Aroma Housewares ARC-363NGB Rice Cooker: Full Review

The Aroma Housewares ARC-363NGB is a 3-cup cooker designed for small households or making side dishes, with a convenient single button control for cooking different types of rice. This compact model has a simple, no-frills design aimed at reliability and ease of use, rather than lots of cooking options. The budget-friendly price point makes it a good choice for college students or those cooking for one or two people that just need basic rice cooking functionality without extra bells and whistles.

This is a basic model that focuses on doing one thing well - cooking rice. It doesn't have fancy features like delayed start or keeping warm functions, but the simple mechanical switch and sturdy straightforward design means there's less that can break or malfunction over time. For people that eat rice regularly but don't need versatility or tons of settings, the Aroma ARC-363NGB provides good value for performance.

Design and Build Quality

The Aroma Housewares ARC-363NGB rice cooker has a sleek and modern design perfect for any kitchen. It is made of brushed stainless steel for durability and has an attractive tempered glass lid. The cooker itself is compact in size at 8.5 x 9 x 9 inches and lightweight at just 5 pounds, making it easy to store and move around the kitchen.

The stainless steel exterior gives it a nice heft and premium feel. The controls are located on the front with mechanical push buttons that are responsive when pressed. The tempered glass lid allows you to view the rice as it cooks and locks securely in place.

Inside, the inner cooking pot is surgical-grade 304 stainless steel which is rust-resistant and easy to clean. The steaming tray also doubles as a rice measuring cup and ladle. Overall, the high-quality materials like stainless steel and glass make this an attractive and sturdy appliance built to last.

Additionally, the Aroma Housewares ARC-7606GR rice cooker offers even more versatility with its large capacity, perfect for family meals or gatherings. It features advanced fuzzy logic technology that ensures perfect rice every time while also allowing for multiple cooking options, including steaming and slow cooking. This model is designed for energy efficiency and ease of use, making it a great addition to any kitchen setup. For more details, check out Aroma Housewares ARC-7606GR.

Cooking Performance

The Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker cooks up to 8 cups of any variety of rice to perfection. It features white and brown rice cooking modes to optimize temperature and timing. Rice comes out evenly cooked from top to bottom, with individual grains nicely separated and a pleasing texture.

The rice cooker cooks relatively quickly, with white rice taking around 30 minutes. The brown rice mode adjusts timing for optimal texture, cooking brown rice in about 45 minutes. It does a great job retaining moisture so rice comes out fluffy and tender, not mushy or dried out.

Aroma's proprietary technology allows it to cook all types of rice, including jasmine, basmati, wild rice, and more. The fluffy, restaurant-quality rice has a pleasant aroma and taste. You can adjust water amounts to make rice more al dente or soft. Overall, it delivers delicious rice cooked to the perfect doneness.

In addition to the Aroma cooker, the Zojirushi NS-LGC05XB is another excellent option for rice enthusiasts. This model features a unique induction heating system that provides superior temperature control, ensuring your rice is evenly cooked every time. It has multiple cooking settings and a timer that makes meal planning easy. Users praise the Zojirushi for its ability to produce high-quality rice, making it a favorite in many households. Its sleek design and advanced technology make it a worthy investment for anyone who loves perfectly cooked rice.

Features and Controls

The Aroma Rice Cooker has a range of useful features and easy-to-use controls:

• The control panel is straightforward, with buttons for cooking settings like white rice, brown rice, steam, slow cook, and flash rice. There are also buttons for delay timer, keep warm, start, and cancel.

• The programmed cooking settings make it easy to cook different types of rice and grains. Just select the type of rice, the cooking function turns off automatically when done.

• The delay timer allows you to set the rice cooker to begin cooking up to 15 hours in advance. This way you can wake up to freshly cooked rice or have it ready when you get home.

• The keep warm function automatically switches to keep warm mode for up to 12 hours after cooking. This keeps your rice perfectly warm and ready to serve all day long.

• The cooker has a removable, nonstick inner cooking pot for easy cleanup. The tempered glass lid allows you to monitor the cooking process.

• There are also various accessories like a steam tray, rice measuring cup, and serving spatula included to enhance functionality.

Overall, the intuitive control panel and preset programs take the guesswork out of cooking rice. The delay timer and keep warm functions add convenience.

Ease of Use

The Aroma Housewares ARC-363NGB rice cooker is very easy to use, even for beginners. The instructions are straightforward and simple to follow. There is no complex programming or overly technical controls.

Operating the rice cooker is intuitive. To cook rice, simply add rice and water in the provided cup measurements, close the lid, and press the Cook button. The machine takes care of the rest, automatically adjusting temperature and timing to produce perfectly cooked rice.

The learning curve is minimal. Within one or two test runs, most users will have the basics mastered. The rice cooker cooks rice flawlessly every time at the touch of a button.

Cleaning up after use is quick and hassle-free. The inner cooking pot and lid are removable and dishwasher safe. They can also be hand-washed with warm soapy water. The exterior simply needs a quick wipe down.

With its simple interface and fuss-free operation, the Aroma Housewares rice cooker delivers excellent ease of use for cooks of all skill levels. Both newbies and experts will find this machine highly intuitive and straightforward to use.

Accessories

The Aroma Housewares ARC-363NGB rice cooker comes with a few handy accessories that enhance the cooking experience. It includes a rice paddle which is useful for scooping out cooked rice without scratching the nonstick pot. The paddle helps portion and serve the rice without making a mess.

Also included is a steam tray. This can be inserted over the rice as it cooks to steam vegetables, fish, chicken or other foods. The steam tray allows you to prepare a complete meal at once in the rice cooker. Everything stays warm until ready to serve. Having the steam tray is convenient as you don't need additional pots or pans.

For mess-free serving, the rice cooker comes with a serving spatula. This long plastic spatula is ideal for scooping rice out of the pot when serving a crowd, helping to prevent rice from sticking to the nonstick surface.

The accessories that come with the rice cooker make meal prep and serving easier. Having the rice paddle, steam tray and serving spatula enhances the functionality.

Pros

• Large capacity to cook up to 6 cups of any variety of rice, including white rice, brown rice, quinoa, sushi rice, etc.
• Advanced microcomputer technology for precise temperature and time control during cooking. Ensures perfect fluffy rice and prevents burning or undercooking.
• Fuzzy logic technology continually monitors cooking and adjusts heating as needed for consistent results.
• One-touch operation makes it easy and simple to cook rice - just press a button.
• Sleek stainless steel pot with nonstick coating is easy to clean.
• Includes a steam tray, rice measuring cup and serving spatula for added convenience.
• Keeps cooked rice warm automatically for up to 12 hours after cooking is done. Great for meal prep and serving rice throughout the day.

Cons

The Aroma ARC-363NGB Rice Cooker has a few drawbacks to consider:

• The inner cooking pot is not non-stick. Rice can stick to the bottom of the pot, especially if left to sit after cooking finishes. This makes cleanup more difficult.

• The steam vent on the lid tends to clog up with starch and debris over time. This requires periodically cleaning out the vent to maintain proper steam release.

• The exterior surface is prone to scuffs and scratches. The cooker's plastic housing seems to scratch easily during transport or storage.

• The cooker automatically switches to keep warm mode after cooking. There is no way to disable this, which can lead to overcooking or drying out the rice if left unattended after the initial cook cycle completes.

Comparable Models

The Aroma Housewares ARC-363NGB is comparable to other 6-cup rice cookers in this price range and feature set. Here are a couple other models to consider:

• The Zojirushi NS-LGC05XB Micom Rice Cooker is a similarly sized 6-cup model with basic rice cooking functions. It cooks rice well but doesn't have as many features as the Aroma. The Zojirushi is slightly more expensive.

• The Tiger JBV-A10U-W 5.5-Cup Micom Rice Cooker is another good alternative. It's a little smaller at 5.5 cups but still good for individual or small family use. The Tiger brand is known for quality and the micom technology helps produce reliably delicious rice. The interface is very straight-forward. Downsides are fewer cooking options compared to the Aroma and a higher price tag.

Overall the Aroma ARC-363NGB holds up well against competitors, offering great performance and features at an affordable price point. The comparable models provide simpler operation or better brand reputation, but cost more while lacking some of the versatile cooking functions.

Conclusion

The Aroma Housewares ARC-363NGB rice cooker provides a solid performance at a reasonable price point. The 3-cup capacity is well-suited for individuals or couples looking to cook 1-3 servings of rice at a time.

The stainless steel body feels sturdy and durable, while the attractive design with its easy-to-use controls will look nice on any countertop. The cooker reliably delivers properly cooked rice with a good texture. Useful features like the steam tray and measuring cup add convenience.

While there are some minor drawbacks like the lid not latching shut and less settings compared to some higher-end models, the ARC-363NGB gets the job done for basic rice cooking. Overall, this Aroma rice cooker represents a solid value purchase for those seeking an affordable and reliable appliance for cooking white and brown rice. It delivers satisfactory performance that aligns with the budget-friendly price point. For most home cooks needing an easy way to make high-quality rice for small households, the ARC-363NGB is a recommended option worth considering.