Aroma ARC-998 16-Cup Cool Touch Digital Rice Cooker, Stainless

Comment: I'm not terribly happy with this rice cooker. We typically only make 2 cups of rice to serve 2 adults and a toddler. To avoid having the bottom layer of rice overcooked (i.e. crispy and brown) the instructions say to rinse the rice until the water is clear. Doing so takes a significant amount of time and effort, which isn't what I want to do after work while running around after a toddler and an infant. And after you spend several minutes rinsing the rice, it still takes 40-45 minutes to cook the measly 2 cups of rice. Plus, the cooking pot, steam rack, and serving paddle are NOT dishwasher safe. So you have to spend additional time handwashing everything when you're done. Lastly, there's nothing to indicate how much cook time is left (even approximately), so you just have to KNOW how long it's going to take and keep track of the timing yourself.

On the plus side, the cooking pot washes very easily by hand, even with the overcooked, crispy browned rice stuck to it. It's an attractive appliance, too. I also like the little side pocket that catches the condensation that runs down when opening the lid. It's easy to pop off and empty the collected water. Still, I wouldn't buy this particular product again.

Comment: I just bought this rice cooker, my first by the way, from Target last Friday so I have only had it for about 5 days at the time of this review. Be that as it may, I have used it 3 times already and each time my rice has come out perfect each and every time. I haven't had any sticking or burning on the bottom at all but I have also made sure that I rinse my rice properly too so I don't know if that is the key to some of the other peoples reviews that say they have had that happen to them. So far I have only used Jasmine rice but look forward to trying some brown rice in the near future and have a good feeling that it will also turn out great.

I do love the little plastic water catcher that fits in the back of the cooker that catches any water that collects on the lid when you open it, genius.

Comment: This cooker was purchased about a month ago specifically for cooking brown rice. I typically cook a pot of brown rice each week. I have used it 3 or 4 time so far. It does a great job cooking brown rice, far better than when it is cooked in a pot on the stove. Less water is used than with stove top cooking. The rice comes out more consistently "fluffy" and more evenly cooked. I am experimenting a little with the exact amount of water to use and think I will wind up using a little more than is recommended in the recipe supplied with the cooker. The cooker is easy to use, just add the rice and water to the pot, plug it in, push one button, and come back about 90 minutes later. The cooker switches to the warm setting when the rice is done. So, its not a problem if you are a little late getting back to the cooker. Clean up is easy. There is a thin "sticky" layer on the bottom of the no-stick cooking pot after the rice is removed. But, it comes out easily with a little soaking. All in all this is a great cooker.

Comment: IF YOU LIKE RICE MUSH. THIS IS FOR YOU. IF YOU WANT COOKED FLUFFY RICE LOOK ELSEWHERE.

Comment: This is the 2nd or 3rd Aroma Rice Cooker we have owned. Maybe we have bad luck with rice cookers, I don't know. This model, which we love when it works for the first 2-3 years, is wonderful. But somewhere around the end of year 3, they begin to fail. It begins to shut off too early because the sensor inside is failing. Still, because it makes great rice, that is why we keep buying the same model. But don't look for it to last more than couple of years.