Here’s the Trick to Making Perfect White Rice

Rice is practically in every kitchen — it’s the primary food staple for more than 50% of the world’s population and the main ingredient in dishes from risottos, biryani, and rice puddings to pilafs and snacks. But almost all of us at one time or another have lifted the lid to a simple pot of cooked white rice only to discover it was too watery, or too mushy or hard — or even worse, burnt. Getting rice right isn’t difficult, but you do need to know some basics about how the types of grains vary and the specifics of how to cook each type of rice grain. We worked with the experts in the Food & Wine Test Kitchen to nail down the best methods. They simmered and steamed white rice varieties on the stovetop, zapped them in the microwave, boiled the grains pasta-style, and prepared it in a rice cooker to determine the best way to cook a perfect pot of white rice. Here’s a roundup of those tests and tips for making great rice every time. 

Is a rice cooker the best way to cook white rice?

The hands-off convenience of using a rice cooker made this method rank among our top favorite cooking approaches, especially for medium-grain rice. (The water-to-rice ratios for rice cookers vary, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific rice cooker.) Cooking rice pasta-style (adding the grains to a large pot of boiling water) yielded distinct grains that were great in a rice salad. But our top results came from cooking rice on the stovetop in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. 

Why does cooking white rice on the stovetop work best?

Each of the white rice varieties we tested — American long grain, basmati, jasmine, medium grain, and short grains — cooked well with a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan and tight fitting lid on the stove top. The grains emerged from the pot tender and sticky if they should be (short-grain rice) or fluffy and not sticky at all if they shouldn’t (long-grain varieties). Variables like getting the ratio of water right and prepping the grains play into the results. But leaning on the stove as your equipment of choice is an important first step. Washing and or rinsing the rice is the next important step.

Should I wash or rinse rice?

If you’ve cooked rice that clumped together or had an unpleasant, slick mouthfeel, there’s a good chance you skipped the vital steps of washing, rinsing or soaking the grains before you began cooking. In a few cases, like risottos and rice puddings, you can skip washing and soaking to take advantage of the creamy properties of the grains’ natural starches but in all other cases you want to do this. Rinsing and washing rice helps remove excess starch and other unwanted chemicals that can cause the grains to clump together. Soaking (done for short grain rice and long grain basmati) softens the grains and promotes a shorter and more even cook. 

How do I wash and cook white rice?

To cook white rice on the stove, follow these techniques from our test-kitchen experts for each type of grain. Long-grain rice includes varieties like Carolina Gold, basmati, and jasmine, will be firm and fluffy when cooked and then will separate into defined grains. Medium-grain rice is plump but somewhat long in shape. It is available in varieties such as Calrose, arborio, and carnaroli, and is often used for soups, and casseroles due to its starchy, creamy nature. Short grains are almost round in shape and are sticky and soft when cooked. Short-grain rice is more absorbent and requires less water for cooking. It’s often used for making sushi and paella. You will find Koshihikari and Bomba among these varieties. 

American Long-Grain Rice   

Wash and rinse the rice: Place 1 cup rice in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover. Swish the rice and water using your hands to agitate for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour off the water and repeat one more time. Pour the rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 10 to 15 seconds. Let rice drain completely, about 30 seconds. 

Cook the rice: Place drained rice, 1 1/4 cups tap water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; gently shake the pan to ensure rice is evenly submerged. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high, then cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 18 minutes. Keep covered and remove pan from heat; let rice steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, and fluff rice using a fork. Add additional salt to taste, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, and serve (if not serving immediately, cover with a clean towel for up to 30 minutes). Makes 3 cups.

Jasmine Rice  

Wash and rinse the rice: Place 1 cup rice in a medium bowl. Add cold water to cover. Swish the rice and water using your hands to agitate for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour off the water and repeat 2 to 3 more times until the water is mostly clear. Pour the rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 10 to 15 seconds. Let rice drain completely, about 30 seconds. 

Cook the rice: Place drained rice, 1 1/4 cups tap water and 1/2 salt in a medium saucepan; gently shake the pan to ensure rice is evenly submerged. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high, then cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes. Keep covered and remove pan from heat; let rice steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, and fluff rice using a fork. Add additional salt to taste, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, and serve (if not serving immediately, cover with a clean towel for up to 30 minutes). Makes 3 cups.

Basmati Rice   

Wash and rinse rice: Place 1 cup rice in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover. Swish the rice and water using your hands to agitate for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour off the water and repeat 4 to 5 more times until the water runs clear. Add cold water to rice to cover by at least 1 inch; let soak, uncovered, at room temperature, for 30 minutes (rice grains should become plumped, opaque, and white). Pour the rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 10 to 15 seconds. Let rice drain completely, about 30 seconds. 

Cook the rice: Place drained rice, 1 1/3 cups tap water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; gently shake the pan to ensure rice is evenly submerged. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high, then cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 12 minutes. Keep covered and remove pan from heat; let rice steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, and fluff rice using a fork. Add additional salt to taste, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, and serve (if not serving immediately, cover with a clean towel for up to 30 minutes). Makes 3 cups.

Medium-Grain Rice  

Wash and rinse rice: Place 1 cup rice in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover. Swish the rice and water using your hands to agitate for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour off the water and repeat 2 to 3 more times until the water runs clear. Pour the rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 10 to 15 seconds. Let the rice drain completely. 

Cook the rice: Place drained rice, 1 1/4 cup tap water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; gently shake the pan to ensure rice is evenly submerged. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high, then cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 18 minutes. Keep covered and remove pan from heat; let rice steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, and fluff rice using a fork. Add additional salt to taste, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, and serve (if not serving immediately, cover with a clean towel for up to 30 minutes). Makes 3 cups.

Short-Grain Rice  

Wash and rinse rice: Place 1 cup rice in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover. Swish the rice and water using your hands to agitate for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour off the water and repeat 4 to 5 more times until the water runs clear. Pour the rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 10 to 15 seconds. Let the rice drain completely. Transfer rice to a medium saucepan and add 1 cup tap water, shake to submerge rice and let soak, uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes. (The rice grains will become plump, opaque, and white.) 

Cook the rice: Bring the rice and soaking water to a simmer over medium-high, then cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 13 minutes. Keep covered and remove pan from heat; let rice steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, and fluff rice using a fork. Add additional salt to taste, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, and serve (if not serving immediately, cover with a clean towel for up to 30 minutes). Makes 2 1/2 cups.