Toshiba Rice Cooker 6 Cup Uncooked – Japanese Rice Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology, 7 Cooking Functions, Digital Display, 2 Delay Timers and Auto Keep Warm, Non-Stick Inner Pot, White

Why it's worth it

The Toshiba 6-Cup is a fuzzy logic cooker with seven modes, two delay timers, and a nonstick pot, for a fraction of what Zojirushi charges. Rice comes out reliably good, if not quite as good, and it fits a household of three to five.

If the Zojirushi's price makes you wince, this is the one to get. It has genuine fuzzy logic — sensors that read moisture and adjust temperature and time — not just a timer pretending to be smart. Published comparisons and owner feedback both put its white rice in the same neighborhood as cookers costing several times more. You give up refinement at the edges, not basic competence.

Seven modes is more than most budget cookers offer, and they're the useful ones. White, brown, mixed, multi-grain, quick, porridge, and steel-cut oats. The oats setting is a nice surprise if you eat them — you can set the delay timer at night and wake up to breakfast. There are two delay timers, which matters if you cook rice for both lunch and dinner on different schedules.

From our review of 9 fuzzy logic rice cookers, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +If the Zojirushi's price makes you wince, this is the one to get
• +Seven modes is more than most budget cookers offer, and they're the useful ones
• +The 6-cup uncooked capacity yields about 12 cups cooked, so it covers a family of four with leftovers
• +Small safety and convenience touches add up here

What to know

• –Keep-warm is the clear weak point
• –The fuzzy logic is less sophisticated than Zojirushi's or Cuckoo's, and it shows most on brown rice, which can come out firmer…