How to Cook Rice

As one of the most widely consumed foods around the world, rice is the ideal side for curries or slow-braised proteins. It stars in dishes like bibimbap and fried rice, and even desserts like coconut milk rice pudding. It is a staple of nearly every culture and, just as there are nearly countless ways to use this slender grain, there are myriad ways to cook rice.

With that in mind we tasked our test kitchen with identifying the best way to cook basmati rice. Testers tried six different methods: boiling in water like pasta, pressure cooking in an Instant Pot, microwaving, using a rice cooker, baking in an oven, and cooking on the stovetop. The results were somewhat surprising, especially if you have only cooked rice one way your entire life. Read on to learn the test kitchen’s favorite method for cooking basmati rice.

A word about our method

Before digging into the results, it’s important to note that all recipes started with the same steps: rinsing and soaking uncooked white basmati rice. Simply place the rice in a medium bowl, cover with cold tap water, and swish with your hands for about 15 seconds. Drain and repeat another 4 to 5 times. This will rinse some of the starch off the outside of the rice. Finally, soak the rinsed rice in water for about 30 minutes then strain and rinse well. Your rice is now ready to cook.

Boiling in water like pasta

Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 6/10

Method: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add prepared rice. Boil until rice is evenly cooked, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. This is exactly how you would cook pasta, though you’ll need to strain the rice through a fine mesh strainer to avoid losing it in the sink. Transfer the rice back to the pot, cover for 5 minutes, and then fluff with a fork.

Results: This method produced well-cooked grains of rice that did not clump together. The exterior of the rice grains were dryer on the surface but they retained their shape well without being mushy. Testers said the grains of rice were evenly tender through the center.

Pros: While boiling rice scored lowest on our list, it wasn’t exactly a bad method. Testers liked that it was so simple, especially when cooking a large quantity of rice at once. The grains of rice do not clump, which is ideal for certain applications like rice salads.

Cons: The biggest disadvantage in this method is simply the lack of flavor. When you drain the rice, you effectively drain away the flavor. And there are many situations where you will want rice to remain a little sticky; this method simply won’t work in those dishes.

Using a programmable electric pressure cooker

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Rating: 6/10

Method: Place rinsed rice, water, and salt in a programmable multicooker, like an Instant Pot, cover and lock with a lid, then pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure cooker to come up to the appropriate pressure before the cooking process begins. Let the pressure release naturally, which will take another 10 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Results: Out of all the methods, this one had the most mixed results during testing. Overall, the rice was browner in the pressure cooker than in any other method. Some rice clumped together well while other sections of rice were chewy.

Pros: The biggest advantage of using an electric pressure cooker is that it’s almost entirely hands-free. Plus, you can program most cookers for a delayed start, allowing you to set it and forget it.

Cons: The texture of rice cooked in a pressure cooker is quite mixed. Our testers said it wasn’t inedible, but it certainly wasn’t perfect.

Nuking in the microwave

Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Rating: 7/10

Method: Place rinsed rice in a microwave-safe bowl and add cold tap water and salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then cut a couple 1/2-inch vents to allow steam to escape. The cover traps steam like a mini rice cooker. Microwave on high for 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork and serve.

Results: Perhaps the biggest surprise among the testers, the microwave method actually worked fairly well. The rice was light, fluffy, and evenly cooked. Like the pressure cooker, this is mostly hands-off cooking and requires very little effort. This ranks higher, however, simply because the results were noticeably superior.

Pros: This is a fast and convenient way to cook rice with good results. You can even cook and serve the rice in the same container. The rice cooks fairly evenly and produces a light and fluffy final product.

Cons: You cannot cook large batches of rice in a microwave so this is really only ideal for making a couple servings at once. And if you choose a bowl that’s too small, the rice could make a mess in your microwave. You will need to spread the cooked rice onto a baking sheet to cool if you want to avoid the rice clumping.

Using a rice cooker

Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Rating: 9/10

Method: The small kitchen appliance designed to do this very job, a rice cooker is simple and effective. Place the rinsed rice, water, and salt in the rice cooker, set to cook according to manufacturer’s instructions, and let the machine do all the work. Fluff with a fork before serving or spread in an even layer on a baking sheet to cool if not using right away.

Results: The rice cooker produced very good results as the rice was evenly cooked. Since the machine does all the work for you, even adjusting the temperature as needed, you can really just set the machine and work on something else for your meal.

Pros: Testers used a 4-cup Aroma Rice Cooker, which produced consistent results. The rice was light, fluffy, and evenly cooked. A rice cooker requires no babysitting.

Cons: The brand, model, and age of rice cooker will produce varying results. You often cannot make large quantities of rice in a rice cooker.

Cooking on the stovetop

Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Rating: 9/10

Method: Perhaps the method most of us are most familiar with, cooking rice on the stovetop is straightforward and produces great results with a bit of effort and know-how. Place rinsed rice, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 12 minutes. Leave the lid on but remove from heat and allow to steam for another 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Results: This method is more hands-on than others on our list, but the results are worth it. The rice is perfectly cooked, fluffy, and tender, with minimal clumping.

Pros: The stovetop is one of the fastest methods. The rice is also perfectly cooked. Once you master this simple method, it’s also easy to enhance the rice with flavorings, even just butter.

Cons: Cooking on the stovetop requires a bit more attention than other methods. While the rice cooks very well, some of the grains will stick to the pot. It is ideal for small quantities of rice, but not great for large batches.

Cooking rice in the oven for best results

Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hours, 25 minutes
Rating: 10/10

Method: Start by preheating the oven to 375°F and spread rinsed rice evenly in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan then pour over rice. Stir gently then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until no water remains, about 35 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Results: The best results overall came from cooking rice in the oven. Since the oven provides consistent, uniform heat, the rice is perfectly cooked with no risk of scorching or uneven cooking. Testers especially loved that they could prepare large quantities of rice with ease, plus it’s mostly hands-off cooking, meaning you have plenty of time to devote toward other elements of the meal.

Pros: The oven method produced the most consistent, perfectly cooked rice out of all the methods. It also doesn’t clump once cooled slightly. It’s our go-to method when making large batches of rice at once since it’s so easy to scale up. There is virtually no risk of ruining the rice using the oven method.

Cons: The biggest drawback with the oven method is that it takes longer than the other methods on this list.

Final Takeaways

If you want consistently tender, light, and fluffy rice, look no further than your oven. It’s the ideal environment to cook large quantities of rice and comes with virtually no risk of error. If you want your rice cooked faster (or in smaller quantities), simply use the stovetop method or a rice cooker.