Rice to Water Ratio Calculator
How much water your rice needs, how long it simmers and how much it makes.
Good to know. Rinse the rice until the water runs nearly clear. It is the difference between fluffy and gluey.
How it works
In plain words
Multiply the rice by the ratio for its type: twice as much water for white long-grain rice, one and a half times for jasmine and basmati, a little more than twice for brown. Grams are turned into volume at about 0.8 g per millilitre.
The formula
water = rice × ratio (by volume) white 2 : 1 · jasmine and basmati 1.5 : 1 · short-grain 1.25 : 1 · brown 2.25 : 1 · wild 3 : 1
Worked example
1 cup of white long-grain rice takes 2 cups of water: bring to the boil, cover, simmer for 15–18 minutes and rest for 5 more. It makes about 3 cups of cooked rice.
Sources
No outside data or rates: this is plain arithmetic.
4 automated tests check its answers on every change.
About the rice to water ratio calculator
Rice on the stove by the absorption method takes just enough water to be soaked up as it cooks, so the amount matters. Too much and the rice turns soft and sticky; too little and it burns or stays hard in the middle.
The ratio depends on the rice. Long-grain white rice usually takes twice its volume in water. Fragrant jasmine and basmati need less, about one and a half times, or they lose their separate grains. Short-grain and sushi rice need less still, as they are meant to be sticky. Brown rice keeps its bran, so it needs more water and two to three times as long. The package is the final word, since varieties and brands differ.
The method is the same for all of them: rinse the rice, bring it to the boil with the water and a pinch of salt, cover, turn the heat right down and leave the lid on. When the time is up, take it off the heat and let it rest for five to ten minutes before fluffing it with a fork. A wide, heavy pan cooks more evenly than a tall thin one.
For a crowd, allow about half a cup (75–90 g) of uncooked rice per person as a side. Rice cookers and pressure cookers often use less water. To scale a recipe, use the recipe scaler.
Questions people ask
How much water for 1 cup of rice?
For white long-grain rice, 2 cups. For jasmine or basmati, about 1½ cups; for brown rice, about 2¼ cups.
How much rice per person?
About half a cup or 75–90 g uncooked as a side, which makes about a cup and a half cooked.
Why is my rice sticky?
Usually too much water, no rinsing, or lifting the lid and stirring while it cooks. Rinse until the water runs nearly clear.