~

    Cuckoo competes with tiger and zorjirushi.

    Bought mine in 2012 and cooks the best rice and still going strong!!

    http://ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?isRefine=true&_pgn=1&_nkw=cuck…

    Edit: Just found out Cuckoo has REALLY advanced in the rice cooker scene. They now even talk to you and are way better than Zorjirushi. They're now heaps of money up to $1000 now.

  • I bought a $35 Breville 8 Cup Set & Serve Rice Cooker and it works well for a family of four, cooking daily. It cooks slightly slower than my old rice cooker bought from Woolies but Breville does not bubble out and make a mess.

Login or Join to leave a comment