How to Cook White Rice
Everyone should know how to make perfect, fluffy white rice. So here's how to cook white rice using 3 different methods: rice cooker, stovetop, and microwave. Each method have their own pros and cons and may be more suitable than others for your kitchen. Here's to mastery of cooking white rice no matter where you're at!
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups white rice (long, medium, or short grain)
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups white rice (long, medium, or short grain)
- 2½ cups water
- ½ cup white rice (long, medium, or short grain)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup white rice (long, medium, or short grain)
- 1¼ cup boiling hot water
Instructions
- 1
Wash the rice:For any of these cooking methods, wash and rinse the rice a few times until the water runs mostly clear. Then make sure to drain the rice well to get rid of as much water as possible.
- 2
Rice cooker method:
- 3
Place the rice and water into the rice cooker pot. Seal the pressure and select the "white rice" cooking function. Most rice cooker will also have an automatic depressurizing function as well.
- 4
Once the rice is done cooking, fluff the rice with a rice paddle and serve.
- 5
Stovetop method:
- 6
Place the rice and water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.*Make sure to use a saucepan or pot with at least 4 to 5 inch clearance to avoid boiling over.*
- 7
Once it comes to a boil, immediately reduce to the lowest heat and cover with a lid. The water should be just simmering.*A gas stove is the easiest for controlling the heat. If using an electric stovetop, you may need to wait for the burner to cool down before placing the pot back on the heat.*
- 8
Let the rice simmer for about 20 minutes, then take the pot off the heat. Allow the rice to steam (with the lid on) for about 10 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a rice paddle or fork.
- 9
Microwave method (with soaking):
- 10
After the rice is washed, cover it with water again and let the rice soak for 30 minutes.
- 11
Then drain the rice really well and place it into a microwave safe bowl or mug along with the water. Shake to level out the rice. Cover the bowl with a lid or plate and also place a plate under the bowl. Make sure everything is microwave safe!
- 12
Place the whole plate and bowl set up in the microwave and microwave for 5 minutes on 100% power (high power).
- 13
Carefully remove whole setup from the microwave an pour any liquid on the bottom plate back into the bowl. Be careful! It'll be super hot. Give the rice a good stir to reincorporate the liquid and roughly even out the rice.
- 14
Cover the bowl again with the lid/plate and place the whole set up back in the microwave. Microwave on the same power for another 5 minutes, then remove from the microwave.
- 15
Allow the rice to steam (with the lid on) for about 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
- 16
Microwave method (without soaking):
- 17
Place the washed and well drained rice into a microwave safe bowl, and place the bowl on a plate.
- 18
Pour the boiling hot water over the rice and shake gently to even out the rice. Cover the bowl with a lid or plate and place the whole setup into the microwave.*Make sure everything is microwave safe!*
- 19
Microwave the rice for 5 minutes on 100% power (high power). Then carefully remove from the microwave and pour any liquid on the bottom plate back into the bowl.
- 20
Stir the rice to reincorporate the liquid and cover again with the lid/plate. Place the whole setup back into the microwave and microwave on the same power level for another 5 minutes.
- 21
Remove from the microwave and let the rice steam with the lid on for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.