RiceCooker for the Restless Rice Lovers - A Review of the Olayks OLK-05-02 Mini Rice Cooker

For those constantly craving the fluffy, tasty grains of perfectly cooked rice, lugging around a full-size rice cooker is simply not an option. Enter the Olayks OLK-05-02 Mini Rice Cooker, a portable yet powerful machine ready to deliver delicious rice wherever you roam. Olayks designed this mini rice cooker with the restless rice lover in mind. At just 6.8" x 8" x 7.8" and 3.4 pounds, this little cooker won't weigh down your bag as you travel near or far. Don't let its petite frame fool you - the OLK-05-02 still boasts many of the same functions as its bulkier cousins. With its 0.36 Liter capacity, the mini cooker makes the ideal single serving, providing up to 4 cups of fluffy deliciousness for 1-2 people.

Four simple buttons allow you to cook white rice, brown rice, congee, oatmeal and more with the touch of a finger. Utilizing 300W of power, the cooker boils water and steams rice in 25-40 minutes depending on settings. An automated keep warm function ensures your rice stays hot and fresh for up to 24 hours after cooking completes, so you can snack on it anytime. At the heart of the Olayks rice cooker lies a ceramic non-stick inner pot, free of concerning chemicals like PFOA and PFA. The slick surface allows rice to slide right out after cooking, with minimal scrubbing required to clean up. Busy travelers will love that the inner pot is durable enough for the dishwasher as well. Reviewers praise how the small rice cooker produces tender grains of rice every time. The fluffy texture and pleasant flavor rival rice made using traditional stove-top methods. Set it and forget it simplicity combined with portability makes this an ideal option for RVs, dorm rooms, or anywhere counter space is at a premium. However, the mini cooker isn't without limitations. With only 300W of power, the water takes longer to reach boiling temperatures. Don't expect the rapid cooking of a stovetop here. The cooker also lacks any settings for steam, slow cook, or specialized rice like sushi. You're limited to the basic functions of white rice, brown rice, congee, and oatmeal/soup. If you try cooking tiny 1/4 cup portions, you'll find the Olayks rice cooker simply cannot properly cook such small amounts. The minimum amount of rice and water must be met for successful cooking. While inconvenient for solo snackers, this ensures your rice turns out perfectly every time. New users may struggle to master the mini rice cooker initially. The included instructions provide only bare bones operating information in broken English. Figuring out exactly when to hit keep warm and how the timer functions requires some trial and error. Once you've used the cooker a few times, the button functions become second nature. For those constantly on the move but unwilling to compromise perfect rice, the OLK-05-02 delivers solid performance in a compact frame. The intuitive controls and durable ceramic pot make whipping up fluffy rice simple anywhere you can access an outlet. While the basic functions and low power limit the complexity of meals possible, the mini cooker nails the fundamentals for fool-proof rice anywhere you wander. So stash the Olayks mini rice cooker in your bag, RV, or dorm room kitchenette. With perfectly cooked white or brown rice always an arm's reach away, you'll never need to suffer a subpar grain again!