Black and Decker RC436 Rice Cooker

Price Range: Low

Rice Quality: Decent

Benefits & Features: None

Performance: Fair

Pros vs. Cons: Balanced

Overall Rating: Fair

Purchasing a Black and Decker RC436 rice cooker is not the best choice, but not the worst either. Ok...to be a little more helpful than that let us first state that it is labeled incorrectly and is a little misleading.

Note: keep in mind that this cooker is an 8 cup rice cooker not a 16 cup cooker. The 16 cups is misleading and the actual maximum cooked rice capacity is really 24 cups of white rice (in rice cooker cup measurements).

*Most rice cooker brands label their products as to what the uncooked raw cup capacity holds. It seems most Black & Decker rice cookers label the cooked cup capacity...which is still incorrect when comparing actual rice cooker cup sizes.

But this is not the main reason(s) for just a "fair" rating.

For single folks and couples the unit is too big, otherwise it would be a fine choice for making a quick cup of regular white rice on occasion. For that, we would recommend researching the RC3406 model should folks want to stick with Black & Decker as their brand.

For families that will benefit from an 8 cup capacity, while the Black and Decker RC436 rice cooker will make decent rice, we have come across several complaints worth mentioning.

A Little Caution is Needed When Working With This Cooker!

Some mention the unit has poor gripping on the bottom and tends to slide around on smooth surfaces. This can pose as a potential hazard when scooping rice out since the rice cooker may accidentally slide off the counter spilling hot steaming rice.

Along with that, through our research there seems to be a recurring issue regarding the "keep warm" mode which will crust the bottom layer of rice if left on too long. This means folks will either have to unplug the unit or serve right away. There is no time for allowing the rice to fluff once finished which enhances texture and flavor.

However this is a common issue with most basic rice cookers of this design.

Others state that the non-stick pan is of poor quality, and there was even a number of reports of units dying within the first few weeks of use.

But other than that it will make a good bowl of white rice, and even decent brown rice, wild rice, as well as other grain types. Just be prepared for a little trial and error regarding the water to rice ratio for such types/varieties.

The single switch lever makes the Black and Decker RC436 easy to use, and the see-through top lid allows folks to monitor how the rice is cooking which is sort of a good thing due to the crusting issues allowing the user to manually switch it to the keep warm mode before that happens!

This 8 cup rice cooker comes with a measuring cup and rice scoop (with holder) for scratch-free serving.

Pros

Cons

Where to Buy a Black and Decker Rice Cooker

Purchase at Amazon.com

So, is the Black and Decker RC436 such a horrible rice cooker?

Well, not horrible, but for the price we recommend that folks consider something else...there just seems to be too many cons with this model and it just barely escaped a “poor” rating on our site.

As far as the boil over issues & crusting issues, once again this is a common occurrence with these rapid-boil/removable top lid rice cookers and is not isolated to just Black & Decker cookers.

To help solve that problem, rinse the rice well and add a little cooking oil or Herb-ox non-MSG flavoring to the water. This seems to help stop the rice starch from bubbling. Also see our "tips page".

Please check out the "Best 8 Cup Cookers" page for other options before considering this Black and Decker RC436 unit.

Measurements Currently Unavailable | 8 Cup Capacity (approx. 24 Cups Cooked Rice)