If you live alone then the best sized rice cooking machine for you is a single serving rice cooker. These machines are capable of preparing more than just one serving but what makes them “single serve” machines is that they are able to make just one serving at a time. If this sounds appealing then a 3 cup device is the one for you. The good news is that it can actually make more than just the one serving. In fact you can prepare up to five servings at once with this sized machine. Although to be honest, a small rice cooker is probably best for you if you live on your own, with your partner or only have one or two children (at most). You do not need too much extra capacity but at the same time, filling your machine to its limit might limit your options some of the time.
There are plenty of different makers of these kitchen appliances. Some of the best are Zojirushi, Sanyo, Panasonic and Tiger. These are all Japanese manufacturers. The good thing about these products is that most of them feature Micom technology. If you would rather get a cheaper machine then you can actually pick one up for under $20 if you buy an American brand. A Micom rice cooker on the other hand is not so cheap. They start at over $100 and can go up to over $400. The amount you spend is entirely up to you. The thing to think about though is, what quality of rice do you want to eat? Standard electrical machines are not that bad. They can certainly help to make rice cooking easier than trying to do it in a pot on a stove. But if you choose a device produced by one of these Japanese firms with the Micom technology then you get a product that can make great tasting rice. The more you spend, the better it will be. The most popular model sold in North America today is the Zojirushi NS-LAC05 3 cup rice cooker.