My $4 rice cooker died on a Tuesday, and I learned more from a dented pot than any recipe blog | Budget Friendly Meals - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Went through the same thing when my cheap one crapped out. Turned out the little pot was fine, just the heating plate got gunked up and stopped touching right. Scrubbed it and bent the plate back up a hair and it ran another two years.