An electric cooking device includes a removable lid and/or pot assembly, a lower housing surrounding a vessel configured to be heated, and a middle ring assembly positioned between the lower housing and the removable lid and/or pot assembly. The middle ring assembly comprises (i) an outer component seated with the lower housing that includes a decorative surface coating thereon, and (ii) an inner component having an outer portion seated with the outer component. An inner portion of the inner component is situated radially inward from and is unsupported by the outer component. The vessel engages the inner portion of the inner component and is thereby thermally decoupled from the outer component comprising the decorative surface coating.