How should low-load operation be evaluated when buying a rotating clay-pot cooker?

Do not judge low-load behaviour from the nameplate alone. Have the maker test turntable balance and flame stability with only a few pots, then with the load offset to one side: spin it empty to watch for wobble, then load two or three pots on one side and check for drift, flashback or flame-out. Run acceptance in three stages — full, half and a realistic offset load — logging heat consistency and how evenly the rice crusts form. A full-load-only trial hides the slow, single-pot conditions your off-peak service actually uses, so the cooker can meet its rating yet still spoil the claypot rice. Put these three stages on the factory acceptance sheet and repeat them once after installation.