The aluminum as a problem cooking material myth was mostly debunked a long time ago, but it still makes the rounds.

I read about rice cookers on the Roger Ebert website. Though the beloved movie reviewer had a stomach tube due to jaw/face cancer, he loved to write about food, and when asked, said he was hoping that everyone else would eat well and enjoy their food for him.

He loved rice cookers because they do a lot more than cook rice.

I bought myself an 8-cup Cuisinart rice cooker for my birthday one year, and I'd say I use it about once a month. That isn't a lot, but there are some things around here that only get used for Thanksgiving or xmas. (I can tell it has been a number of years because it was probably $70 when I bought it).

I used to make rice on the stovetop but always had a cooked-on layer in the pot when I finished. That isn't the case with the rice cooker. And the Cuisinart design includes a stainless steel basket that can be set on top of the main pot and the lid fits over the top - I steam broccoli or cauliflower there most often, saving the set up of another pot for dinner. (Don't steam the veg the whole time the rice cooks or the veg will be overcooked.) Sometimes I sauté chicken on the side then add it to the rice, add mushrooms, etc., and end up with a great comfort food of chicken and rice. So nice in cold weather. You could easily make the popular Mexican rice found in many restaurants, or brown rice, etc. I often sauté vermicelli on the side then add to basmati rice and cook it with or without chicken broth or a bouillon cube to go with lots of kinds of meals.