The best way to cook white rice
Rinse 1 cup long-grain white rice, cook it covered with 1½ cups water at the lowest simmer for 15 minutes, then rest off heat for 10 minutes before fluffing.
On this page
A fixed rice-to-water ratio, low heat, and an undisturbed rest make stovetop rice repeatable. The package instructions remain the final authority because grain varieties differ.
Which method should you use?
Ingredients and equipment
About 3 cups cooked rice
Ingredients
Equipment
- 2-quart heavy saucepan with tight-fitting lid
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Measuring cup
- Fork or rice paddle
This is a long-grain starting ratio. Enriched rice may say not to rinse; follow its label. Basmati, jasmine, and short-grain rice can need different water amounts.
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Rice safety
- Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers.
- Reheat leftovers to 165°F and discard rice with uncertain time or temperature history.
Covered absorption method
Measure
Measure 1 cup long-grain white rice and 1½ cups water as a starting batch, or use the rice package ratio if different.
Look for Level measurements, not heaped.
Rinse
Rinse and drain if recommended for your rice. For enriched rice labeled not to rinse, skip this step.
Look for Water changes from milky to lightly cloudy.
Bring to boil
Combine rice, water, and optional ¼ teaspoon salt; bring just to a boil.
Look for Bubbles break across the surface.
Cover and simmer
Cover, reduce to the lowest heat, and cook 15 minutes without opening.
Look for Very gentle steam; no rattling lid.
15:00 suggested timingRest
Remove from heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
Look for Water is absorbed and grains finish steaming.
10:00 suggested timingFluff
Fluff once with a fork and serve or cool promptly.
Look for Separate tender grains.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Fix common problems
Lifting the lid or stirring during cooking, which releases steam and free starch and makes the result uneven or gummy.
Rice still firm? Add a spoonful of water, cover, and steam briefly.
Rice too wet? Rest uncovered for a few minutes before fluffing.
Common questions about this method
Can I use a US measuring cup in a rice cooker?
Only if the cooker instructions explicitly use it. Many supplied cups are 180 ml, smaller than a US cup. Mixing a larger cup with the cooker’s fill lines can leave the rice underhydrated.
Why does the rice need a covered rest?
The rest lets the remaining steam finish the center and redistribute moisture. Opening early loses that steam. Fluff after resting rather than stirring during the simmer.
Other methods, in full
Open any method to read its preparation and steps side by side with your current choice.
Rice cookerOne white-rice cycle; check appliance
Measure one level cup with the rice cooker’s supplied cup and rinse only if the rice label and appliance recommend it. Fill the level inner pot to the matching white-rice line, select the white-rice cycle, and let its programmed rest finish before fluffing. Do not mix US cups with cooker markings.
Preparation
1 cooker-cup dry rice
Ingredients
- 1 level cooker-cup white rice
- Water to the matching white-rice line in the inner pot
Equipment
- Rice cooker with matching measuring cup
- Rice paddle
- Strainer, if rinsing is recommended
A common cooker cup is 180 ml; a US cup is about 237 ml. Use the supplied cup and matching line together, not a stovetop water ratio.
Use cooker cup
Measure rice with the cup supplied by the cooker.
Look for Cup is level.
Rinse
Rinse and drain if recommended by the rice label and appliance manual. Avoid scratching a nonstick inner pot.
Look for Runoff is lightly cloudy.
Fill to line
Add water to the matching white-rice line for the measured cups.
Look for Pot sits level when reading the mark.
Cook and rest
Select White Rice and let the programmed rest finish before opening.
Look for Cooker signals completion.
Fluff
Fluff with the supplied paddle and close the lid if holding warm.
Look for Moisture redistributes evenly.
Follow the maker's maximum hold time.
Adapt to your setup
Sources behind the method
Evidence status: Source-reviewed baseline; rice variety and equipment change water needs.
Sources open in a new tab. Verify important safety guidance with the linked authority and your product manufacturer.
Based on published sources
Source-reviewed baseline; rice variety and equipment change water needs.
Updated 2026-09-05. Clarified rice-cooker cup sizes, package-specific water amounts, and the covered rest. Read our testing standards →
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