How To Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker

Lastest Updated June 26, 2024
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There is more to how to cook rice in a rice cooker than you can imagine. Don’t think it is all about tossing some rice with water into the cooker and pressing the button. For example, how can you ensure your rice won’t turn out dry or mushy?

In addition, are you confident you can wash the rice without accidentally stripping out its nutrients? So let this article reveal the answers to those questions to you and more. Without further ado, let’s dive into the world of rice and how to cook it in a rice cooker.

Cook Rice

Why Should You Eat Rice?

Eating rice, of course, cooked ones, offers several benefits. It is a versatile staple food that provides essential nutrients such as carbohydrates for energy, vitamins, and minerals. Rice is gluten-free and high in carbs.

Cooking rice improves its digestibility and reduces the risk of consuming harmful bacteria or toxins that might be present in raw grains. Additionally, cooked rice is easy to prepare and can be included in many recipes.

Rice has always been an Asian staple. Today, rice-based dishes are common worldwide.

Continue reading to learn the proper way you can cook it.

Tools to Cook Rice

Cooking rice only requires a few things you already have in your kitchen, such as:

  • Rice cooker: Choose a reliable brand. While an oven or Crock-pot can cook rice, specialized equipment is better. You should also consider the size. Don’t buy a rice cooker with a bigger capacity than you will ever need.
  • Rice paddle: To fluffy or scoop the rice. Many types of rice cookers usually come with it.
  • Measuring cup: To measure the amount of uncooked rice. My cup has a capacity of 160 ml (or 135 grams) of rice. So a “cup” in this article refers to this volume, not the standard unit you are familiar with.
Rice Cooker

Ingredients for Cooking Rice

Of course, you must have rice, but there are a few components to prepare.

  • Rice: This recipe uses white, aromatic, long-grain rice for a light texture and not-too-sticky consistency. You can also use a rice cooker to prepare brown rice (richer in nutrients but more likely to get grainy or mushy) and cook jasmine rice in a rice cooker (with a light fragrance).
  • Water: Too much water will make your rice mushy, but an insufficient amount of water will dry it out.
  • Salt: To enhance the flavor.
  • Olive oil or Sesame oil (Optional): Also add more interesting flavor.
Ingredient For A Delicious Bowl Of Rice

How to Cook Rice by a Rice Cooker

A pot of delicious rice is just 4 steps away. Follow those directions carefully, and you will have a wonderful side dish in no time.

How To Cook Rice

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

Measure your desired amount of rice and put it in the inner pot. Rinse with clean water, stirring gently to remove contaminants. Drain the water.

Repeat 1-2 times, but avoid over-washing to preserve the nutrient-rich outer bran layer that enhances flavor and prevents dryness.

Desired Amount Of Rice
Rinse The Rice By Pouring Clean Water
Repeat This Step
Helps Prevent The Rice From Getting Too Dry

Step 2: Measure the Water

The standard water-rice ratio is 1:1, meaning one cup of water for every cup of rice. This recipe uses 3 cups of rice, so the same amount of water will be included.

You can control the texture of the rice through how much water you use. If you prefer your rice to be a little dryer, decrease the amount of water accordingly, and vice versa.

Brown rice may need twice as much as water, while types of rice that are not long-grain require less, depending on the specific variety.

One Water For Every Cup Of Rice
Measure The Water

Step 3: Use the Rice Cooker

Dry the surface of the inner pot carefully before putting it back into the exterior pot.

Add a teaspoon of salt and some olive or sesame oil to the rice for better taste and appearance, and to reduce sticking.

Close the lid, plug in the cooker, and turn it on. Most rice cookers have a simple power switch. For models with timers or settings, refer to the manual.

Use The Rice Cooker
Close The Cover Socket And Turn On

Step 4: Fluff the Rice

The rice cooker will automatically go into “Warm” mode after cooking the rice. Open the lid and watch out for falling hot water or steam. Gently stir the rice with a paddle (or a large spoon). Serve it immediately with other dishes.

Fluff The Rice

Cooking Rice Is Easy

Cooking rice in a rice cooker might not be the easiest task in the world before you read this post. But it is certainly so now. Nothing can stop you from having a bowl of steaming hot, fluffy, and fragrant rice to serve with your favorite food.

Please share this post with your friends and loved ones so that they know how to add this source of healthy, gluten-free starch to their meals. If you have any questions to ask or interesting tricks to share, the comment section is always open to you.

How To Cook Rice In A Rice Cooker

How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker

Take a quick look at this easy and simple guide on how to cook rice in a rice cooker for a family meal.
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Cuisine: Multiple
Keyword: How To Cook Rice In A Rice Cooker
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 3 (each consists of 3 bowls of cooked rice)
Calories: 864kcal

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker
  • Rice Paddle
  • Measuring Cup

Ingredients

  • 3 cups white, long-grain rice
  • 3 cups water
  • Salt
  • Olive oil/ Sesame oil

Instructions 

  • Measure the rice and put it into the inner pot.
    Desired Amount Of Rice
  • Rinse the rice with clean water 2-3 times.
    Rinse The Rice By Pouring Clean Water
  • Measure the water: use one part water for one part rice.
    Repeat This Step
  • Put the inner pot into the outer pot, close the lid, and turn on the rice cooker. Add some salt and olive oil/ sesame oil for extra flavor.
    Measure The Water
  • Cook the rice in a rice cooker.
    Close The Cover Socket And Turn On
  • When done, fluff it with a rice paddle, and serve.
    Fluff The Rice

Video

Notes

  • I use the small measuring cup that goes with the rice cooker for this recipe.
  • This is a recipe for white, long-grain rice. If you use other types of rice, change the amount of water and cooking time accordingly.

Nutrition

Calories: 864kcal | Carbohydrates: 189g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Richie

Richie

Content Writer

Expertise

Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Food Styling, Food Photography, Cooking-video Maker, Beverage Evaluation Expert

Education

Saigon Culinary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

  • Program: Diploma in Culinary Arts
  • Focus: Vietnamese and Asian cuisines with intensive training and hands-on approach.

Vietnam Australia Vocational School (VAAC), Hanoi, Vietnam

  • Program: Bartender
  • Focus: Basic knowledge on how to store, preserve and select ingredients, and practice cocktails, mocktails, hot and cold drinks.

Richie, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a dynamic Content Writer with a talent for capturing the essence of culinary art.

Richie specializes in creating visually appealing and tasty content, offering a new angle on Vietnamese and other culinary traditions. With a background in graphic design and a love for food styling and photography, he expertly combines beauty with food narratives, encouraging his audience to discover the culinary world through his imaginative perspective.

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