Rice Cooker ARC-393NG vs 12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker: which is safer?

Instant Pot 12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker is the clear pick. AROMA Rice Cooker ARC-393NG carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

AROMA Rice Cooker ARC-393NG

Aroma

Rice Cooker ARC-393NG

PFAS grade

Bad 15/100

Overall grade

Bad 3/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Non-stick coated inner pot (composition unspecified)

Confidence

35%

PossibleNon-stick coating degradation and flaking

PossibleAluminum leaching (if aluminum is the substrate)

PossibleTeflon-type coating/PFOA fume risk (if Teflon-type coating-based coating)

Our pick

Instant Pot 12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker

Instant Pot

12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 59/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Stainless steel pot with no nonstick coating

Confidence

82%

PossibleStainless steel corrosion and metal leaching

PossibleSilicone gasket degradation and off-gassing

PossibleBacterial growth in water reservoir or seal cavities

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Non-stick coating degradation and flaking, Aluminum leaching (if aluminum is the substrate) and PTFE/PFOA fume risk (if PTFE-based coating) on the Aroma and not on the Instant Pot.
  • We flag Stainless steel corrosion and metal leaching, Silicone gasket degradation and off-gassing and Bacterial growth in water reservoir or seal cavities on the Instant Pot and not on the Aroma.
  • The Aroma is Non-stick coated inner pot (composition unspecified) where the Instant Pot is Stainless steel pot with no nonstick coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 60 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Instant Pot is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Aroma grade, at 35% confidence against 82%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

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