Rinse 1 cup of long-grain white rice until the water runs clear, add 1 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 18 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave the lid on for 10 more minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Rice is the dish most often ruined by attention. Almost every failure, whether gummy, scorched or crunchy in the middle, comes from lifting the lid, stirring it, or cooking it too hot. The method below is close to unattended: rinse, boil, cover, wait, rest, fluff. The rinsing and the resting are the two steps people skip, and they are the two that decide whether the grains stay separate.
| Rice | Water per cup | Cook time | Yield per cup dry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-grain white | 1 1/2 cups | 18 min | 3 cups |
| Basmati | 1 1/2 cups | 15 min | 3 cups |
| Jasmine | 1 1/4 cups | 15 min | 3 cups |
| Medium-grain white | 1 1/3 cups | 15 min | 3 cups |
| Brown, long-grain | 2 cups | 45 min | 3 cups |
Rinse until the water runs clear
Put the rice in a sieve and run cold water through it, turning it with your hand, until the water below is no longer cloudy, usually 30 to 60 seconds. That cloud is loose surface starch, and it is exactly what glues grains together into a solid mass. This single step does more for fluffy rice than anything else on this page. Skip it only for a risotto or a rice pudding, where you want that starch.
One and a half parts water, not two
The old 2 to 1 ratio comes from open-pot cooking where a lot of water boils away. In a modern pan with a tight lid, 1 1/2 cups of water per cup of long-grain white rice is right, and 2 cups gives you something soggy. Brown rice is a different grain and needs more liquid and around 45 minutes.
Do not lift the lid
Once it is covered and down to the lowest heat, leave it alone for the full 18 minutes. Every peek releases the steam that is doing the actual cooking, and the grains at the top end up chalky while the bottom scorches. If your lid does not seal well, lay a clean dish towel under it to trap the steam, keeping the edges well clear of the burner.
The 10-minute rest is not optional
Off the heat, lid still on, ten minutes. The rice finishes on residual steam and the moisture redistributes from the wetter bottom to the drier top. Fluff straight out of the pan and you will find the bottom layer wet and the top layer firm. Fluff after the rest, with a fork rather than a spoon, and it comes out even.
Questions we get asked
What is the ratio of water to white rice?
One and a half cups of water per cup of long-grain white rice, cooked covered on the lowest heat. The older 2 to 1 ratio dates from open-pot cooking and gives soggy rice in a modern pan with a tight lid.
Do you have to rinse rice before cooking?
For fluffy separate grains, yes. Rinsing washes off loose surface starch that otherwise glues the grains together. Rinse until the water runs clear, about 30 to 60 seconds. Do not rinse for risotto or rice pudding, where that starch is the point.
How long does white rice take to cook?
18 minutes covered on the lowest heat, then 10 minutes off the heat with the lid still on. Basmati and jasmine need about 15 minutes, and brown rice needs around 45.
Why is my rice sticky or gummy?
Usually unrinsed rice, too much water, or stirring during cooking. Rinse first, use one and a half cups of water per cup of rice, and leave it completely alone once the lid is on.
Why is my rice crunchy in the middle?
It ran out of steam before it finished, which means the heat was too high, the lid did not seal, or you lifted it. Add two tablespoons of water, cover it again and give it another five minutes on the lowest heat.
How much rice does 1 cup make?
About 3 cups cooked, which serves four as a side dish. Rice roughly triples in volume.
How do you store and reheat cooked rice?
Cool it quickly and refrigerate within an hour, then use it within four days, because rice left at room temperature can grow bacteria that reheating does not make safe. Reheat with a splash of water, covered, until steaming hot throughout.