how to cook rice | Created by Diane

I tested out three popular ways to cook rice, and give you all the details on each method. Then I share my favorite way. Cooking rice is not difficult, but everyone’s preference will determine which way you’ll want to make your rice perfect for you!

If you’ve ever had any issues with rice, this post is for you.

I grew up on baked rice, it’s how my mom made it, and I loved it. It was always perfect. (Isn’t it funny how when someone else makes things it ALWAYS seems to be perfect!) It really always tasted delicious.

On the package of most rice, it usually gives you directions to boil the rice to cook it, trapping in the water with the lid on to cook the rice as the rice absorbs the water.

I still bake rice from time to time. I do here some people end up with great results while other people say it’s too sticky or too mushy.

So that covers two options already, bake… boil…

The third option I’m sharing today is steaming rice, it’s easiest to do this in a rice cooker. I’ve had a few different types of rice cookers, and they work well. It’s no wonder you see giant ric ecookers in asian restaurants, they work well.

I’m covering these three methods, baked, boiled, and steamed.

I’ll tell you why I would choose each method and how they differ.

I will mention this…

Yes, they all taste like RICE (insert laugh here), but you may just find a new favorite way to prepare it.

The texture is different in each cooking method.

In all rice cooking, I used long grain white rice. I also used the package directions and used twice as much water as rice.

Example: 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, and some salt (I add 1/2 teaspoon for each cup of rice)

Steamed Rice:

I prepared it in a rice cooker. I placed cool water, rice, and 1 teaspoon salt into the rice cooker and pressed the button for white rice. (I’ve had other rice cookers and the settings are all pretty similar)

I currently have an Aroma Rice Cooker.

Baked Rice:

I boiled water then placed the rice, water, and salt in a covered casserole dish, and baked it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Boiled Rice:

I boiled the water, added the rice and salt and covered the pot with a lid, and cook on low for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy.

Taste: As I mentioned, they all taste like rice…

Steamed rice seems drier, boiled rice is slightly wetter, and baked rice is right in the middle, not too dry, not too moist.

When making fried rice, Steamed rice is great, it’s drier. Which lends itself to a great texture for frying. Moist rice is great for meals where you are adding sauce to it. This doesn’t mean, for example, boiled rice can’t be dry, it can… just cook it longer to evaporate more of the moisture of the rice.

I’ve cooked Long Grain Rice and Extra Long Grain Rice. I have also used Parboiled Rice. If you want non-starchy rice that cooks up separately and doesn’t stick together at all, use parboiled rice.

I also cook Calrose rice, which is medium-grain rice, which I find is stickier and great for Asian food, where you may want the sauce to coat the rice.

Other great rice varieties I like are basmati and jasmine rice. I do sometimes like parboiled rice and it’s less starchy and separates easily which is nice for certain dishes or when you want it to have a smooth texture when adding it to soups and other dishes where you don’t want it to swell up a lot when added to a dish with sauce or soup as I mentioned.

I do sometimes like parboiled rice and it’s less starchy and separates easily which is nice for certain dishes or when you want it to have a smooth texture when adding it to soups and other dishes where you don’t want it to swell up a lot when added to a dish with sauce or soup as I mentioned.

Troubleshooting: If your rice is cooked on the stove and is soggy, the rice should have been cooked at a slightly higher temperature. What to do now? Put the lid back on the rice and cook it for 10 more minutes, and see how the texture is then.
Be sure to measure the rice and the water. Not measuring correctly will result in results that are most likely not ideal for great rice.

Rice that is burnt or stuck on the bottom it’s really burnt. There is usually no hope. Throw it out and begin again. If it’s sticking a little to the bottom of the pot, but the rice is too firm and isn’t cooked enough, add a couple of tablespoons of water and turn the burner to a lower temperature for 5 minutes at a time until it’s fully cooked. If the rice is really dry, add 1/4 cup water.

Nicely cooked rice should have absorbed the cooking water and will seem compressed in the pot, but will easily fluff up with a fork. After your rice is cooked, it’s best to fluff it up with a fork.

I wanted to mention that when I cook rice on the stove, I sometimes use a skillet.

I really like the way it cooks, with a wide surface area, and the fact that the rice stays warm after cooking is a plus. I have a lid that fits my pan if you don’t use aluminum foil and tightly wrap the edges around the sides of the pan.

MY BEST METHOD is different than all three I used. I’ve added this to the post as I use this version all the time now. It’s funny how you can make things one way for a long time, then change it!

I saute the rice in a little oil to coat the rice. Stir and cook the rice until half of it is opaque and hot. Next, add the water and salt. Bring it to a boil and simmer on Low. I use JASMINE RICE. The rice is not sticky, starchy, or clumped together. Jasmine rice portions on water to rice ratio are different, so be sure to read the directions for proper portions. For jasmine rice it’s 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water.

So there are many rice options and ways to cook it, I hope this helps give you the rice you’d prefer.