A photo of a 10-year-old Zojirushi rice cooker still being used every day is getting plenty of attention online — and prompting a familiar question from shoppers: Is buying cheap really cheaper?
On Reddit's r/BuyItForLife, the post racked up comments from people praising appliances that keep working long after lower-cost alternatives fail.
The post showed an image of a decade-old Zojirushi rice cooker still in daily use. But in the comments, Redditors turned it into a broader conversation about durability, repair-minded shopping, and whether paying more upfront can actually save money over time.
One commenter wrote, "I bought 2 of these zojiro for $247 or so each online a few years ago as gifts to my mom and my aunt." The Redditor added that their mom and aunt told them not to mention the $250 price tag to their relatives overseas, adding that it was "built tried n true, way better than the $30-50 ones that burn your rice."
That kind of long-term thinking matters at a time when many household appliances are frustratingly disposable. Replacing small kitchen gear every year or two can quietly drain budgets, even if the individual purchases seem inexpensive in the moment.
There's also a less obvious benefit: fewer replacements mean less waste. When one durable appliance can stay in service for a decade or more, shoppers avoid the cost, hassle, and material waste that comes with repeatedly tossing and rebuying the same tool.
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The strong response to the post suggests many people are rethinking "good enough" purchases and looking more closely at lifetime value rather than sticker price alone. It also helps to compare products using cost per year rather than just purchase price. A higher upfront cost can still be the better deal if the appliance lasts much longer and performs more reliably over time.
Another Redditor commented, "We got our rice cooker when we married in 2000. It's still banging out 2 pots a week."
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