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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Rice Cooker in Texas? (2026)
A rice cooker draws full power only while bringing water to the boil, then drops to a low keep-warm setting of 30 to 60 watts. A typical cook uses well under 0.3 kWh.
A typical rice cooker (500 W) costs $0.080 per hour, or about $1.20 per month at 0.5 hours a day in Texas. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (300 W) | $0.048 | $0.024 | $0.72 | $8.76 |
| Typical (500 W) | $0.080 | $0.040 | $1.20 | $14.60 |
| High (1,000 W) | $0.16 | $0.080 | $2.40 | $29.20 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.5 h/day ≈ 91 kWh per year.
In Texas, with electricity at $0.16 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical rice cooker costs $0.080 per hour and about $14.60 per year at 0.5 hours a day. That is about 11% less than the US national average of $1.35 per month, because electricity in Texas costs $0.16 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 12.5 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a rice cooker
- Turn off keep-warm once the rice is done. Over several hours it can use more than the cook itself.
- Cook larger batches and refrigerate leftovers.
- Use the quick cook mode if your cooker has one.
In standby it draws about 1 W, which adds roughly 9 kWh ($1.40) per year if it is never unplugged.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a rice cooker use per batch?
About 0.2 to 0.3 kWh, less than a cent in most regions.
Is a rice cooker cheaper than the stove?
Yes. It is insulated and switches itself down, so it uses less energy than a pot on a burner.
Does keep-warm use a lot of power?
About 40 watts, so leaving it on for 8 hours uses more than cooking the rice.
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India