Too Many Americans Are Missing Out on the Best Kitchen Gadget

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In January, Timothy Wu’s electric rice cooker started ailing. His Zojirushi NS-ZCC10—a white, shoebox-size machine that plays a cheerful when its contents have been steamed to fluffy excellence—wasn’t keeping rice warm for as long as it used to. Following a quarter century of almost daily service, the machine was so loved that his two young daughters (one of whom had years ago dubbed herself “rice monster”) requested a . A few nights after the rice cooker’s demise, the family gathered around the machine, lit candles, and made speeches about what it had done for them. This faithful companion had accompanied Wu through at least four cities, a marriage, the birth of two children, and jobs in both the , outliving as many as 10 phones, several computers, and multiple cars. “There are not that many things in life which are