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Sure. If you want to spend more time making rice that has a high chance of burning or being overcooked or undercooked, and that you’ll have to put leftovers in the fridge right away, and that you have to remember to turn off when it’s finished etc. Then yeah, a pot and lid works fine. To me, the time savings and the improved quality of the rice together make the premium rice cookers more than worth the investment. Every grain is perfect, not undercooked and crunchy or overcooked and soggy. No burned rice. Just set it and forget it and have perfectly cooked fluffy warm rice ready to eat all day long.
When rice actually tastes incredible every time, you tend to eat it more often. I know I make way more rice now than I did before I got mine.
Actually, while regular bread makers do work, the zojirushi models, when tested head to head with cheaper models, come out ahead every time.
Rice in the instant pot is fine, but it’s a bit more hands on. The rice cooker makes it perfect automatically every time after you put the ingredient in and just press a button. You can also keep the rice warm the entire day so you can make some for breakfast and just use it throughout the day, hot and ready to eat! The convenience of not needing to babysit the rice, put leftovers away right after making it, no chance of burning the rice, every individual grain cooked perfectly etc. It’s worth it. When you have equipment that makes something, normally mediocre, exceptional every time you end up eating it way more often.
Edit: I realize the instant pot has a keep warm function too, but I often make something in my instant pot to go with the rice so it’s better to have a rice cooker for that reason as well.
