HowMuchIt / Rice and water
How much water for rice?
For long-grain white rice on the stove, 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water per cup of rice; brown rice takes more. The package has the final word for its own rice, and a rice cooker has its own cup.
Work out your rice and water
| Rice | Water | Simmer, covered |
|---|---|---|
| Long-grain white | 1 1/2 to 2 cups | about 20 minutes |
| Brown | 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 cups | 30 to 45 minutes |
A rice cooker's own cup holds 180 ml, about 3/4 of a US cup: in a cooker, use its cup and its lines.
Stovetop, the plain way
Rinse the rice in cold water, drain, and repeat until the water runs clearer. Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, cover, and lower the heat to a simmer: about 20 minutes for white rice, 30 to 45 for brown. Then leave it covered off the heat for 5 to 10 minutes before you fluff it with a fork. One cup of dry white rice makes about three cups cooked, so plan the pot from the cooked amount you need.
The rice cooker cup
The little cup that comes with a rice cooker holds 180 milliliters, about three quarters of a US measuring cup. That is why a "3-cup" cooker makes less than you expect. In a cooker, measure the rice with its own cup and fill the water to the matching line inside the pot; do not mix its cup with your kitchen cups.
Questions people ask
How much water for 2 cups of rice?
For long-grain white rice, 3 to 4 cups of water; for brown rice, 3 1/2 to 5.
Do I have to rinse rice?
Rice makers say to rinse it in cold water until the water runs clearer.
How much cooked rice does 1 cup make?
About 3 cups, for white rice.
Good to know
- Long-grain white rice on the stovetop takes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water per cup of rice; many packages say 2.1,2,3
- Brown rice needs more water than white: about 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 cups per cup of rice.1,3,4
- Water amounts vary by brand and variety, so check the package directions first.3,5
- 1 cup of uncooked white rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice.1,6
- White rice simmers covered for about 20 minutes (15 to 25 depending on the type).1,2
- Brown rice simmers much longer, about 30 to 45 minutes.1,4
- Let cooked rice rest, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes before fluffing.1,7
- The cup that comes with a rice cooker holds 180 ml, about 3/4 of a US measuring cup.8,9,10
- In a rice cooker, measure rice with the cooker's own cup and add water to the matching line in the pot.8,9
- Rice makers say to rinse rice in cold water before cooking, draining and repeating until the water runs clearer.7,8
How we checked this page
Checked on October 27, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent publishers agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. Where sources give different numbers, we keep only what they share. We never write a price. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.
Sources
- Ready, Set, Rice! A Rice Cooking Playbook, USA Rice Federation
- Traditional Extra Long Grain White Rice (cooking directions), Mahatma Rice (Riviana Foods)
- Rice 101, Lundberg Family Farms
- How to Cook Perfect Brown Rice and Recipes, Mahatma Rice (Riviana Foods)
- How to Cook Jasmine Rice: 5 Easy Ways, Mahatma Rice (Riviana Foods)
- In a Pinch: Food Yields (MP563), University of Missouri Extension
- How to Cook Perfect Steamed Rice, Mahatma Rice (Riviana Foods)
- FAQ - Rice Cookers, Zojirushi America
- What's the REAL Rice Cup Size? Aroma Q&A, Aroma Housewares
- Cup (unit), Wikipedia (unit definition)