How to Cook Rice (Perfect Every Time)
By The Chowmi Test Kitchen · Updated June 11, 2026
To cook perfect plain rice, rinse the rice until the water runs nearly clear, then cook it with the right ratio of water: about 1.25 cups water per cup of jasmine or long-grain white rice on the stovetop, or 1:1 by the rice-cooker line. Rinsing washes off surface starch so the grains cook up separate and fluffy instead of gluey. On the stove, bring rice and water to a boil, drop to the lowest simmer, cover, and cook undisturbed for 12–15 minutes — never lift the lid, because the trapped steam is doing the cooking. Then take it off the heat and let it rest, still covered, for 10 minutes so the moisture redistributes and the bottom doesn't stick. Fluff with a fork or rice paddle. The two mistakes that ruin rice are skipping the rest and peeking under the lid; get those right and the ratio does the rest.
Step 1: Rinse the rice
Put the rice in a bowl or the pot, cover with cool water, swish it with your hand, and pour off the cloudy water. Repeat two or three times until the water runs nearly clear. This rinses away loose surface starch — the stuff that makes rice clump and turn gummy — so the finished grains are separate and fluffy. It's the single most skipped step and the one that most separates restaurant rice from sticky homemade rice. (The exception: don't rinse if a package specifically says the rice is enriched and you want to keep the coating.)
Step 2: Get the water ratio right
Ratios depend on the rice and the method, and they matter more than any gadget. For jasmine or long-grain white rice on the stovetop, use about 1.25 cups of water per cup of rinsed rice. In a rice cooker, the classic measure is to add water to the matching cup line, which works out close to 1:1 because rinsed rice is already wet. Short- and medium-grain rice want a touch less water; brown rice wants more (around 2:1) and longer cooking. When in doubt, start slightly drier — you can steam a too-firm batch a little longer, but you can't un-mush wet rice.
- Jasmine / long-grain white: 1.25 cups water : 1 cup rice (stovetop).
- Rice cooker: water to the matching cup line (~1:1 with rinsed rice).
- Short / medium grain: about 1.15 cups water : 1 cup rice.
- Brown rice: about 2 cups water : 1 cup rice, and 35–40 minutes.
Step 3: Cook it (stovetop or rice cooker)
Stovetop: combine rinsed rice and water in a pot with a tight lid, bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately drop to the lowest possible simmer and cover. Cook undisturbed 12–15 minutes for white rice. The cardinal rule is don't lift the lid — every peek releases the steam that's actually cooking the rice. A rice cooker automates all of this: add rice and water, press the button, and it stops itself when the water is absorbed. Either way, the cooking is only half the job — the rest is what makes it perfect.
Step 4: Rest, then fluff
When the time is up (or the cooker clicks to 'warm'), leave the lid on and let the rice rest off the heat for 10 minutes. This is non-negotiable: resting lets the moisture redistribute evenly from the wetter bottom to the drier top, firms the grains so they don't smash, and releases the layer stuck to the bottom. Only then lift the lid and fluff gently with a fork or a flat rice paddle, lifting and separating rather than stirring (stirring crushes the grains and turns them sticky). Now you have fluffy, separate, restaurant-quality rice.
Fixing rice — and what to do with it
Too mushy? Next time use less water and rest longer; to rescue this batch, spread it on a tray to dry out, or turn it into fried rice tomorrow (day-old, drier rice is actually ideal for that). Too crunchy or dry? Sprinkle in a couple tablespoons of hot water, cover, and steam another 5 minutes off direct heat. Burnt bottom? You had the heat too high — but a lightly golden crust (guō bā) is prized, not a failure. Perfect rice is the foundation of Chinese cooking; here's where to take it next.
How to Cook Rice (Perfect Every Time) FAQ
What is the ratio of water to rice?
For jasmine or long-grain white rice on the stovetop, use about 1.25 cups of water per cup of rinsed rice. In a rice cooker it's closer to 1:1 (fill to the matching cup line), because rinsed rice is already damp. Short-grain rice wants slightly less water, and brown rice wants about twice as much plus longer cooking. Start slightly drier if unsure — firm rice is fixable, mushy rice isn't.
Do you have to rinse rice before cooking?
For fluffy, separate grains, yes. Rinsing washes off the loose surface starch that makes rice clump and turn gummy, which is why it's standard in Chinese and most Asian kitchens. Rinse two to three times until the water runs nearly clear. The main exception is enriched rice in some Western recipes, where rinsing removes the added coating.
Why is my rice mushy or sticky?
Usually too much water, skipping the rinse, or stirring it while it cooks. Use a touch less water, rinse until the water runs clear, and fluff gently with a fork rather than stirring. Lifting the lid mid-cook also throws off the steam balance. And always rest the rice 10 minutes covered before fluffing — that step firms the grains.
How long do you cook rice on the stove?
White rice (jasmine or long-grain) simmers covered on the lowest heat for 12–15 minutes, then rests off the heat — still covered — for another 10 minutes before you fluff it. Don't lift the lid during cooking; the trapped steam is what cooks the rice. Brown rice takes longer, about 35–40 minutes plus the rest.
Should I cook rice on high or low heat?
Bring it to a boil on high, then immediately turn it down to the lowest simmer for the rest of the cooking. High heat throughout boils the water away before the rice is done and scorches the bottom; a gentle simmer under a tight lid lets the rice steam through evenly. A rice cooker manages this temperature curve automatically.
Recipes to try this with
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