How do I cook the best rice?

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fkts, May 25, 9:32am
I have tried the microwave cookers-failure. Bought an electric one-failure. So cook the old fashion way in a pot with enough water in the pot so that when I am touching the top of the rice the water reaches the first line of my finger-BUT I always end up burning the bottom of the pot before the rice is cooked! Grrrrrr

fkts, May 25, 9:33am
Also I do add salt and a knob of butter to the pot as my Mumma taught me. Another question why is cooking brown rice different to cooking white rice, same methods end up with different results?

tigra, May 25, 9:47am
Rice cooker. Even Indians and Chinese use them ...and you can cook other things in them. Great for steaming.

winnie231, May 25, 9:52am
Don't leave the rice on the heat until it is cooked ... you're on the right track with the water to your finger joint - but ... bring to the boil then turn the heat down & let it boil gently with the lid off until 'holes'appear in the top of the rice & the rice is higher than the water level. At this point put the lid on, remove from the heat & leave to finish cooking on the side of you stove while you concentrate on the rest of dinner. It can sit for 10-20mins quite happily. Fluff/seperate with a fork before serving.

deus701, May 25, 10:14am
burning at the bottom means u left it cooking abit too long till all the water has evaporated and the rice burns.

Invest in a rice cooker with asian names...eg Panasonic and not 'continental' ones. I've seen them in Asian shops.

lilyfield, May 25, 10:18am
I cook all my rice in lots of rolling water, drain- chill, and reheat in microwave.

stefanie, May 25, 10:25am
Hi, I am fairly happy with my microwave cooking dish, makes perfect rice. I used to have rice cookers, made good rice, but then started to stick at the bottom after 3 months.
I remember reading that you should not add salt or fat to the rice before or during cooking (some chemistry reason, which I don't recall).
If all fails, lilyfield's suggestion works just as well.

kinna54, May 25, 10:35am
Depends on what type of rice you are cooking, eg basmati has different cooking properties to others etc. However general rule I use is:
wash rice thru a sieve under the cold tap. Add to a generous amount of boiling salted water with half a lemon or a bit of lemon juice added (keeps the rice white). Cook 12mins approx, remove from heat, pour thru the sieve and run a jug full of boiling water thru the rice. Rice is beautifully fluffy, non starchy and grains well separated.

emmapear, May 25, 11:24am
OK...best rice...Sturfry it in a little oil in the bottom of the pot for about 4 minutes. Then add double the amount of boiling water as you have rice (so 1 cup of rice add 2 cups boiling water). Then stir and add salt and put the lid on. Reduce the heat to very low and wait 20 minutes. DO NOT STIR AND DO NOT LIFT THE LID. That is all.

lythande1, May 25, 7:08pm
Pot is all you need. 1 cup rice - 3 cups water.
Too much water doesn't matter, you can drain it off - too little and you burn it.

245sam, May 25, 8:24pm
IMO cooking brown rice is not really different to cooking white rice except that it does take longer and that is because the outer/bran layer of the rice grains has not been removed during the processing.:-))

rkcroft, May 25, 9:35pm
everyone seems to have their own special method. The one that always works best for me:Double the amount of water to the rice - i.e 1 cup rice needs 2 cups of water.Bring water to boil with salt for taste.Meantime wash rice under cold water.When boiling, addwashed rice and stir with fork.Cover and bring back to boil then reduce heat to lowest setting and leave to simmer.DO NOT stir at any stage until all water has been absorbed.You can lift the lid and poke the fork into the rice to see if water has been absorbed, but don't stir.I always have perfect non stick rice with this method no matter what type or brand of rice I use.

cgvl, May 25, 9:47pm
I do approx. 1 cup rice to 2-3 cups water. To be honest I don't measure the water.
Put water and a tsp salt into a pot and on to a high heat, bring to boil. In meantime wash your rice really well until water runs clear. I use a sieve for this.
Once water boiling I tip in the rice and give it a good stir round, bring back to boil, stir again. turn heat off and leave for about 10 mins with lid on, I will sometimes stir it in this period before water has all absorbed, just to stop it sticking and burning.
Now depending on how well you like your rice cooked test it after the 10 mins, I usually leave mine about 15 -20mins.

tigra, May 26, 9:47am
Rice cooker. Even Indians and Chinese use them .and you can cook other things in them. Great for steaming.

winnie231, May 26, 9:52am
Don't leave the rice on the heat until it is cooked .
You're on the right track with the water to your finger joint - but .
bring to the boil then turn the heat down & let it boil gently with the lid off until 'holes'appear in the top of the rice & the rice is higher than the water level. At this point put the lid on, remove from the heat & leave to finish cooking on the side of you stove while you concentrate on the rest of dinner.
It can sit for 10-20mins quite happily.
Fluff/seperate with a fork before serving.

deus701, May 26, 10:14am
burning at the bottom means u left it cooking abit too long till all the water has evaporated and the rice burns.

Invest in a rice cooker with asian names.eg Panasonic and not 'continental' ones. I've seen them in Asian shops.

stefanie, May 26, 10:25am
Hi, I am fairly happy with my microwave cooking dish, makes perfect rice. I used to have rice cookers, made good rice, but then started to stick at the bottom after 3 months.
I remember reading that you should not add salt or fat to the rice before or during cooking (some chemistry reason, which I don't recall).
If all fails, lilyfield's suggestion works just as well.

emmapear, May 26, 11:24am
OK.best rice.Sturfry it in a little oil in the bottom of the pot for about 4 minutes. Then add double the amount of boiling water as you have rice (so 1 cup of rice add 2 cups boiling water). Then stir and add salt and put the lid on. Reduce the heat to very low and wait 20 minutes. DO NOT STIR AND DO NOT LIFT THE LID. That is all.

lythande1, May 26, 7:08pm
Pot is all you need. 1 cup rice - 3 cups water.
Too much water doesn't matter, you can drain it off - too little and you burn it.

rkcroft, May 26, 9:35pm
everyone seems to have their own special method. The one that always works best for me:Double the amount of water to the rice - i.e 1 cup rice needs 2 cups of water.Bring water to boil with salt for taste.Meantime wash rice under cold water.When boiling, addwashed rice and stir with fork.Cover and bring back to boil then reduce heat to lowest setting and leave to simmer.DO NOT stir at any stage until all water has been absorbed.You can lift the lid and poke the fork into the rice to see if water has been absorbed, but don't stir.I always have perfect non stick rice with this method no matter what type or brand of rice I use.

cgvl, May 26, 9:47pm
I do approx. 1 cup rice to 2-3 cups water. To be honest I don't measure the water.
Put water and a tsp salt into a pot and on to a high heat, bring to boil. In meantime wash your rice really well until water runs clear. I use a sieve for this.
Once water boiling I tip in the rice and give it a good stir round, bring back to boil, stir again. turn heat off and leave for about 10 mins with lid on, I will sometimes stir it in this period before water has all absorbed, just to stop it sticking and burning.
Now depending on how well you like your rice cooked test it after the 10 mins, I usually leave mine about 15 -20mins.

valentino, May 22, 3:21am
Some very good Rice cooking tips above.

lythande1, May 22, 3:53am
Do they! All the ones I know use a pot.

taurus2005, May 22, 4:10am
I microwave mine unless more than 2 cups than I use my rice cooker.My microwave has a sensor cooker especially for rice.In the microwave, usingbasmati rice, I add 2 cups of boiling water to one cup of rice and always put a plate under my rice cooker for any overflow.If using ordinary microwave, 20 mins on defrost - 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of boiling water using a casserole dish works well.Does depend on the type of rice as well.

slp123, May 22, 4:32am
rice cooker
and you just leave it on all day
and leave it cook itself
no need to watch it and perfect everytime