Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB Rice Cooker: Full Review

The Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB is a 20-cup digital rice cooker and food steamer. This versatile kitchen appliance can cook up to 20 cups of any variety of rice with just a press of a button. With its automatic keep-warm function, your rice will stay fresh for hours after cooking completes.

The ARC-994SB features a durable stainless steel exterior and nonstick cooking pot. Its digital controls allow you to select your desired rice texture and an 15-hour delay timer gives flexibility in meal planning. A steam tray insert lets you steam vegetables, dumplings, fish and more simultaneously with the rice.

This Aroma rice cooker delivers reliable performance and excellent value for families that eat a lot of rice or anyone seeking an affordable, high-capacity rice cooker with useful secondary functions like steaming. Read on for a full review of the key features, performance and design of the Aroma Housewares 20-Cup Digital Rice Cooker and Food Steamer.

Appearance and Design

The Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB rice cooker has a sleek and modern stainless steel exterior that will look great on any kitchen counter. It has a capacity of 20 cups (cooked) which equates to about 10 cups of uncooked rice. The rice cooker measures approximately 14 x 12 x 8 inches, making it a nice compact size that doesn't take up too much counter space.

The stainless steel exterior gives it a premium look and feel. The lid, handle, and control panel are all made of sturdy plastic that seems durable enough for regular use. The cooking pot inside is heavy gauge steel with a nonstick coating. Overall, the materials seem well-chosen for cooking performance, ease of cleaning, and longevity.

In terms of aesthetics, the brushed stainless steel finish gives it a fingerprint resistant surface that hides smudges and water spots well. The control panel is straightforward with basic functions for cooking, keeping warm, and delay timer. There are no frills when it comes to fancy digital settings, but the simplistic old-school knobs and buttons have their appeal too. Those who want a no fuss rice cooker that looks nice will appreciate the Aroma's design.

Capacity

The Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB rice cooker has a generous uncooked rice capacity of 4-20 cups. This allows you to cook up to 8 cups of cooked rice, which is enough to feed about 8 people as a main dish. With this size capacity, you can easily prepare rice for dinner parties, large families, or meal prepping for the week.

The inner cooking pot is aluminum with a surgical grade 304 stainless steel exterior. It measures 8.5 inches in diameter and 9 inches tall, giving you plenty of room for making sizable batches of rice. Whether you need to feed your whole family or make rice as a side dish for a multi-course meal, this rice cooker can handle it with no problem.

Features

The Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB rice cooker comes equipped with a variety of features to make cooking rice easy and convenient.

• Cooking Functions: This rice cooker has multiple cooking functions including white rice, brown rice, slow cook, steam, cake, and keep warm. The different modes allow you to cook and keep rice fresh for extended periods.

• Settings: The digital controls on the front panel make it easy to select your desired cooking function. You can choose between cooking modes and also adjust cooking time and temperature as needed.

• Accessories: The rice cooker comes with a steam tray, rice measuring cup, and serving spatula. The steam tray inserts directly into the cooker to allow steaming vegetables, fish, and more. And the rice paddle and measuring cup help portion rice and transfer it out neatly.

Ease of Use

The Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB rice cooker has been designed for straightforward, convenient operation. The control panel is very user-friendly, with simple buttons for cooking white rice, brown rice, steam, delay timer, and keep warm. The buttons have clear icons that are intuitive to understand.

The settings are easy to adjust with just a press of a button. You can easily select your desired rice texture from soft to firm. Cleaning the rice cooker is simple since the inner cooking pot and steam tray are removable and dishwasher safe. The tempered glass lid can also be wiped clean easily. Overall, the Aroma rice cooker delivers excellent ease of use with its uncomplicated interface and hassle-free maintenance.

Cooking Performance

The Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB rice cooker delivers excellent cooking performance for perfectly cooked rice every time. Its advanced technology allows it to cook rice faster than most other models, with white rice taking only 20-30 minutes.

The rice comes out with a light, fluffy texture and does not get mushy or sticky. It retains just the right amount of firmness while being fully cooked through. The rice also has a delicious flavor, enhanced by the cooker's ability to seal in moisture and nutrients.

Many users mention how the Aroma rice cooker makes some of the best rice they've ever tasted. The flavor is enhanced by the stainless steel cooking pot which doesn't add any metallic taste. Overall, the cooking performance is exceptional and makes tasty, restaurant-quality rice at home.

Durability

The Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB rice cooker is designed to last years of regular cooking. The stainless steel exterior and inner cooking pot have a sturdy, substantial feel and can withstand the repeated heating and cooling of cooking cycles without warping.

Users mention this rice cooker lasting 5-10 years with regular use, which is impressive for an appliance used multiple times per week. The stainless steel construction plays a key role in the durability, ensuring the cooker doesn't corrode or degrade over time.

Aroma Housewares provides a 1 year limited warranty on the product, which protects against defects in materials or workmanship. While most users don't report needing repairs within the first year, it's reassuring to have the warranty coverage.

Overall, the sturdy stainless steel design allows this cooker to maintain its integrity and performance for years of reliable rice cooking. The impressive lifepsan reflects the quality materials and construction that make this an appliance built to last.

Price

The Aroma Housewares ARC-994SB rice cooker has an MSRP of $29.92 from the manufacturer. However, it typically sells on Amazon for around $20-25, making it very affordable for most households. The low price point makes it accessible and a great value, without sacrificing features or quality. For budget-conscious shoppers, the Aroma cooker hits a nice sweet spot of being inexpensive but still getting the job done when it comes to cooking rice or steaming vegetables and meats. While it lacks some of the advanced features of more expensive cookers, its simplicity and affordable price is part of its charm. For most home cooks that just need a solid, no-frills rice cooker that doesn't cost too much, the Aroma ARC-994SB is an excellent option that delivers tasty results every time.

Pros

• Large 20-cup capacity can cook up to 20 cups of rice, making it easy to prepare multiple servings or meal prep batches of rice
• Intuitive one-touch operation with automatic keep warm and white rice and brown rice functions makes it easy for anyone to use
• Nonstick inner cooking pot and steam tray are removable and dishwasher-safe for quick cleanup
• Stainless steel exterior with black accents has a sleek, modern look that will complement any kitchen décor
• Perfectly cooks all varieties of rice including white, brown, jasmine, and basmati with specialized functions
• Built-in steamer function allows steaming meat and vegetables conveniently alongside rice
• 15-hour keep warm function keeps rice fresh and warm for serving throughout the day

Cons

• The rice cooker is fairly large and bulky, taking up a good amount of counter or cabinet space. This may be an issue for those with smaller kitchens.

• There have been some reports of the inner cooking pot developing scratches or the nonstick coating peeling after a year or so of regular use. This doesn't affect cooking performance, but damages the aesthetics.

• The lid does not have a view window, so you can't see inside or check the rice while cooking without opening the lid and releasing steam/heat. You need to rely on the timer or automatic cook functions.

• While the price is reasonable, it's not the most budget-friendly option. Shoppers looking for the cheapest possible rice cooker may want to consider more basic models.