Non-stick coating does not last

I loved this rice cooker when I first got it, but after 4 years I need to replace it. I eat rice regularly (at least once a week) and like non-stick rice cookers since they are easy to clean. The spoon that comes with the rice cooker is plastic that cannot scratch the non-stick coating, but hardened rice stuck to the spoon can scratch. Needless to say, I scratched the bottom of the pan.

It was a small scratch, so I didn't worry at first, but over time the scratch became larger - not longer, but wider! I made many efforts to not scratch the pan any more, but the pan developed tiny little holes in the coating which grew larger. The coating now has about 100 holes in it, all at the bottom of the pan.

About these growing scratches and holes: They don't make cleaning the pan terribly harder. I just have to soak the pan with hot water for a while, then wipe away any stuck rice. What worries me though, is the way these scratches and hole are growing. I've looked at the bottom of my cooked rice and found that the non-stick coating is sticking to it! Tiny black circles of coating are stuck to the bottom of the rice I'm eating (well, not eating once as I noticed them)! This is why the holes are growing bigger.

I don't know if other brands have a better non-stick coating, but I'm looking for one.

More about the cooker: It is very simple to use, comes with a steamer tray that nests in the pan, the pan, glass lid with steam hole, removable electric cord, a rice measuring cup and plastic spoon to serve rice.

There is only one button, so it is hard to get confused: measure and wash white rice, add proper amount of water, press the button and walk away. Follow this recipe and you'll have great white rice in roughly 30 minutes. When it is finished cooking, the button pops up and goes into warming mode. There are lights to show you whether it is in cooking or warming mode.

I have only cooked white rice in the cooker and can say it does a fine job. There will be some baked brown goo at the bottom, but it doesn't taste bad, so don't worry about it. My friend borrowed it and cooked brown rice in it and said that my instructions did not seem to work for brown rice. The lid stays relatively clean, even with the steam vent, rice goo accumulates at the edges of the lid on the outside.

Steamer notes: The steamer nests in the pan, leaving about one inch gap from the bottom of the pan. This means that if you are cooking rice at the same time, you can only cook less than 1 cup of rice. I've tried it and I always end up with compacted rice that tastes like whatever I've steamed. It also alters the rice goo at the bottom, sometimes causing a burning smell.

Good features explained: Removable cord makes for easier storage as well as for bringing it to the table to serve from. Glass lid lets you check on rice or whatever you're steaming. Steam hole releases steam, so you don't get lid dancing around while cooking. Non-stick pan makes clean up super easy.

To sum it up, I have no other complaints about this cooker other than the non-stick coating getting into my food. Brand new, this thing works like a dream - you just have to watch out if you want to use it for a long time.