Oyama CFS-F12W 7 Cup Rice Cooker, Stainless White

I am guilty of buying small appliances that I end up not using much. This is not one of them.I'm not a good multi-tasker, and when I make rice on the stove I always seem to burn the bottom. This rice cooker has completely solved the problem for rice and every other thing I cook in it: beans, polenta, oatmeal, pilafs, rice pudding, and more.Cleanup is super easy if you soak the stainless steel items a little bit. I just use a plastic scrubbie so I don't scratch it, and everything comes right off. I don't have a problem with a "crust" of food on the bottom. But you do have to use enough water when you cook, and I also let it sit a little bit in "warm" mode which seems to loosen anything on the bottom.Don't put too much water in it or it will boil over. There's a mark on the inner container. Don't exceed it. If it does, no big deal. Just wipe it off.Some people said the silicone smelt bad. I did notice a smell when I got it. Silicone, however, is actually listed as very safe to cook with, as is stainless steel that you haven't abused with steel wool, which is the reason I chose this unit in the first place. Sealing food in a cooker surrounded by toxic nonstick coatings seems like a very bad idea. AIR OUT THE UNIT WHEN YOU FIRST GET IT. I believe they just closed it too soon during the manufacturing process and sealed in some "undesirable" air. I aired mine out for a day, lid open, then I washed it. I never had bad tasting food and now the smell is completely gone.I got the Ultimate Rice Cooker cookbook and it describes the zillion things you can do with this rice cooker! Who knew? It's a vegetarian's dream, as I whip up all kinds of soups, stews, beans from dry, pilafs, hot breakfast cereals, and more. Everyone loves what I make in it using these recipes. What I didn't expect is that I can make recipes requiring a porridge cycle, which this unit doesn't have, and they come out great! I can start hot cereal in it in the morning, go do other things, and come back to breakfast without having to watch it! I can cook brown rice in 20 minutes! I don't need a brown rice cycle. Just adjust the water to match the instructions. My friends could not believe how fast it was, and good. I like it better than my slow cooker now. I follow the cookbook for instructions on cooking all grains and porridges, and it works. (I only cook whole grains in it.) I already lost the instructions that came with the Oyama -- a bit of a translation problem anyway.You really can keep it on the warm cycle overnight and the grain is just as good in the morning (found that out by accident). You do have to pull out the cord to turn it off, which is really not a big deal.I don't feed a whole huge family, but I do like to make extra so I can eat leftovers, plus this size matches the size used in the cookbook. So this was the perfect size for my uses.I could see people using this in a mobile home, dorm, or apartment. I sent one to my mom, who is older and doesn't like to cook at home much anymore. You can make so many things in it in a compact space.I can't recommend this highly enough. I honestly use it almost everyday. It made a much better cook out of me.

because the overwhelming majority of reports were favorable, i decided to purchase the oyama 7 cup rice cooker mainly because it has a stainless steel inner cooking pot. i don't think it works any better than the previous one, a zibane, but the latter has a nonstick surface. nonstick surfaces peel or erode giving a teflon dose. teflon has been known to be toxic for at least 50 years. one reviewer said the cooker gave a peculiar odor, in my opinion this is from the heating element. i have not detected an odor in the rice or in the "rubberized" seal at the top. also, the same reviewer noted a red discoloration. all of the faberware stainless steel cookware develops this color. this appears to be oxidized iron and contrary to reports on the internet can not be easily removed. i view this as stain resistant cooking ware rather than stainless. also, i have no idea if this reflects the clad bottom. presumably there is copper or aluminum inside, but i have no information on this. intuitively, copper should be better than the now dreaded aluminum. another comment is that rice sticks to the bottom of the pot and burns, this is no different than any utensil used in cooking rice. my old cooker, nonstick, "burned" the rice and the zibane manufacturer calls this caramelization. however, i must say that after about 5-6 uses, i have found the rice to be easily removed contrary to the reviewer's statements. i should add that i don't leave the rice in the pot for 24 hrs, but remove it immediately after eating. therefore, burning or caramelization is less likely. the review is so long because negative comments prevented me from purchasing this cooker much sooner and i was worried after i bought it but not as much as using a nonstick surface. the rice cooks in an acceptable time and i have found soaking the rice for 30 min b4 cooking helps the quality. finally, i must say that i grew up eating potatoes and rice rarely, altho now i eat rice 3-4 times per week, and even tho i didn't grow up eating rice daily, the rice seems ok to me.