The Perfect Pot of Rice

As we write this, there are 2,880,000,000 results when you google “how to cook rice.” That feels like it’s verging on excessive, but we understand. Perfecting the art of cooking white rice without a rice cooker can feel like a lifelong journey. Our approach, which works with several types of rice, including short-, medium-, and long-grain rice (as well as varieties, including basmati rice, jasmine rice, and more), is foolproof and delivers fluffy rice that’s never mushy or gummy. We use one part rice, rinsed, to one-and-a-quarter parts water (the ratio of water changes if you’re making brown rice).

Rinsing the uncooked rice removes excess starch. This step is not always essential, but it’s a necessary first step if you want tender, individual grains without clumps. This is also why our water-to-rice ratio skews toward the drier side; rinsing rice naturally introduces more liquid to the equation. If you prefer a stickier pot of rice (or just can’t be bothered), feel free to skip the rinsing and increase the amount of water by ¼–½ cup.

Put the pot over high heat, swirling occasionally so things warm up evenly. When you see boiling water, clamp the lid on top and turn the burner down as low as it will go. Then: Do. Not. Touch. Resist the temptation to peek or you’ll release crucial steam. After 18 minutes, turn off the heat and again, Do. Not. Touch. Let the near-perfect rice rest and bask in its steam bath. If your hands need a task, use the time to prep the rest of your meal. If you find yourself with leftovers, test kitchen director Chris Morocco shares his favorite ways to give that rice a new life.

Not all steamed rice dishes are created equally. Head this way to learn how to make risotto, over here if you’re looking for sushi rice 101, here for Claire Saffitz’s cooking method for rice pilaf, or let Leela Punyaratabandhu teach you all about sticky rice.