TLDR Review: BLACK+DECKER RC516 Rice Cooker
Verdict
The BLACK+DECKER 16-Cup Rice Cooker, while favored for its design and user-friendliness, has received mixed reviews regarding its quality and reliability. Many users have reported significant issues such as smoke, burning smells, and dysfunctional controls. If you're considering a purchase, ensure clarity on the product's specifications and be prepared for potential quality inconsistencies. If these issues are a concern, a different rice cooker model may be a better option.
- Top pro:
- The rice cooker is beautifully designed and feels substantial in weight.
- Top con:
- Poor quality observed, with multiple units exhibiting defects.
Pros
- •The rice cooker is beautifully designed and feels substantial in weight.
- •User-friendly design facilitates easy meal preparation.
- •Delivers consistent results for both white and brown rice.
- •Non-stick inner pot simplifies cleaning process.
- •Keep-warm function maintains the perfect temperature for meals.
- •Highly reliable and recommended for its simplicity.
- •Previous smaller models lasted for years with frequent use.
Cons
- •Poor quality observed, with multiple units exhibiting defects.
- •Produced smoke and a burning smell on first use, raising safety concerns.
- •Replacement unit also showed defects and failed to cook properly after limited use.
- •The START SWITCH is problematic and trips off unexpectedly.
- •COOK/WARM indicator lights are not functioning.
- •Disappointment with receiving the wrong size (8 cup instead of 16 cup).
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How we researched this
About this review: it summarizes the professional reviews and customer ratings ShopSavvy collected for this product, alongside prices from 1 retailer in ShopSavvy's price data, most recently seen May 28, 2026.
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