Rice to water ratio calculator
The 1-to-2 rule on the bag is only right for some rice in some pots. Choose your grain and amount for the water, time and cooked yield.
For 1 cup of long-grain white rice, add
1½ cups water
356 ml · ratio 1 : 1.5
- Simmer, lid on
- 18 min
- Rest off the heat
- 5 min
- Cooked yield
- ≈ 3 cups
- Servings (¾ cup cooked)
- 4
Rice to water ratio chart
Ratios are cups of water per cup of rinsed, dry rice for 1–2 cups in a lidded pot on the stove. Rice cookers lose almost no steam, so they need less water.
| Rice | Stovetop | Rice cooker | Simmer | Cooked yield per cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-grain white | 1 : 1.5 | 1 : 1.25 | 18 min | 3 cups |
| Jasmine | 1 : 1.25 | 1 : 1.05 | 15 min | 3 cups |
| Basmati | 1 : 1.5 | 1 : 1.25 | 15 min | 3 cups |
| Brown | 1 : 2.25 | 1 : 1.75 | 45 min | 3 cups |
| Short-grain / sushi | 1 : 1.2 | 1 : 1 | 15 min | 2.5 cups |
| Wild rice | 1 : 3.0 | 1 : 3 | 50 min | 3.5 cups |
| Black | 1 : 1.75 | 1 : 1.6 | 30 min | 3 cups |
| Parboiled | 1 : 2.0 | 1 : 1.75 | 20 min | 3.5 cups |
| Arborio | 1 : 3.5 | 1 : 3 | 20 min | 3.5 cups |
Why you don’t just double the water when you double the rice
Water in the pot does two jobs. Most of it soaks into the grains, and that part scales exactly with the rice. The rest escapes as steam, and that depends on the pot and the simmer time, not how much rice is inside. So the ratio falls as the batch grows. Change the batch and watch the two parts.
1 cup of rice: 1.50 cups of water, a ratio of 1 : 1.50. Doubling the “2 cups per cup” rule for a big batch is why large pots of rice so often turn out soggy.
How to cook rice on the stove
- Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs mostly clear. This washes off loose starch that turns rice gummy.
- Combine rice, water and a pinch of salt (about ½ tsp per cup) in a heavy pot with a tight lid.
- Boil, then drop to the lowest simmer, cover, and don’t lift the lid.
- Rest off the heat, still covered, for the time shown. The steam finishes the top layer.
- Fluff with a fork or rice paddle and serve.
Rice guides by type
Questions cooks ask
What is the rice to water ratio for white rice?
About 1 cup rice to 1½ cups water for rinsed long-grain white rice on the stove. Unrinsed rice in a wide pan can take up to 2 cups.
What is the ratio for brown rice?
About 1 cup brown rice to 2¼ cups water, simmered for 45 minutes.
How much rice per person?
About ⅓ to ½ cup of dry rice per person as a side, which makes 1 to 1½ cups cooked.
Why is my rice mushy?
Too much water, skipped rinsing, or lifting the lid and stirring. Cut the water a little next time and let it rest covered.
Why is my rice crunchy?
Not enough water, heat too high so the water boiled off, or a loose lid. Add 2–3 tablespoons of hot water, cover and steam 5 more minutes.