It may not be in your price range, but I also echo others' sentiments about getting the rice right, and the easiest way to do that is with one of these. Granted, this is a Cadillac, but it's amazing. Even if you don't go with a Zojirushi, a cheaper rice cooker can take a lot of the guesswork out of cooking the rice. I put the rice in, put the water in, and around 35 minutes later, perfect rice. It really is that simple.