TRUST THE NAME (holy moly, am I related to ken_r - not ashamed to be, teehee) Your are in zone 5. Here just across the border in zone 4, we've been trying to get the potential of this beauty for 14 years. Like 'Choko Nishiki' (sp?), aka, 'On Stage' (although recent readings question if they are really the same plant, something I hope to remember to ask Mr. Expert 'What's in a Name', Mr. Warren Pollock about someday). But I digress. Bottom line from our perspective, at least here in zone 4, this cultivar will be 'punky' unless you can put it in ALL DAY SUN and water it enough. We have a friend just south across the border into zone 5. She has this wonderful plant out in all day sun, and had the ability and does, indeed, give it all the water it needs (that alone is a real challenge). I wish I had a handy picture - it's a real show-stopper! Just off hand, I think her plant of this is spittin' on even the late Brian Skaggs originators stock of Xanadu 'Empress Wu'. I'm sure most of you understand what a drastic statement that is, so I'm really stepping out on a thin, long limb saying that. Nevertheless, seeing is believing. Now if only I can find a picture of this truly mature Hosta 'Sun Power'. I promise to remember to post it when I find it (the pic) Again, remember, folk name Hosta, mostly, for good reasons. Hence, H. 'Sun Power', gives POWER in SUN. As I'm so fond of commenting on, Hostas, mostly, are faster, better, meaner, bigger, in 'more sun' Those in 'bigger' zone numbers keep reminding me that they have to 'chill out' with regards to this, so always remember to consider the source of 'rash' comments about this Genus, huh? Some day, when I git a little older and retire to somewhere a little, or a lot, further south, I hope to explore Hosta growing in way bigger zone numbers. Like ken_r, I don't want to go to z9 or higher where I have to relearn and grow 'tropicals'. Heaven forbid, don't have enough active brain cells to go that far. Besides, I'm most comfy in the 55-65 degree F temp range. Now for a (please start a new thread) question: Just how far south can one grow and keep Genus Hosta? We gave some to a relative by Bradenton FL, but after a few years they faded away. No 'rest period'. Just curious, as there are a few people 'pushing the outer limits' of Hostadom zone growing. g'nite, hh

Chipshot, in our model, if you use regular rice you are supposed to measure with the clear cup, wash it, put it in the pot then adjust the water. For rinse-free rice you are supposed to measure with the green cup, put it in the pot, adjust the water and press the "prewashed" option before selecting the cycle. I believe when you prewash regular rice you are only removing starch and bran. But I'm not so sure with converted (parboiled) rice that the nutrients won't be washed away -- apparently the process is to heat the rice in a partial vacuum and then inject either water and/or steam, then dry the rice and remove the husk, thus driving most the nutrients into the rice and preserving them, but they are water soluble. I'm with you when it comes to white rice, I figure the actual food (except for starch) will have to come from the other dishes... as a matter of fact, for the longest time I worried that in America we were getting excess vitamins and minerals, everything seems to have "(7/9/11/15) essential vitamins and minerals" -- but lately, lots of news have been popping all over the place about people who have deficiencies that are unthinkable in a first world country (like the B complex of vitamins) and I discounted them as "they only happen to other people", until friends of mine were diagnosed with mild scurvy and/or Vitamin D deficiency; so many things are low/no fat, or are processed in such a way that more than just fat/sugar/salt gets removed and the doctors have not caught up yet, they still think that if you have a balanced diet you'll get all the nutrients you need; but who gets a balanced diet, I ask -- I had to pester the managers in my local supermarkets 'cuz every single yogurt they sold was "fat free", which simply doesn't work for baking, for example, not to mention that now one thinks one is eating actual yogurt but one is actually missing several of the key ingredients and nutrients. More news recently are popping up about how one of the vitamins in the B complex (niacin? I'm not sure) controls cholesterol better than the medicines given to people who have high cholesterol. The number of friends who are on those pills is a little disquieting and I figure I won't poke fun anymore, there'll always be other foods that are nutritious on my table, but I don't see why I should remove any nutrition from things I know people will eat no matter what diet they may be (rice, for example) even if they eat less of the rest of the dishes. Anyway, I just made some parboiled/converted rice today, used the clear cup and regular cycle and didn't wash the rice, and it came out OK, even if a tad harder than when I cook it on the stove, but still perfectly edible, so I won't worry too much about it, I may try the other cup/cycle options but it's perfectly acceptable as it is. I'll try the other white rices with and without washing and several options etc and see if there's any difference. If anything, it seems that the computer is compensating quite well for the differences and it might very well be that your model is advanced enough that it compensates fully for everything and you don't need to worry about it. My impression is that "mixed rice" might be like when you have a regular rice mixed in with some wild rice, for example, but it might very well be that it means rice with beans or peas instead. Lots of fun trying the different things, that's for sure. I have not had anything yet get the inner lid dirty (except for steam), but I continue to remove it and clean it every cycle. Maybe it only happens when one uses more rice/cereal and water? And I'm still a little surprised by the number of kitchen stuff (this rice cooker included) that is imported from areas that seem to care way more than we do about saving energy and resources but then manufacture things that are not dishwasher safe or, even if they are ostensibly made with materials that are traditionally dishwasher safe, tell us to wash the things by hand. All things being equal, using the dishwasher saves not only time, but also water and energy, and I vastly prefer to put things in the dishwasher -- so far, the only thing I don't care for in this rice cooker is the hand washing, everything else has been working better than I expected.

This has come up in our household every couple years, for about 20. He has wanted one but not really. I don't. Costco has one in the 30ish range. The floor model was a bit beat up. The liner is thin and teflon. My MIL has had one for years and it is a bit filthy, i suppose hard to clean? And the teflon is coming off. On the stovetop it is finding the right pot. An older calphalon is my rice pot. Perfect every time but needs some baby-sitting. Does induction have the ability to use a spacer? I have a few cast iron spacers for my gas stove-top Cast iron dutch oven does a good crusty bottom style. On Amazon i always read the one star reviews first and make sure they actually purchased the item and easy to tell if they are reading directions properly. Or know how to cook. I'm sure everyone knows that, but they do change their format from time to time. The convenience is a pretty big pull though. My neighbor with 3 under ten yrs, no brainer. Turn it on or program it and walk away. It does free you up to tend to other things. (and why we keep looking at them). We do a mixed grain so doubt it would work. One cup brown rice, toasted in olive oil, 4 cups water, bring to simmer, set timer 15 min, add 1/2 cup mixed grains, set timer 15 min, add the quicker cooking mixed grains...(quinoa, lentils, etc), lid slightly off and inch, turn off at 50 min and cover to steam and rest. I add soaked chia and flax so its a nice nutty blend. The batch i made this morning will be heated by steaming for salmon tonight and a chicken salad tomorrow. Not sure we want just plain rice anymore...

I used to have a rice cooker, just a cheapo one, and it cooked it just fine. It was a Salton. I got rid of it, just because I didn't like the crust it would form at the bottom; not knowing that the crust is a prized part of cooked rice. I now cook rice on the stove and it comes out wonderful, except that I too have to watch it for boil-overs. I have an Aroma single burner induction and a coil electric stove. My induction burner cooks too fast on #1 (and there's no lower setting). I do what I do on the coil stove.......have part of the pot off the heat. This controls the heat (for me).