Rice Cooker On-The-Go

Camping runs through our family’s blood and what would outdoor adventures be without great company and good food? For over a year, I had been eyeing small 12V rice cookers that could be run off a car’s cigarette lighter port, portable power station (like my favorites, Goal Zero Yeti 500x, BigBlue CellPowa500, or Jackery Explorer 300), or even a car jump starter. Imagine the convenience to have a hot pot of rice or meal available for the children anywhere you went?

Oddly, none of the major brands, like Zojirushi, Tiger, or even Cuisinart, had mini 12V rice cookers available for the price I wanted to pay: under $50. They were either offered in 110V/220V models (which use up more power off a battery power station) or were too large to be considered “compact”.

Fresh Rice While Camping

I eventually set my sights on the Osba 1L Travel Cooker that could cook 2-4 cups of rice and had a cute design. For comparison, larger (but pricier) versions I had also considered were the EduSoho or AngVin 1.6L 12V cookers. If speed was important, AC-powered units cook about twice as fast but would use more power: White Tiger 1L, Chaceef 1.2L, and Tlog 1.2L.

In A Nutshell

12V Rice Cooker /Osba

Our family is in LOVE with the Osba cooker! At 6.2″ x 6.1″ and 1.75 lbs — about the same height and width as the compact Goal Zero Yeti 500x power station — the cooker is small enough to comfortably fit by the passenger seat. It can feed 1-3 adults with up to 4 cups of rice when the included, metal tray is removed, though I prefer to cap it at 3.5 cups.

The appliance cooked 2 cups of rice and simultaneously heated Hainan chicken leftover to a juicy finish in less than 35 minutes. That consumed roughly 14% (71Wh) of the Yeti 500x’s 505Wh battery, cooking at between 85-88W, then keeping warm at 32W. For a 500Wh battery, this essentially translates to 7 cooking sessions or 14-15 hours of warmth maintenance. Those numbers, of course, would mean less if the appliance is plugged directly into the car’s 12V cigarette port while traveling. All you would need to know then is the cooking time of 35 minutes for 2 cups of rice.

Note: For those wanting to have an AC-powered unit (which cooks about 2x faster in 15-20 mins using up to 200W power), look at White Tiger 1L, Chaceef 1.2L, and Tlog 1.2L.

Uncooked rice and leftover Hainan Chicken

One of the main reasons for why I wanted a DC 12V-based cooker over the AC 110V ones is portability and efficiency: using it with any car’s 12V cigarette port and saving about 7W/hour for not having to convert a battery’s DC to AC power. This gives you a bit more cooking or warming time, but takes a few minutes longer to cook.

Let’s talk design.

The bottom, white base resembles a face with its two “cooking” and “keep warm” buttons and lights. A bright-green cylinder with an endearing imprint of a cartoon cat and several hearts completes the look. Packaging consisted of a metal tray, plastic scoop, 3′ 12V power cord, extra fuse, measuring cup, user manual, and removable, silicone-lined, smiley-faced lid. Many commented about the cooker’s cute appearance.

Operation was simple: add rinsed rice grains and water, push the “Cooking” button, and watch the light turn red to indicate cooking. It turned green when food was ready, switching to “keep warm” mode, but unfortunately did not make an audible sound when done. The steam coming from fresh rice sure smelled good though!

There were two areas I would like to have seen improved: ability to remove the inner, non-stick pot for easier cleanup or replacement, and a handle or tool to safely remove the steamer tray from said hot pot. Be aware that the tray needed to have its protective, blue film of plastic removed before use.

Rice came out moist and perfectly cooked, and the chicken was warmed better than with a microwave. Cleanup was as simple as rinsing and wiping with a moist paper towel.

[Update 11/22/2022: We recently returned from camping in the snow in Yosemite, and one cannot express how UNBELIEVABLY delicious and warming it was to have hot stew or curry with rice in below-40F temperatures! Several campmates went on to buy their own after the trip. We had also used it while traveling in our hotel rooms to make rice and heat up dishes like soups.]

We cannot express how HAPPY this cooker has made our family. Rice is a staple in our cuisine, and having it readily available for a road trip at any given time brings smiles to our faces. The Osba travel cooker is a strong recommendation from our family to yours.

What’s Good? What’s Bad?

Pros

• 12V power source for use with nearly any car or battery power station
  • Cooking mode uses 85-88W (Rated Power: 100W)
  • Keep Warm mode uses 32W
  • 12V DC is more efficient than 110V AC power
• Rice cooked in as fast as 35 mins using 71Wh of battery capacity
  • Content was moist and hot
  • Those wanting to have an AC-powered unit (which cooks about 2x faster in 15-20 mins using up to 200W power), look at White Tiger 1L, Chaceef 1.2L, and Tlog 1.2L
• Versatile use: Rice, porridge, noodles, soups, stews, and more

• Cute, colorful design
• 1L capacity cooks up to 4 cups of rice for 1-3 adults
  • Do not use the steam tray with more than 2.5 cups rice

How much water should you use? Add 1/2 cup to rice amount: 2 cups rice + 2.5 cups water, 3 cups rice + 3.5 cups water, 4 cups rice + 4.5 cups water. Do not go over the “4” line of the pot.

• Metal tray (4.7″ x 1″) to steam items
• Simple operation
• Easy cleanup
• Portable and compact: 6.2″ H x 6.1″ D @ 1.75 lbs
• Compact enough to fit under my Toyota Sienna 2022’s Center Console

Mini Rice Cooker under Toyota Sienna 2022 Center Console

• Removable lid and lid liner
  • Lid stays on secure when locked
• Detachable power cord with silicone port cover
• Multiple color options available

Cons

• Pot is not removable
  • Makes it more difficult to clean
  • Cannot be replaced if damaged

Tip: Wash rice in another container to avoid scratching the non-stick liner of the cooker’s pot.

• Metal tray has no handle or tool included to more safely remove it from a hot, steaming pot
• Metal tray’s protective blue film needed some finesse to completely remove

• No audible sound when cooker is done cooking
• No 110V AC plug option
• Can take some time to cook at 35 mins (with up to 100W)
  • Those wanting to have an AC-powered unit (which cooks about 2x faster in 15-20 mins using up to 200W power), look at White Tiger 1L, Chaceef 1.2L, and Tlog 1.2L
• Warranty service may be difficult to obtain from Osba because it is not US-based
  • My experience with Amazon Marketplace sellers has generally been good, however

Check it out!
Devos LightRanger is one of our favorite, full-coverage lights for camping, boondocking/overlanding, sports, and grilling with its built-in battery and 9′ telescoping pole.

Final Thoughts

Adding a portable, compact rice cooker to our road tripping gear has brought joy and convenience to our travels. Our children loved the simple dishes — from chicken rice to soup — we were able to make or keep warm, particularly when the temperature outside was cold. Cooking was reasonably fast with little drain on our portable power station when out camping or boondocking/overlanding, and cleanup was fairly easy. Nothing like the smell of fresh rice in the middle of nowhere without having to set up a host of cookware.

There were times, however, where I wanted to cook in a hotel room and did not want to haul a 12V power station with me. For those situations, I had used an AC-powered unit like these: White Tiger 1L, Chaceef 1.2L, and Tlog 1.2L.

Where To Buy

• Rice Cooker
  • 12V DC Car Plug
    • Osba 1L Travel Cooker (CFXBOB-MR C2)
    • Onezili 1L (C2) | Kuuleyn 1L | EduSoho 1.2L / 1.6L
    • AngVin 1.6L
    • Other 12V rice cookers
  • 110V AC Wall Plug
    • White Tiger 1L (no relation to “Tiger” brand) | Chaceef 1.2L | Tlog 1.2L
• Power Stations
  • Goal Zero Yeti 500x | BigBlue CellPowa500 | Jackery Explorer 300
  • Gooloo GT3000 Turbo Car Jump Starter with 12V output

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