Bear Mini Rice Cooker, 2-Cup Uncooked, Nonstick, Keep Warm, BPA Free, White

I have been trying to cook rice for so long! I have been told that an Instant Pot is basically a rice cooker. Recently, I spoke with a well-known chef, and he advised that I should purchase a rice cooker on Amazon. I decided to try it, and after reading reviews on several different rice cookers, I bought the Bear Mini Rice Cooker. My only regret was not purchasing it sooner. The first thing I love about it is the size. It does not take up a lot of counter space, and it is perfect for cooking the perfect amount of rice for my family of four. That's right, I used one cup of rice (the cup is provided) and one cup of chicken broth, and it was enough for four adults. However, do not forget that it will cook up to two cups of rice! It was also so easy to wash. The non-stick bowl is easy to remove and easy to clean. It is also very easy to store. I can store it in a cabinet, and it even fits in one of my drawers. The second thing I love is how simple. There are no five buttons, no timers, just simply one button and two choices: warm and cook. Add your rice in the convenient cup provided, fill your bowl with water or broth up to the designated line, push the button, and you have rice in no time! Not only do you have rice, but you have perfectly tasty rice! I loved it so much that I purchased another one for my daughter. The price is amazing and much less than I paid for my Instant Pot, which is large and I never use.

As an Asian (Hmong) person, I can honestly say that I'm impressed with this purchase and it's a good alternative to the original Asian store brands. It's small and perfect for our family of five and only takes about 30 minutes to cook. We like fresh rice, so we cook it fresh every day rather than putting our leftover rice in the fridge. We do also don't eat a ton of rice--I'd say this makes 2 cups of rice with room to spare at the top (no rice sticking to the cover). Not sure if it's just this cooker as well, but our magic ratio is 1 cup of rice to every 3/4 cup of water.

Perfect size for one or two people. Works well, easy to clean, and it looks cool. I make all kinds of grains in this - multiple kinds of rice, quinoa, and millet and they all come out really well. Comes with a rice paddle but it's kind of flimsy. (It's totally worth it to buy a sturdier one at the same time you buy the rice cooker.) Even with the flimsy rice paddle this unit is a VERY solid buy!

It was so easy to use! Felt much less stressful than the stovetop method. BUT a big problem is the making of the 4 cups output. For the 2 cups output it was perfect but not enough rice for me and my daughter. So we followed the instructions to make more the next time. But about 5 minutes before it was done cooking, liquid started bubbling and oozing out the top black round vent area. It was a mess as it dribbled down the device and into the mechanics & plug (see video). Lots of cleanup on the counter and then best to just let the starch dry and then wipe clean later. But still…I don’t want to deal with this just to make the larger portion. And we followed the directions exactly because there are easy steps and lines to measure the rice and water in the inner pot. So I hope the manufacturer fixes this. Also, manual says 25 minutes to cook…it’s more like 27-30 minutes FYI. The rice was a great texture and flavor. The warmer setting is perfect as it stayed warm without drying out or sticking to the inner black pot. It’s cute size, fits well on counter, lightweight. Easy to clean the internal parts if you follow directions.

UPDATE: April 2026 Downgrading this review to one star. We've been using this rice cooker once or twice a week for the past year or so, and has always been a bit of a pain; burning the bottom of the rice. But in recent days, it has gotten worse. Now It's really scorching the bottom third of the rice. If we want once cup of rice, we need to cook two cups, because the bottom and sides of the rice in the pot will be to burned into a dried-out hard plasticky shell--even when we unplug the rice cooker right after the cooking process finishes. It's definitely time to buy a better rice cooker; this one needs to go in the garbage. The middle of is still edible.I bought this item because our family routinely cooks between 1 and 2 cups of rice, so i thought this size would be perfect for us. I had forgotten that rice cookers often use the JAPANESE cup size of 6.1 oz., instead of the American 8 oz standard. This rice cooker thoughtfully includes a small plastic Japanese cup for measuring purposes (don’t lose it!). I Just keep in mind that the cooking capacity is 2 Japanese cups, or 1.525 American cups. I haven’t used this rice cooker yet, while I’m trying to decide whether to return it. I wouldn’t have purchased this if the description had been clear about capacity. It has no special controls or settings; just an on/off switch. (Years ago I had a different rice cooker with some useful features like a warming button and a couple different cooking modes.) On the plus side, It’s very cute and compact. 1.5 cups is usually plenty for 2-3 people. Not so good for larger party. UPDATE: I hadn’t realized that there’s NO WAY TO SHUT THIS OFF!!! After rice is done cooking, it switches to the “warming” mode, and stays that way, continuing to cook at a low temperature until you unplug the rice cooker. So if you leave it plugged in, your rice will turn to burnt brown clumps. I couple of times I’ve forgotten to unplug it, and come down to the kitchen the next morning to find a burned mess. It doesn’t seem to be a fire hazard, I guess, but it makes me nervous. Plus the rice is unusable if you don’t unplug it right away. I’m pretty disappointed with this aspect.

Perfect little cooker! It makes Perfect rice, and the small size is just right for my apartment. Highly recommend!

Finally, I have made perfect rice! I was hesitant to buy a dedicated appliance, but some things just require it (e.g., popcorn maker). This unit did exactly what it’s supposed to. No gumminess, cooked throughout, slight stick, perfect bite. I cannot believe how easy it all was. Including rice washing, maybe 30 mins. total. By design, steam smokes out the vent and, I being overly cautious, setup a small fan nearby just to ensure I didn’t set off smoke alarm. Plus, it’s just adorable!

Love this rice cooker. Rice comes out perfect every time…

Il est très bien, très bon prix, facile à utiliser, parfait pour une personne, j'ai cuit du quinoa dedans, bon résultat. Petit bémol pour moi, pas d'arrêt automatique ou de décompte, alors ne pas oublier de se mettre une alarme! Dans l'ensemble je suis satisfaite, il ne prend pas de place sur le comptoir.

I use 1 cup of rice (using the measuring container that comes with the cooker) and then top up with r.o. filtered water to the --1-- mark line inside the inner pot. (1+1 single or 2+2 double) I use either Basmati or Jasmine Rice. They both come out great. No uneven cooking or bubbling issues with those. Approximately 25 minutes of cooking time. There was a slight issue of using Long Grain Instant Rice which caused some bubbling steam coming out of the steam vent. Most likely the recipe measurements of cooking instant rice needs to be adjusted. It is a cute cooker and is perfect for two people. You need to rinse the rice before cooking. If you leave the rice in the cooker after the switch "clicks" it goes into a warming mode and can dry out the side edges of the rice in the cooker. It is very easy to clean. If you follow directions properly, unlike some complainers, you should have no issues!

Support from Bear is terrible. My unit will not switch from cooked to warm. After waiting for support, I was asked to send a video and proof of purchase. I replied it was ridiculous to record a 25 min cooking time showing the problem of not switching to warm feature. I did send proof of purchase but have had no contact from Bear. The window for support from Amazon was closed. I have a faulty unit, and will not use in case there might be an electrical issue.

Easy to use, small.

Great machine! Follow the instructions and you have your rice. Only reason for 4 star, is my timer (to switch from cook to warm automatically) is not functioning. Quick fix, I time it on my phone! Other than the malfunction (or mine's was made on a Friday lol) it makes rice perfectly, with less mess and dishes