Cuisinart CRC-400P1 4 Cup Rice Cooker, Stainless Steel Exterior

I bought this Cuisinart rice cooker in 2006; it still works as of 2019.Growing up I was afraid of cooking and doing it on my own as an adult. It was your typical adulthood fear. I partially wished my mom cultivated me to cook more as a child, but it doesn't matter now because I learned on my own. And it helps that I have my mom's chef genes.— COOKING RICE —Cooking rice with this is super easy. Here are my general steps:1. Scoop the rice you intend to eat into a bowl; I find 1/2 to 3/4 cup per person is a good portion.2. Clean the rice by pouring cold water into the bowl to near-full while mixing the rice around with your hands for a minute. This helps to clean off debris and remove any surface starch that can make rice gummy.3. Let rice sit for 5-10 minutes. Empty out the water, and repeat the rinsing and waiting until the water is clear. Three rinses is usually enough to get the rice moist and clean.4. Drain the water out of bowl, and pour just the rice into the cooker.5. Pour in water. I usually add slightly more than 3/4 cup of water per cup of rice. So 1.5 cups of water for 2 cups of rice, etc. I don't usually add more than 1 cup of water to 1 cup of rice.6. Important: Add the stainless steel steaming basket to the top of the container so that it looks like it's 5 inches taller, then, put on the cover. This piece helps with steaming and prevents bubbling overflow.7. Press the Cook button and wait until it flips back up. You're done!— FLAVORING —If you want to flavor your rice, I would add whatever spices you would like after Step 4, and mix it in with the water of Step 5. I usually add coconut milk, or Cajun seasoning. Experiment and discover.— CRITIQUES —I've read people's critiques and from the sound of it it seems like they're doing things wrong versus this item not working properly. A lot of reviews usually say two things: it overflows, which can be prevented by adding the stainless steel steaming basket to the top, and adding the right amount of water.The second critique is that rice doesn't come out cooked. That can be fixed by soaking it, and making sure you using the appropriate amount of water. Also, don't try to cheat by adding dry rice and water to this and pressing cook; you definitely need to soak the rice and soften it up first because it will end up not cooked if you attempt taking a shortcut.— SUMMARY —This is a great 4-cup rice cooker that is easy to use. Recommended.

We own many Cuisinart appliances and find them to be worry free and worth the few extra dollars. Looks great on the counter, and works perfectly. I'm going to start using it for things other than rice... steel cut oats and hardboiled eggs. Can't believe I went this long without one. No more m3ssy stove from water boiling over!

This has become my most used small appliance. It's footprint is about the same as a two slice toaster. Now, for what it can do. Obviously, it prepares any kind of rice, as it's name implies. But that is just the beginning. It makes perfect, easy to peel hard cooked eggs. No overcooking, no tough whites or overcooked yolks. Want to make potato salad, but just don't feel like it's worth the effort? Buy a bag of peeled and diced potatoes, put them in the steamer basket and come back 20 -25 minutes later to perfectly cooked potatoes that are not water logged. Cool and add whatever dressing you want, and you have great potato salad. Those root vegetables, such as carrots, are perfectly cooked. Add asparagus, broccoli green beans, zucchini, chicken, sausage (the fat drains away), shrimp, scallops, and fish, and you get an idea of how versatile this little baby is. Like oatmeal in the morning? This makes perfect rolled or Irish oats. If this ever dies, I will immediately order a replacement. I can't imagine living without it.It is very easy to clean. Some have complained about boil overs, but i have not had that problem, I use the steamer basket for everything. I even place it on top when I am making rice. I suppose if you over fill or come close to overfilling, you could experience boil overs. Anything to break the surface tension on the sides of the pot would cure that problem, and a light spraying of Pam at the top of the pot should cure that problem.The cons? Only one. It lacks an off switch which means that as soon as it is plugged in, it goes into warming mode so you must unplug it after each use. Just a slight irritant that I can easily live with. This really is a wonderful small appliance which will amaze you with ts versatility.

I was given one of these years ago and used it often. Replaced it with one with more options and hated it. I bought this one to replace my original one and couldn’t be happier. This ricer is super easy to use. I actually combine the Near East rice mix with a can of beans and set it in yo cook. Comes out perfect! But it, you’ll love it!