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Tried and Tested: For the best slow cooker to cook oatmeal, we recommend Toshiba TRCS01 6 Cups Rice Cooker, which is one of ourtried and tested cookers. It is from one of the most high-end electronic brands and hence reliable. This oatmeal cooker has a huge capacity and can perform versatile cooking procedures. That, too, with simple one-touch operations. The appliance is easy to clean, and we observed no hazardous incidents during our trials. We recommend it based on its performance, time-saving, and safety features.
If you are a homemaker with school-going kids, you might always wonder how to prepare quick breakfast cereals with less mess. So why not go for an oatmeal cooker, which reduces kitchen time and all your effort? In this article, we have recommended some of the best Oatmeal cookers tested and approved by our professional team of experts. Besides, you can also try these slow cooker beef recipes with these slow cookers.
An oatmeal cooker itself is not an appliance on its own for cookign oatmeals. Rice cookers, slow cookers, or pressure cookers can do the same job. Usint these appliances, you can prepare white rice, quinoa, brown rice, wheat porridge, steel-cut oats or quaker oats, and many more.
So let us look at a complete buying guide for the best oatmeal cooker.
Things to Consider While Buying An Oatmeal Cooker
Before you go out and buy a cereal or rice cooker, consider the following points and keep in mind your individual preferences and your budget.
Capacity:
The foremost thing to look for in any cereal cooker is its capacity. Although, here are so many models, ranging from 2 quarts to 8 quarts capacity, the most suitable size for you depends on the size of your family. A small, 2-quart appliance will suffice if you have a small family and are a homemaker. However, with more members and a busy schedule, you will require a cookpot that can hold much more. If you are into preparing soups and stews regularly, it also requires a larger cooking pot.
Considering the features, we would recommend going for the Crockpot Portable 7-Quart Slow Cooker, which can hold up to 20 cups of uncooked rice. With its big cooking pot, you can make a large batch of soups and stews to serve at a family dinner.
Versatility:
What you need to look for is that an oatmeal cooker should have multiple settings to cook more than one cereal. Many appliances come with preset time and temperature settings for white and brown rice, quinoa, steel-cut oats, rolled oats, soups, etc. Also, consider the type of oatmeal you will cook. Steel-cut oats take longer times to cook than rolled ones. Amongst our shortlisted products, the Hamilton Beach 37571 is the most versatile, as it comes with 14 preset settings.
Ease of Cleaning:
Homemakers do not spend as much time cooking as they do cleaning the mess. Therefore the slow cooker should have a nonstick cooking pot, which is simple to clean. The components should be dishwasher-friendly, taking less time and effort. Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB has a stainless steel exterior that can be wiped with a damp cloth. All the components are dishwasher safe.
Additional Features:
Additional features include side handles, LED display, cool-to-touch exterior, and extra accessories like the steam tray, spatula, etc. Each brand has its own set of additional features which make the products stand out. Choose according to your preferences and budget.
Warranties:
Most electronic appliances come with limited warranties. Choose the brand which is reliable and offers satisfaction after-sales customer service. COMFEE’ 6-in-1 Multi-Cooker, comes with a one-year limited warranty, while the BLACK+DECKER 16-Cup Rice Cooker has a 2-year limited warranty.
Price:
The last but most important consideration is the price. If you are low on budget, you can choose an appliance with a smaller capacity as it is economical and will do the job. On our list, the most budget-friendly machine is COMFEE’ 6-in-1 Stainless Steel Multi-Cooker. However, it has less capacity. Another budget-friendly option is Hamilton Beach 37571. It is also a high-end brand with reliable appliances.
Best Oatmeal Cooking Method
Oatmeal is a highly nutritive cereal. It has a low glycemic index and fits in well for a low-calorie diet.
There are 3 different types of oatmeal. Quick oats, Steelcut oats, and Old Fashioned Oats. No matter which of these you have, you can cook them in the same, easy method for a quick breakfast.
First of all, measure the oats and the liquid you want to cook them in. If you like savory, use vegetable or chicken stock. If you want to make it sweet, use milk or a mixture of water and milk.
Use the ratio of 1:2 i.e. if you have ½ cup of milk, pour 1 cup of liquid. Heat the liquid in a pan until it starts boiling. Add oats and reduce the heat to a low flame. Cover and cook until the oats soak up all the liquid. Season it at per taste and preference. You can also add honey, fruit, or any other toppings as you like.
9 Best Oatmeal Cookers in 2023: Tested and Approved
- Best Overall: Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB
- Best Digital: Toshiba TRCS01 6 Cups Rice Cooker
- Best Programmable: Hamilton Beach 37571
- Best Stainless Steel: COMFEE’ 6-in-1 Multi Cooker
- Best Budget: DASH Mini Rice Cooker Steamer
- Best Multipurpose: COSORI 5-Quart Rice Cooker
- Best Portable: Crockpot Portable 7 Quart Slow Cooker
- Best For Big Families: BLACK+DECKER RC516 16-cup
- Best Power Saving: GGC Electric Hot Pot with Steamer
Best Overall: Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
Aroma Housewares is a top-class brand for cooking appliances and kitchen gadgets. The durability of its products and good customer reviews make it land on our list. Our trials for this cereal cooker prove it an appliance worth your money and one of the best oatmeal cookers.
The aroma cooker is a rice and oatmeal cooker. With its preset settings and digital controls, you can cook not only oats but also rice, quinoa, porridge, and any other cereal of your choice. The versatility makes it a complete meal cooker if you get creative and try many recipes. It offers the easy preparation of breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes. The appliance’s user interface is easy so that even a new chef can pull off some great dishes and serve a complete meal.
The cooker has some useful features in the form of one-touch digital controls. The Keep Warm function automatically turns off the appliance when the cereal is cooked. Not only does it prevent burning, but it also keeps the cooked meal warm until you serve it. The delay timer function allows you to plan the cooking according to a scheduled time. The slow-cook function enables you to prepare soups, stews, and other slow-cooking recipes.
Aroma Cooker comes with many extra accessories to sort out your cooking requirements. A steam tray allows you to steam the vegetables or meat cuts while the cereal can cook in the lower portion. The accompanying rice measuring cup will enable you to measure the exact quantity of rice which can be cooked in the appliance. The spatula helps to take out the cooked food. All the plastic materials are BPA-free and in compliance with food-related authorities’ SOPs.
However, if you compare the Aroma cooker with other brands, you will notice that it has lesser capacity offered by others. It can hold 4 quarts of uncooked rice, while we see that many other appliances can hold 8 quarts of raw cereal. So if you have a large family and are required to cook meals in huge quantities, this might not be the right appliance for you.
Upon our trials, we have also observed that this appliance may cause a voltage issue. It is designed to handle a low voltage of 110 volts, whereas, in areas where electricity is supplied at 220 or above, the appliance may cause hazards. Check the voltage before purchasing.
The Aroma Cookware is an ideal automated cereal cooker for small families. It can cook rice, oats, wheat porridge, vegetables, and meat to provide you with complete meal options. The delay timer settings allow you to prepare at night and wake up to the cooked breakfast the next day! Now that sounds comforting.
Related: Best Infrared Cookers
Best Digital: Toshiba TRCS01 6 Cups Rice Cooker
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
When the brand name Toshiba appears, not much needs to be said about the brand name, the quality of the components, and the craftsmanship. It offers highly satisfactory after-sales customer service too. Toshiba produced its first cereal cooker in 1955; since then, the cooker technology has evolved a lot. These cookers are now versatile and compact and have made cooking an easy task.
Toshiba’s Fuzzy Logic cooker incorporates Japanese 3D steam technology. The steam is held within the cooker to cook the most perfect and fluffy rice. Not only this, but you can also prepare oat porridge, wheat porridge, quinoa, and various other kinds of cereal. The cooking pot is made of nonstick material, which lessens the hassle of scraping the cookware’s bottom and cleaning it up. Preset cooking settings for different cereals lead the versatility. Just add the required amounts of water and select the digitally programmed control. The steam vent releases the steam without overflowing the contents.
The Fuzzy Logic cereal cooker has numerous interesting features. A quick cook mode reduces the cooking time to a mere 30-minute window, resulting in time-saving and quickly prepared meals. When the cereal is ready, a Keep Warm feature activates and shuts off the cooker but keeps the contents warm for the next 24 hours. You can schedule your meals and let the cooker do it for you. Be creative and incorporate vegetables and meat cuts while cooking cereals; this will make you an entire dinner. But the best thing is that it is so light in weight you can carry it anywhere, even to your picnics or camping tours, to get you fresh meals all day.
During our trial cooking, we observed that oat or wheat porridge sometimes becomes too watery. We recommend carefully selecting the settings and taking care of the cereal-to-water ratio. Sometimes, the quality of the grain becomes an important factor In the final consistency.
Another thing that may prove to be a hassle sometimes is that it has a short cord, which is not retractable. The latest appliances now come with a complete cord folding socket that holds during transfer. This might become an issue for some people with small kitchens and compact counter spaces.
Summing up, we would highly recommend this cooker because of various reasons. The brand name is highly reliable and trustworthy. Meal options are endless, time-saving, and convenient. The user-friendly interface allows anyone in the house to pull off a meal in emergencies. The appliance is indeed a lifesaver.
Best Programmable: Hamilton Beach 37571 Programmable Oatmeal Cooker
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
Hamilton Beach is another reliable, innovative, and versatile brand that produces kitchen appliances of all types. The Slow Cooker and Food Steamer is the best appliance to cook oats without constant supervision and checking because the machine does its job the best way.
Whenever you have to cook oatmeal, you select a large pot because the cereal doubles in size during cooking. Since this slow cooker is versatile and is developed for smart cooking procedures, it has a larger cooking pot. You can safely cook oats in good quantities without overflowing and spilling problems. The 4.5 quarts pot can also hold up to 10 cups of cooked rice. The cooker is best for bigger meals and will help arrange dishes for family festivities.
With 14 preset settings, not only can you prepare simple oatmeal porridge or white rice, but also go for steamed vegetables, steamed chicken or fish, slow-cooking stews, and broths. And it is not only for steel-cut oats. With the setting of white rice, you can also cook rolled oats and achieve a perfect morning breakfast cereal. It eliminates the need for cooking on stove tops and continuous monitoring. Delay timer settings allow you to schedule the preparation; the meal gets cooked as you sleep, go out or get busy with other tasks. The keep-warm option keeps your meal warm to retain its best flavor and taste.
This slow cooker includes a steam basket, which can also be used for rinsing the rice. It also allows you to cook one-pot pasta, quinoa, and seared or sauteed meat or vegetable recipes. After you are done, shove the removable pot into the dishwasher for easy cleaning.
The only thing which might be a drawback is that it is slightly expensive compared to many other brands. However, since the capacity is good and the appliance is versatile, it sure is worth your money. Another thing that came up during the testing procedure was that the appliance takes a long time to cook oats, i.e., almost one hour. However, if you soak your oats in warm water for an hour before cooking, it might reduce the time in the appliance.
Best Stainless Steel: COMFEE’ 6-in-1 Stainless Steel Multi Cooker
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
Comfee slow cooker is perhaps one of the best oatmeal cookers in the industry. The product is high quality, the material complies with food safety regulations, and electronic components are tried and tested to prevent hazards.
During our testing procedures, we discovered that the six preset cooking settings reduced the cooking time, and even novice chefs could create simple one-pot meals. The settings are preset for white rice, brown rice, soup/stews, oatmeal, porridge, and quinoa. This appliance is ideal for students who live in hostels or busy homemakers who have to prepare complete meals in a short time. The machine is easy to use with its touch and digital controls. All the statistics, such as time and temperature, are displayed via an LED display. You can also set the ingredients and schedule the cooking for later. This will cook your meal even if you are asleep or out of your house.
The most prominent feature of this appliance is its stainless steel exterior, which is cleaned with a swipe of a simple damp cloth. All the other components and additional accessories are dishwasher-safe. That means cleaning is no hassle, and the appliance saves time in the kitchen. To make the appliance safe to use, it has heat protection that turns off the appliance as soon as the cereal is cooked. The handle is cool to touch at all times to keep it convenient to take around.
When we consulted the appliance’s manual, we found some of the instructions difficult to follow. A beginner-level chef would face difficulty in comprehension. A simply written interface would solve the problem.
Soups and stews require a lot of water and, eventually, a bigger bowl. However, this appliance’s cookpot is small for these slow cooker recipes. But the device is just right if you have a small family and require small servings.
Summing up, Comfee Cooker is a versatile kitchen gadget that cooks all your cereals without any hassle. With the correct cereal-to-water ratio and good quality oats, it will cook you the best oatmeal porridge for your breakfasts. It has a sturdy built, stain-resistant exterior and durable components. It is a wise selection for your everyday kitchen requirements.
Best Budget: DASH Mini Rice Cooker Steamer
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
I love rice, but cooking it perfectly always makes me frustrated. Then I got this DASH Mini rice cooker steamer, which made my day. I followed the instructions and filled the pot with rice using the measuring cup. Add the water to the line and let the rice cooker do its work after pressing the cock button.
What I like most is that its warm feature will automatically turn on after cooking and keep the rice warm without burning. It is more than a rice cooker that helps me to cock my pasta, soup, stew, oatmeal, and quinoa. The two-cup capacity makes it perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for my family and me.
Moreover, its quick and easy features allow you to set and forget. I tested it and liked it most due to its lower prep requirements, so add rice water, veggies, pasta, or anything and press the cook button. The indicator light keeps you alert about your food. Its automatic warm feature is useful as it doesn’t overheat or overcook my food.
It is available in different colors, but I have white, which matches the kitchen and kitchen appliances. Its compact size also takes up a little space on my kitchen counter, and the small size makes it portable.
I noticed the capacity is not two cups as instructed, producing a terrible smell while cooking. But I resolved the issue by buttering the pan before cooking. However, my overall cooking experience with this rice cooker was amazing. The accessories like the measuring cup, removable pot, recipe book, nonstick coating, and rice ladle add extra marks to its list.
Best Multipurpose: COSORI 5-Quart Rice Cooker
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
I tried the COSORI Rice cooker and admired this beautiful-looking kitchen appliance due to its 18 in 1 function. You can choose from different rice textures, 3 types of grains, 3 types of oatmeal, and functions like steam, delay timer, sauté, keep warm, slow cook, and quick rice. I like COSORI due to its multifunction and no physical buttons. You can set it by using the plan touch display, which gives you a lot of functions.
It has a large capacity of 5 quarts, allowing me to cook food for my whole family. One of the best features of this large cooker is the ease of cleaning. You can easily detach the parts of this cooker due to the layer between the inner lids. Not only this, but the condensation collector inside the cooker allows me not to have any drip around while opening the lid.
Another thing I tested and like most is the fuzzy logic that adapts the cooking while making rice. The fuzzy logic of the inner pot is well-marked and lets me know what water level I need to cook and how many scoops of rice. Moreover, it has a rice spoon to stand upright instead of lying on the plate while cooking.
I cooked the rice by setting the texture without oil and getting a perfect cook. However, the rice was dry at the bottom compared to the upper layer but tasted good. The good thing is that the rice comes out without sticking, making cleaning a breeze.
The COSORI is a remarkable success is making the best rice and oatmeal cooker. This rice cooker’s only shortcoming is that it offers only one temperature setting for slow cooking. Its large size also occupies a large space on your countertop, but it is not a big deal if you have a large family to feed.
Best Portable: Crockpot Portable 7 Quart Slow Cooker
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
It’s massive, the finest, and simply the best. Not just this crockpot cooker; we are talking about the Crockpot brand, whose products are reliable and durable. The brand has always maintained quality and standards and uses only the finest food-grade materials. This is why the appliances are safe to purchase.
The Crockpot’s slow cooker is a large-capacity oatmeal cooker. The nonstick cooking pot can hold 7 quarts of cereal, which means approximately 20 cups of uncooked rice. It is versatile, and with its preset settings, you can create many rice, quinoa, oat, wheat, and cereal meals. The digital controls allow you to select the food you want to prepare, the quantity you require, and the time you need the prepared meal.
The most special feature of this cooker is an automated cooking cycle adjustment. With this, the appliance automatically adjusts the temperature and timing so that the food you are cooking does not overcook or burn. You can also do all the meal prep and schedule so that the cereal cooks at your specified time.
The Crockpot cooker has many convenience features. The lid gets tightly locked so the hot contents won’t spill while you carry the cooker from the kitchen to your table. Two handles on either side allow you to firmly grip the pot, as they are cool to touch at all times. A digital display reads all the time and temperature stars, and one-touch digital controls make usage easy. However, if you are an expert and want to create your custom cooking settings, there is an option to go for manual cooking.
All the internal components are safe to be washed in a dishwasher so that it does not cause you trouble. The pot is also microwave safe so that you can rewarm the contents safely and quickly. to keep you safe from electrical hazards, it has an auto turn-off function which turns off the appliance as soon as the meal is ready.
The drawback, which may cause inconvenience to many users, is that it does not have a retractable cord. The cord length is also shorter, making it a problem for those with limited space or out-of-place electric sockets. Another thing is that it is more expensive than other cereal cookers. Overall, the Crockpot’s cereal cooker can cook oatmeal to perfection, rice to its fluffiest, and vegetables to their soft steamed form. With its large capacity, you can prepare broths, stews, and soups in it as well. The appliance is durable and resilient, and worthy of your money.
Best For Big Families: BLACK+DECKER 16-Cup Rice Cooker – RC516
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
Black + Decker is a decade-old brand for kitchen gadgets and home appliances, so quality and performance are assured. This is why we selected the Black + Decker steamer for our trials and found it a high-performing Oatmeal cooker.
The best feature of the appliance is its versatility. The Black + Decker cook pot not only cooks the rice but can also prepare cereals like oatmeal, wheat porridge, couscous, quinoa, and many others. The cooking pot has a high capacity to hold grains. Since oatmeal expands a lot during cooking, it requires a larger pot to get fluffy. It can hold 16 cups of cooked cereal at one time.
The appliance comes with some useful accessories to make it more functional. The steam basket allows you to place the vegetables on it and steam them while the cereal cooks below. You can also steam meat cuts and fish. A Rice measuring cup helps you get accurate cereal measures and cook them according to the right grain-to-water ratio. The cooker comes with a serving spoon and dishwasher-safe, nonstick cooking pot.
The appliance has two different heat settings. When the cereal is fully cooked, the cooker shifts to the keep warm setting. This will keep your meal warm until serving and prevent it from burning or overcooking.
The annoying thing about this food steamer is that it does not display any time and temperature settings. It also has no preset settings for other cereals, and the user has to select from only two heat settings. This is why the appliance might not be much useful for beginners. You must be very careful in deciding the grain-to-water ratio.
Overall, the Black + Decker is a recommended appliance because of its high capacity and versatility. With its additional accessories, you can pull off small, simple meals with vegetables and meat. It reduces kitchen time and improves the overall cooking experience.
Best Power Saving: GGC Electric Hot Pot with Steamer
Features & Specs:
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
Living in a hostel might make you miss all the delicious foods your mom used to make at home! But not anymore. With GGC Electric Hot Pot with Steamer, you can make a variety of healthy and delicious meals within no time. With its non-stick cooking pot and dual power setting options, you can coo oats, rice, vegetables, pasta, steamed chicken, etc. With its second mode, you can also use it for frying, making a steak, fondue, etc.
What I like about this steamer is its non-stick coating which has double benefits. First of all, it reduces the oil requirement, and I can prepare healthy, low-fat foods for my family. The coating is non-toxic so it does not let any harmful substances enter the food.
With the ceramic non-stick coating it becomes easier for the user to clean the pot as no food gets stuck to the base.
I found this steamer convenient when I had to take it out for picnics or long camping trips. It is a convenient size and fits in a small space. This is why when I felt that the COSORI 5-quart Rice Cooker was too big for my countertop, I replaced it with a GGC electric pot. It has a compact design and does not make the countertop messy.
But the compact design comes with a downside. This cooker has a smaller capacity than many other models. Plus, it does not have many digital controls and a temperature display. So if you are in search of a cooker that can hold more than 2 liters of food, consider the Toshiba TRCS01 6 Cups Rice Cooker. This can also tell you the exact time and temperature settings through an LCD. Overall, I find the GGC Electric Hot Pot with Steamer quite useful for hostel or dorm room use, traveling purposes, or regular cooking for small families. It has an easy-to-use interface and cleans up quickly.
How We Tested?
When we recommend something to our readers, it has fundamental research, trial and testing procedure, and selection criteria. Our blog is not just written content, it is something beyond.
To test the Oatmeal cookers, we selected some high-end brands and the most recommended models. Our team consulted some culinary experts and professionals who took this experience to their workstations. The crew cooked oatmeal, rice, porridge, and other cereals under various time and temperature settings. They also created complete recipes with steamed vegetables, broths, and soups. The preparation and cooking times were noted, and the quality of the cereal was maintained to achieve the best results.
Cleaning the cooker was also assessed. Only those with a strain-resistant exterior and whose components were dishwasher-friendly were selected.
Safety features are also essential, so our team checked for auto shut-off functions, voltage, spill-proofing, and cool-to-touch exteriors. We have enlisted only those products which have passed all the trial and testing procedures and met the criteria.
Why Trust TheLadychef?
With so many blogs recommending the best and most economical appliances, why would a reader trust us?
This is because we are not here to post written content. We are here to recommend based on personal experiences. We have a whole team of professionals behind us who give us information about their first-hand experience with any product we recommend. Our job is to assist you in purchasing the best product according to your individual preferences and needs. We care for our readers to prevent them from spending money on useless appliances or facing performance issues afterward.
Conclusion
Thanks to the testing team members and experts, who worked diligently and reported to us with statistical data and first-hand experience with the appliances.
Slow cookers reduce your time in the kitchen and cook oatmeal and other cereals to perfection. They are versatile cooking devices that eliminate constant supervision and can prepare meals at your scheduled time. They are a must-have for all kitchens as they are handy when you need to cook something quickly. You can also carry them on your camping trips to have fresh food.
We hope our review will prove valuable in purchasing a high-end appliance for your kitchen. Let us know which one you go for in the comment box.
