[.ca] Dr. Weil 9802 The Healthy Kitchen Stainless-Steel Rice ...

• Multi-use rice cooker housed in attractive brushed stainless steel
• 3 functions for white, brown, and quick rice; also cooks soups and steams vegetables
• Equipped with Fuzzy Logic technology; automatic timer; keep-warm indicator; reheat function
• Secure-fitting lid holds in heat and moisture; 2 side handles for convenient transport
• Measures approximately 14-1/2 by 10-2/3 by 11-2/7 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Nonstick coating FYI:
I was on the verge of purchasing this cooker because one health website described the cooking bowl surface as made from anodized aluminum rather than coated with nonstick material. However, the Waterford customer service(linked from a Weil website as a main seller) says it IS in fact coated. The rationale is that the cooker max temp. is 300 degrees and since teflon only reacts and leaches past 400 degrees, chemical interaction with food is minimized or eliminated. I understand that even current "advanced" coatings still flake, erode, end up in one's food. With wear, they make cleaning harder, not easier. How does the coating affect appliance longevity? And why is a coating (also environmentally unhealthy to produce) even necessary for a steam cooker and fairly low temperatures? I manage to clean my Calphalon plain anodized alum. pots just fine. Was this cooker ever made with anodized alum., as I read? If so, I hope Dr. Weil will consider returning to that. Many of us are trying to reduce plastic contact with food. It's very disappointing that "Healthy Kitchen" products are apparently add to the plastic problem. Dr. Weil might help consumers by making material content specifics widely available online and wherever these products are sold. All I could find on this cooker was an instruction .pdf booklet that reveals little about materials. Anyone who has sought glass, pyrex, good ceramics, stainless, etc. in their cooking equipment knows how hard one must work to find this info., but I expect better from Dr. Weil. Thanks, and I hope this information helps others. Anyone who knows of a truly clean, solid, low-plastic, multi-use cooker, please post!

"housed in attractive brushed stainless steel":
Not the same as a "Stainless-Steel Rice Cooker" in my mind. Guess I should've read the desription more carefully. If you're fine with a non-stick cooking surface, this cooker might be for you. If you are expecting stainless steel - keep looking.

NOT nonstick rice cookers:
I too have been looking for ages for a rice cooker that's not nonstick. Just found this link: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/327261 Amazon carries the Vitaclay cooker and possibly some others....

Fancy Rice Cooker:
This is the rice cooker your looking for. A higher-end product.. As a owner of the 7qt. Weil oval slow cooker(awesome), I know the quality Dr Weil has in his products. Amazon describes this rice cooker very well. The delay timing is really helpful for my busy lifestyle. Veggies taste great with the steamer, as I used to put the veggies in boiling water. yeah. The crunchy bite of properly steamed veggies is almost priceless. Did have some trial and error rice batches, but after actually reading the instructions I have become quite the rice cook. Rice tastes great,, Tried a few recipies which all turned out excellently. Looks fancy, shiny & very cool on my countertop. All digital with a colbalt blue lcd screen. Very happy with my rice cooker. It oddly reminds my of R2-D2 from star wars. Definately recommend & worth every bit of value! Amazon"s service was incredible!

Good Environmentally Sound product:
I went through 3 malls looking for rice/veggie cookers. This is the only one I found that had a stainless steel basket for the veggies. Why would you want to steam veggies in a plastic basket? Teflon (PTFE)was never found to be a carcinogin. One ingredient (PFOA) used to make Teflon was found to be a likely carcinogen. It was released in trace amounts when they tested frying pans, and microwave popcorn. They never tested rice makers, which always contain water. See details on Wikipedia