My daughter just got herself one. She loves it. It's a Tiger electric rice cooker/warmer, 3 in 1 functions

it's made in Japan.

Says JBA-T10U 5.5 cups on the box.

searched and found it...

Here is a link that might be useful: Rikes rice cooker

that's an intersting one! And I have to say it looks like
a CD/stereo player that I have! LOL

Yeah, but it wasn't cheap. She got it at a Vietnamese Market here in OKC.

150 bucks

I'm still kicking myself for passing one up at a yard sale last summer.

ah, yeah, I won't be buying one! lol

Mine is a Betty Crocker rice cooker with a steamer basket. Looks just like the one in the link. I think I paid $25 for it. We've had it for about 15 years. We have rice at least twice a week. We don't eat Minute Rice or Uncle Bens. Only real long grain rice (Rooster Brand, sold only at Superstore...). Both were recomended by a Chinese pharmacist when he saw me eating Uncle Bens rice at work one day. He told me once I switech to Rooster rice and make it in a rice cooker, I'll never eat it any other way. He was right.

Here is a link that might be useful: Betty Crocker Rice Cooker

Debby, that looks like mine. Yes, much more reasonable...but not like the Asian rice cookers with the hold warm feature plus others.

However, till I see my daughters in action, I won't know if the price was worth it.

Moni

I don't see the point of the warm feature. Mine does automatically go to warm when it's done cooking. We only make what we need and it's usually finished when everything else if finished. I think paying a lot more money is something to do if you're Chinese/Japanese/Vietnamese etc., and eat rice with every meal, the way we eat bread with most meals. Then you want all the bells and whistles. But if you only eat rice now and then, don't spend big bucks on it. The end result is still the same: a pot of cooked rice.

Oh, and mine has the steamer basket. We've never used it.

Yep I have one. I got it at Goodwill for $5. I probably never would have bought it had it not been for Goodwill. I use it but I don't use it very often. The only thing I can say about mine though is if you do decide to get one, make sure you can take it apart easily to clean it. Mine is not so easy but for the money, it was not a big deal.

I have a Zojirushi fuzzy logic rice cooker. It doesn't have a steamer basket. I used to use it all the time, but I've gotten out of the habit. I would suggest that if you do buy one that you also purchase the cookbook I've linked below. In fact, you might want to buy the cookbook first because it will tell you which kind of cooker works best for certain kinds of recipes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cookbook

My question is, Why would you want one? Perfect rice is just too easy to cook every time.

Start with two cups of cold tap water for each cup of rice.

Put in a suace pan and heat on high until you get a light boil.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot and set a timer for 20 minutes. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT LIFT THE COVER DURING THE 20 MINUTES.

When timer goes off, remove pot from heat, remove lid and fluff the rice with a fork. ......perfect rice.

I have the Aroma one, I can't remember how many cups, it looks like the 14 cup picture. I got it at a yard sale brand new for $5. I like it as a steamer but I would rather just bake my rice in the oven or microwave. It works fine and can mbe used for many things.
The steamer isn't deep enought for my articokes though :^(

I have two rice cookers....one is really old and was cheap....makes good rice and can be used as sort of a steamer.
The other one I have is one I got from my DS and DDIL when they moved back to Tokyo. It is a Zojirushi fuzzy logic rice cooker. I love it.....cooks white rice, brown rice, sweet rice, mixed rice and even cakes......but it was very expensive when they bought it. Nothing I would have afforded but so glad I have it.
I think you can find some rather inexpensive rice cookers that would meet your needs.
Healing hugs for you!

IL have a Black and Decker rice cooker and steamer. I use it quite a lot, for both. I had another brand, that I got at a yard sale, for years, but when it conked out, I had to get another right away. I always boil rice over if I try the stovetop way.....that's a mess to clean, and I'm expert at not watching what I'm cooking!!

Phyllis, that is my reason for owning a rice cooker. The clean up is sooo messy, and I boiled it over to many time. :)

Moni

I'm with lazypup....I make perfect rice in a pan. My bread machines both have rice settings....never even tried using it.

Please explain why a rice cooker is needed....what am I missing? thanks in advance.

I had a Salton one, and it worked fine enough, except that I always got crusty on the bottom.

I got rid of it, and cook rice on the stove (and quinoa) and it comes out great every time.

Except brown rice, which I cook in the oven. I can't get it to cook nice on the stovetop.

I guess I am one to ask the Why question too...and I have experience with one...I bought one ages ago, used it a few times and found it didn't make rice any better or easier than on the stove top and wasn't nearly as convenient....The one I had was less than $25. I cannot even imagine what or why someone would pay $150 for something that steams rice.......

Another one here who sometimes doesn't pay attention and it boils over or I cook it too long. Kicking myself for not getting one I saw for 75% off. I think I would like to try one from a yard sale. Do you have to make a lot in it?

I bought one and I just have to say - be careful of how much you put into it!! The first time I used it, it was like The Blob!! Rice just kept coming and coming. Oh, what a mess!!!

I haven't used it in quite awhile now.

Love my rice cooker. Steams rice, veggies and, since I read about it here, hard boiled eggs perfect every time.

As long as we are on the rice subject, I have a question.

I have the Aroma brand and you can put up to 3 cups of rice in it. It also has the steamer pan. I like to slice up veggies and put them in the steamer pan above the rice and steam them while the rice cooks.

Do all of you rinse your rice with cold water before cooking it?

I don't rinse my rice when I cook it because I like sticky rice. I always use Arborio rice.

I have several and all of my family members have them too, being Cajun we eat a LOT of rice so having the rice cooker comes in very handy, and frees up one more burner and pot for all those big meals. Can I cook perfect rice with out it, I sure can so can all my family, it is one of the first things we learn LOL but do I love my rice cookers I sure do and use them almost daily. They do so many things besides cook rice, if you do a search for rice cooker cookbooks you will be amazed and they are good recipes.

Most of the ones I now own are Aroma brand

I also have a couple of the microwave type and like those too, they are especially handy for steaming veggies. but they work equally well at cooking rice.

I appreciate technology and consider the rice cooker a nice step.

I love mine, and I think I paid around $30 for it at Wal-Mart. I was never able to cook nice rice before I got this- not even with my old Salton. However, this unit steams beautiful carrots and broccoli for me, and I can put potatoes in and set the delay timer so they are cooking when I get home from work. It's a Hamilton-Beach:

Here is a link that might be useful: Rice cooker steamer

I had one, but I got tired of washing all the parts. Now I just use a pan with a tight-fitting lid.

I have 2 a small one,2 cup i think and a large one that we use when we have lots of company.My chinese GF gave us the small one years ago (20 plus) and at the time i thought we'd probably never use it,boy was i wrong.We use it all the time.I'm so spoiled i can't cook rice any other way.Just put the rice and water in,turm it on and walk away.It beeps when done and goes to warming.

I've given them as gifts to my kids and GK'S as well.
The one we use all the time is an Aroma,and very easy to clean.Can't remember what the other one is.
kathi

Not sure what is so difficult in cooking rice. Bring water (two parts) to a boil, put in rice (one part), mix for a second with boiling water,put a tight cover on & turn off flame. No need to "simmer on low for 20 minutes"; no "boiling over", thus no mess; no need to 'hover" in the kitchen. The encapsulated steam alone is sufficient to cook rice in 15 to 20 minutes as long as the cover is left on. Think it has something to do with thermodynamics.

I have the Oster 2 tiered one. I like mine for steaming veggies esp. broccoli. Have made salmon in it too. I've done rice in it but it seemed soupy - but that might just be because I need more practice with it. I would put the word on Craigslist you are looking for one. I bet there are tons of them not in use. I've seen microwave rice cookers too - wonder if they would work for you?