For me, there's a noticeable process difference : 1. In a pot, I have to get water to a boiling pot, which means periodically checking the water, and this poin

For me, there's a noticeable process difference : 1. In a pot, I have to get water to a boiling pot, which means periodically checking the water, and this point add salt and rice. Be there exactly (ok, more or less a minute) the good time after that, stop the cooking, drain the rice, and ideally make it that it's now time to eat, implying everything and everyone else is ready. 2. In a rice cooker, I put salt, rice and water (have to measure those), tap "start", and then, from about 40 minutes onwards I have a perfectly cooked rice ready to be eaten for the next 8 hours or so, since it's keeping it hot until I decide to open the thing. For me, it's just that more versatile, since it no longers needs any attention between the moment where I decide I want to have rice, and the moment I want to eat it.