Maybe it's your model? My Zojirushi came with a single clear measuring cup (which is actually just 6 US fluid ounces), the instruction manual gives a quick explanation of the various modes such that I don't find their presence burdensome, and the displays an estimated time right away (which is nice as some of the cooking modes take wildly longer). I never cooked much rice at home because I would never get good results when I tried with the stove, and this turned it into a solved problem. I'm sure a $20 model could have gotten me 80% of the utility, but shrug.