Automatic rice cookers do a nice job on cooking white and brown rice, and can be used to keep rice slightly warm, say for sushi, but they do cost additional money over and above the cost of a covered pot on the stove.

You can get microwave rice cookers that do as well as these cookers or using a pot on the stove, and are a lot cheaper than the cookers. This allows you to start the rice, set the cooking time, and do other things, not having to worry if the rice is going to boil over, or burn on the bottom, but it does tie up the microwave cooking the rice.

Since I, and this applies only to me, see no advantage from a rice cooker, I use the stove or microwave, depending on how busy I am and if I need microwave or stove space more.

Dave