Oster Rice Cooker Instructions

We may receive compensation from the companies whose products we review if you click through our affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Rice cookers are the most frequently used item in my kitchen. I use them to effortlessly cook rice (long grain rice, brown rice, sushi rice), about 3 times a week, and I sometimes pair it with other foods as I steam corn or fish in the upper tray.

Among other cookers, I have a red Oster rice cooker and it’s pretty simple to use as it literally has one button.

That said, it took a couple of attempts to perfect the rice making process since their documentation isn’t that clear so I’ll share these tips below on how best to use the Oster rice cookers.

Small Oster Rice Cooker (6-Cup)

One of the most coveted Oster rice cookers, this compact cooker and steamer has a 6-cup capacity.

Sale
Oster 6-Cup Rice Cooker with Steamer
  • Holds 3 cups of dry rice. Prepares up to 6 cups of cooked rice; Cord length: 28 inches
  • Compact rice cooker with one touch controls ideal for rice, soul, fondue, and more
  • 1 liter vegetable steamer tray to cook vegetables, fish, and more
  • Tempered glass lid lets you check on food as it cooks. Includes measuring cup and non scratch rice paddle spoon
  • Automatic keep warm feature keeps rice hot; auto shut off prevents food from burning

Large Oster Rice Cooker (20-Cup)

For entertaining or cooking for large groups, choose Oster’s 20-cup digital rice cooker.

Oster 20-Cup Digital Rice Cooker
  • 20-cup stainless steel rice cooker prepares rice, soup, hot cereals, and more
  • Digital programmable controls with 5 versatile cooking functions: white rice, brown rice, steam, breakfast, and soup
  • Convenient delay timer allows you to set a specific start time
  • Locking lid forms an airtight seal and stays cool to the touch
  • Nonstick inner pot is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup

How to Use the Oster Rice Cooker

Preparing the Rice

Be sure to rinse the rice a few times with cold water. This step will get rid of the excess starch that makes the rice stick together and prevent it from boiling up and boiling over in the rice cooker as well.

Water to Rice Ratio

This depends on the grain being used. A good rule of thumb is that you should use:

  • White rice: 1.5 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.
  • Long grain or brown rice: 2 cups of water for every 1cup.

Basically, the tougher the grain, the more resistant it is to water absorption so you need to use a bit more water to compensate.

Oster Inner Pot and Steam Tray

Place Rice in the Cooker

After filling in the appropriate amount of water up to the designated fill line in the inner pot of the cooker, dump in the rice. Tip:  Let it soak for 5-10 minutes.

Close the lid and plug in the unit.

Cooking

You should see a red light display on the cooker to indicate that the rice is cooking.

The good thing about Oster rice cookers is that they’re fast. It should only take about 15 minutes to cook most rice.

Once finished, the light will switch orange, indicating that the cooker is in keep warm mode.

Tip: Allow the rice to rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow it to soak up additional moisture in the pot. This helps to soften the rice.

Steamer Tray

You can use the upper steamer tray to steam vegetables, corn, proteins or whatever else you’d like. I use it religiously for broccoli and carrots and it preserves the color, nutrients, and taste of all of my vegetables quite nicely.

Clean Up and Maintenance

Fortunately, the inner pot of the Oster rice cooker truly is nonstick. You can use the provided spatula to scoop up the rice and the rice comes right off. Therefore, cleaning is a breeze.

It’s dishwasher safe and you can also just use a regular sponge to clean it as well. Of course, be sure to unplug the unit first.

Oster Rice Cooker Features – Best Budget Rice Cooker (6 cup)

Red Oster Rice Cooker

Check Price

I’m not sure you’ll find a cheaper rice cooker than the Oster 6 Cup Rice Cooker. And it performs surprisingly well, considering its price point.

There’s only one button and two modes: either cook or keep warm. You won’t get a bunch of different one touch cooking options that other higher end rice cookers offer, and the rice may not be restaurant quality, but if you follow directions precisely, you can turn out batch after batch of good tasting rice.

Design

This rice cooker comes in either a red or black design, a steam basket for steaming vegetables and protein, a removable tempered glass lid to allow for easy rice monitoring, and a non-stick inner pot.

It has one button that either flashes red to indicate that it’s in cook mode, or orange to indicate that it’s in keep warm mode (that it switches to automatically).

Finally, it has a stay cool handle and plastic spatula to scoop up the rice without scratching the inner pot.

Oster Rice Cooker and Accessories

Capacity

The oster rice cookers range in capacity from 3 cups to as much as 20 cups of rice. Good for either a couple or large family, depending on cup size.

The most popular model and one being reviewed is the 6 cup rice cooker.

Performance

Again, “oster rice cooker ratio” and “oster rice cooker directions” are highly googled terms because, again, this rice cooker isn’t foolproof like other rice cookers that have built in logic to ensure your rice cooks perfectly, regardless of the type of grain or water levels.

It may take a bit of experimentation, but once you get the water ratios down, you should be able to make consistently great tasting rice.

Price

This is where it shines. You won’t find a cheaper rice cooker. Or should I say inexpensive. It’s actually pretty well made and has 4 stars on Amazon from nearly 3K reviews.

Bottom line

Both Oster models provide an excellent value in rice makers. The decision between the two comes down to if you need a 6-cup or a 20-cup rice cooker.

Leave a Comment