Hamilton Beach Rice and Hot Cereal Cooker vs Instant Zest 8-cup

There are way too many nooks and crannies that the Hamilton has that collects sticky rice water. I am comparing this to the cheap $20 rice cooker we had earlier that was just so easy to clean after cooking rice. Yes, I had to deal with the sticky rice water with both cookers, but the Hamilton product design is way too difficult to clean and maintain. If you absolutely want the extra features from the Hamilton and don't mind the high maintenance, then go for it

Don’t waste your time downloading the app as suggested in the guide. It has recipes for a few other Instant appliances, but NOT for the Zest. The lid doesn’t come off for cleaning and there are NO cleaning instructions in the guide that comes with the cooker. A more complete guide is available online, but it’s just unacceptable to have to search for such basic information

I can barely fit four tamales in the basket, and it will do enough veggies for two people. I can't see doing corn on the cob at all unless the ears are very small and I cut them into sections. The "cup" measure they are going by for rice is not a full cup. It's a cup they provide, which in the instructions they say is actually 3/4 of a cup

I have had no troubles with liquid sputtering from the steam vent but I usually use this to cook 2 cups of rice or quinoa and it's been perfect every time. I wouldn't cook more than 2 cups of quinoa though since the pot is basically full when the quinoa is cooked. You might be able to get away with 2.5 cups but you'll be pushing it

If you have a larger family you will need to get a bigger size cooker. [This review was collected as part of a promotion.]

Either people are putting in too much water to the cooker, or they’re forgetting to empty the reservoir. I like the size of it. Doesn’t take up a ton of space. Easier to put away in a cupboard

Programme1 white rice-it has fixed 45min,which I am using frequently. Programme2 Quick rice-35 min, for an quick cooking. Programme3 whole grain-60 min,for different types of grains . Programme4 heat/simmer-5min,for reheat just slow heating purpose

You can make mixed greens and saute slow cook and keep warm now this one, the 8 cup instant pot zest only has the option go ahead and show you guys up...

Maybe my review will be a little biased since we bought this after our super-cheap rice maker died and this one has several more features that I love about it. I love that it doesn't spew steam and nasty rice-water all over my counter like my old one did. I love that it has a countdown timer, a delay timer, and a keep warm feature. I love that the brown rice I cook seems to be fully cooked now as opposed to still crunchy in my old rice cooker

Awesome decision on my part! It cooks my rice (jasmine and basmati) sooo perfectly. I like the pot in this rice cooker way better than the one that was in my Aroma. The Aroma would almost overcook the rice sometimes, and even if it was just nicely cooked, the rice stuck. The Instant Pot does not stick! It's a much better coating

'Caveat - We make primarily white (Jasmine) rice, and have only used the steamer bin a few times. As of this review, it's 9 only 9 months old. That said, it's been flawless I'll bump to 5 stars if it holds up for at least a year. Know that this is my THIRD steamer in a year

My 20 year old rice cooker bit the dust and I needed a replacement. I own an instant pot, but didn't care for the way rice came out of it and when I'm cooking my meal in the instant pot, I wanted a second machine for rice. I also wanted a smaller machine since my family eats grain in small portions.

I do prefer Aluminum just to avoid any issues down the line. The product itself is very simple to use, 1-touch button and just leave it. It did have a weird strong plastic smell the first few times of using it, maybe from factory materials. After a while, it wears off

That a big range! The cooker also comes with a steaming basket. Somewhere in the materials it says you can steam "veggies and fish!" YAY! Again, for how long? Can I steam it with rice or only with the Steam button, which requires you to set time manually? Can I steam chicken? Should the veggies be frozen or defrosted or fresh? The booklet says, "We have partnered with chefs, authors, and bloggers to compile a collection of recipes that we hope you enjoy!" I can find any Instant Pot Zest Rice cooker recipes online! In short, the machine seems fine, but not user friendly for a first time rice cooker owner who would like to use all the advertised features (other than cooking rice).

If you do choose to purchase this device, I would suggest you do a test run with only water to verify the temperature points of your cooker before cooking any animal proteins in it. I feel like I overpaid for this device. I was able to use it approximately 40 times resulting in a per use cost of about one dollar. Feels too high for me

Those cheap cookers, no more than $25 spued, hissed, and foamed with rice sticking to the pot's bottom. I just wasn't going to spring for a$200 fuzzy logic rice cooker. The Instant Zest has none of the issues of the cheap rice cookers and can be purchased in the $50 to $40 range. If you have an Instant Pot it will cook rice to, but it's much to large and difficult to clean whereas the Zest can be cleaned up with a damp sponge and takes up little space on your counter