Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker
One of the rare electric cookers with both an uncoated clad-stainless inner pot AND a stainless steel inner lid, so neither the rice nor the condensing steam touches plastic or coating.
The verdict: No-contact plastic
The differentiator: not only is the inner pot uncoated multi-layer clad stainless (no PTFE, no ceramic coating), but the detachable inner lid that steam condenses on and drips back from is stainless steel too - the part that is plastic on nearly every other electric cooker. Plastic is limited to the outer housing, control panel, and handles, none of which touch the rice or the steam path. No visible silicone gasket in the food path.
What it's made of
| Part | Material | Food contact |
|---|---|---|
| inner pot patented multi-layer clad stainless, no chemical coating; grade unspecified by Buffalo | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| inner lid / lid liner detachable stainless inner lid; steam condenses and drips back off steel, not plastic; grade unspecified | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| steam vent movable stainless steam vent, detachable for cleaning; grade unspecified | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | Yes incidental 🔥 |
| outer housing / lid shell exterior body and lid shell; does not contact food or the steam path | Plastic other / unspecified | No |
| control panel / handles | Plastic other / unspecified | No |
A Taiwanese electric rice cooker with a direct-heat design and auto keep-warm, built around Buffalo's patented multi-layer clad stainless inner pot and a detachable stainless inner lid and steam vent (both lift out for cleaning). It cooks rice and can boil and steam, with simple mechanical controls rather than fuzzy-logic programs. Because the pot is bare steel, rice can stick without a little fat and the right water ratio, and the uncoated surface takes more scrubbing than nonstick.
Pros
- Uncoated clad-stainless inner pot - no PTFE or ceramic coating
- Stainless steel inner lid, so condensing steam never touches plastic
- Detachable stainless steam vent, easy to clean
- Built to last 10+ years; 3-year inner-pot warranty
Cons
- Rice sticks more than nonstick; needs correct water ratio / a little oil
- Basic controls - no fuzzy-logic or induction programs
- Heavier and pricier than a budget cooker
- Uncoated steel takes more scrubbing
Common questions
Does the Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker have plastic in it?
No. Nothing that touches your food on the Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker is plastic or silicone — the food path is stainless steel. There is plastic in the outer housing / lid shell and control panel / handles, which never touch your food.
What is the Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker made of?
Part by part, the Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker is: inner pot — stainless steel; inner lid / lid liner — stainless steel; steam vent — stainless steel; outer housing / lid shell — plastic; control panel / handles — plastic.
Is the Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker BPA-free?
No plastic touches your food on the Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker — the food path is stainless steel — so BPA, which comes from polycarbonate and epoxy plastics, is not in play here.
Where is the Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker made?
The Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker is made in Taiwan.
Categories: Rice Cookers
Sources
Every material claim above is backed by these. This is the scattered info we centralized.
- manufacturer https://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Classic-Rice-Cooker-cups/dp/B007Q46COG manufacturer listing - patented clad stainless inner pot, no chemical coating, detachable inner lid, auto warmer
- review https://mycookware.com.au/blogs/product-review/review-of-the-buffalo-5-cup-boilsteam-stainless-steel-rice-cooker independent review confirming the inner lid is stainless steel (differentiator vs plastic-lid competitors)
- review https://kitchenews.com/buffalo-classic-rice-cooker-review/ review confirming uncoated stainless inner pot, detachable stainless inner lid, and movable steam vent
Independent reviews
- https://kitchenews.com/buffalo-classic-rice-cooker-review/
- https://mycookware.com.au/blogs/product-review/review-of-the-buffalo-5-cup-boilsteam-stainless-steel-rice-cooker
Spot a mistake or something out of date? Let us know — corrections are how this stays accurate.