My Black and Decker has a clear plastic container with holes in the bottom, used for steaming vegetables. Then there is a smaller plastic basket that sets inside of it to use for rice. It isn't too big, can only hold up to 1 cup of raw rice. Wouldn't really be big enough for a large family, but for me it is ideal. Rice takes arond 40 minutes to steam, but like I said, mine is older, and maybe the newer machines cook faster. The continer washes out easily.
Like KaRoh said, you avoid spillovers, and clock watching. Same with the veggies. Put them in, set the timer, and you don't have to think about them agin until the bell dings.