48 replies to this topic

[TheTInCook]

Seems like every single bag of rice (different kinds even) and rice maker I've seen calls for 2 cups of water per cup of rice. This makes horribly soggy rice. A friend of mine was convinced her new rice cooker was broken because it made mushy rice, but the only thing wrong was that she followed that rediculous 2:1 recipe.

So what gives? Do most people like mushy rice, and I don't know it?

[heidih]

Unless the rice is old and dry I have always gone more the route of one to one. It turns out to be more water because I rinse my rice but still nothing like the 2 cups to one

[TheTInCook]

The most I've ever used is 1.5 to 1, and that was for basmati and long grain (which could probably benefit from a little less).

Tried making rice with the one knuckle rule the other day. My hands are too big :(

[liuzhou]

I cook rice at least once a day and always use one-to-one with perhaps an extra splash of water for good luck. I do find it depends on the rice. I nearly always use the same brand of Thai Hom Mali rice (Jasmine Rice) and this works perfectly. I find that the local Chinese rice needs a bit more - with that I use the one knuckle rule.

Two-to-one would be for making rice porridge.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I do swear by 2:1 water:rice, but I use a specific toasted golden rice and cook it at 10,000 feet above sea level, which always, always requires more water than on the coast. 1.5:1 and 1:1 make crunchy, ugly, undercooked rice, which is not what I'm after at all.

[annabelle]

I do 1.5:1 water:rice. I use short grain rice in the rice cooker. I also cover it with a tea towel and replace the lid over the towel and let it steam on the keep warm setting. I take the insert out of the cooker for this if I am making rice to chill for fried rice until it is cool enough to refrigerate.

[ellevan]

This is my go to rice recipe http://shiokfood.com...ves/000022.html (for long grain). It calls for 1 cup of rice to 1.5 cups water. It never fails!

[Mjx]

I cook a lot of rice, and always go with a 1:1.5 rice:water ratio. The rice routinely turns out just right, no residual water, no cruchy centres, no overcooking (this was a CI recommendation, I can't take any credit for the idea), regardless of whether or not I first toast the rice in a litle oil.

[Lisa Shock]

I use 2:1 for Jasmine, but, I tend to make small amounts where the surface area is fairly big in relation to the depth, and I don't rinse. I also live in Phoneix where the humidity is below 15% most of the time, so things dry out really fast, and I buy Jasmine in big bags.

I do 1:1 or less if I cook really fresh sushi rice. But, I make less of it in a smaller pot because I don't like leftovers of that kind of rice. And, I buy small bags of it so it doesn't sit around long.

There are a lot of variables in cooking rice. The height of the water and rice together is an important parameter to consider. There are commercial formulas for rice based on a standard stockpot size. They decrease the water % as the size of the batch increases because as the water boils off it steams the rice above it. If you start out with 1.5 inches of water/rice in a pot the water mostly just boils off. But, if you start out with 8 inches, the top keeps steaming when there's, say, 3 inches of water left, so overall you need less water.

So, the ratio needed varies based on the hydration of the rice itself and the size of the pot in relation to amount of rice you want to cook.

[Jenni]

Confession - I basically never measure the water for rice. But I can tell you that I certainly don't use a ratio of 1:2 rice to water. When you soak rice, you end up needing much less water to cook it, but I will say that the quantity of water required varies from rice to rice. Our daily rice is sona masoori and it requires water to go just above the level of the rice to be cooked perfectly. I usually wash it, soak it for 30 minutes and drain it for 10 before cooking.

Of course, if I'm cooking parboiled rice, I cook it like pasta in tonnes of water.

[Mjx]

. . . .

Of course, if I'm cooking parboiled rice, I cook it like pasta in tonnes of water.

How come? I'm curious, because in Denmark it's a bit difficult to find not-parboiled rice, so that's what I'm usually working with.

[Jenni]

MJX, the parboiled rice I have is South Indian, and that's the usual way of cooking that rice. Specifically, it is rosematta rice. I sometimes get other kinds but that is my most common because I love its beautiful pink-ish hue. In South India and several other parts as well actually, parboiled rice is very traditional, please don't think of Uncle Bens! Actually parboiling the rice drives vitamins (especially vitamin B1, deficiency of which causes beriberi - a disease not uncommon in those who subsist mostly on rice) into the core of the rice, making it more nutritious than white rice.

[naguere]

I am now using brown basmati rice , bought in 3Kg bags delivered to my door (post free).

As it needs about 30 mins cooking the water ratio needs to be upped a bit.

I do it by eye though and the last lot caught on the bottom of the pan,

which tasted nice.

I do enough for 3 meals, so can nuke a portion or get the wok out.

I do think white rice is nicer, but I now strive to live healthier

[Mjx]

MJX, the parboiled rice I have is South Indian, and that's the usual way of cooking that rice. Specifically, it is rosematta rice. I sometimes get other kinds but that is my most common because I love its beautiful pink-ish hue. In South India and several other parts as well actually, parboiled rice is very traditional, please don't think of Uncle Bens! Actually parboiling the rice drives vitamins (especially vitamin B1, deficiency of which causes beriberi - a disease not uncommon in those who subsist mostly on rice) into the core of the rice, making it more nutritious than white rice.

What happens if you cook the rosematta rice like normal rice? It's just that it never occurred to me to cook parboiled rice differently to regular rice (the first time I did this, and noticed 'parboiled' on the bag, I did wondered how that was going to affect things, but I've noticed no difference).

I don't think you can get Uncle Ben's in Denmark :)

[SobaAddict70]

I've always done 2:1 and I don't rinse. Always worked for me.

[jmolinari]

I guess i'm the only weirdo who does it by weight for my rice cooker. 1:1.08 rice:water by weight....

[MikeHartnett]

I've always done just under 2:1, and though I've yet to buy one, my rice has been favorably compared to a rice cooker. Perhaps what works for you is impacted by the conditions where you are, such as sea level, humidity, etc?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I've always done just under 2:1, and though I've yet to buy one, my rice has been favorably compared to a rice cooker. Perhaps what works for you is impacted by the conditions where you are, such as sea level, humidity, etc?

I'd definitely say that it does, based on my own experiences at sea level vs. very high altitudes, and humidity vs. desert. In Canada (Edmonton, Alberta - 500 meters and fairly dry), it was always 1.5:1 water:rice; on the Ecaudorian coast (high humidity, 0 altitude), it's 1:1, and in Ambato (3,000 meters and desert-dry) it's 2:1.

[MikeHartnett]

The curious thing to me, though, is that the amount of water I use appears to be on the high end, and it's rather humid in New Orleans. Not sure how to explain that.

[C. sapidus]

The optimal ratio depends partly on the type of rice, and partly on the cooking method. We make jasmine rice enough to have two standardized methods:

• Rinse rice, drain, add 1.25 parts water to 1 part rice by volume. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, and cook on the lowest setting for 15 minutes.

• Fry rice in oil or ghee (often with onion and garlic) until chalky, add 1.25 parts water to 1 part rice by volume. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, and cook on the lowest setting for 15 minutes.

Basmati rice is aged, so it seems to absorb more water compared with jasmine rice. Some people boil rice uncovered until air holes appear, and then cover the rice to finish. This method needs a higher water:rice ratio because more of the water boils away.

Bottom line – there are quite a few ways to cook rice, so it would be helpful if people described their cooking method along with their rice:water ratios.

[budrichard]

EACH rice is different and the particular method of cooking and even the time of year, age of the rice can affect how much water to add. There is NO universal addition to a cup of rice.
You simply have to learn for EACH particular set of rice/cooking method what works for the rice you want.-Dick

[SobaAddict70]

The optimal ratio depends partly on the type of rice, and partly on the cooking method. We make jasmine rice enough to have two standardized methods:

• Rinse rice, drain, add 1.25 parts water to 1 part rice by volume. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, and cook on the lowest setting for 15 minutes.

• Fry rice in oil or ghee (often with onion and garlic) until chalky, add 1.25 parts water to 1 part rice by volume. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, and cook on the lowest setting for 15 minutes.

Basmati rice is aged, so it seems to absorb more water compared with jasmine rice. Some people boil rice uncovered until air holes appear, and then cover the rice to finish. This method needs a higher water:rice ratio because more of the water boils away.

Bottom line – there are quite a few ways to cook rice, so it would be helpful if people described their cooking method along with their rice:water ratios.

I do 2:1 and don't rinse. I also don't have a rice cooker.

My method is typically boil uncovered on high heat until air holes appear, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is done.

Sometimes I will fry in oil, butter, ghee, or chicken or pork schmaltz, with or without aromatics (includes but is not limited to onion, garlic, mirepoix, trinity or either Spanish or Italian sofrito) before proceeding.

I almost never have any problems, and only then if I let it cook unattended for too long because I was distracted by something else.



As you can see in the pic, it's not mushy at all. This was prepared using the method listed above. Two cups rice cooked in chicken fat, along with ginger and garlic; to this was added 4 cups Chinese chicken stock (chicken broth prepared with ginger, garlic and scallions instead of the usual onion, carrot and celery), salt and white pepper to taste.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

My preferred method is to cook in a steel pot over medium heat, covered, until the water has all been absorbed. I use a local grade of toasted gold rice which is drier than the more standard white perl types normally available down here.

Incidentally, when I'm cooking brown rice, the ratio is closer to 3:1 water:rice....

[LRunkle]

Bear in mind that a rice cooker will stay on cook temperature until all the water is gone and there is only steam. It measures the temperature and as long as liquid water is present the temp will not excede 212 deg. F. When all the water is gone, the temperature of the steam will begin to excede 212 and the a thermostat switch will be triggered switching over to the keep-warm mode. Thus, you would theoretically never have soupy rice in a rice cooker as the excess water would be boiled away before the cooker changed to keep-warm mode. That said, it could be ones taste prefers an al dente feel to the rice. I tend to use about a 1:1.5 or thereabouts ratio myself.

[Emily_R]

I use 1.5 to 1 for jasmine, but 1.75 to one for basmati, and cook both in a pot on the stove... Any lower than that for basmati and I end up with something crunchy...

[Katie Meadow]

Basmatti is what I typically make and pretty much do as Emily, above: 1 cup rice to 1.75 (or even slightly less) water. I do it in a pot on the stove, and saute the rice briefly in a little butter or fat and salt to toast it before adding the water. When it starts to boil I turn the heat way down, cover it, and cook it undisturbed. When all the water is absorbed and the rice is just starting to stick to the bottom of the pan I turn off the flame and leave it alone with the cover still on for at least 5 minutes.

[Kouign Aman]

Until we moved 8 years ago, it was always 2:1 water:american long grain rice, on the stove, 20 min, and it was perfect, for 30 years, at several addresses.
Basmati needed less ~ 1.67:1.
Here, its more humid, basmati is running about 1.3:1, jasmine rice is ~ 1.5:1, and the last time I tried american long grain it was a bit soupy at 2:1 so will try 1.75:1 when I cook it again.

[haresfur]

I've mostly given up measuring water accurately. I let the fuzzy-logic work its magic. I almost always make brown rice and find that a bit more than 2:1 works best to balance the tooth of the bran. Particularly for short grain, that I like a bit softer.

Bear in mind that a rice cooker will stay on cook temperature until all the water is gone and there is only steam. It measures the temperature and as long as liquid water is present the temp will not excede 212 deg. F. When all the water is gone, the temperature of the steam will begin to excede 212 and the a thermostat switch will be triggered switching over to the keep-warm mode. Thus, you would theoretically never have soupy rice in a rice cooker as the excess water would be boiled away before the cooker changed to keep-warm mode. That said, it could be ones taste prefers an al dente feel to the rice. I tend to use about a 1:1.5 or thereabouts ratio myself.

True, the rice won't end up soupy but the cooking time affects how much of the water is absorbed vs. boiled away. My Sanyo cooker has a bunch of white rice settings and only one brown rice so I add more water to get softer rice. But the cooker tries to compensate so its pretty inexact.

... and I still want to know why "fuzzy logic" sounds attractive for a rice cooker but unsettling for a nuclear power plant.

[Toliver]

I've always done 2:1 and I don't rinse. Always worked for me.

Same here. Doesn't turn out mushy at all.

[Jenni]

MJX, the parboiled rice I have is South Indian, and that's the usual way of cooking that rice. Specifically, it is rosematta rice. I sometimes get other kinds but that is my most common because I love its beautiful pink-ish hue. In South India and several other parts as well actually, parboiled rice is very traditional, please don't think of Uncle Bens! Actually parboiling the rice drives vitamins (especially vitamin B1, deficiency of which causes beriberi - a disease not uncommon in those who subsist mostly on rice) into the core of the rice, making it more nutritious than white rice.

What happens if you cook the rosematta rice like normal rice? It's just that it never occurred to me to cook parboiled rice differently to regular rice (the first time I did this, and noticed 'parboiled' on the bag, I did wondered how that was going to affect things, but I've noticed no difference).

I don't think you can get Uncle Ben's in Denmark :)

Er, I've never cooked it any other way so I can't tell you! But several Keralites have assured me that it was the best way to cook this kind of rice, and I trust them. Have never had bad results. Also this rice takes longer (30-40 minutes total boiling time) to cook than raw rice.

I've never actually bought or eaten Uncle Bens, but several times when I have innocently been talking about parboiled rice, people have jumped on me and mentioned this and what a horrible processed food it is and why-are-we-eating-rice-like-this and I got rather annoyed.