When I previously wrote about the Best Rice Cooker, I may have exaggerated a little bit when I said it turned out "perfect rice." I should have said "near perfect," because, in fact, while most of the rice was perfect, there was usually a small amount of overcooked rice on the bottom of the pan.  Now, some people really like that hard, crusty bottom, but it does belie the "perfect" descriptor.  Zojirushi has solved this problem by putting an induction heating system into its newest top-of-the-line rice cookers.  Induction allows the entire cooking bowl to heat, eliminating the hot spot of a standard heating system.  Truly perfect rice – and more: I made lentils in it last night!  Perfection has its price, however — just under $300 for the 5.5 cup model (It also comes in a 10-cup and 3-cup model) at amazon.com. If that’s beyond your budget, check out my previous recommendation – about $100 less.