Your Little Rice Robot

Electric rice cookers have gotten a lot more substantial in the last few years. Many now have retractable cords, heavier cooking chambers and menus full of functions. This 4-cup model has a titanium-lined inner pot and can keep rice warm, reheat it or even start cooking at a designated time. On top of that, it’s darned cute, sort of like R2D2 from “Star Wars” with lime green trim.

Sanyo Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker, $99.99, at Asian cookware stores such as Kim’s Home Center, 2940 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 386-4882.