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Rice Water Ratio Calculator

Free rice water ratio calculator. Enter rice cups and water ratio to find water cups needed and total uncooked mixture cups.

FREE CALCULATOR
min 0.5, max 20
min 1, max 3
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Your results will appear here.
Enter your values and press Calculate.

How it works

Multiply rice cups by the water ratio. Two cups of rice at a 1.5 ratio need 3 cups of water, giving 5 cups of uncooked mixture before cooking. Use the ratio for your rice type from the chart below, since basmati, brown, jasmine, sushi, and wild rice all absorb water differently.

water cups = rice cups × water ratio

The formula explained

Water cups equal rice cups multiplied by the water ratio, and total mixture cups equal rice cups plus water cups. The ratio is the heart of this rice water ratio calculator: a 1.5 ratio means one and a half cups of water for every cup of rice, while a 2 ratio means two cups of water per cup. Because the calculator shows the formula openly, you can check every result by hand before you cook.

Rice water ratio chart by type

White long grain rice usually works at 1.5 to 2 cups of water per cup of rice, basmati at about 1.5, jasmine at about 1.25 to 1.75, brown rice at about 2 to 2.5, sushi rice at about 1.25 to 1.33, and wild rice at about 2 to 3. Cook times follow the same pattern: white, basmati, and jasmine finish in 15 to 20 minutes, brown rice needs 40 to 45 minutes, and wild rice needs 45 to 60 minutes. Always check the packet, since brands and harvests vary.

How to use this rice cooking water calculator

Enter rice in cups and the water ratio for your rice type, then read water cups and total mixture cups. Measure rice and water with the same cup, rinse most rice until the water runs clear, keep the lid on while cooking, and rest the rice for 5 to 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Rinsing removes surface starch and helps grains stay separate, except for arborio rice for risotto, where starch is wanted.

Rice cooker water ratio and pressure cooker water ratio

A rice cooker usually needs a little less water than the stovetop, because less steam escapes: many basic cookers work well near 1.5 for white rice, and smart fuzzy logic cookers need about 8 to 12 percent less. A pressure cooker needs only about 1 to 1.35, because almost no water evaporates in a sealed pot. If your cooker rice comes out wet, reduce the ratio by a quarter cup next time rather than changing everything at once.

Worked examples

Two cups of rice at a 1.5 ratio need 3 cups of water. One cup of white long grain rice at a 2 ratio needs 2 cups of water, and one cup of brown rice at a 2.5 ratio needs 2.5 cups of water. For 4 cups of water at a 2 ratio, you need 2 cups of uncooked rice, which typically yields about 6 cups of cooked rice.

How much rice per person and cooked rice yield

As a main dish, allow about half a cup of uncooked rice per person, which yields about 1 to 1.5 cups cooked. As a side dish, a third of a cup uncooked per person is usually enough. One cup of uncooked white rice yields about 3 cups cooked, brown rice about 2.5 to 3 cups, and wild rice up to 4 cups, so cooked rice yield depends on type as much as on amount.

Common rice cooking mistakes

The most common mistakes are lifting the lid during cooking, stirring while the rice cooks, and using a different cup for rice and water. Lifting the lid lets steam escape and breaks the absorption balance, while stirring breaks grains and makes mush. A pot with a poor seal also loses steam, so add a quarter cup of water if steam escapes constantly.

How our page beats the competitors

Competitor pages bury the ratio inside long guides or hide it behind a single preset. Our page shows the formula, the ratio chart by type, cooker adjustments, and worked examples on one mobile first page, with no ads, no sign up, and no upsells. The result is instant, checkable, and focused on the exact question: how much water for rice.

Frequently asked questions

About 1.5 cups of water per cup of rice works for many basmati brands after rinsing. Check the packet, since aged and new harvest rice absorb differently, and fluff with a fork as soon as cooking ends.

Yes, usually about 2 to 2.5 cups of water per cup of brown rice, plus a longer cooking time of 40 to 45 minutes, because the bran layer slows absorption.

It depends on type. At a 1.5 ratio, 2 cups of rice need 3 cups of water. At a 2 ratio, the same rice needs 4 cups of water.

For a main dish, cook about half a cup of uncooked rice per person. For a side dish, about a third of a cup uncooked per person is enough.

Rinsing does not change the ratio much, but it removes surface starch and improves texture. Rinse until the water runs clear, then drain well before measuring water, so leftover rinse water does not add to the total.

Most rice cookers use about 1.5 cups of water per cup of white rice, a little less than the stovetop. Smart cookers may need 8 to 12 percent less again, so start at 1.5 and adjust by a quarter cup.

A pressure cooker needs only about 1 to 1.35 cups of water per cup of rice, because almost no water evaporates in a sealed pot. Cook white rice on high pressure for about 4 minutes, then release naturally for 10 minutes.

One cup of uncooked white rice yields about 3 cups of cooked rice. Brown rice yields about 2.5 to 3 cups, basmati and jasmine about 3 cups, sushi rice about 2.5 cups, and wild rice up to 4 cups.

Mushy rice usually means too much water, stirring during cooking, or a lid lifted too often. Crunchy rice usually means too little water or too short a cook time. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and steam for 5 more minutes to rescue undercooked rice.

The ratio stays the same when you scale up, so multiply both rice and water by the same factor. For very large stovetop batches above 4 to 5 cups of dry rice, you may need slightly less water, since a full pot loses proportionally less steam.

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