Rice cooker unit does not turn on after ading rice and water.

The Hamilton Beach has options for white rice, "whole grain" (which means any non-white rice), simmer, and a "quick rice" function (which eliminates the soak that happens during the standard cooking time). These are all nice options, and they all work well. If you're somebody who makes rice regularly, or needs to feed a hungry family every night, this guy is the way to go. At $50, it's the rice cooker I'd recommend to anyone regardless of their cooking aptitude or rice-consumption goals. And despite its cavernous bowl, it was surprisingly easy to find someplace to store it-even in my tiny kitchen.On the high end of the spectrum, I tested Zojirushi's newest model: the Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker. This Ferrari of rice makers costs a shocking $500, though that price can vary depending on the size you select and where you buy it. The company claims that pressurizing the rice and cooking it for longer makes it easier to digest and, thus, healthier for you in the long run. I have no idea if that's true, but it sure sounds good. They also put platinum in the non-stick coating, which they say causes the cooking water to become alkaline, breaking down proteins on the rice's surface and allowing the water to penetrate more easily. And the whole thing uses induction heating, which lets the unit control the cooking temperature more precisely.
The Zojirushi is, by far, the most complicated rice cooker I have ever used. I've been playing with it for months and I haven't yet fully mastered it. But I will say that it makes the best brown rice I've ever had outside of a professional kitchen. As for whether or not the pressure makes the rice better, it's hard to say. White rice tastes basically the same in all of these machines.
There's one thing for sure, though: pressurizing does make everything take longer. Even simple white rice on the quick cook setting takes almost an hour-more than twice as long as the cheaper ones. Depending on which setting you chose, it can take two hours to make a few cups of rice. It's hard to recommend this to anybody who isn't either rich or completely obsessed with mastering rice. If you eat tons of rice and have deep pockets, then it's certainly worthy of a splurge. Once you use it, you'll never look at a bowl of cooked rice in the same way.

I have this rice cooker (it's very small) and the original instruction booklet:

HOW TO USE
1. Measure rice with measuring cup. One cup of uncooked rice will make about 3 cups of cooked rice.
2. Wash rice 4 or 5 times with fresh water in another bowl. Wash until water becomes relatively clear.
3. Put rice and water into the pan. As a rule, add water to uncooked rice in the following standard proportions.

2 cups rice to 2 - 2 1/2 cups water
3 cups rice to 3 - 3 1/2 cups water

4. Place the pan directly on the internal heating plate, and make sure that the pan is properly located on the heating plate by turning it slightly to the right and left as shown. (see CAUTION) . Before placing the pan in the cooker, wipe off water and moisture from the outside (especially the bottom) of the pan.
5.Put on the lid.
6.Insert the plug end into a wall outlet.
7.Push the switch button to the "ON" position. Make sure the pilot lamp is on. When the rice is done, the switch will turn off automatically, the lamp will go out and a click will be heard.
8.Even after the switch is off, leave the lid on for at least 15 minutes more. During that period, the rice will be properly steamed to a fluffy character by the retained heat.

SOME HELPFUL HINTS
• Always tasty rice

With your National Automatic RICE•O•MAT you can have uniformly cooked rice ... you can even cook rice to your personal taste and preference. Taste and degree cooked depend upon the quality of the rice and the length of time it is soaked before being placed into the cooker. Add more water than specified for softer, more fluffy rice; less water for firmer rice.
• Rice may bubble over ...

If you use too much water or if the cooker is tilted, rice may bubble over. To prevent rice from bubbling over, add water using the cup included (refer to How to use, Item 3.)

HOW TO CLEAN THE COOKER
Do not immerse the body into water or spray water onto it. Wipe it clean with a wet dishcloth soaked in hot water.

does it have reset button have you changed fuse in plug could be element gone

If this is a new rice cooker first try cleaning the thermal sensing unit by scrubbing any build up with a green brillo like scrubber, also clean the bottom of the rice pot where it contacts the thermal sensing unit.
If this doesn't work and your rice cooker is 1 to 2 years old replace the thermal sensing unit.

This a bad unit. You sould return for an exchange. There is thermo strip inside to control cooking time and to change the stage of ON/WARM light when it reaches the calibration point depending on the weight of rice to cook. Now it is not working.

You need to make sure you have enough water in there. When the rice is cooking, it is sucking up all that water so it can cook and expand. If you don't put enough water in the rice cooker, the rice will use up all the water and then if there is no water left, it will start burning the bottom of the rice because there is no more water.

Hope that helps :)

This sounds like the thermostat inside the unit has went out and is overheating whitch in turn is cooking your rice too fast and too hot! if the thermostat is replaced it will cook the rice even again!
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Rice cookers will only cook if you have enough water in it. If all the water has cooked out, then the cooker will turn off. Remember when you put your rice in the cooker, make sure you level it off. Then add twice as much water so that it will over cover the rice.

if that rice when cooked is too soft or too hard.. then , you might want to add more water to it. the correct ratio for cooking rice is always 1 cup rice and 1 cup water. it also depends on what type of rice your cooking though, some type of rice become too mushy when too much water is added... so always have some minimal water to the uncooked rice.

Buy a rice cooker with non-stick inner pot.