you life will never be the same once you get this amazing rice cooker . it be by far the best purchase I have make in the last few year . perhaps you think i be exagerate . . i be not . it make the best rice ever ; it be easy to use ; it be convenient ; easy to clean up ; it can keep the rice warm . in addition to rice , it make excellent oatmeal and porridge . if you be read this review and be think , ` but i do not like rice ' , but it anyway . i do not like rice either before I get my first zojirushus rice cooker . now i really like rice - we make extra rice to have around for fry rice , rice salad , rice pudding . the possibility be endless . this appliance be useful for everyone -- busy housewife , bachelor , food snob , child-free married people ; single woman ... buy it ! the only drawback be that , like most zojirushus machine , the instruction manual leave a lot to be desire . since it be so easy to use and since there be numerous rice cooker cookbook out there , the poor instruction manual be not really a problem .