I purchased my old electric rice cooker in Japan in 1970. It is/was a Toshiba and has served me well, lo these many years. I have no complaints about it but Memsahib found its worn exterior and dented lid detracting from the sophisticated ambiance of our kitchen. When I set out to replace it, I discovered that the world has been hoodwinked into buying a grossly inferior product: an electric rice cooker in which water is mixed with the rice in the inner pot and nothing goes in the outer pot! Can you imagine? The only decent and proper way to cook Asian rice is with water in both the inner and outer pots, such that the rice steams to perfection after it has boiled a bit. Finally, after much scouting and frustration, Herself found a model, made by Tatung of Taiwan, which works in the appropriate manner. I went to a local Asian supermarket (we have such things in Western Washington) and happily brought home a new rice cooker. May it serve me as long and as well as the old one.

The little booklet which accompanies my new kitchen toy is filled with important instructions and warnings, e.g.

"There is a see-saw switch controlling the keeping warm current."

"Easy way to clean up, fill with or soak in hot potable water everytime after the cooked rice or food is served out."

"When the cooking is over, the switch will leap up and the electric current shuts off."

"Keep warm do not over 4 hours."

"Though the pot would discolor or streak due to the water quality and the way you operate it, please use it without any misgivings."

The truly odd thing is that I have been using so many products made in Asia for so long that I quickly and fully understand these (and similar) instructions and warnings.