Goodbye to my Rice Cooker!

My 24-year old Tatung Rice Cooker

     After twenty four years of loyal service, I regret to inform all of my friends and family members that have benefited from my cooking that my rice cooker has finally died!

     The "on" light has been struggling to light up after pushing the switch to its "cook" position since April. When my mother -in-law took care of our kids during our husband and wife escape to Peter Island Resort in the BVI's last April, she mentioned to me that my rice cooker was not working. Miraculously, it always turned on when I used it, even after the "false alarm." Okay, I've dropped it a couple of times (thus the missing handle and dented cover) and I have probably gotten the electronic parts and wiring wet during rinsing (thus the rusted connectors). But, with my miraculous touch, the light always turned on. But the magic touch would slowly fade as one flip of the switch turned to five, then ten, then twenty, before the light would turn on. And the final straw came this evening when after twenty five pushes on the switch, like a dead car, all I heard was the "click."

     Let's put this in perspective: given the fact that I am an Asian-born, rice eating person, I conservatively made rice at least twice, if not three times per week. So, 52 weeks x 24 years = 1,248 weeks x 3 = 3,744 times I used my Tatung rice cooker in the 24 years that it was alive. It's a 12-cup cooker, but I am going to say I averaged 6-cups per use x 3,744 = 22,464 cups of rice! Not a bad ROI for a $40 investment in 1985.

     We also have to consider product wear and tear and rice cooker jet-lag: Since 1985, I lived in a fraternity house and 2 apartments in Iowa City, 4 apartments in Chicago, 2 apartments in Grand Rapids before moving to the British Virgin Islands where we lived in 2 houses on the resort, including two temporary moves during two hurricanes, then back to Grand Rapids where we lived in a hotel, an apartment, a rental home and our own three homes. I probably hosted at least 20 dinners a year where rice was part of the meal, which equates to 480 hosted dinners.

     As the old saying goes, "If the rice cooker could talk..."

     My wife, three kids and Freddie the dog will surely miss the rice cooker. I'm not to certain that rice will ever taste the same.