AROOOOOOOMA!!!!!!!!

Just went to start my rice cooker for the day. I was planning on steaming veggies in the steamer tray while cooking some rice for lunch. It got a little hot, and then it just stopped working, leaving me with a singed plastic odor. The indicator lights went out. No sign of life when I plugged it in again. I just bought this thing about 4 months ago. It was a sweet corvette red, and only 15 bucks... *sigh*

This is not the first time Aroma brand rice cookers and I have had problems. My prior cooker started having this problem where it would switch to 'warm' in the middle of the cycle, leaving you with nasty crunchy rice. All it took to obviate that problem was a little stir and a little human intervention. At least that one worked... kinda...

I guess I should consider upgrading since I cook rice a lot. Still, I can't see myself dropping a couple Benjamins for a fancy Zojirushi, or however you spell it. Maybe move up to a 10 'cup' from my 6 'cup', and switch to a better manufacturer.

Cook it on the stove, you say? We are not barbarians here, sir! Truthfully, I have let my technique for stove rice get rusty. I've been spoiled by 'fire and forget' rice cookers. Even with pilaus I just toast the rice, etc, in a pan and dump it all in the rice cooker to finish cooking, skipping the oven or stove. I hope I haven't forgotten how to do it the old fashioned way...