Lotus Foods Gourmet Stainless Steel Rice Cooker and Steamer, 12 Cup Capacity

As of today it's been 8 years since I've owned this rice cooker. On average I use it once a week. I haven't come across any issues so far regarding the unit, but trial and error was necessary to perfect what's being cooked, like all things cooking. 😆 I suggest when cooking rice use the following steps to insure a tasty end product.1: Measures out rice by weight (Grams) and cold water (milliliters) for optimal results.2: WASH RICE WELL to clean and remove starch. Be sure to use cold water, I like distilled water for how it washes more efficiently but regular filtered water is fine. Be absolutely gentle when washing rice because its fragile husk will be damaged and or removed causing a change in texture and not in a good way. Refrain from using a mesh strainer while rinsing, instead use a bowl, filled a quarter way, while using your hand in a gentle circular motion till it appears cloudy.... rinse and repeat the process until it's clear(ish).3: Coat all rice with oil. I prefer using butter or leaf lard instead of any type of vegetable oil.4: Add your water. It's best to start with really cold water when cooking rice.5: Add salt and any other seasoning you wish to use.6: Start cooking process making sure lid is properly seated on cooking pot. Be sure not to remove lid while cooking.That's it for rice tips. Remember that all methods will undergo change based on knowledge and experience. Enjoy

I can't live without it! Healthy affordable meals are as easy as 1,2,3~ Literally!1. Just add water.2. add rice.3. add veggies.In less then an hour you'll have a HOT, HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE, meal that will feed your whole hungry family!This is a winner! Love it!It will take a little figuring out to get it just right, all rices are different and so not over cooking veg or even under cooking may take a little practice, but we have it down to a science now at our house because eating healthy this way is just in the budget!We use frozen vegetables because they're more affordable and they're fresher usually than the ones that are supposedly fresh in the produce section. (do your own homework on this, it will save you money and offer more nutrients for your buck!) anyway if you do decide to go with frozen veg as we do, you may end up wanting to wait, and add your rice after your veggies. Here is how I've learned to do it.First I add 1 1/3 cup of water per cup of dry rice I plan to cook, into the rice cooker. Than I fill the steamer VERY full, I mean as full as it can get! (I have very hungry family and we're vegetarian so this is our meal) I put all the different vegetables that we like into it. Than I turn it on cook. After a half hour, I add my rice and than when the whole thing turns off because the rice is done, I have a complete healthy meal to serve my family!Again you will have to kinda see what works for you. Many things can very, from the type of rice you use to how many veggies etc. all that can change how long you want to leave them in there. I think because I fill the steamer SO FULL of frozen veg, it takes awhile, and than the veggies come out crispy and fresh at the same time as the rice, when I do it the way I shared with you. Anyway we love it! I think you will too! Worth every penny!

Except for rebranding, this is the same rice cooker I bought in 2012. It’s basic, but it works well. I used it 4 or 5 times a week, and it lasted 2 years. The switch broke, and the covering on the bowl bottom was beginning to detach. The switch on my second one broke after about 2 years too. My third one is still working after 2 and a half years of similarly heavy use, but the switch is getting a little stiff. So I bought this new one to have on hand for the expected demise. I’ve used it, and it works exactly like the old ones. As with the others, there’s a slight electrics odor at first, but it’s truly minor—and I’m really picky about such things. This is the only rice cooker of this size with a true stainless steel bowl that I’ve been able to find. Since I don’t want plastic or mystery metals coming in contact with my food, I remove the handle and the little silicone ring. During cooking, I invert a small plate over the two holes, which eliminates the spattering problem. I use a fork to gently lift the edge of the lid to remove it. I always make brown rice, with a one part rice, two parts water (or slightly more) ratio. Yes, the rice tends to stick a bit on the bottom, but a short hot water soak takes care of that. I would be happier if it could turn itself all the way off, and if would last longer, but hey, I’m not complaining. I’m happy to pay $40 a year for the convenience of freeing up a stove burner, having a SS bowl, and having reliable cook timing.

I just received my rice cooker and it’s too big. I live in a van, I didn’t realize it was going to be so large. It arrived yesterday and hasn’t been used. The company will not return the unused product. It’s too big for my space and apparently there’s nothing I can do about it. Purchase with confidence it’s going to be a perfect fit or purchase something else from someone else who is going to be more open to returns if it doesn’t work out. I had no idea this was even possible and would have gone to a store if I did.

I would like to give a 5-star rating, but the the inner pot has 4 hit marks (dents)!!!!, the marks are not caused by shipping or transportation, since it is packaged with 2 boxes, in the inside box, there are styroform to set the cooker in position. The hit marks are possibly from the original packaging or from the manufactuer.The inner pot is stainless steel, a little stick for rice, but not hard, difficult-to-crape kind of sticking. The vent hole is wrapped with rubber, it would be better to wrapped with stainless steel, otherwise, it would be a 5-star product.When put final product into packaging, do a good QC, manufacturer or distributor!