First, if you have rust issues, it is because of your water, not the unit. It isn't difficult - if you have minerals and junk in your water (all tap water does), they leave behind residue that builds up, and even rusts. If you have that problem, use the citric acid cleaner they sell for the units as recommended. It's that simple.

I have had this unit over 3 years. I keep it at my office, where it is on 24/5. I unplug it Friday evening when I leave and turn it on Monday a.m. when I arrive. It is used daily for soups, tea, and sometimes pour-over coffee. The first couple months, I babied it, turning it off at night, draining and cleaning at the end of the week, etc. I stopped when I realized it was totally unnecessary. I only use filtered water from a 5-gal dispenser at my office. In 3 years of constant (week) daily use, I have had zero crud-buildup, no rusting or any other issues. I have never needed to run the citric acid cleaner through it or do anything else other than to wipe off the exterior now and then. When I fill it up every other day or so, I remove the lid and inspect the lid and the interior. No rust, no white crusty minerals, nothing. 3 years and 2 months of regular use, and it still works and looks like new.

I have been shopping for a similar one for home use - after looking at all of the different brands & models with their mixed reviews, I am opting to spend the extra $ to buy the smaller version of this same unit with no reservations. With all of the cheaply made, poor quality products that have flooded the market and landfills these days (thanks Ama***), this Zojirushi (Japan) stands out.

Once you use a Zojirushi product, you won't want to use other brands. The quality is great every time. You can make tea, oatmeal, instant noodles, etc so easily by having this on your kitchen counter. Worth it.

Zojirushi hot water dispenser a great Japanese made product. It is very, durable, sturdy and cute like a baby elephant on my pantry

Are use this product to make everything from instant oatmeal to my looseleaf tea's by the cup or by the picture. It is great for cooking when you need to blend soup bases, tomato paste, and things of that nature. I also love the quick boil feature, which brings the water up to a boil to help with cooking. I would highly recommend for everyone to have one of these in their home. I also take this with me camping for quick and easy hot chocolate by the campfire.

I love this thing. I didn't realize how nice I'd be to have hot water basically on demand. I wanted to cut down on coffee and add some green tea as it was too easy to down a pot of coffee working from home. Much more convenient than an electric kettle and being able to pick a temp is nice. Kids also like being able to make Raman / instant oatmeal / hot chocolate easily. I've had it for a few months and 0 issues. It's been great.