Zest 8 Cup One Touch Rice Cooker, From the Makers of Instant Pot, Steamer, Cooks Rice, Grains, Quinoa and Oatmeal, 8-cup cooked/4-cup uncooked, No Pressure Cooking Functionality

I mean this in the most complimentary way, it does its job well and its durable! It doesnt have a lot of frills but it will feed ur family for years

I bought this 4 years ago and it is still working great! It is the perfect size for the 2 of us. So easy to use and simple to clean. I never made rice at home before this purchase and now it’s a staple. Rinse my rice, add my liquid of choice and seasonings and push start. We have perfect rice every single time. It really couldn’t be more simple. I have even added a can of cooked meat (chicken or spam), can of drained beans and even frozen vegetables for a one pot meal. If it were to fail I would purchase another asap.

This works well... I like that it can make quinoa too. It's smaller than I thought it'd be, but volume seems sufficient for most applications. It does take longer than I thought it would.

I recently took the plunge into the mystical world of the Instant Pot Rice Cooker, and let me tell you, my skepticism was diced finer than finely chopped onions. But oh, how wrong I was! This contraption is like having a rice wizard in my kitchen, casting flavorful spells with every grain. At first, I couldn't believe that a kitchen appliance could make such a difference in the rice game. I mean, come on, it's just rice, right? Wrong! From the very first batch, I knew this Instant Pot had some serious culinary sorcery up its sleeve. The rice that emerged from this magical metal cauldron wasn't just rice; it was an experience. Each subsequent batch somehow managed to outshine its predecessor. It's like the Instant Pot whispers ancient rice wisdom to each grain, urging them to reach their full potential. But wait, there's more! This pot doesn't just cook rice; it turns your kitchen into a flavor battleground. It forces broth flavors into the rice like a seasoned general leading an army into tasty victory. The rice becomes a canvas, soaking up all the savory goodness, turning even the most basic grains into culinary masterpieces. And let me tell you about the basmati rice—I summoned the most amazing basmati dish that would make Aladdin jealous. The Instant Pot coaxed out the fragrant aroma and delicate texture of the basmati, transforming my kitchen into a Persian spice bazaar. I half-expected a magic carpet to appear, carrying my taste buds on a flavorful journey. In conclusion, I went from rice skeptic to Instant Pot disciple in a flash. The Instant Pot Rice Cooker is no mere kitchen appliance; it's a rice alchemist, a flavor enchanter, a grain guru. If you're still cooking rice the old-fashioned way, it's time to level up and let the Instant Pot weave its rice magic. You'll never look at a grain of rice the same way again!

First I have owned at 3qt Instant Pot for 4 years. I recently had to purchase a new cord (think I got it wet) but no other issues. I have never used it as a pressure cooker but use it weekly to cook lentils or braise chicken. I love I can sear & then braise skinless boneless chicken using the slow cooker function in 35-45 mins. I am not using the oven & I don't have to babysit the stovetop & my chicken comes out flavorful and juicy. After much research and based on my Instant Pot experience, I decided to give the Zest a try. I bought this Instant Zest to replace a Green Life 4 cup Rice & Grain Cooker, which worked great & I gave to family. I need to make more than 4 cups for meal prep most weeks and I was tired of making multiple batches of rice. On the negative side, I was disappointed in the Steamer Tray. I use only Stainless Steel, Cast Iron or Ceramic Coated Cook/Bakeware. Why give me a Ceramic Coated Bowl when you also give me a Plastic Steamer Tray? The Plastic Steamer Tray was left in the original box along with the Plastic Rice Paddle. On the positive side, I made a small rice test batch first. I used Basmati Rice, rinsed it til clear water & then let it soak in clean cool water 20-30 min. I used "2 rice cooker cups" (each equals 3/4 cup in US measurement) or 3/4+3/4 = 1 1/2 cups of uncooked rice. I added 1 1/4 cup of water for each 3/4 cup of uncooked rice. So added 2 1/2 total cups total of water. I did bloom Saffron in some of the water I added. I added the Rice then Water into the pot & stirred. Plugged it in & turned on machine by pushing 'White Rice' button. My old Green Life always gave me great fluffy rice in 25 mins for the same amount of rice. The Zest was over 30 minutes, so not bad. I did like how there was a countdown starting at the 10 min mark. Opened lid when beeped. Perfect, fluffy rice with no burning or stickiness. That little amount of rice had separated & fluffed up to 3/4 of the pot. I could have used a paper towel to wipe down the clean bowl but I did a hand wash. I loved my Green Life but this 1st try in the Zest was better. The rice was very tender and absorbed the Saffron evenly. I could have eaten the rice straight out of the machine but I spooned it into a bowl added Chicken Chunks & some Veggies & a quickly put together Asian style Sauce. I put less rice in my dinner bowl than usual but I felt I had eaten more. Dinner made for several more meal times. I gave 4 Stars because of the PLASTIC Steamer Tray. Also, this was my 1st time using the Instant Zest. I will probably Update this post once I have used it for a while. I still need to try my generic Long Grain Rice, Oatmeal & Sushi Rice in the Zest. Again, best Basmati Rice I have ever made, all fluffy & tender. And I did not have any water leaked on my counter - all dry below.

With all that's going on, we've been cooking at home a lot more. In the past, we used the instant rice pouches. After watching a few online recipe videos, it became clear we needed a rice cooker. This one has been fantastic. We've used it probably 30 times and rice has been great every time. We typically make 1-3 servings, so the smaller size is exactly what we need. This unit may be too small for a larger family, but I would think you could get at least 6 servings of rice out of this without too much trouble. Never having owned a rice cooker before, I didn't realize how inexpensive rice is when you don't buy in the pouch. Instead of $1.50 or $2 for a single-use pouch, it's now $1-$2 for a bag that will last ~10 meals. And the rice tastes better. Usage couldn't be easier. Follow the recommended water/rice ratio provided with the cooker, hit the button an just wait. The only downside is that there isn't a timer from the beginning of the cycle, though a countdown time kicks in at some point through the process. What I have done is time how long it takes to make 1 portion and 2 portion of rice so I can now plan the rest of the meal accordingly. It takes about 22-24 minutes to make really tasty rice. And with the warming function, you don't need to be all that precise in timing out your meals. The rice can sit in the cooker for a while without any negative effect. Lastly, clean up is easy with the non-stick interior bowl. I've been hand-washing the bowl to avoid potential damage to the non-stick surface in the dishwasher, but cleaning that takes all of 10 seconds. A serving spoon, that works well with rice, steaming basket (haven't used it) and measuring cup also come with the cooker. The measuring cup uses the term "cup" but it isn't a true 8oz cup. It's more of a generic unit for measuring rice and water in the correct ratio, so don't lose the included cup.

I absolutely love this little appliance. I put in a mix of grains (rinsed) including brown rice, quinoa and buckwheat together, added two cups of water for each cup of grain, closed the lid, pushed the brown rice button. It cooked it all perfectly. Then, I brought in some fresh greens from my greenhouse, washed them, put them in the steamer basket and a cup of water in the bottom of the insert, closed the lid, pushed "steam" and they cooked perfectly. It's so easy to use and easy to clean.

The Instant Pot Zest is literally perfect. Look at my pics. If there are two of you, it’s perfect. We use this every day. There has been no better joy than eating perfectly made jasmine brown long grain rice so fast and so easy. And I’ll give you a simple delicious Headstart, purchase Jasmine long grain brown rice and use the cup scoop the instant pot zest provides you. Do not use another measuring cup. Tried it. Use theirs. There has been no better joy when eating perfectly made fluffy rice or sticky rice so fast and so easy. And I’ll give you a simple delicious healthy Headstart for those needing to jumpstart their health. Buy jasmine long grain brown rice and use the cup scooper from the instant zest box it provides you. Take two heaping scoops of Jasmine Brown rice out with that particular measuring cup, then throw it into your pot, then fill up that same measuring cup to the tippy top with tapwater four times and toss it in your rice. 1 full cup of rice and 2 full cups of water is the tested perfection. Shut your lid, plug in the device, hit cancel, then hit brown rice, and then In 30 minutes or less you’ll thank me. By the way, the rice stores up to four days, perfectly in the refrigerator because I tested this by purchasing Tupperware from Walmart so you can meal prep like we had. Please don’t use your nasty other Tupperware bowls, make this rice specific tupperware only. Im giving you my brains and the keys to the kingdom. If you read this far and you haven’t decided to purchase this, you’re not serious. Buy it! This is the Instant Pot Zest! There’s multiple kinds but this is the one! Buy it!