Aroma 20-Cup Rice Cooker & Food Steamer
High risk; skip until clarification on nonstick coating identity.
The 20-cup model features a nonstick-coated inner cooking bowl with unspecified coating type. Standard nonstick cookware often uses Teflon-type coating or Teflon-family coating that may contain or release PFAS.
The better-graded swap
Zojirushi
Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer
75/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Nonstick-coated inner cooking bowl; coating type unspecified
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
You may also be interested in
Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
What Aroma 20-Cup Rice Cooker & Food Steamer is made of, ingredients and materials
The Aroma 20-Cup Rice Cooker features a nonstick-coated inner cooking bowl, but the coating type (Teflon-type coating-based, ceramic, silicone, or alternative) is not specified by the brand in publicly available documentation. This matters because Teflon-type coating coatings can release fumes if overheated, while non-Teflon-type coating alternatives carry different chemical profiles. The outer housing and steam vents are typically stainless steel or aluminum. Without coating identification, you cannot assess whether this product carries legacy Teflon-type coating risks or newer alternatives.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Non-stick, chemistry undisclosed
Marketed as non-stick without stating the coating chemistry.
Teflon-type coating fume risk (heating above safe threshold)
If the nonstick coating is Teflon-type coating-based and accidentally overheated or used dry, it can decompose and release fumes that cause temporary flu-like symptoms (polymer fume fever). Risk is low under normal rice-cooking use but increases if the bowl is used outside its intended application or cleaned at high heat.
Coating degradation and particle ingestion
Nonstick coatings degrade over time with use and mechanical stress. Peeling or flaking coatings can be ingested in food; while small amounts of intact Teflon-type coating are considered inert, fragmented coatings indicate loss of safety properties and potential leachate exposure.
Bacterial growth in steam vents or water reservoir
Rice cookers with water reservoirs and steam channels can harbor bacterial or mold growth if water sits stagnant or internal surfaces are not dried between uses. This is a maintenance issue rather than a manufacturing defect; regular emptying and drying of the steam tray and water vessel minimizes risk.
What’s reassuring
Aluminum leaching from outer housing or internals
No documented reports of aluminum leaching from this specific model. If the steamer basket or outer components are aluminum and in direct contact with acidic or high-salt foods, minor leaching is theoretically possible, but rice cooker design typically isolates food from aluminum structures.
Heavy metals
Nonstick coatings applied to cookware may historically have contained lead or cadmium in bonding agents or colorants. No recalls or test results specific to the Aroma 20-Cup document such contamination, and modern formulations generally avoid these. Without coating-specific data, a definitive assessment cannot be made.
Source, FDA ↗How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Aroma Housewares has not publicly committed to PFAS-free manufacturing or provided third-party test results for this model. The brand maintains a general product safety presence but does not lead in transparency regarding nonstick coating chemistry or heavy-metal testing of internal surfaces. No recalls specific to this model related to coating degradation or chemical leaching have been documented in public records. The silence on coating identity is the primary red flag for this product line.
How it compares in its category
Most modern rice cookers in this price and capacity tier use nonstick coatings without full disclosure of chemistry. Competitors such as Zojirushi and Instant Pot more consistently label coating types or offer ceramic-coated alternatives. The Aroma 20-Cup sits in the mid-market segment where cost pressures often mean less transparency than premium brands. Pressure cooker-rice cooker hybrids sometimes avoid internal nonstick coatings entirely, offering a lower-uncertainty option.
If you buy it
Do not exceed 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 Celsius) when cleaning or preheating; most rice cookers operate well below this, but dry-heating an empty nonstick bowl risks fume release. Inspect the inner coating every 6-12 months for peeling, scratches, or discoloration; replace the unit if damage is visible. Use wooden or silicone utensils only, never metal. Hand wash the bowl if possible rather than dishwasher, as harsh detergents and heat cycling degrade coatings faster.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 35% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Aroma has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to Aroma 20-Cup Rice Cooker & Food Steamer?
- Stainless steel pot with no nonstick coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Stainless steel corrosion and metal leaching
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- Stainless steel inner pot and non-coated heating elements
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Mineral and microbial buildup in heating element
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- Stainless steel inner pot, aluminum outer housing
- Stainless steel nickel content
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
More rice cookers grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.