Get the perfect water-to-rice ratio for white, brown, jasmine, basmati, sushi, and wild rice. Adjusts for cooking method and batch size.
Perfectly cooked rice — fluffy, separate grains that aren't mushy or crunchy — depends almost entirely on getting the water ratio right. Too much water and you get soggy, sticky porridge; too little and the bottom burns while the top stays hard. The tricky part is that every type of rice needs a different ratio, and even the cooking method affects how much water you need.
Long-grain white rice typically uses a 1:1.5 ratio (one cup rice to one and a half cups water), but short-grain sushi rice needs 1:1.2, brown rice needs 1:2.5, and wild rice needs 1:3. These aren't just minor adjustments — using white rice ratios for brown rice will leave you with crunchy, undercooked grains. The cooking method matters too: stovetop requires slightly more water than a rice cooker because of evaporation, and the Instant Pot needs less water since it's a sealed system.
This calculator gives you the exact water amount for 15+ rice varieties across four cooking methods: stovetop, rice cooker, Instant Pot, and microwave. Just select your rice type, enter the amount, choose your method, and get perfect rice every time.
Every rice type needs a different water ratio, and most people only know the ratio for one type. This calculator covers 15+ varieties across all cooking methods so you never guess again. Keep these notes focused on your operational context. Tie the context to the calculator’s intended domain. Use this clarification to avoid ambiguous interpretation.
Water = Dry Rice × Base Ratio × Method Factor. Base ratios vary by type: white long-grain = 1.5, jasmine = 1.25, basmati = 1.5, sushi = 1.2, brown = 2.5, wild = 3.0. Method factors: stovetop = 1.0, rice cooker = 0.95, Instant Pot = 0.85, microwave = 1.1. 1 cup dry rice ≈ 3 cups cooked ≈ 3-4 servings.
Result: 2.5 cups water, 15 min cook + 10 min rest
Jasmine rice base ratio is 1.25:1. For 2 cups: 2 × 1.25 × 1.0 (stovetop) = 2.5 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce to low, cover for 15 minutes, rest 10 minutes with lid on.
**Long-grain white** (including jasmine and basmati) cooks into separate, fluffy grains. Jasmine has a subtle floral aroma — it's the standard in Thai cuisine. Basmati is aromatic and elongates dramatically when cooked — essential for Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. **Medium-grain** (Calrose, arborio) is stickier and creamier — perfect for risotto and sushi. **Short-grain** is the stickiest, ideal for Japanese rice balls (onigiri). **Brown rice** of any grain length retains its bran layer, requiring more water and longer cooking but offering more fiber and nutrients.
The #1 mistake is **using the wrong ratio for your rice type**. White and brown rice need completely different amounts of water. #2 is **lifting the lid during cooking** — this releases steam and disrupts the precise water balance. #3 is **not resting after cooking** — the 10-minute rest redistributes moisture so every grain is evenly cooked. #4 is **skipping the rinse** — unwashed rice has surface starch that makes it gummy. #5 is **stirring** — unless you're making risotto, don't touch the rice.
When cooking large batches, the water ratio decreases slightly because less surface area is exposed to evaporation relative to volume. For every doubling of rice, reduce water by about 10%. So if 1 cup needs 1.5 cups water, 4 cups needs about 5.5 cups water (not 6). This is especially important when cooking more than 4 cups at once on the stovetop.
For plain white long-grain rice on the stovetop, use 1:1.5 (1 cup rice to 1.5 cups water). But this varies by rice type — jasmine uses less water (1:1.25), brown rice uses more (1:2.5).
Slightly. Rinsed rice absorbs a bit of water during washing, so you can reduce water by about 1-2 tablespoons per cup. For fluffy separate grains, always rinse until water runs clear.
Too much water is the most common cause. Other culprits: stirring during cooking (releases starch), cooking too long, or not resting after cooking. Let rice sit covered for 10 minutes after the heat is off.
As a side dish: ¼ to ⅓ cup dry rice per person (~¾ to 1 cup cooked). As a main dish: ½ cup dry per person (~1.5 cups cooked). Adjust up for rice-heavy meals like stir-fry.
Yes, slightly — about 5% less than stovetop since rice cookers trap more steam. Most rice cookers include a measuring cup and water lines calibrated for their specific model.
Use 15% less water than stovetop (the sealed environment retains moisture). White rice: 1:1 ratio, high pressure 3-4 minutes, natural release 10 minutes. Brown rice: 1:1.25, 22 minutes high pressure.