I read about rice cookers online via Roger Ebert, and thought to ask Santa for one. The fat man delivered this Sanyo model, and I haven't looked back since. This 5.5 cup ricer cooker/food steamer/crock pot combo can do it all.
Not sure what other people are complaining about, this thing is a breeze to clean. A wet paper towel along all the edges, outside and in, and you're done. Empty the condensation collector every few uses. I do it every time. One of the highlights for me has been the ease of use and time saving in total meal preparation. Soapy water for the pot.
STEAMING! So the rice cooking function is pretty obvious. It works great and 1 cup of rice is cooked in 20 minutes, plus 10-15 minutes of just steamy fluffing. But the best part is the steamer basket that comes with it. It rests perfectly on top of the pot, so when you close the top lid it seals everything together tight. This way you can steam cook eggs, veggies, chicken or other meat, etc. All you have to pay attention to is time. Potatoes take 30 minutes, and at the 12-15 minute mark you can throw in the broccoli and it will all turn out delicious. Hard or soft boiled eggs are awesome.
SOUPS! I've made all kinds of soups in this. It has a soup function that just works. Grab your leftover meats and vegetables and some chicken broth and throw it all in the pot and 20-30 mins later you then have food all day long, possibly two days depending on how much you eat. You can always store the first 5.5 cups and make more. You will save money by realizing you don't have to order out or get Subway, you can make a lot of delicious soup for cheap!
I also think my houseplants are appreciating the extra humidity.
