Review by Peter Dykhuis:

This is the fourth rice cooker I have owned and it is by far and away the best. The rice cooks right every time. The manual does give a guide of how much water to add for different types of rice but I have found that even when I screw up and do not use the right amount of water the rice has turned out pretty good.

I enjoy the fact that the device has a sealed top which really seems to help the rice be more consistent and also makes me feel better having this unit used with three small children in the house running around. The rice receptacle inside is a delightful non-stick surface that is more then easy to clean. The steam feature for other items works wonderful as well. I have left rice in the device for over two hours after cooking and it is still moist, tasty and not burnt. The one touch button cooking is a breeze and for me it takes about 30 minutes or so in most instances for the quantity I cook.

The only thing I learned I had to do is not place the device under anything when cooking. There is a starchy steam that is released during cooking that can coat wood and other surfaces. On wood this starch coating can be a pain to remove.

This is a great device to cook an entire meal or side in quick mindless ease. I can’t think of a feature I would change on this unit. A great device that actually has increased the amount of rice and vegetables I and my family consume. Unless you need larger quantities of rice then this device is capable of I really can’t see why anyone would need anything else. This is a great product at a great price. Wonderful!

Review by Bob Smith:

I also have been happy with this cooker. If you follow the instructions it will create perfect rice. Also, it beeps when its finished so that is nice. All in all good value for the price.

The only thing I don’t like about it is that it takes longer than other rice cookers I’ve used. The cook time is about 50 minutes.

Review by Kalif Vaughn:

Ever since I purchased this item, I’ve been using it almost every single day! It is extremely convenient and is a snap to use. I live in a small apartment and this is the perfect size for one person. I always cook 1 cup of uncooked rice and it is a hearty serving for one person. It is very easy to measure all your ingredients because the non-stick bowl has marked lines on the inside (1 cup, 2 cup, and 3 cup) to show you how much water to add. Clean-up is a breeze because of the non-stick bowl.

My favorite rice to make is jasmine rice with lots of lime juice, a little lemon juice, and cilantro. I add the rice to the non-stick bowl (1 cup uncooked). Then I add enough lime juice so that all of the rice is wet and soaking in it. Then I add just a little bit of lemon juice (1-2 tsp.). Then add a bit of butter and some salt. After rice is cooked, mix in 2 tsp. of cilantro and stir well. It’s delicious and it’s the only rice I ever make.

The only problem with this unit is that you have to check the rice occasionally during the cooking phase, otherwise the bottom of the rice will brown. It’s not a catastrophe and is easily remedied. First off, let me just say that if the rice browns a bit, it only looks unpleasant. It still tastes just as good. To avoid this, you need to wait until the rice has absorbed almost all the water. Take off the lid and stir the rice thoroughly. Once the rice has absorbed most of the water, just switch the mode to “keep warm” manually (instead of waiting for it to click). Then occasionally stir the rice while you wait around 5-10 minutes (give or take). Once the rice has absorbed all the water, you can leave it on “keep warm”. I like to switch the mode back to “cook” for around 3-4 minutes so that the rice gets nice and hot. The trick is to take it out before it browns the bottom. This sounds complicated, but it really is not. Just check it occasionally, stir it a few times, then switch it to “keep warm” just before all the water is absorbed (95% or so should be absorbed). This is the only flaw with this unit (hence only 4 stars). Otherwise, I think it is fantastic and it is my new favorite kitchen appliance!

Review by John W. London:

This makes just enough rice for two people. It takes about 35 minutes for white rice to completely cook. You put in the rice with tap water, and need to stir it once the water starts boiling. Then, after the cooking cycle is complete, let it steam for 10 minutes or so. It works great for my needs. I purposely wanted something small enough to sit on my counter and this fits the bill perfectly. Nice product. Good quality.

Review by feminaformosa:

This is a really great, basic rice cooker. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the more expensive rice cookers (no warming feature, no different settings, etc.), but it works well for cooking rice, it’s compact, and reasonably priced. Prior to buying this one, we had another basic model made by another company that broke. We replaced with an identical one, and it broke as well. After going through two rice cookers, we decided to pay more to get a different brand- this Panasonic. We have had no problems with it, and we also like the non-stick pot. With our old rice cooker, the rice would stick to the bottom of the pot, so we couldn’t eat all of it. The Panasonic doesn’t have this problem, so we can make smaller quantities of rice without wasting most of it. I have made white rice, brown rice, and quinoa in the rice cooker, and all have turned out well.

Review by Lac:

Fast easy no fuss way to make rice in a snap. The directions are a little Engrish-y. But in a nutshell:

Scoop out your desired rice amount say 2 cups(using the enclosed scoop).

Rinse the rice a few times in a strainer to get some of the starch out–help it from making a bubbly mess and I find it makes better sticky rice.

1.Dump rice in cooker.

2.Add water to the proper line. Two cups of rice means you add water up to the fill line 2. And yes you put in the water after the rice is already in there.

3.Turn on, wait 15 minutes for the cooker to shut off and let the rice sit unmolested for 15 minutes before eating. = perfect rice.

The directions also recommend soaking the rice for 30 minutes before turning the cooker on, I never do and the rice turns out perfect…let the steam do the work and don’t stir or take the lid off while cooking.

Super easy clean up since the unit is non-stick. Can’t ask for more at the price. I love mine.

Update: It’s June 2008 and mine is still working great. I now don’t even bother to rinse the rice first and I’ve never had my cooker bubble over. For making brown rice, I add a little more water than normal, say 1/4 cup.

Update: 2010, still works great and after running it (the cooker base insert) through the dishwasher all these years it has not yet chipped or scratched or flaked. Also found out the cooker works great with Vigo brands pre-packed Red Beans and Rice or Black Beans and Rice 8oz bags. (1 packet = fill line #2 of water)

Review by M. Pierce:

My wife and I became busy recently and decided it was time to finally get a rice cooker to save some time in the kitchen. We bought a cheap old-school rice cooker and the rice would scorch, water would boil out of lid, and the rice was worse than cooking the rice on the stove top.

Then we decided to invest in a good rice cooker.

The Zojirushi NS-LAC05 is everything we hoped for and more. We wanted a rice cooker that would make great rice, that could handle smaller amounts of rice, that had a timer, and could handle a variety of different rices.

This rice cooker is a dream.

-It’s attractive. We’ve already received compliments from guests.

-Its footprint is very reasonable for a small kitchen.

-With a thick, stick proof bowl the rice doesn’t burn to any spot and clean up is simple.

-It easily makes rice for 2 adults (1.5 of the “cups” for us) but could handle 4 adults (3 “cups”) with normal eating habits. Note: the cups aren’t full size cups of rice.

-It does a great job on a variety of rices; there are different settings for different rices and the measurement markings appear correct for different rices. So far we’ve tried long grain brown, medium grain brown, sushi, jasmine, white basmati, brown basmati, and brown/white mixes. We haven’t had a bad batch of rice.

-The computer’s fuzzy logic algorithm (i.e. “Micom Neuro Fuzzy”) constantly adjusts the temperature so the rice comes out perfect every time. I also think the cooker starts out at a low temperature and gradually steps up the heat but I’m not 100% sure.

-The heavy bowl seems to distribute heat perfectly and there’s no scorched rice or crust attached to the bowl.

-The timer is convenient for setting the rice to be completed at a specific time, at which point it keeps your rice warm. We’ve found it completes cooking within a minute or two of the timer setting. There are two timer settings that you can adjust…presumably so you could have your rice prepared for breakfast & dinner in Japan.

-The retractable cord is a nice feature.

-There’s even a little holder for the included rice paddle that attaches to the side of the cooker.

We’ve even used it to make Polenta. Just use 1 Zojirushi-cup of corn grits, chicken broth up to 2-cup brown rice mark, and cook using the white rice setting. When it’s done, put the mixture in a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

I’d highly recommend this rice cooker. It’s probably not big enough for a big family but for a single person, a couple, or a small family it will probably fit the bill perfectly. I can’t over-emphasize the quality of rice the cooker produces…it’s like a dream having rice as good or better than a restaurant at home. We probably eat grain cooked in this machine 6-7 nights a week. Once you switch to this Zojirushi you’ll never want to go back to your old ways.

Review by Thomas A. Catalano:

I set the timer in the morning and the rice is ready when I come home from work. When I walk in the door, my apartment smells of cooked rice, — which is surprisingly pleasant. The timer is a must especially for brown rice which takes one hour and 40 minutes to cook. If I come home late, the rice is still okay since it automatically goes into a keep warm mode when the cycle is completed. It has a “mixed rice” mode which actually means cooking chicken, fish and tofu with the rice (not tried it yet). The only con is that the direction are terrible. It must have been poorly translated from Japanese. I’m not subtracting a star for this issue because it’s so simple to operate once you know what to do. The cooking bowl has water level gradations etched into the side– there are several depending upon the setting (brown, white, etc.) You put the dry rice into the bowl using the supplied measuring and add water until the level reaches the line for the rice you are cooking (brown rice is from .5 cup to 2 cups, white rice is from 1 to 3 cups, etc.) That is not exactly what the directions say (e.g., “level scales according to the menu you have chosen and then flatten the surface of the rice.” What? Anyway, I comes out perfect and steamy hot. A special nubby rice spatula is included.

Also, it makes great oatmeal, even the steel cut type that normally takes 30 minutes to cook. Use the “porridge” setting. Use about half as much water as recommended on the oatmeal box. It has two timers that remember the last time used and the cooking setting. I have one timer set for porridge in the morning and the other for brown rice in the evening.

It has a small footprint on my counter – about the size of a toater. The cord has a retraction mechanism (like a vacuum cleaner) which means here is no excess cord on the counter. There is a large handle, much like you would see on a small cooler, making it easy to put pick up and put away when not in use.

Review by K. D. Talley:

Wanted to make some great sushi — and this pot turned out fabulous rice, couldn’t have been better for the task! Also, since getting this Aroma, I’ve done several one-dish dinners in it, steaming meat & veggies right with the rice. Its done a dynamite job — almost like having a cook in the house, finishing off dishes for me. Easy to clean, quick to store, and absolutely as represented — an inexpensive yet faithful piece of equipment with nice range of skills. Plus — you can cook — and transport — hot food in it to a potluck dinner, easily — and without getting burned. How’s that for the price?!!!

Review by C. Holmes:

This thing works great, and it steams veggies at the same time!!!! Just read the instructions thoroughly. If you are cooking brown or wild rice the water measurements are different. Rice comes out fluffy and moist every time. And, it stays moist on the warm setting too. I had it in there staying warm for over an hour and you wouldn’t have known it, seriously. Buy this!

Review by hwmd:

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2W7CPYTDIW5M2 It’s a cheap, nice little rice cooker that just works. Here are some tips from the instruction manual:

1. This appliance is NOT dishwasher safe. Inner pot and accessories are NOT dishwasher safe. (i.e. that stuck-on rice that happens to every rice cooker at some point? yeah, don’t try using your dishwasher to get it out.)

2. Always make sure the outside of the inner pot is dry prior to use. If inner cooking pot is returned when wet, it may damage this product, causing it to malfunction.

Also, interestingly, it’s pretty much a disposable appliance unfortunately. That is, for the fifteen bucks you buy it for here on Amazon (esp. if you have Prime shipping for free), if it breaks, you can return it to the manufacturer, but Aroma Housewares Company [...] for shipping and handling charges.

I also find one other instruction particularly interesting: “Do not use the appliance for other than its intended use.” Take that, Jack Bauer.

Review by R. Tanksley:

I wanted a cheap rice cooker and this fits the bill. I considered other brands but they either had poor reviews or a teflon type of coated interior. This rice cooker’s pan is aluminum and while a bit of rice sticks after cooking, it is easily washed after soaking it for a time.

From http://www.thecancerblog.com/2006/02/16/fdas-teflon-carcinogen-warning-getting-stronger/

“In a continuing review of Teflon’s safety, The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Science Advisory Board voted unanimously on Wednesday, February 15th, to recommend that PFOA be upgraded from the current “suggestive carcinogen” to a “likely carcinogen.”

Why risk it? This Aroma is more than adequate unless you need a bigger amount of rice than three cups. I only cook one cup at a time and it works great. While any rice will work, I also recommend using jasmine rice for better taste.

Review by Christelleny:

It’s easy to clean and sure looks great on your countertop!

Positive feedback stops here.

I made a mess out of cooking rice (all the negative reviews are true) until I figured that I should use slightly less water than the recommended quantity. After that, I spent 1 year using it nonstop (we eat rice every day).

365 days later, the non-stick bowl is BADLY chipped, like little bubbles that burst on the bottom and left pinhead-sized chips. I swear that I never used anything else than the included plastic scoop (and sponge for cleaning) and never ever scratched it, so I’m 100% sure the non-stick coating quality is to blame.

Add to that that non-stick coating is toxic*, this baby is out of my kitchen as soon as I can afford a Zojirushi. They’re not as elegants, but they last forever.

For more info on teflon toxicity, visit http://www.ewg.org

http://www.ewg.org/issues/pfcs/20051214/index.php

Review by K. Beck:

This rice cooker is a great addition to any kitchen. I love the steamer basket addition which allows me to cook additional food items at the same time as my rice. The steamer basket is great for hard and soft boiled eggs. When using this cooker, make sure that you go by the directions on the rice itself, not by the instructions in the manual (rice to water ratio). Also, the rice does have a tendency to boil over. I usually put a little butter in with the rice to prevent this from happening. I’m very pleased with my purchase and highly recommend it.

Review by Thomas E. Tweedel:

I finally convinced my wife to replace the old but still functional single switch rice cooker I’d owned for about 10 years. I have longed for something with an off switch so rice doesn’t burn to the bottom when I forget to unplug it. This guy was the ticket.

It seems like a fairly complex machine but its really easy to use once you understand the setup. Its well designed. The pot is easy to clean and the inner lid snaps off for easy cleaning as well.

I have to say the rice it produces is some of the best I have had. I did a side by side cookoff with the old and the new rice cookers. The same rice just seemed to have more consistant texture and better strong flavor. Definatley worth the upgrade since we do lots of rice.

The one drawback I found is with the somewhat misleading specifications. They say this is a “5 cup” rice cooker. So I’m thinking 5 cups=40oz. Plenty big enough for a family of 4. Well its not quite that much. It seems in Asia (on the metric system) their idea of a cup is a teacup. If you look at the picture and see the two little cups next to the machine, it will hold 5 of THOSE cups. Those cups are approximatley 6oz each. So really it is a 4 (American) cup rice cooker, not 5. Of course 3/4 of a cup is about how much rice you’ll eat in a meal so one run of this machine should be able to produce rice for 5. If you need more that that consider the NS-ZAC18 10 cup (8 cup) model.

The trick to the machine is to use the little cups that come with it. You measure out a few “cups” of rice and dump it into the pot. Then you add water and fill it up to the graduated mark on the inside of the pot. So if you toss in 2 cups you add water until you hit the 2 cup mark. It has different markings for Brown, White and Sushi rice.

Before discovering the proper way of using the smaller “cups” I used a regular 8oz cup on some Jasmine rice (then filled it to the designated level). It still came out way better than my rice cooker. It was firm but not hard and full of flavor. So if you screw up or loose your little “cup” you can still get great rice as long as the stickness is not absolutely critical to the receipe.

The manual makes a huge deal out of its ability to handle some “no rinse” rice who’s milling technology was proudly developed in Japan. They devote pages to the setting and cooking it, but actually its pretty similar to the regular rice, you just use the green cup instead of the clear cup.

All in all this is a great little machine. If you want the best and are willing to pay the bucks this is the one to get. You will not feel your money is wasted.

Update:

Its now 6 years later and countless batches of rice and this little thing is still going strong. The pot has a few scratches from years of continous daily use but its holding up.

We expanded our use of this little gem. I’ve learned not to think of it as just a rice producing device but as a rice cooker + modified crock pot. My wife started using it to produce porriage and then later soup. She’ll pour the ingredients in the night before, set the timer and her breakfast is ready 30 minutes before she wakes up. You can use it for grain soups, porriage, oatmeal and more. We buy packs of Thai flavored rice that say were supposed to cook on the stove. We dump the stuff in and hit go. They come out plenty tastey.

There is a quick cooking cycle that we use a lot. Shaves about 20 minutes off the cook time. Flavor suffers a little (though its still great) but when your in a rush…

Perhaps the most amazing thing however is what it does to brown rice. As a kid I was never fond of brown rice. Too hard and crunch and I was never that big on bran flavor. We got some brown rice and started cooking it in this thing and it was a whole new world. I don’t know how it did it but it came out soft, a little chewey and decent tasting. Brown rice was now something worth eating vs avoiding.

So if for whatever reason you are looking to switch to brown rice but not thrilled with the flavor do yourself a favor and get one of these units. It makes it a whole new experience.

We haven’t tried steaming anything yet. Maybe when our steamer breaks..

Review by J. Baldwin:

This rice cooker makes the best rice we have ever had – at least since our travels to Southeast Asia. And despite the fact that this machine *seems* smarter than it’s user, it is remarkably simple to operate. The instruction book lacks a little bit in terms of recipes and creativity – but it does a good job giving you the basic idea of how to use this machine. This space age looking rice cooker is a little pricey, so it may be overkill for some – but I love all the features this offers and consider it well worth the price (which is a hundred less than what it is offered for here at Amazon). We eat a lot of brown rice, which is not something that other rice cookers handle well. This one has a setting for brown rice, and cooks it to perfection. Also has a setting for semi-brown rice, sushi rice, porridge & more. You get to pick how soft or hard you want the rice to turn out by using the control panel. Being able to set a timer for having rice ready when we get home from work is handy. This thing also cooks complete meals – definitely get a good cookbook for rice cooker cooking We are expirimenting with many varieties of rice that I normally would have shyed away from, since I could not seem to cook even plain old brown rice properly until now.

It took me 6 months to decide to buy this thing. We were originally contemplating the MYC10 series, but the specific settings for brown rice became important to us. And this one takes up less space on the countertop than the MYC10. We will be eating rice nearly every day now thanks to this machine! I am definitely glad we chose the ZAC10, and would recommend this product. It’s a keeper!

UPDATED JUNE 12, 2004: We have now had this rice cooker for nearly a year, and have used it at least 3 times a week. It has held up to regular use quite well, we have not had a single problem with it. If anything, we are eating at home more than ever because of the simplicity of planning meals ahead of time. One thing that we have learned is that the 5 cup capacity is for using the cooker for white rice. Brown rice capacity is about 3 cups. So if you anticipate using this for more than 3 6 oz. cups of dry brown rice, you might consider steppig up to the 10 cup capacity model ZAC18. One tip for making very tasty rice, use a broth instead of water (or 1/2 and 1/2). If you are on fence about this cooker go ahead and take the leap – it is fantastic! No regrets!

UPDATED April 18, 2008: Well, the “Brown Rice” setting finally died this week after nearly five (yes FIVE!) faithful years of weekly use. We remain very pleased with this product, and plan to upgrade to the newest model in a 10 cup capacity.

Review by Shelley E. Olds:

I’ve never owned a rice cooker before this, however, I have cooked lots of rice over the years. Its an inexpensive rice cooker and if you follow the directions, it’ll do fine.

Since moving to the mountains of Colorado, its taken me years to adjust to the lowered the boiling point due to the higher elevation (8300′)… it takes more time (add ~10-20min) and the dry climate means using more water (for a 1 cup of dry rice, takes ~2.5+ cups water rather than 2cups). Still, there have been many times when rice just didn’t work out the way I wanted.

So I mentioned that it would be nice to have a rice cooker and let it deal with the cook time. Of course I had done some research, and when this came in the mail as a present, I was a little nervous since Oster’s seem to get so-so reviews. Well, I cooked my typical basmati rice, a 1/2 cup dry and added my typical 1c water plus extra, put lid on, pressed the button and went to do something else.

A lot of reviewers mention how the rice on the bottom gets over-cooked, sometimes brown or burnt. Some reviewers like the crunchiness, some hate it. Well, the directions tell you to stir the rice – especially the bottom of the cooker after 15 minutes. Sure enough, the rice at the bottom was starting to stick. I scraped it all loose, added another 1/4 cup water, chopped it up a little, put the lid on, and let fate take its course. Would the rice by a burnt mess? 20 minutes later we had the best sticky rice we’ve ever had!

Plus it seemed to cook faster. And I really liked that it went to ‘warm’ mode automatically. One major drawback: It spewed hot sticky water up under the lid and through the vent all over the kitchen but once we wiped the lid off (without picking up the lid), it settled down. If you are a neat freak or want a set-and-forgot, this rice cooker is not for you. And for me, I’ll come up with a little steam catcher helmet and deal with the mess. For the price, its a good buy. And, I love the red color too!

[found this cool tip from Spyce: To help keep the starch from bubbling up and spraying out of the vent hole, rinse the rice thoroughly and drain. Heat a small amount of olive oil in the rice bowl, once the oil is heated, carefully add the rice and saute it for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water and continue cooking.] I’m going to try this tip next time!

BTW, this cooker seems like a knock-off of the similar Rival rice cooker (both owned by Jarden]

Review by Michigoon:

It’s always grating to read reviews from people who don’t know how rice is properly cooked. Here’s a hint for all- if you have to add oil and stir and watch your rice, you have a bad cooker. Adding oil and stirring and all that is for cooking rice in a pot or a skillet. The entire point of owning a rice cooker it to get away from that, hence why this is a horrible rice cooker.

With a proper rice cooker, you literally just add rice and water, hit the button, and forget about it. Yes, you usually need to rinse your rice before you cook it to prevent starchy water bubbling up- if you don’t know that, you need to get better informed before you make rice cooking a part of your life.

With this machine, people are stirring, and adding oil and butter to prevent sticking, and trying to justify the shoddy uneven cooking by saying they like burnt rice. Please, pelase, go out and find someone who has a real rice cooker, so you can see it done properly. In fact, many asian eateries make their white rice in a restaraunt-size rice cooker. You put the rice in, and it comes out perfect. End of story.

Even if you’re willing to put up with stirring and oil, why are you buying this product? Just make your rice in a skillet. It’s really quite easy if you try it once, and I’ll even give you a traditional method. Throw your rice into a skillet (however much you want, one cup rice is three cups cooked), put your finger on the rice and add water up to your first knuckle (or to about the average knuckle if your hands are really abnormal). Bring the water rapidly to a boil, stir once if you’re worried about sticking (if you have to stir more you’re doing it wrong), then simmer until most of the water is absorbed (bubbles form and break in the top of the rice). Cover and reduce to low heat until all the water is absorbed, which varies based on your rice. Fluff before serving. Ta-da! (If this sounds like what other reviews are doing with this cooker- it is! The cooker is just working like a small pot, and the measuring system does the finger trick for them. You might as well just do it on the stove.)

Review by Michael J Edelman:

I love my rice cookers. I use them not only to make rice, but for all sorts of one-pot meals. Put in a cup of rice, vegetables, meats or seafood, seasonings, tofu… and a half hour later you have a steaming hot one-pot meal. They’re also good for pilafs and other grain dishes.The Zojirushi and Panasonic units are all first rate, BUT you need to know a little something about cooking rice beyond what’s in the poorly worded manuals. Different rice takes different amounts of water. The long-grained rice Americans are used to should be cooked with 1-3/4 cup of water for each cup of rice. Japanese rice needs only 1-1/4 cup of water for each cup of rice, or 1 cup of water for each cup of washed, wet, rice.Many Americans (and Europeans) have problems with these cookers because the measure ments are calibrated for Japanese short grain rice, and the Westerners are cooking long grain rice. Get the ratios correct, and everything works out fine.I’ve had a number of rice cookers of different sizes. My Panasonic has lasted over 20 years, and my Zojirushi looks like it’ll last just as long, while my South Bend gave up the ghost after only a year. Go with the top Japanese models; they’re made for day-in and day out cooking.

Review by Debbie Lee Wesselmann:

For a long time, I didn’t see a need for a rice cooker. What’s the big deal, I thought, of cooking rice on the stove? However, as my life got busier and busier, I began to want one. For one, I cook rice at least twice a week, often more. Second, I thought it would be convenient to start up a rice cooker and then not worry about the rice until I was ready to put dinner on the table. This Zojirushi model is perfect for this. After the rice is cooked, it automatically switches to a “Keep Warm” setting.A few tips about cooking rice in this model:1. Follow the water/rice ratio directions on the rice box, NOT in the manual.2. Fluff the rice when the cooking is complete and then let it steam longer on the “Keep Warm” setting. If you don’t fluff, sometimes the rice browns a little on the bottom.3. Use high-quality rice.Although I rarely use converted rice (Uncle Ben’s Original), I decided to give it a shot in this cooker. The results were barely satisfactory, since the rice browned on the bottom. I don’t have this problem with jasmine and other premium rices. I suppose unplugging the appliance immediately after the cooking is done (and letting it steam without the warmer on) might help. My own solution is to stick with the better rices.Other reviewers have noted a spitting through the steam hole during cooking. This is less of a problem with small quantities than large. The starchy steam doesn’t bother me since the same thing happens to the side of a saucepan when I cook a lot of rice on the stove. The cooker is SO easy to clean that I can’t imagine complaining about a wipe down of the counter. (Hey, I have to do that anyway!)You’ll be surprised by how simple this appliance is – and how well it works. Recommended for people who cook small to medium amounts of rice at least two times a week.