Generally, rice cooker is a cooking device that uses a heat source to heat a water-rice mixture until all the water has been absorbed by the rice. In general, rice cookers consist of a large pot, a lid and a heating source. In some models, a steamer tray may be included.

The heating source of a rice cooker is usually an electric element. Heat is transferred to the rice and water by thermal conduction, a process involving a magnetic field that produces an electric current in the pot's metal.

Some models also incorporate a thermostat that measures the temperature of the cooking bowl. If the temperature rises, the cooker trips the thermostat and switches to a low-power "warming" mode, keeping the rice at a safe temperature. The rice is then cooked uniformly. Some models also include a rice paddle for scooping cooked rice out of the pot.

The inner pot of a rice cooker is made of a base material, such as aluminum, that has high thermal conductivity. The metal can be bonded to an arbitrary thickness. This allows the pot to be lightened, which improves the performance of induction heating.

The outer pot of the rice cooker is made of a metal that is bonded to the inner pot base. This makes the pot a non-stick pot. The pot's non-stick coating makes it easy to clean. The pot is also easy to serve rice from.

The inner pot of a rice-cooking appliance may be laminated to reduce weight. The laminated structure includes a first film part, a second film part, and an inner pot base material.