<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Here is a summary of all of the responses I got about rice cookers.  Thanks
to everyone who replied!

Recommended brands:
Black & Decker (most popular)
Zojirushi (2nd most popular)
National
Farberware
Hitachi "Chime-O-Matic"
Salton
Sanyo
Toshiba
Master Cuisine

Other suggestions:
look for bread machine with rice cooking feature
shop in Asian markets
look for teflon coating

Brands that people had problems with:
Aroma (steam vent spits out very gluey water - BIG MESS!!!)
brands with glass top and single vent hole

Other suggestions:
1- cook veggies and even chicken in with the rice for whole dinner/lunch
2- take it with you when you travel - can use in motels, etc
3- very important to rinse rice before cooking - rinse until water runs
clear

I currently cook my rice in an old stovetop "steamer" that was designed for
steaming rice and makes perfect rice (and great veggies too).  The rice
tastes great and it isn't sticky.  I also have a little Black & Decker
steamer that I had forgotten was also for cooking rice.  Anyway, I have
been playing around with both of these to figure out why my stovetop model
makes so much better tasting rice.  I think that it may be because it is
aluminum and/or because it doesn't vent alot.  The Black & Decker has steam
holes all over it and the stovetop only allows some steam out between the
lid and the pan and it really isn't supposed to do that (my lid is bent a
little from 20 years of use/abuse).  Maybe that is keeping the flavor in?
The difference in taste is dramatic enough that I am going to continue my
search for some sort of rice cooker that I feel confident will make rice
that tastes that good.  If/when I find something, I will let the list know.
 BTW, I use Texmati rices - not only because they grow great rice but
because even though I live in Washington state, I am still a Texan.

Happy rice cooking,
Colby Ray
Bellevue, WA