Black & Decker 1.5-Cup Dry/3-Cup Cooked Compact Rice Cooker

Why I reached for a mini rice cooker

I cook rice a few times a week, but I don’t always want to pull out a bulky multi-cooker or babysit a pot on the stove. That’s where this compact Black & Decker rice cooker earns its spot. It’s a tiny, single-switch appliance that promises 3 cups cooked rice from 1.5 cups uncooked, then flips to keep-warm when it’s done. After several weeks of everyday use, I’ve come to appreciate its simplicity—and its limits.

Design and footprint

This is genuinely small. At roughly 7 by 7.5 inches and under 2 pounds, it tucks into a cabinet or even a deep drawer without a fuss. The base is basic white plastic with cool-touch side handles, a single Cook/Warm indicator, and a light. The inner pot is a removable nonstick bowl, and the tempered glass lid lets you watch the simmer without lifting it. There’s a rice measuring cup and a plastic scoop in the box; no steamer tray. Everything about it says “no-frills.”

Build quality is what I’d call entry-level but sensible. The lid seat and handles feel secure, and the glass lid vents steam effectively. The nonstick bowl is thin and light, which is typical at this size and price—more on care in the cleaning section.

Setup and capacity realities

A critical detail: the included measuring cup is not a standard US cup. It’s the common “rice cup” you see across many brands (about 180 ml). If you load it with 1.5 rice cups (the stated max), you’re at the manufacturer’s full capacity. Using standard US cups will push the cooker past its comfort zone and increase the odds of starchy boilovers.

Here’s what worked for me:
- 1 rice-cup uncooked (about 180 ml) yields roughly 2 bowls of rice. This is the sweet spot.
- 1.5 rice-cups uncooked (max) yields about 3 cups cooked, but it’s tight. Expect more condensation and the occasional sputter unless you rinse your rice thoroughly.
- For best texture and less mess, I prefer cooking 1 to 1.25 rice-cups at a time.

Inside the pot are water level lines keyed to the included cup. With rinsed white rice, I got reliable results following those marks. If you’re measuring water by ratio, my baseline was 1:1 to 1:1.1 for long-grain white, a touch more for short-grain or sushi rice.

Cooking performance

For a little one-button cooker, it’s consistent. White rice (rinsed) is fluffy and separate at 1:1 water with long-grain, and pleasantly tender for jasmine at about 1:1.1. At the 1-rice-cup load, my batches finished in roughly 20–25 minutes; filling to the 1.5-cup max stretched closer to 30 minutes. The glass lid is reassuring—you can see the simmer and know when it transitions to rest.

Brown rice is possible with more water and patience. I had better luck keeping batches small (1 rice-cup uncooked, water about 1:1.6–1.7). At the full 1.5-cup load, the pot runs hotter and can brown the bottom layer before the top fully relaxes. If brown rice is your everyday staple, you might want a larger cooker with a dedicated brown rice program.

I also ran quinoa (rinsed, 1:1.5 water) and steel-cut oats (about 1:2.5 water) with good results in small batches. A half teaspoon of oil or a quick swirl of butter in the pot before cooking helps tame foam for grains prone to frothing. Keep in mind this is not a multi-cooker—there’s no timer or specialized modes—so ratios and batch sizes matter.

Keep-warm behavior

The automatic keep-warm is handy for short holds. I found it keeps texture nicely for 15–30 minutes. Past about an hour, the base heat starts to dry and lightly toast the bottom layer. That’s normal for compact cookers with a single heating plate, but it means this isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it buffet server. If you want to hold rice for longer stretches, fluff it when it clicks to warm, then pop the lid slightly ajar to reduce condensation, or transfer to an insulated container.

Steam and splatter management

Small rice cookers are more prone to starchy foam at max capacity. Rinsing your rice thoroughly until the water runs mostly clear, avoiding overfilling, and adding a tiny bit of oil minimizes sputter. Place the cooker on a wipeable surface, because the lid vent will puff a little condensate. The glass lid earns its keep here—you can watch the boil and catch if things get too lively.

Cleaning and care

Cleanup is the easy win. The nonstick bowl wipes clean with a soft sponge and mild soap, and the scoop is plastic so it won’t scratch. The lid and its silicone grommet (if yours has one) pull cleanly with hot soapy water; you’ll see a faint starchy film after boilovers that comes right off. I recommend handwashing everything—especially the pot—and skipping metal utensils and abrasive pads. High heat cycles in dishwashers or cooking sprays can shorten the life of thin nonstick coatings.

On durability: treat the pot gently. Avoid stacking other cookware inside it, don’t soak it overnight, and give it a moment to cool before rinsing to prevent thermal shock. These small bowls will last if you’re kind to them; rough handling will show quickly.

What it does well

• Small-batch reliability: At 1 to 1.25 rice-cups uncooked, white rice comes out predictably good.
• Minimal oversight: It handles the simmer and rest better than a pot on the stove and frees a burner.
• Tiny footprint: Ideal for dorms, studio apartments, and travel homes.
• Transparent cooking: The glass lid is surprisingly useful for gauging progress.
• Straightforward accessories: The included cup and scoop are all you need day to day.

Where it runs into limits

• Real-world capacity: It can do 1.5 rice-cups, but best results are under max. If you routinely feed three hungry adults or want leftovers, a 6-cup model is a better fit.
• Keep-warm window: Fine for a short hold, not meant for hours.
• No steamer basket: You can’t steam vegetables out of the box; there’s no included tray.
• Basic controls: No timers, no specialty programs, and no audible alert when it switches to warm.
• Nonstick sensitivity: The inner pot is easy to clean but needs gentle care to avoid premature wear.

Who it’s for

• Singles or couples who cook rice a few times a week and prefer compact tools.
• Small kitchens, dorms, offices, or RVs where space and simplicity matter more than features.
• Cooks who want hands-off white rice without paying for a multi-cooker.

If your household eats rice daily, or you want to cook grains and steam sides at the same time, a larger cooker with a steam tray and specialized modes is worth the extra counter space.

Tips for best results

• Rinse rice until water runs mostly clear to reduce foam and improve texture.
• Use the included cup and the inner-pot water lines; they match each other.
• Keep batches at or below 1.25 cups uncooked for the cleanest operation.
• Add a teaspoon of oil or a small knob of butter to reduce froth with foamy grains.
• Fluff rice as soon as it flips to warm to release steam and prevent compacting.

Recommendation

I recommend this compact Black & Decker rice cooker for small households that want an inexpensive, space-saving way to make consistent white rice with minimal fuss. It excels at 1–2 servings, cleans up quickly, and its glass lid and keep-warm make weeknight cooking easier. Just go in with realistic expectations about capacity and care: treat the nonstick gently, keep batches modest, and don’t rely on long keep-warm holds. If you need to cook larger volumes, hold rice for hours, or want steaming accessories out of the box, move up to a 6-cup model or a feature-rich cooker. For simple, small-batch rice, though, this little unit does the job well.