Um... so I don't know how I was making rice without this. This clay pot is so perfect. It is nicely made and constructed, very smooth and the edges matched the rice cooker perfectly. I am so happy to have a tool that is toxin free! I can't understand why toxin free products are so hard to find, but this one is PERFECT! go ahead and purchase. It cooks everything so well. I am a vegan so I have not tested any animal products in the rice cooker on stew or soup mode. But, I have made white rice, brown rice, barley, soybeans, adzuki beans, green peas, etc.. Nothing sticks to the pot, and everything turns out perfect. It stays hot for hours. I am so happy to have this. It was definitely worth the price.