ok , I can not stand it any longer ! why be so many people freak out about the little cup ? it be 200 ml , or in between 3\/4 and 1 cup dry measure . most people eat more than they need to , it do not hurt to have a little smaller portion . and here be a secret that any of we from traditional japanese family know : put the rice in the cooker . put in enough water so that the water come up to the 2nd knuckle of you index finger -lrb- with the tip of you finger touch the top of the rice -rrb- . it always work , we use to do this in we old rice cooker that have japanese write only , it do not matter what the amount of rice be ; I do not know how\/why this work but it do , and when I meet someone that grow up eat rice everyday like I do , they all seem to know this trick . in regard to the timing-who care if the rice be do before the rest of the meal ? since there be that handy keep warm feature , just make the rice way ahead !! the reason it take longer in the rice cooker be the traditional soak time , help make softer fluffy rice . if you get stick-um on the bottom of you rice , it be prob . not a good quality , or you do not rinse it , or you need to fluff it when the timer say it be do with the cute song . they say max 4 hour for keep warm , but for about 30 year I have keep the rice warm for longer than that and have no problem with food poisoning or bacterium . if you can keep stuff warm in a crock pot all day , why not rice ? my mom be japanese and highly recommend this cooker . for those interested in ayurvedic food , it make great kitcharee -lrb- although not the soupy kind , put you spice and veggy and dahl right in with the rice , if you add too much water it cook until the water be steam out , take about 45 min . -rrb- I love my big Zojirushi cooker so much I be buy this smaller one for at work so I can have my hot soup or rice cooking and ready by mealtime !