How to cook rice

Just can’t master the art of cooking rice on the stovetop? Many things can go wrong when prepping rice: how to cook rice gummy, too hard, burnt. But, once you’ve got it down, it’s simple to get it right every time.

Ugh, I know, rinsing is annoying, but it really is worth it to get rid of the dusty starches that may make the rice too sticky. Just place your rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. For most types of rice, you’ll always use a ratio of 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, which you can scale up or down. Double-check your rice packaging to be sure. Feel free to swap in chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor.

Then, stir in your rice and salt. And if you want to add a tab of butter, too, go for it — your rice will taste 10x better. After adding the rice, the temperature of your water will drop significantly, and it’ll stop boiling. Cover the saucepan and reduce heat to low. Though it will be tempting, keep the lid on! It’s very important not to mess with the steam.

For long grain white rice, I always set a timer for 18, knowing that it could need another minute or two. Let the rice be your indicator, not the water. If there’s a little water leftover, it’s totally fine! Just tilt the saucepan slightly to drain it out.