Rice cookers are nothing new, there are hundreds of models that are widely available in your local stores and online. However, if you are watching your carb intake and trying to keep your blood sugar down, rice is sometimes hard to include on the menu because of its high carbohydrate content. Thankfully the best low carb rice cooker can help you make your beloved rice with fewer carbohydrates and less starch content.
This is still a fairly new idea and there are not hundreds of low-carb rice cookers yet, but there is a handful that are getting lots of attention. In order to be effective, they need to reduce the total carbs and starch present in the rice after cooking. Here are the best low-carb starch removing rice cookers!
Table of Contents
Toshiba Low Carb Digital Programmable Multi-Functional Rice Cooker, Slow Cooker, Steamer & Warmer, 5.5 Cups Uncooked with Fuzzy Logic and One-Touch Cooking, 24 Hour Delay Timer and Auto Keep Warm Feature, White
The Toshiba Low Carb Digital Programmable Rice Cooker is the best low-carb rice cooker available right now. It cooks 5.5 cups at once which is enough for a full family meal. It is white and silver with a simple interface on the top and an easy-to-use handle to carry it from place to place. It is not too big at 11x 10×8 inches and it comes with one-touch cooking and a 24-hour delay timer as well.
Even though it is called a rice cooker, rice is not the only thing it cooks. It can also cook and remove starch from these other foods:
- White rice- This is the most common food that is cooked in units like this one, it is also among the highest starch content.
- Brown rice- Brown rice has more nutrition than white rice, but it still has lots of carbs.
- Mixed grain- This can be anything in the grain family. It can cook anything a normal rice cooker or steamer can cook.
- Quinoa- Quinoa is easily cooked in this unit.
- Soup and stew- Any kind of stew or soup you can cook in a normal rice cooker can be cooked in this unit.
- Veggies and other steam foods- Because it can steam food, it can easily steam your veggies for you.
- Oatmeal- This is an easy way to cook your morning oatmeal without all the fuss of doing in a pan on the stove.
Features
- Easy to cook low-carb rice- This is the first important feature because it is the main function of this unit. It is simple to use for this purpose. It can remove up to 37% of the unhealthy starch in rice and increase the healthy type of starch by up to 34%.
- Professional Multifunctional Cooker- It has 8 pre-programmed settings that allow you to easily cook the mixed grain, brown rice, white rice, oatmeal, quinoa, soup, stew, and more with just a couple of button presses. This is much more than a rice cooker.
- Smart fuzzy logic & induction heating- The cooker can make fine adjustments to the temperature and cooking times so that all the food you cook will come out properly cooked. The induction heating function creates heat all over the inner pot to make fluffier, tastier rice.
- Easy to Use & Easy to clean- It has a bright easy to see digital display and clearly marked buttons that make it easy to know what you are doing. The removable inner pot can be taken out and washed, along with the lid as well. The steam vent can also be removed so that it is easier to wash.
- Timer function- It has a 24-hour programmable delay timer so you can set it to start at a certain time without you needing to physically be there. This makes it convenient if you have lots to do and can go home to turn the cooker on.
- Warranty- The Toshiba low carb rice cooker has a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty, so you can have peace of mind knowing if anything goes wrong inside a year you can get your money back.
Pros
- Simple Design- It is easy to use all the buttons are in the same place and the unit has a bright display so you can easily see what it is going on.
- Versatile- It is a low-carb rice cooker, but it can also take the place of a vegetable steamer and a few other small kitchen appliances. It has 8 one-touch preprogrammed programs for cooking 8 additional popular foods like oatmeal and Quinoa, or soup and stew.
- Attractive look- It is white with a brushed metal band around the center of it, which makes it look good in any kitchen setting.
- Good size- It is big enough to cook over 5 cups of rice but small enough to store away in a normal cupboard space or tall kitchen drawer.
- Easy to clean- It has a removable inner pot, steam vent, and lid so that you can easily clean those pieces and the main unit will be easier to scrub with those attachments out of the way.
Cons
- It could be considered expensive
Summary
In this still-growing market of low-carb diet-focused rice cookers, you can’t find a better deal than this Toshiba. It is versatile and can cook many other foods along with rice. It has a delayed timer function that lets your unit turn on and start cooking while you are not even home. It is a great size and will fit in any kitchen. If you are considering getting a starch removing rice cooker, this is the best choice out there. It is not the cheapest model, but it can replace several small cooking appliances due to its versatility.
Aroma Housewares ARC-1120SBL SmartCarb Cool-Touch Stainless Steel Rice Multicooker Food Steamer, Slow Cooker with Non-Stick Inner Pot and Steam Tray, 20-Cup(cooked)/ 5Qt, Black
Second, on the list is the Aroma Housewares ARC-1120SBL SmartCarb Rice Multicooker. It has a similar design as the Toshiba, only it places all the controls on the face of the unit instead of the top. It is made of stainless steel and much like the Toshiba, it is also a multifunction cooker. It can cook other grains like quinoa, oatmeal, or brown rice. It can steam veggies and any other food that is normally steamed.
It has a 5-quart capacity and is not too big or too small. It should fit nicely into any home kitchen cooking setup. It can cook enough rice for 20 people, which is a large output for such a small machine. While it does not have all the features and benefits of the Toshiba, it does have a lot of great features and benefits, and it costs much less than the Toshiba.
Features
- Cooks rice easily- It can cook enough low-carb rice for 10 people in one session, or enough normal rice for 20 people in one session. It has simple functionality that is easy to understand so you are not confused when you are using it.
- Lowers carbs- This unit will drain 30% of the carbs from your rice which is a significant reduction in how many carbs your rice contains.
- Steams, cooks, and sautees- In addition to being a rice cooker it can also steam many different foods, and sautee as well. This adds quite a lot of value to this cooker.
- Programmable- Like the Toshiba this unit can turn on when you are not there, making it easy to have your food cooking while you are out running errands.
- All in one- This comes with everything you need to use it to its full potential with no need to purchase additional units or accessories. It comes with:
- The unit
- Measuring cup
- Serving Spatula
- Soup Ladle
Pros
- High output rice cooker- It can cook enough low carb rice for ten people, or enough normal rice for 20.
- Versatile- It can be used as a steamer or a multi-cooker for cooking vegetables, other grains or almost anything you can normally make in a pot.
- Convenient- It is easy to clean, and it has a delay timer which adds even more convenience so you can go on with your day while it cooks your rice or other food while you are gone.
- Comes with everything- The included accessories are a nice touch that saves you a few bucks if you did not already have a serving spatula or soup ladle, etc. this is a much-appreciated bonus.
- Stainless steel body- Stainless steel is easy to clean and will never rust. This makes it simple to keep clean and it helps it to last a very long time without rusting.
- Price- This is much cheaper than the Toshiba and still delivers quite a lot of value for this price.
Cons
- No 1 year warranty is specified
Summary
If you are looking for a low-carb rice cooker that can do more than just cook rice, and don’t have a large budget, this Aroma Housewares unit may be a good fit for you. It is easy to use, easy to clean, and quite versatile as a cooker. It will steam or cook many other foods beyond just rice. It is effective at removing unnecessary starches from your rice which is the whole point of getting a low-carb rice cooker. It may not be as nice or as fancy as the Toshiba, but it is a great entry point if this is your first low-carb rice cooker purchase.
Mishcdea Low Carb Rice Cooker, Digital Programmable Small Rice Cooker, Multi Food Steamer, 24 Hours Preset, Personal Size Cooker for 1-2 People, Portable Rice Cooker 3 Cups (Uncooked), White
This is a smaller unit that is designed to serve 2 people. It is a great choice for couples living in apartments that have small kitchens and not much kitchen storage space. It can also steam food like the other two larger units here and can make 3 cups of rice at one time. It also has a 24-hour preset function which allows you to not be home when it starts cooking your rice. It is not a very fancy-looking little unit. It is white hard plastic with a switch on the front and some soft buttons and a small display on the top.
Features
- Easy design- Simple to use with soft buttons on top and a small digital LED display making it easy to use.
- 3 cup capacity- It can cook 3 cups of rice which produces between 2 to six cups of cooked rice when done. It is not a huge capacity, but it is perfect for couples or single people.
- Warming- It can keep your food warm for up to 12 hours which is a great feature if you are not going to be home for a few hours after cooking finishes.
- Easy cleaning- The inside is all non-stick so it is extremely easy to clean off since food will not stick to the metal. The inner lid is removable as well which makes it easy to quickly wash and dry.
Pros
- Size- It is the perfect size for a single person or couple with limited kitchen space.
- Affordable- It is a great deal when you consider all the things it can do in the kitchen.
- Design- The design is simple and makes using it extremely easy and intuitive.
- Set and forget- The included delay timer allows you to set it up turn the timer on and go on with your day. When you come home your food will be ready.
Cons
- Much too small for a family
Summary
This is a small-sized low-carb rice cooker that is made for couples or single people. It can not cook enough food for a whole family, but it is just the right size for a couple. It is not a fancy unit and has a simple interface and design. It will cook enough food for two people while allowing you to set a timer and eat your food when you come home. It will not cost you very much, and it will give you lower-carb rice while replacing some other kitchen gadgets like a steamer.
Low Carb Starch Removing Rice Cooker Buyers Guide
What is a Low Carb Rice Cooker?
Low carb or starch removing rice cookers are cooking gadgets that allow you to cook rice or other foods and extract some of the starches from the food. They usually look similar to a bread cooker or a normal rice cooker. They are typically cylindrical objects with a lid that opens on top and some buttons and a small LED screen, just like a normal rice cooker. The difference is that inside there is a separate pan that takes some of the starchy water and collects it, which keeps it off the rice. There are not too many models of these out there yet, but this is a trend that is only going to get much bigger.
As more people start to gravitate toward lower-carb food options, things like these cookers are going to become much more popular. As this demand grows, more options will start showing up in the marketplace available to buy.
How Does a Starch Removing Rice Cooker Work?
When you cook rice, normally you boil it in water. As the rice boils in the water, some of the starch from inside the rice comes out into the water you are using to boil the rice. In a low-carb rice cooker, the water is extracted from the rice sooner in the cooking process and the rice is finished off by steaming. This way the starch that comes out of the rice is not put back into it as it continues to boil in the starchy water.
There are some tests that say it can reduce the number of carbs by up to 30% or more, while some people think it is not quite that effective.
What Features Should I Look For?
When shopping for a low-carb rice cooker, the first and foremost important feature is the effectiveness of reducing carbs. Take a look at the proof or studies they offer and make sure you are buying something that actually does what it says. Because there is so much nonsense in the dieting world, always be sure you are looking at the proof.
Beyond buying one that is effective, the other important things to look out for are:
- Convenience- We all have busy lives these days. Make sure the model you are considering has features that make your life easier. Things like having a timer, or removable parts that make it faster to clean are important things to consider.
- Quality- Try to look for a brand you trust, or at least check out the reviews from actual customers. You can usually tell if something is high quality by checking the detail. Look at the buttons, the hinges, the small details of the unit. The more attention that is paid to the details, the more likely it is to be a high-quality unit. The price is also a good indicator. Never buy the cheapest one if you are concerned with quality.
- Warranty- Some of these cookers have decent warranties of up to a year. These are important because anything that is electrical tends to eventually break. If you get one with a warranty, at least you know you are covered for the length of the warranty. There are no guarantees though, and it could break the day after the warranty expires (that is Murphy’s law, right?)
- Ease of use- This probably should be at the top of the list. It has to be easy to use or you will just get frustrated and not use it. Make sure the buttons are laid out in a simple way, and that there are not too many switches or confusing instructions. I like to check out the instructions online before I buy anything.
