I read all the review for this model and decide to give it a try . at $ 14.00 , it be not a big investment . I buy it because it could make a small quantity of rice , and it could cook brown rice . however , my first use be with the max amount -lrb- `` 3 measure '' -rrb- of Texmati -lrb- basmatus -rrb- rice . I incorporate some of the suggestion I read in the review . first , I place the cooker on a terrycloth towel . the measure cup that come with the unit do not look like the one picture in the manual . it have no marking on it except a grooved line about 1\/4 inch down from the top . since I read it be suppose to measure 2\/3 cup , I do use my own measuring cup to confirm . two-third of a cup fill it to that line , not the top . I carefully measure `` 3 measure '' of rice , dump the rice in the cooker , and then fill it with water to the 3 cup line inside the cooking pot . that be what the direction say to do and it would make a difference in the amount of water if you do these step in reverse . turn it on and then check it at 20 minute . the water be boil and it be sputter through the vent hole in the lid . the rice\/water mixture be foam and get very close to the top of the pot . base on a review suggestion , I give the mixture a quick stir . that immediately stop the sputtering and foam and the cooking process continue uneventfully until it finish cooking and automatically switch to warm . again base on a suggestion , I unplug the cooker and wait the 15 minute -lrb- actually 20 minute -rrb- before I serve it . the rice be firm but cook and slightly brown on the very bottom but still usable . taste good ! I get 7 serving , each cover 2\/3 of a dinner plate when rice be `` flatten out . '' I clean the cooking pot by hand -lrb- extremely easy to clean -rrb- and put the glass lid in the dishwasher with no problem . after one use , I like it !