I’ll never make quinoa without Nutribullet’s EveryGrain Cooker again

Confession: I don’t measure anything while cooking. Ever.

If my Middle Eastern mother were to catch me doing such an act, I’d get a side-eye and a smirk. This never seemed to be an issue growing up as I watched her natural ability to cook the fluffiest basmati rice one could ever taste. But fast-forward to my adult life and I’ve come to realize that mastering perfectly textured grains is a true art form — and one that I can’t do without a helping hand without risking mushy quinoa, clumpy rice, and stiff oatmeal.

Cue the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker, a do-it-all cooker for the grain-obsessed that takes the guesswork out of measuring and conquering the nearly impossible feat that is the liquid-to-grain ratio. It has five tailor-made grain settings, which makes preparing everything from white rice to oatmeal quite literally as simple as pushing a button. Not to mention, the grain cooker is decently priced (pick one up for $79.99 at Nutribullet, Target, or Best Buy) and is a sleek addition to any kitchen countertop, taking up less room than an Instant Pot.

Overview

The grain cooker comes with five auto-cook presets for brown rice, white rice, oats, quinoa, and grains. These five presets are printed on the interior of the cooking pot and accompanied by lines that dictate how high to fill the water according to how many scoops of grains you’re cooking. For instance, if you’re cooking four cups of white rice, you’d fill the cooking pot with your liquid of choice (water, chicken stock, vegetable stock) up to the number four marking next to the words “white rice.” It’s that simple. You can make up to 10 cups of cooked grains with this cooker, which makes it a great option for families and those dedicated to meal prepping.

In addition to the five grain settings, the cooker comes with a steamer basket and a steam preset that you can use for steaming vegetables, chicken, meat, or fish. There’s also a keep-warm function, which automatically turns on once the cooking program has been completed and keeps your food at a warm temperature for up to three hours without overcooking them. This setting is great for dinner parties where, if you’re anything like me, you’re juggling cooking and plating several different dishes at once.

In this case, I like to pre-cook the grains and let them hang out in the keep-warm state because it’s one less dish I have to worry about (and my guests aren’t subjected to cold, soggy rice come dinnertime).

If you’re the type to prep your meals ahead of time (say, you prep for dinner in the morning), the delay start function is especially helpful. During testing, I found this to be my most used preset because it delays cooking for up to 12 hours, meaning I could throw something like quinoa into the cooking pot in the morning, leave the house, and come back home to a warm, fluffy masterpiece. I also love this function for prepping my morning oatmeal the night before—my oats are always the perfect consistency (something I ferociously struggle with achieving on the stovetop) and ready for me when I wake up.

How to use the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker

Working with the cooker is simple. To use, add your desired number of cups of your chosen grain into the cooking pot and fill it up with water up to the corresponding water level line. (This completely nixes the need for measuring — Mom would be proud.) Then, close the lid, select the program of choice, press start, and let the cooker do the rest for you. The EveryGrain Cooker will automatically detect when all of the water has evaporated and stops cooking accordingly, which makes for expertly-cooked grains that are anything but mushy.

Now, the steam function: This is a unique feature because you can use it to steam vegetables or protein in one of two ways: by themselves or simultaneously as your grains are cooking for a one-pot meal. One caveat: while the 10-cup cooking pot for grains is enough to feed a family, the steamer basket isn’t quite as spacious and can only fit limited quantities of food. (Think: one head of broccoli or two 8-ounce pieces of salmon). And, there’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to steaming and cooking grains at the same time. I learned that if you’re doing both, the vegetables can overcook if left in the keep-warm preset for too long.

Something to note is that cooking time in the EveryGrain Cooker is longer than it is on a stovetop—for example, it takes 28 minutes to cook two cups of white rice in the cooker whereas, on the stovetop, the same amount would take roughly 16 minutes. But for the reassurance you get knowing your grains will never be undercooked, overcooked, or soggy, it’s worth it.

Is the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker worth it?

If grains are a big part of your diet or you’re a meal prepper, the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker is definitely worth the buy. You never run the risk of soggy rice, overcooked oatmeal, or undercooked grains. Plus, it can make a full meal (vegetables, grain, and protein) without having to dirty multiple pots and pans.

One of the biggest selling points of the cooker is that it’s uncomplicated and won’t leave you fumbling with various settings. For example, whether you’re making jasmine rice, basmati rice, or sushi rice, you’d select the white rice preset. Black, white, and multi-colored quinoa all get the quinoa preset, while ancient grains like farro, spelt, and buckwheat all fall under the grain preset. There’s little room for error, and unlike other appliances I’ve tested, the instruction booklet is straightforward, easy to follow, and uncomplicated.

TL;DR: unlike many kitchen appliances that have several confusing buttons, temperatures, and options, the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker is a no-frills “set it and forget it” appliance for grain lovers that makes cooking your rice, oatmeal, and quinoa a breeze.

Michelle Rostamian is a freelance beauty, wellness, and lifestyle writer with bylines at Cosmopolitan, USA Today, Yahoo, W Magazine, Women’s Health, and more.