I've never been without one and have burned through 4 or 5 of them in my lifetime. The one we have right now is the kind with the lid that snaps closed and has different electronic settings. Best thing about it is the timer setting. I'll load it up at night with steel cut oats, some water and a handful of dried fruit and then set the timer for when I'll get up for work. Then I have hot, fresh oatmeal waiting for me when I get out of the shower.
oooooo you got the fancy one ♥
I'll step up once this one dies. Never had one before and when my dog got sick I decided it was time to get one since I was gonna be making a lot of rice for his meals. Just a simple 1 button to start and when it's done, it clicks over to warm. Only downside is that I do need to stir it a few times through the cycle or the bottom layer gets browned.