Design defect: Making brown rice generates more steam, which condenses into a wet mess on the counter. Zojirushi now tells me this model is not designed for brown rice. (I bought it after reading on their website that "perfect brown rice is made easy with Zojirushi rice cookers." FAQ15 They and Amazon need to conspicuously say that this model is not for brown rice.) As for the disappointing rice, they said to try soaking the rice before cooking. (Which isn't in the instructions and isn't what I expected in an automatic cooker.) My new unit also had a defective thermostat and heater, so it shut off prematurely. They fixed it under warranty (but made me pay $25 shipping.) Finally, they said they wouldn't help me (sending me to Amazon, which will refund my price and shipping.)