Is a Zojirushi rice cooker worth the price over a basic $30 model?

For households that eat rice regularly, the consensus across mainstream cooking press and specialist subreddits is yes: fuzzy-logic and induction models cook more evenly across rice types and keep rice warm for hours without drying it out. For occasional rice eaters, multiple Reddit threads we read note that a basic cooker plus correct water ratios will get you most of the way there.