My $30 rice cooker died after one batch of lentils

I bought a cheap rice cooker from the hardware store in Tulsa back in March. First real test was a big batch of lentils for meal prep. It got through half the cycle then just clicked off and started smoking. No error light, no nothing. I opened it up and the heating plate was cracked in two spots. Paid $30 for it, not worth fixing. I just went back to a regular pot on the stove, takes 15 extra minutes but it works every time. Anyone else had a budget appliance fail on first serious use? What did you switch to?

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barbaradavis17d ago

Went through the same thing with a cheap slow cooker a few years back. Used it once for chili and the ceramic insert just split right down the middle while it was heating. Scared the heck out of me, food everywhere on the counter. Switched to a cast iron dutch oven I got at a garage sale and never looked back. It takes longer but I don't have to worry about it breaking on me mid cook. Budget stuff is fine for simple things, but anything with a heating element is a gamble.