I need a rice cooker for various grains

[midnight armadillo]

I am looking to expand the dinner menu to include various grains beyond white rice, e.g. quinoa, amaranth, brown rice, maybe teff, steel cut oats if it can do them. Steaming veggies is a bonus.

I know there are some cheap ones with a single button, and others that appear to have complex digital controls. What's the best to get for my purposes, up to say $100?

[freshwest]

1. I suggest this one here. It appears to be made to do all you wanted. I've had good luck with them.

http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/25241-krups-4-in-1-rice-cooker-fdh212.aspx

[pacalo]

2. For what it's worth, I bought a moderately-priced rice cooker & wasn't happy with it.

The quality of the cooked rice was so inferior to the rice cooked in a good heavy pot. It was so starchy & gluey, plus unevenly cooked. Perhaps it takes a few times of using it to figure out what adjustments need to be made, but after using it three times, I decided I didn't care for it. The starch build-up around the cooker while it was cooking really grossed me out, too. I went back to using my heavy pot.

[freshwest]

5. I found if I soak the rice and throw out the rinse water it's a little less starch, though.

That and adding olive oil works for me, but I'm trying to avoid grains.

[LeftyMom]

3. I have a zojirushi

One of the basic one button ones, like this http://www.zojirushi.com/products/nsrnc but plain white. I got it for a few dollars at a thrift store, but they go on sale all the time at Asian grocers. It works just fine for anything you listed.

You can also use a crock pot but it takes longer. It's a better option if you want to do really big batches and then portion and freeze.

[Hepburn]

4. I use a regular steamer with a rice basket.

Works better than a rice cooker IMO...and has other uses.

[Chan790]

6. I've bought several very nice ones over the years for about $20 each.

All of them at Marshalls. I beat that drum a lot but Marshalls is possibly the best discount supplier of good culinary goods I've found. Find something I love at BB &B, wait two months and the exact same one is being stocked at Marshalls.