What is the optimal amount of water to use when cooking rice?
December 23, 2022
The amount of water needed is generally 1.2 times the volume of rice. One cup of rice is 180cc, so you need about 220cc of water.
However, this is just a basic guideline. The amount of water varies depending on the variety, the type of rice (white rice, polished rice with germ, brown rice, etc.), the soaking time, and the setting of your rice cooker.
Personally, I think 1.2 times is too little.
I don't wait in line, so I cook rice immediately (and quickly) without soaking it. Perhaps because of this, I find that using 1.5 to 1.7 times the amount of water as the rice cooks it just right in my rice cooker.
Each household has different preferences, jars, and even the water they use, so there is no one right answer.
If the amount of water that penetrates the rice is different, the texture will change considerably, and the rice's natural sweetness and other potential will not be fully realized.
As a means of increasing penetration,
① Use cold water
②Ensure a suitable soaking time
These two.
When it's cold, the water penetrates quickly and thoroughly to the core. We also recommend soaking the rice in the refrigerator.
Mineral water produced outside of Japan is generally hard water (high calcium and magnesium concentrations), which makes rice tough.
How much is a "moderate amount"?
It is best not to rely 100% on the scale on the kettle. If you don't hold the kettle perfectly level and inspect it from a horizontal line, the scale will likely be off.
Just a 5-10% difference in water content can make a big difference in the texture.
To measure it precisely,
1. After sharpening, drain the water using a metal colander.
② Measure the amount of water using the same measuring cup as for rice.
Do these two things.
For example, for Milky Queen white rice, I personally find the best amount of water to be 1.6 to 1.7 times the volume of rice. For 1 cup (180cc), you need about 300cc of water. It's best to measure the amount rather than eyeball it to get a better result .
As you may already know, this is a basic point: water management is just as important as the level of the rice cooker when it comes to cooking delicious rice.
The amount of water needed is generally 1.2 times the volume of rice. One cup of rice is 180cc, so you need about 220cc of water.
However, this is just a basic guideline. The amount of water varies depending on the variety, the type of rice (white rice, polished rice with germ, brown rice, etc.), the soaking time, and the setting of your rice cooker.
Personally, I think 1.2 times is too little.
I don't wait in line, so I cook rice immediately (and quickly) without soaking it. Perhaps because of this, I find that using 1.5 to 1.7 times the amount of water as the rice cooks it just right in my rice cooker.
Each household has different preferences, jars, and even the water they use, so there is no one right answer.
If the amount of water that penetrates the rice is different, the texture will change considerably, and the rice's natural sweetness and other potential will not be fully realized.
As a means of increasing penetration,
① Use cold water
②Ensure a suitable soaking time
These two.
When it's cold, the water penetrates quickly and thoroughly to the core. We also recommend soaking the rice in the refrigerator.
Mineral water produced outside of Japan is generally hard water (high calcium and magnesium concentrations), which makes rice tough.
How much is a "moderate amount"?
It is best not to rely 100% on the scale on the kettle. If you don't hold the kettle perfectly level and inspect it from a horizontal line, the scale will likely be off.
Just a 5-10% difference in water content can make a big difference in the texture.
To measure it precisely,
1. After sharpening, drain the water using a metal colander.
② Measure the amount of water using the same measuring cup as for rice.
Do these two things.
For example, for Milky Queen white rice, I personally find the best amount of water to be 1.6 to 1.7 times the volume of rice. For 1 cup (180cc), you need about 300cc of water. It's best to measure the amount rather than eyeball it to get a better result .
As you may already know, this is a basic point: water management is just as important as the level of the rice cooker when it comes to cooking delicious rice.
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