this be a great rice cooker with result so good that when I order in chinese and they ask I what kind of rice I 'll just say `` none , thanks '' . that be the gist of it : consistently perfect and flavorful rice with no effort , make it easy to recommend this small appliance in a heartbeat . that say , if you be a careful shopper like I and peruse all the review here on Amazon , here be some aspect that do not seem entirely cover : size . the 3 cup that this cooker be refer to be japanese `` go '' cup - only 3\/4th of the american counterpart -lrb- 180ml vs. 240ml as per wikipedium -rrb- . also , the capacity be reduce to 2 go cup when cooking brown rice - that be 1.5 american cup . I think that might explain some of the disappointment that people display after buy a `` 3 cup rice cooker '' . that say , I believe this should be sufficient for many use : 1\/2 go cup be just the right size for a side of rice for one person , and 1 go cup be practically a meal . design . I happen to find this cooker not attractive enough to keep out in the open . yes , it be get brush metal side , but the white plastic lining really make it look silly and inexpensive . it seem to be more a toy than a kitchen appliance and as one reviewer mention , it would go well with hello Kitty sticker -lrb- although she think it be cute ; as a guy , I do not -rrb- . also , when I first start a batch of rice , my thought be `` oh no '' as a electronic lullaby start just a tad too loudly . luckily , this can be switch to beep-only or silence altogether . Minus 1\/2 a star just for look . documentation . not as bad as I expect after read the `` Chinglish '' review . really , it be fine ! and you might not even need it , except once , to set the clock and alarm tone . time display . here go another 1\/2 star : the display will not tell you when the cooking be do until a few minute before finish . with cooking time of up to 1.5 hour that be a real nuisance . ok , I hear a lot of people say `` oh that be the nature of fuzzy logic '' - but it be not like the unit do not know when it 'll finish : if you set the timer to have you batch do by a certain time , it 'll be ready practically on the minute . I just want that display , that be all . USABILITY . some love of detail have go into the design of this machine , and as a computer\/interface person I appreciate that . I keep on thinking , `` wow the engineer must use this at home every day '' when the power cord retract , the clock do not lose the time as I unplug the unit , and cleaning could not possibly be easier . OTHER use . Oatmeal : Use only 1\/2 of the recommend amount of water on the package with the `` porridge '' setting . black rice : let it soak for a hour or more before cooking -lrb- easy , just set the timer -rrb- .