How do you make your rice?

[RPCookin]

White rice - 1 part rice and 1 1/2 parts water

brown rice - 1 part rice to 2 parts water

I always use a rice cooker for all rices, included packaged rices such as Zatarains and Near East, and my own recipe for Mexican rice. No timer required because the rice cooker knows when it's finished cooking the rice, then shifts to KEEP WARM mode for however long you need to keep it warm.

Not in Colorado. Use those proportions and you'll have one of two things - undercooked rice or burnt rice. I use 1 to 2 for white and for brown it's more like 1 to 3. Boiling water just isn't hot enough here, just 203.8 here at 4200 feet. I lose too much in steam before the rice is cooked. None of my pans has a tight enough lid to keep some steam from escaping.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

If I need plain rice, I'll cook it one of two ways. If I have time and feel like measuring, I do. If I'm in a hurry I use the Sara Moulton pasta way: boil a lot of water, pour in measure of raw rice, set timer. When the rice is done, drain it into a mesh strainer. Easy, but you do have one more dreaded thing to wash (strainer).

I just donated my rice cooker. We got a cheap Sunbeam(?) when Service Merchandise was going out of business. It took up floor space in my pantry because I never used it enough to take up counter space. The problem was, out of sight, out of mind. I don't miss it.

 

[tenspeed]

I'm very surprised so many American cooks here eat so much rice that a dedicated separate appliance would be wanted or get so much use.

Convenience. No monitoring is required. I splurged on a Zoji and am glad I did, as the porridge setting gives you a greater variety of capabilities. It makes a great faux risotto, which is better than what I've had in Italian restaurants. I also make steel cut oatmeal in whole milk, which is a dump, start and ignore process, and it comes out perfect every time.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Not in Colorado. Use those proportions and you'll have one of two things - undercooked rice or burnt rice. I use 1 to 2 for white and for brown it's more like 1 to 3. Boiling water just isn't hot enough here, just 203.8 here at 4200 feet. I lose too much in steam before the rice is cooked. None of my pans has a tight enough lid to keep some steam from escaping.

I live at the beach, official elevation 11 feet above sea level at city hall, so I don't worry about how to cook rice in Mile High stadium. However, I did use my rice cooker when I lived in Albuquerque using those same proportions and I never had a problem with perfect rice every time. Maybe you, too, should look into getting a rice cooker.

 

[roadfix]

Convenience. You cook rice in the rice cooker in the morning and it keeps warm all day for your family meals. That's if you're a rice eater....

 

[GotGarlic]

Convenience. You cook rice in the rice cooker in the morning and it keeps warm all day for your family meals. That's if you're a rice eater....

It doesn't get overcooked? I can't imagine rice that's been kept hot enough all day to avoid food poisoning.

I like rice, but we don't eat it every day. Once, maybe twice a week.

 

[roadfix]

It doesn't get overcooked? I can't imagine rice that's been kept hot enough all day to avoid food poisoning.

This is pretty much standard practice among most rice eating cultures.

 

[medtran49]

I use whatever amount of liquid is appropriate for the kind of rice I'm making. Rinse the rice until water is pretty clear and drain. Bring water to boil with salt. Add rice, cover, let it come back up to boil for a couple of minutes (watch so it doesn't boil over) and then turn off the heat and let it sit on the hot burner while I cook the rest of the meal or at least 20 minutes. It's always perfect, never overcooked, undercooked or burned.

 

[Janet H]

It doesn't get overcooked? I can't imagine rice that's been kept hot enough all day to avoid food poisoning.

I've never held rice all day in my rice cooker but routinely do for a couple of hours with no noticeable degradation in texture or flavor. There is substantial appeal in being able to start the rice and then turn to other tasks with no worry of boiling over, burning, etc.

One of my favorite New years eve party 'meals' is to make a large pot of black eyed peas, have a pot of rice and a spiral cut ham, buffet style. The peas in the slow cooker and rice hold all night. They stay nice and warm and are hassle free.

 

[callmaker60]

Made the rice last night, using the microwave, turned out great.

 

[Addie]

Not in Colorado. Use those proportions and you'll have one of two things - undercooked rice or burnt rice. I use 1 to 2 for white and for brown it's more like 1 to 3. Boiling water just isn't hot enough here, just 203.8 here at 4200 feet. I lose too much in steam before the rice is cooked. None of my pans has a tight enough lid to keep some steam from escaping.

Place a sheet of foil over the top of the pan making sure it goes over the edges then place the lid on. Cuts down on the loss of steam.

 

[CharlieD]

I think you should fallow directions on the packaging. Rather than somebody's advice. I use three different kinds of rice on the regular bases. They all take different amount of water.

 

[CWS4322]

I boil the water/broth/stock in the tea kettle or a pan while I am sauteeing the onions, carrots, and celery. I add the rice and toast that and then I add the liquid. That way, the water is already at a boil and I can drop the temperature immediately. It cuts the time down a bit as well. I let the rice sit for 10-20 minutes.

 

[bakechef]

It doesn't get overcooked? I can't imagine rice that's been kept hot enough all day to avoid food poisoning.

I like rice, but we don't eat it every day. Once, maybe twice a week.

My Japanese friend always has rice in his cooker and scoops out as needed. This practice seemed really weird to me, it must be a cultural thing. It just doesn't seem like the safest way to me. I imagine that is how most Asian restaurants do it though.

 

[GotGarlic]

My Japanese friend always has rice in his cooker and scoops out as needed. This practice seemed really weird to me, it must be a cultural thing. It just doesn't seem like the safest way to me. I imagine that is how most Asian restaurants do it though.

Asian restaurants have to follow the same food-safety rules as other restaurants, which requires holding cooked foods at or above 141F.

 

[bakechef]

Asian restaurants have to follow the same food-safety rules as other restaurants, which requires holding cooked foods at or above 141F.

Yeah, probably the same way that a home cooker would keep it warm all day.

As a food service worker, I'm very aware of the 141 degree holding temp ;-)

 

[GotGarlic]

Yeah, probably the same way that a home cooker would keep it warm all day.

As a food service worker, I'm very aware of the 141 degree holding temp ;-)

I know you are! I'm just trying to imagine the texture of rice that is kept that hot for several hours

 

[Cooking Goddess]

My SIL's son-in-law is Taiwan-born, moved to the USA when he was 16 and became a citizen. When her daughter and SIL were still living stateside, they bought my SIL a rice cooker. She would make a pot-full of rice that would last them 3-4 days. Somehow, it never spoiled and the texture never really changed much. We like rice, but not enough for me to plan meals around it for half a week.

 

[bakechef]

I know you are! I'm just trying to imagine the texture of rice that is kept that hot for several hours

Yeah, I don't think it would be great. I'm not going to try it to find out!

 

[Zhizara]

I like to make brown rice with a package of onion soup mix. It makes a lot when you let the amount of water determine how much rice to use.

It's easy to spoon into sandwich size baggies and frozen for future use.