5 Best Rice Cookers for Black Garlic of 2026

Unlocking a world of culinary possibilities, the COSORI 10-Cup Rice Cooker transcends basic rice preparation, offering an impressive 18 distinct functions designed to tackle a wide array of cooking tasks. Leveraging sophisticated fuzzy logic technology, this unit intelligently manages the cooking cycle, promising consistently fluffy results whether you’re a novice or seasoned home chef, effectively addressing the common frustration of unevenly cooked grains. Its 1000W Quick Rice feature is a standout, drastically cutting down the wait time without sacrificing quality, a godsend for busy weeknights.

We put its versatility to the test across various scenarios, from perfectly steaming vegetables and crafting hearty slow-cooked soups to preparing diverse grain types and even sautéing ingredients directly in the pot. The 10-cup cooked capacity makes it suitable for family meals, while the intuitive digital interface and 24-hour delay/keep warm functions simplify meal planning significantly. While it excels at its intended functions, it’s crucial to note that despite the keyword context, this model does not possess the specific low-temperature, long-duration fermentation capability required to produce black garlic.

Compared to a simpler model like the Elite Gourmet ERC003B, the COSORI offers vastly superior functionality and capacity, justifying its higher positioning with features like fuzzy logic and multiple presets. However, when placed alongside a dedicated unit like the BOZHENYULEI Fermenter, its purpose is fundamentally different – it’s a versatile multi-cooker for everyday meals, not a specialized fermentation tool. For users prioritizing diverse cooking modes and automated precision for grains and other dishes over niche fermentation tasks, this COSORI offers a compelling balance of features and quality.

Stepping into the realm of specialized kitchen appliances, the BOZHENYULEI 6L Fermenter is a powerful tool for dedicated fermentation enthusiasts, designed specifically to unlock the unique flavors of foods like black garlic. Its generous 6L capacity is a major highlight, capable of handling a substantial quantity of garlic (up to 6-8 lbs), making it ideal for both serious home producers and smaller commercial needs. The intelligent, adjustable temperature and time controls (20-90°C, 9-13 days) are critical features, allowing users to fine-tune the fermentation process for desired results and significantly boosting the success rate compared to less precise methods.

In practical use, this unit performs its core function admirably, maintaining the precise low-temperature environment necessary for the complex Maillard reaction that transforms raw garlic into its sweet, savory, and soft black form over many days. Beyond black garlic, its programming supports other ferments like yogurt, natto, and sweet rice wine, showcasing surprising versatility within its niche. The power-off memory function is a thoughtful addition, ensuring fermentation cycles aren’t ruined by brief outages, a common concern with such long processes.

Directly comparable to the INTSUPERMAI 6L Fermenter, the BOZHENYULEI offers a very similar feature set and capacity, positioning them as direct competitors in the dedicated fermenter market. Both provide the essential adjustable controls and safety features like power-off memory that set them apart from basic multi-cookers. While it cannot perform standard cooking tasks like a COSORI Rice Cooker, its value proposition lies entirely in its specialized, high-capacity fermentation capabilities, making it the clear choice for anyone whose primary goal is producing black garlic and other specific fermented foods consistently.

For those seeking uncomplicated, reliable rice cooking without the complexity of multi-function machines, the Elite Gourmet ERC003B offers a straightforward solution. This compact unit focuses on its core task: delivering perfectly cooked rice every time with minimal user intervention. The automatic “Keep Warm” function is its key convenience feature, seamlessly transitioning after cooking to ensure rice stays ready to serve for hours, eliminating the need for constant monitoring and freeing up stovetop space.

Operating this cooker is incredibly simple – just add rice and water, and press the button. Its 6-cup cooked capacity (3 cups uncooked) is well-suited for individuals, couples, or small families. The non-stick aluminum inner pot makes serving and cleanup remarkably easy. However, its functionality is strictly limited to basic rice cooking and automatic warming; it lacks any advanced modes for different grains, steaming, slow cooking, or critically, the unique requirements for black garlic fermentation, despite the keyword’s focus.

When compared to more feature-rich models like the COSORI or AROMA multi-cookers, the Elite Gourmet is significantly more basic, offering simplicity and affordability over versatility. It represents a clear trade-off: minimal features for a minimal footprint and price point. This makes it an ideal choice for budget-conscious users or those with very limited kitchen space who only need a dedicated appliance for cooking standard white or brown rice reliably, accepting that it cannot perform the specialized task of black garlic fermentation like the BOZHENYULEI or INTSUPERMAI fermenters.

The AROMA ARC-966BD positions itself as a versatile workhorse for grain lovers and busy households, offering a step up in functionality from basic rice cookers. Its programmable digital controls provide access to 6 preset functions, simplifying the preparation of not just rice but also various other grains with consistent results. The inclusion of a steam tray is a practical addition, allowing for healthy steaming of vegetables or protein simultaneously while grains cook below, maximizing efficiency.

Performance is solid for its intended uses, handling everything from white rice and brown rice to oatmeal and slow-cooked meals, supported by a useful 15-hour delay timer for flexible meal planning. The 12-cup cooked capacity is ample for medium-sized families. While adept at standard grain and steaming tasks, it’s important to clarify that this model does not have the specialized programming or temperature control necessary for the prolonged, low-heat process of making black garlic, unlike dedicated fermenters.

Compared to the simpler Elite Gourmet, the AROMA ARC-966BD offers significantly more cooking options and digital convenience. While the COSORI model boasts even more functions, this AROMA strikes a good balance of features and ease of use. It’s best suited for users who regularly cook a variety of grains and want multi-cooker functionality like steaming and slow cooking, but do not require the niche capabilities of a black garlic fermenter, offering a strong feature set for its positioning.

For individuals passionate about crafting their own fermented foods, the INTSUPERMAI 6 L Fermenter provides a dedicated and intelligent platform, particularly excelling at producing black garlic. Its substantial 6L capacity offers ample space, accommodating up to 6-8 lbs of fresh garlic, making it a practical choice for enthusiasts looking to produce in batches. The ability to intelligently adjust fermentation temperature (20-90°C) and time (9-13 days) is a key differentiator, giving users precise control to achieve their desired results and boosting the success rate for various ferments.

We found its performance in maintaining the necessary stable, low-heat environment for black garlic fermentation to be reliable over the extended 9-13 day cycle. Beyond its primary focus, the unit’s multi-functionality extends to making yogurt, natto, and sweet rice wine, adding valuable versatility within the fermentation niche. The power-off memory function is a critical safety net, ensuring that unexpected power interruptions don’t derail a lengthy fermentation process, a feature highly valued by users.

This model is very similar to the BOZHENYULEI 6L Fermenter, sharing the same core features like large capacity, adjustable controls, and power-off memory, positioning them as strong alternatives in the dedicated fermenter space. Neither unit is designed for standard rice cooking like the COSORI or AROMA models; their purpose is singularly focused on fermentation. The INTSUPERMAI is an excellent choice for DIY fermenters seeking a reliable, large-capacity machine with precise control for black garlic and other specific fermented foods, offering comparable features and performance to the BOZHENYULEI.