I’ve written elsewhere on this website about how cheap rice cookers often are as good as the most expensive ones. A couple of products I’ve tried recently have changed my mind on that. One of those products is by Cuckoo, a company in business for over 40 years. Check out this Cuckoo rice cooker review to see if being in business for so long results in high-quality.
(Please note that this article contains affiliate links.)
A Glowing Cuckoo Rice Cooker Review
The Cuckoo 6-cup is an incredible machine that I class as one of the best rice cookers I’ve ever used. Part of the reason I’m so positive about it is that it cooks sticky rice to absolute perfection! This is a rarity and is a big plus for anyone who wants to recreate Thai food.
There are actually several different rice cookers available from Cuckoo. The Cuckoo High 6-cup, which is the model I’m reviewing, is on the premium end of the product line. For quick reference, here is a selection of Cuckoo cookers and what they’re good for:
- Cuckoo High 6-Cup — Best Overall (Especially for Thai Food)
- Cuckoo CR-0631F — Best Value for Money
- Cuckoo CMC-QSB501S — Best Multifunctional (Cooks Soups)
- Cuckoo CMC-ASB501F — Best Pressure Cooker
The Cuckoo rice cooker I’ve chosen to review is not the cheapest from the selection. However, it’s the best overall balance between cooking quality, high-tech features, durability, and price.
Let’s take a look at some of the key product features that make this Cuckoo rice cooker stand out:
✓ It cleans itself — Yes, you read that correctly. With the press of a button, jets of steam sanitize the inside of the rice cooker, including the cooking pot. Very cool feature.
✓ Makes superb sticky rice without needing to use a sticky rice steamer. It also makes high-quality jasmine rice that is restaurant-grade.
✓ A smart voice guide (in English, Chinese, or Korean) makes using the machine even easier.
✓ Has capacity for 6 cups of uncooked rice and 12-built in programs.
✓ The steam releases remarkably quietly from this rice cooker and less violently than other machines, increasing its safety.
I’m starting to realize now as I’ve invested in some premium cooking appliances that the extra features make all the difference and justify the higher prices.
The self-cleaning aspect of this Cuckoo product is a prime example of adding something practical or high-tech that makes using the product so much easier.
Another practical tech feature worth mentioning in this Cuckoo rice cooker review is the water drainage system on this model. With most cheap rice cookers, leaving cooked rice inside the cooking pot with the warming function causes the rice to turn yellow after a while.
Cuckoo’s solution for keeping rice as tasty and fresh as it was when it first finished cooking is to collect excess water vapors produced during cooking. When using the warm function, the water vapors release and keep your rice from discoloring.
Adding to the sleek, modern design features that you can expect from Korean technology companies is the two-layer soft steam cap. The steam releases steadily and slowly through a sophisticated S-shaped path. This is a huge plus as it ensures a remarkably quiet rice cooker compared to budget machines.
The 12 built-in functions are also very useful. Here’s where you’ll find the settings to cook sticky rice, chicken soup, and even porridge. So despite being marketed primarily as a rice cooker it’s actually a surprisingly multi-functional device.
Weighing in at 14.3 pounds or 6.4 kilos, its slightly on the heavy side compared to most one-switch rice cookers. The extra weight is the trade-off to pay for a slew of additional high-tech features and sophisticated design. There are a total of 14 safety features on this particular model.
The combination of these cool features with a pleasing design and excellent durability leads to the result of a premium rice cooker that actually feels worth the investment.
Are there any drawbacks to the Cuckoo High 6-cup?
It wouldn’t be an honest Cuckoo rice cooker review without mentioning the main obvious flaw of this machine, which is that the lid swings open quite rapidly.
I was honestly quite surprised that such a premium machine would have what seems like an obvious design flaw. Surely any testing team would’ve noticed this and rectified it?
A fast-opening lid for me is not so big of a deal to prevent me from recommending the cooker, but it is definitely a minor annoyance on an otherwise excellent product.
A slow-opening hinge would genuinely catapult this Cuckoo rice cooker into five-star territory. As it is, if I was pushed to give it a star rating, I would say 4 out of 5 stars.
Is Cuckoo a Good Brand?
Yes, Cuckoo is a very reputable cookware brand. Here’s what another satisfied customer thought about the same Cuckoo rice cooker reviewed in this post.
The brand has been in existence as Cuckoo since 2002, but the company’s formation was actually in 1978 when it began selling rice cookers in Korea under a different name. The modern company is called Cuckoo Electronics.
A 2015 financial report by Credit Suisse into the company highlighted that Cuckoo is Korea’s uncontested No.1 electric rice cooker manufacturer with an over 65% share of the market.
Any company manufacturing rice cookers that is trusted by a large percentage of a population that eats rice as its staple is good enough for me!
When was Cuckoo Korea established?
The company was established in 1978 under the name Sungkwang Electronics Co.LTD. The proprietary Cuckoo brand launched in 1998 and the corporate name change from Sungkwang to Cuckoo became official in 2003. So, it’s a company with a long history of manufacturing cookware.
Where to Buy Cuckoo Rice Cooker
That just about wraps up my Cuckoo rice cooker review. In summary, it’s a solid high-tech machine with a wealth of features that makes excellent rice, whether jasmine, brown, or sticky. The Cuckoo brand is reputable so you know you’re in safe hands.
>>Buy Cuckoo Here<<