Cooking rice is simple, but cooking great rice—the kind that’s fluffy and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot— requires some basic know-how. Whether you’re looking for a rice recipe or want to know how many cups of water per cup of rice to use, we’ve got you covered.

Your rice to water ratio and timing will vary depending on a few factors, including the kind of rice you’re cooking—white, brown, jasmine, basmati or wild, for example. Some 40,000 varieties of rice grow around the world, each differing in flavor, aroma and texture. And each can require a slightly nuanced method of cooking, a process also influenced by the length of the grains and how they are milled, which removes the fiber-rich bran and polishes the starchy endosperm.

We recommend cooking rice in a pot—a large saucepan like our Christopher Kimball by 1919 3-Quart Covered Stainless Steel Saucepan that allows the grains to spread out is ideal—but if you prefer a rice maker, we recommend the one Christopher Kimball uses at home, the Kamado-San Double-Lid Donabe Rice Cooker, which produces perfect rice using a classic clay pot design from Japan.

How to Cook 7 Common Varieties

Below are instructions for cooking seven common varieties of rice. For each, we started by rinsing and thoroughly draining the rice, then cooked it in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Each recipe yields 4 cups of cooked rice. Note: Don’t rinse too far ahead of time—no longer than 10-15 minutes or so—otherwise the rice will break up into little pieces.

Short-Grain White Rice

Japanese-style medium- and short-grain white rice is plump and stubby. Most of what's available in the U.S is grown domestically. When cooked, the grains become sticky but remain distinct, and take on a shiny, slightly translucent quality. Bring 1¾ cups water and 1½ cups rice to a boil, covered, then reduce to low and cook until the water has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Long-Grain White Rice

Long-grain white rice has had its bran and germ removed, making it quicker-cooking and milder in flavor than brown. Before it is packaged, it may be polished to remove any impurities and give the grain a glossy appearance. Bring 2¼ cups water, 1½ cups rice and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to a simmer, then reduce to low, cover and cook until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Fast-Cooking Brown Rice (that tastes great too!)

Sukoyaka Genmai brown rice cooks using the same method and time as short-grain white rice. It is also not as heavy as traditional brown rice; it’s like a marriage of white and brown. The secret lies in how it's processed: the rice is partially milled, which opens up the grain to absorb liquid more easily and cook faster. Try our Thai Fried Rice or, for a bit more punch, Kimchi and Bacon Fried Rice. Leftover rice can be frozen.

Long-Grain Brown Rice

Only the tough hull is removed from long-grain brown rice, leaving the bran and germ intact, giving the rice more nutrients, a nutty flavor and a slightly chewy texture. Because it has oil in its bran layer, brown rice can spoil faster than white rice; uncooked rice keeps for six months stored in a cool, dry place. To cook, bring 1¾ cups water, 1 cup rice and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt to a simmer, then reduce to low, cover and cook until tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Basmati Rice

Long-grained, fragrant and nutty, basmati rice is primarily grown in India and Pakistan. When cooked properly, the grains should stay distinct and fluffy. Bring 2¼ cups water, 1½ cups rice and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to a simmer, then reduce to low, cover and cook until tender and fluffy and the water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Jasmine Rice

Jasmine rice is shorter, softer and plumper than basmati, but just as aromatic (and still a long-grained rice). Grown in Thailand, jasmine rice cooks up somewhat sticky and slightly sweet. Bring 2 cups water, 1½ cups rice and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, if desired, to a simmer, then reduce to low, cover and cook until tender and fluffy and the water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Wild Rice

Native to North America, wild rice is a type of semi-aquatic grass that is nutty, woody and toothsome. Bring 5 cups water, 1½ cups rice and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a boil, reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat for a gentle but steady simmer, until the rice is chewy-tender and about half of the grains split open and curl, about 45 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer.

Pro-Tips

How to Cook Rice without a Measuring Cup

Chef JJ Johnson, of New York restaurants Henry at Life Hotel and FieldTrip has a pointer (pun intended) for cooking rice without a measuring cup. Just use your finger to determine how much water to use, he suggests. Put rice in a sauce pot. Stick your middle finger into the rice and add water until it comes to right above the first indentation in your finger. (Of course this may vary depending on the length of your fingers, but it’s a tried-and-true method in a pinch.) Then cook it low and slow.

Yes, You Can Freeze Rice—and You Should

“People think you have to make rice when you want to eat it, but that’s just not true,” cookbook author Andrea Nguyen says. “You make rice and you bank it in the fridge [or freezer] so you can reheat it later.” Freshly-cooked rice needs about two hours to chill adequately, and unfortunately, warm rice won’t work for recipes that call for frying or adding it as a garnish; it will clump, stick to the pan and turn gummy. So when you have an extra moment, cook a spare batch or two of rice, cool it completely and stick it in a zip-close bag, then freeze. With a quick defrost on the countertop or in the microwave, it’ll be ready to cook.

Skip the Soak, But Always Rinse

Here at Milk Street we don’t soak rice, but we do rinse it to remove starch. A Andrea Nguyen says, “You’re washing away surface starch, not nutrients, and I hope you’re getting your nutrients from somewhere else than rice anyway.” Rinse in cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. But remember, don’t rinse too far in advance—10-15 minutes at most, otherwise the rice will fall apart into little pieces.