kitchen · 500W typical
Running a rice cooker costs about $0.69/month.
That's the typical rice cooker at 500W, run 0.7 hours a day at the US-average rate of 16.5¢/kWh. Change any of those and the number moves — use the calculator below to see yours.
Estimated cost
A rice cooker draws full power only while the thermostat/compressor is running — about 0.3 effective hours at 500W across your 0.7-hour window.
How you use it
Cost shifts with how long it's on.
The same rice cooker can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.
daily rice
$0.69
per month
30-45 min cook + keep-warm to dinner
occasional meal prep
$0.99
per month
larger batches on weekends
Where you live
$1.26 spread between the cheapest and priciest states.
Same appliance, same hours of use, different zip code — the monthly cost varies this much.
| State | Rate | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 41.2¢ | $1.73 | $21.05 |
| California | 31.4¢ | $1.32 | $16.05 |
| Massachusetts | 30.8¢ | $1.29 | $15.74 |
| Connecticut | 28.7¢ | $1.21 | $14.67 |
| Rhode Island | 27.9¢ | $1.17 | $14.26 |
| New Hampshire | 24.6¢ | $1.03 | $12.57 |
| Alaska | 24.3¢ | $1.02 | $12.42 |
| New York | 22.3¢ | $0.94 | $11.40 |
| Maine | 22.1¢ | $0.93 | $11.29 |
| Vermont | 21.5¢ | $0.90 | $10.99 |
| Michigan | 19.3¢ | $0.81 | $9.86 |
| New Jersey | 19.1¢ | $0.80 | $9.76 |
| Maryland | 18.4¢ | $0.77 | $9.40 |
| Pennsylvania | 18.1¢ | $0.76 | $9.25 |
| District of Columbia | 17.8¢ | $0.75 | $9.10 |
| Wisconsin | 17.4¢ | $0.73 | $8.89 |
| Delaware | 17.2¢ | $0.72 | $8.79 |
| Illinois | 16.9¢ | $0.71 | $8.64 |
| Ohio | 16.6¢ | $0.70 | $8.48 |
| Nevada | 16.3¢ | $0.68 | $8.33 |
| Indiana | 15.8¢ | $0.66 | $8.07 |
| Virginia | 15.7¢ | $0.66 | $8.02 |
| Minnesota | 15.6¢ | $0.66 | $7.97 |
| Colorado | 15.4¢ | $0.65 | $7.87 |
| Alabama | 15.2¢ | $0.64 | $7.77 |
| West Virginia | 15.2¢ | $0.64 | $7.77 |
| Florida | 15.1¢ | $0.63 | $7.72 |
| New Mexico | 14.8¢ | $0.62 | $7.56 |
| Texas | 14.8¢ | $0.62 | $7.56 |
| Arizona | 14.7¢ | $0.62 | $7.51 |
| South Carolina | 14.7¢ | $0.62 | $7.51 |
| Kansas | 14.6¢ | $0.61 | $7.46 |
| Georgia | 14.2¢ | $0.60 | $7.26 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | $0.59 | $7.21 |
| North Carolina | 13.9¢ | $0.58 | $7.10 |
| Missouri | 13.6¢ | $0.57 | $6.95 |
| Oregon | 13.4¢ | $0.56 | $6.85 |
| Tennessee | 13.3¢ | $0.56 | $6.80 |
| Kentucky | 13.2¢ | $0.55 | $6.75 |
| Mississippi | 13.1¢ | $0.55 | $6.69 |
| Oklahoma | 13.1¢ | $0.55 | $6.69 |
| South Dakota | 12.7¢ | $0.53 | $6.49 |
| Montana | 12.4¢ | $0.52 | $6.34 |
| Nebraska | 12.2¢ | $0.51 | $6.23 |
| Arkansas | 12.1¢ | $0.51 | $6.18 |
| Washington | 12.1¢ | $0.51 | $6.18 |
| Louisiana | 11.9¢ | $0.50 | $6.08 |
| Wyoming | 11.6¢ | $0.49 | $5.93 |
| North Dakota | 11.5¢ | $0.48 | $5.88 |
| Utah | 11.4¢ | $0.48 | $5.83 |
| Idaho | 11.3¢ | $0.47 | $5.77 |
Efficient vs. inefficient
A $11.80/year difference across the wattage range.
Swapping a high-draw model for an efficient one pays for itself. Here's what that looks like annually at typical usage.
Most efficient
300W
$0.42 per month
$5.06 per year
Typical
500W
$0.69 per month
$8.43 per year
High draw
1000W
$1.39 per month
$16.86 per year
When it hits hardest
year-round peak
Consistent daily use.
Ways to cut the cost
- 1
Turn off keep-warm after 1 hour — it draws 30-80W continuously
Saves 15-30 kWh/year with daily use
- 2
Pre-soak rice 20 min to cut cook time 20-30%
Saves 100-200 Wh per batch
- 3
Use a smaller cooker for smaller batches
5-cup cooks 2 cups more efficiently than 20-cup
Real-world wattages
Pulled from actual spec sheets.
| Brand | Model | Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Zojirushi | NS-TSC10 5.5-cup | 680W |
| Aroma Housewares | ARC-5000SB 20-cup | 830W |
| Tiger | JBV-A10U 5.5-cup | 570W |
Picks that actually move the needle
Three products worth comparing if you're thinking about upgrading or supplementing what you have.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a small commission — it never changes the price you pay, and we only recommend picks we would stand behind.
See also
Related appliances
Sources: www.energy.gov · www.energystar.gov
Last updated: 2026-04-13