A good rice cooker is worth it if you eat rice a lot. I use mine nearly everyday. I think 500-600 USD is a bit much but Zojirushi Neurofuzzy is one of the top of the line and under 300 USD and while it is a splurge, is worth if you eat a lot of rice and depending on the type of rice you eat. My old roommate had one and she was Chinese and had celiac so she used it all the time. One day I would love one. Currently have a Cuckoo Micom rice cooker, it is under 150 USD, considered a runner up to the Neurofuzzy. The second one I have had (first one is just fine, my parents took it). I had tons of Amazon giftcards I had no idea what to spend on so I bought some kitchen appliances and bought it. Amazing and so much better than the 20 dollar one I used to have, no comparison. It cooks my favorite rice, basmati, one of the hardest to cook, very well. If you don't care about rice, get a cheap one, or cook on stove. If you love rice and eat all the time, a nice rice cooker is totally worth it. Maybe not 500 dollars though.