When it comes to maximizing the versatility of your instant zest rice and grain cooker, the right recipes can elevate everyday meals with ease and flavor. From fluffy grains to creative mixes, this guide explores top-tested recipes that highlight convenience without sacrificing taste or nutrition. Whether you’re a busy cook or a culinary enthusiast, these ideas offer simple, adaptable inspiration for breakfast bowls, hearty dinners, and satisfying sides. Discover balanced, crowd-pleasing options to transform your kitchen routine. (98 words)
- Best for best overall: Instant Pot Zest 8 Cup One Touch Rice Cooker
- Best for carb reduce tech: Instant Pot 20-Cup Rice Cooker
- Best for recipe guide: Instant Zest Rice & Grain Cookbook for Beginners
- Best for perfect portions: Original Rice Measuring Cup for Instant Zest Rice Cooker
- Best for large capacity: Instant Pot Zest 20 Cup Rice Cooker
- Best for smart connectivity: CHEF iQ Smart Pressure Cooker with WiFi and Built-in Scale - Easy-to-Use 10-in-1 Multicooker with 500+ Guided Recipes - Rice Cooker
- Best for smart sensing: KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker 8 Cup with Automatically Sensing Integrated Scale + Water Tank
- Best for best budget: Aroma Housewares 4-Cups (Cooked) / 1Qt. Rice & Grain Cooker (ARC-302NG)
- Best for durable build: AROMA® 20-Cup (Cooked) / 5Qt. Bonded Granite® Rice & Grain Cooker
- Best for programmable convenience: West Bend Programmable Rice & Grain Cooker with 7 Preset Functions
Product Comparison: Best Instant Zest Rice & Grain Cooker Recipes
Instant Pot Zest 8 Cup One Touch Rice Cooker, From the Makers of Instant Pot, Steamer, Cooks Rice, Grains, Quinoa and Oatmeal, 8-cup cooked/4-cup uncooked, No Pressure Cooking Functionality

- 4 SMART PROGRAMS: make cooking your favorite rice, oatmeal, and grains to fluffy perfection super-fast and one touch easy!
- STEAM VEGGIES: Easily steam veggies, fish and more!
- DOUBLES AS A WARMER: Keep foods nice and warm during pot lucks, parties, picnics and more!
- 8 CUP CAPACITY: 4-Cup (Uncooked)/8-Cup (Cooked). Its compact capacity is perfect for preparing small individual meals, or meal prep side dishes.
- ACCESSORIES INCLUDED: In addition to the non-stick ceramic coated pot, the Zest Plus also comes with a dishwasher-safe steamer tray, rice measuring cup and rice spoon.
- SAFETY FEATURES: Includes over 10 safety features, plus overheat protection and safe-locking lid.
- DISCOVER AMAZING RECIPES: Includes the free Instant Brands Connect App, where you can find new recipes to create quick favorites and prepare delicious meals, available for iOS and Android.
Instant Pot 20-Cup Rice Cooker, Rice and Grain Multi-Cooker with Carb Reducing Technology without Compromising Taste or Texture, From the Makers of Instant Pot, Includes 8 Cooking Presets

- 8 Cooking Functions: Make rice, grains, quinoa, mixed grains, slow-cooked dishes, sautéed meals, steamed recipes, and keep food warm for up to 10 hours—all in one appliance
- User-Friendly Presets: 8 smart cooking programs take the guesswork out of meal preparation.
- CarbReduce Technology: Enjoy rice with up to 40% fewer carbs and sugar* while keeping the taste and texture right where they should be: perfect
- Modern, Space-Saving Design: Sleek matte finish, space-saving shape—looks good, fits anywhere, and keeps your counter clutter-free
- Easy Water Measurement: Built-in level marks inside the CarbReduce steam basket make prep simple and foolproof
- Quick Cleanup: No more fighting about who has to do the dishes. The dishwasher-safe non-stick cooking pot, stainless steel CarbReduce steam basket, and removable lid make clean up a breeze
- Power Packed Performance: 860 watts, 120 V 60 Hz, UL & ULC Listed
- A Little Extra: Includes a rice spoon and measuring cup to keep you ready for anything.
Original Rice Measuring Cup for Instant Zest Rice Cooker, Steamer 8-Cup, 20-Cup, 20-Cup Zest Plus Cooker Replacement Cup, 2 - Pack

- The Zonefly Rice Measuring Cup helps you perfectly portion 1 standard rice cup / 180 mL for pressure, slow or rice cookers
- Recommended for use with the Instant pot or Instant zest rice cooker
- BPA Free. Dishwasher Safe
- Has both standard and metric measurements, easy for viewing measurement level
- High Quality Product & Service - Happy customers are the heart beat of our small business. Changed your mind or got the wrong size? No worries, we'll take it back. No questions aske
Instant Pot Zest 20 Cup Rice Cooker, Steamer, Cooks Rice, Grains, Quinoa and Oatmeal, No Pressure Cooking Functionality

- Accessories included: Non-stick ceramic coated 20-quart pot plus dishwasher-safe steamer tray, rice measuring cup and rice spoon. Lightweight and easy to store
- The Zest does not have pressure cooking functionality. 5 Smart Programs for one-touch cooking of white rice, brown rice, mixed grains, quinoa and oatmeal.
- Bright, bold display and status indicators let you know exactly where your food is in the cooking process. Built-in protection against overheating
- Doubles as a warmer for foods of all types
- Accessories included: Non-stick ceramic coated 20-quart pot plus dishwasher-safe steamer tray, rice measuring cup and rice spoon. Lightweight and easy to store
- 120 Volt 60 Hertz power supply - Please check your voltage if not in North America
- Extra thick inner pot with non-stick ceramic coating for better, more even cooking
- Stainless steel 18/8 lid interior
CHEF iQ Smart Pressure Cooker with WiFi and Built-in Scale - Easy-to-Use 10-in-1 Multicooker with 500+ Guided Recipes - Rice Cooker, Slow Cooker, Instant Meals for Foodies - 6 Quart - Family Size

- THE CHEF iQ APP: Connect to our free app via WiFi and Bluetooth and access hundreds of Guided Cooking recipes and culinary how-to videos, control and monitor your Smart Cooker, and access hundreds of presets for almost any ingredient
- BUILT-IN SCALE: Easily measure ingredients and cook by weight, simplifying prep and cleanup: no measuring cups needed Four smart sensors measure ingredients accurately and tell you how much liquid is needed to cook to perfection
- AUTO PRESSURE RELEASE: Automatically releases steam at the end of pressure cooking for increased safety and convenience. Programmed with 3 pressure release methods: quick, pulse, and natural
- HUNDREDS OF VIDEO-GUDIED RECIPES: Guided Cooking recipes provide step-by-step video instructions and enable you to send precise cooking parameters to your Smart Cooker for every step
- GUESS-FREE COOKING: Access hundreds of presets on the Smart Cooker or in the CHEF iQ App. Simply input your ingredient and we’ll provide exact cook settings and recommended cooking functions for easy one-pot meals
- WIRELESS UPDATES: Receive wireless firmware updates on your Smart Cooker via the CHEF iQ App. Your Smart Cooker will gain additional features and improve its cooking algorithms while sitting on your countertop
- INCLUDED ACCESSORIES: This smart multicooker includes a steamer rack and basket. The rack by itself is perfect for larger items like fish, chicken, or whole vegetables while the basket is ideal for chopped veggies or dumplings
KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker 8 Cup with Automatically Sensing Integrated Scale + Water Tank, KGC3155, Black Matte

- Integrated scale automatically senses the amount of grains, rice or beans you've added in order to calculate the ideal water-to-grain ratio for what you're cooking
- Integrated water tank automatically dispenses the right amount of water to match the ideal liquid-to-grain ratio for what you're cooking; removable for easy refilling
- Explore a whole new world of whole grains with 21 preset options for rice, beans, oats, couscous, quinoa, barley, farro and more
- The included steamer basket fits above the cooking pot, making it easy to steam veggies, fish, meats and more to accompany your grains.
- Easy to use touchscreen makes it easy to see and select cooking modes with an intuitive menu that puts options for healthy grains, rice and beans at your fingertips
- Cook on your schedule with delayed cook that lets you add ingredients ahead of time and schedule cooking to begin up to 24 hours later, providing more flexibility for your meal prep routines
- Model KGC3155 Includes (1) Grain and Rice Cooker, (1) non-stick ceramic pot, (1) steam basket
Aroma Housewares 4-Cups (Cooked) / 1Qt. Rice & Grain Cooker (ARC-302NG), White

- Perfectly prepares 2 to 4 cups of any variety of cooked rice
- Simple, one-touch operation with automatic Warm mode
- Easy-to-clean, nonstick removable inner pot
- Full-view tempered glass lid for easy monitoring as food cooks to monitor food as it cooks
- Great for soups, jambalaya, chili and so much more!
AROMA® 20-Cup (Cooked) / 5Qt. Bonded Granite® Rice & Grain Cooker, ARC-860NGP

- Perfectly prepares 4 to 20 cups of any variety of cooked rice
- Steamer basket stacks inside the pot
- Reinforced, 5-layer Bonded Granite pot
- Upgraded non-stick coating for easy cleanup
- Start and keep warm with one touch
West Bend Programmable Rice & Grain Cooker with 7 Preset Functions, Includes Delay Start and Keep Warm, Features Easy View Window & Steam Basket, 12 Cups Cooked (6 Uncooked), Black

- LARGE CAPACITY: Up to 12 cup (six cup uncooked) capacity is perfect for family meals
- VERSATILE: 7 preset functions: White Rice, Brown Rice, Multigrain Rice, Quinoa, Oatmeal, Keep Warm, Delay Start
- USER-FRIENDLY: LED display is easy to read
- DELAY START: 24-hour programmable delay timer for flexible meal planning
- GLASS WINDOW: Easy-view glass window on the lid to watch your favorite recipe prepare to perfection
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Buying Guide
FAQs
Which Instant Zest cooker is best for beginners?
The Instant Pot Zest 8 Cup One Touch Rice Cooker is designed for simplicity and ease of use.
Are there recipe guides for these cookers?
Yes, the Instant Zest Rice & Grain Cookbook for Beginners provides recipes tailored for these devices.
Which model offers carb-reducing functionality?
The Instant Pot 20-Cup Rice Cooker includes a Carb Reducin feature for healthier meals.
What is the largest capacity cooker listed?
The Instant Pot 20-Cup Rice Cooker and AROMA® 20-Cup Rice & Grain Cooker both offer 20-cup capacity.
Do these cookers handle grains other than rice?
Yes, models like the Instant Pot Zest 20 Cup Rice Cooker can prepare quinoa, grains, and more.
Are there compatible measuring cups for these cookers?
The Original Rice Measuring Cup is designed specifically for Instant Zest Rice Cookers.
Which cooker has programmable settings?
The West Bend Programmable Rice & Grain Cooker includes 7 preset functions for versatility.