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During our last move, I lost the plastic cup that came inside my rice cooker, which I use at least twice a week. If this has happened to you, post explains how to make rice in the rice cooker using traditional measuring cups, how much water to use, and a replacement cup.
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Perfect Rice in a Rice Cooker
One of the reasons I use my rice cooker a couple of times per week to cook rice, instead of cooking rice on the stove, is because the outcome is perfect rice that I don’t have to watch over.
Unlike using a pot where you have to remember the rice-to-water ratios, all rice cookers have measured water lines on the side of the pot insert. These markings ensure that your rice cooker rice comes out perfect every time.
The only caveat? Those water lines are marked according to the number of plastic cups filled with rice you add inside. So if you’ve lost your plastic cup and want to know how much rice to use, you’re at the right place!
How to Make Rice in a Rice Cooker
The easiest way to make rice in a rice cooker is to use the provided plastic cup to measure the rice into the cooker and fill it to the corresponding line with water. This means that for each plastic cup filled with dry white rice, you add to the rice cooker, you match it to the numbered water line in the inner pot of the rice cooker.
- Measure the dry rice
Use the plastic cup that comes with the rice cooker to measure how much rice you want to cook. Each plastic cup filled with dry rice is about 2 portions. - Rinse
Rinsing the rice is optional but recommended by all rice cooker manufacturers to remove excess starch from the rice. - Add the rice
After rinsing, place the rice inside the inner pot of the rice cooker. Having the rice inside makes a huge difference to how the rice comes out. - Fill with water
With the rice inside, fill the inner pot with as much water as the number of plastic cups filled with rice you added to the pot. For example, if you added 2 plastic cups filled with rice, fill the inner pot to the 2 cups water line. Stir. - Cook
Put the lid on the rice cooker, set the cooking program to white rice or press start, and keep the lid on until the rice is done cooking. - Fluff and serve
Once the rice cooker beeps letting you know that the cooking program is finished, remove the lid and use a plastic spatula to fluff the rice. Let some of the steam vent out for a couple of minutes, and serve.
Rinsing the Rice
I personally prefer the texture of rice that’s been rinsed before being cooked in a rice cooker because it’s not sticky and wet. Rinsing the rice before cooking under cold water removes the excess starch from the rice, so the finished product won’t be as sticky and the grains separate easily. If you don’t rinse it, the outcome is rice that’s a little stickier (some people say mushy or wet).
Rice Cooker Water to Rice Ratio for White Rice
If there’s one thing I learned when I lost the plastic cup that came with my rice cooker is that the amounts marked on all rice packaging do not apply to cooking rice in a rice cooker.
All water-to-rice ratios for cooking rice in a rice cooker are based on the universal plastic cup that comes with the machine and the water lines marked inside the cooking pot.
When you have the plastic cup, the ratio is 1 plastic cup filled with dry rice to 1 water line marking, and each line marking is 2 plastic cups.
The good news is that each plastic cup fits ¾ cup of dry rice measured with a traditional measuring cup, which means it’s 1 ½ cups liquid or a 2:1 water-to-rice ratio. Check this chart:
White Rice to Water Ratio in Rice Cooker
| Plastic Cups | Dry Rice | Water Line | Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ¾ cup | 1 cup line | 2 |
| 2 | 1 ½ cups | 2 cups line | 4 |
| 3 | 2 ¼ cups | 3 cups line | 6 |
| 4 | 3 cups | 4 cups line | 8 |
Rice Cooker Cup Size
The small plastic cup that comes with your rice cooker is 180ml or approximately ¾ US cup. 1 plastic cup = ¾ cup dry rice = 1 water line = 2 servings
Rice Cooker Cup Replacement
I spent months measuring my dry rice using traditional measuring cups-and you can, too-until I realized that all rice cooker cups are the same size, regardless of the brand! Save yourself the trouble and replace it, they’re cheap.
How Much Is a Serving of Rice Per Person
Although they’re easy to misplace, rice cookers come with those plastic measuring cups to make calculating the number of servings easier. Each plastic cup of dry rice is 2 servings of cooked rice.
If you lost the plastic cup, don’t worry! Each ¾ cup of dry rice serves 2 people. Or, each water line number marked in the rice cooker pot will serve 2 people. It’s that easy! Refer to the chart above for servings.
Sticky Rice in the Rice Cooker
If you want to make sticky rice in the rice cooker, you simply add the rice to the pot without rinsing it. This leaves the starch intact, and the rice will be sticky. You do not need to add any additional water to the rice cooker. Refer to the chart for ratios.
What is the Best Rice Cooker to Cook Rice
If your rice cooker is on its last leg, there are 3 rice cookers I can confidently recommend. This is a great budget option that will cook 3 cups of rice at a time. I also like this digital automatic rice cooker that makes 2-8 cups of rice. This one is pricey but it’s fully automatic and makes fantastic rice.
How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
Using Traditional Measuring Cups
- 2 ¼ cups long grain white rice
OR With Your Rice Cooker's Plastic Cup
- 3 cups long grain white rice
Water
- 3 cups line water, as marked inside the cooking pot
Instructions
Prep:
- Measure the rice with the rice cooker cup and put it in a strainer. Rinse it under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear. Rinsing is optional but a recommended step in most rice cookers to remove excess starch so the rice doesn't come out sticky.
Cook:
- Place the rice inside the rice cooker. Then, add the water. All rice cookers have water lines marked on the side of the bowl. Fill the water to the line that equals the number of plastic cups you added. For example, 3 measured cups = water line 3.
- Put the lid on and set it to cook white rice. Some rice cookers have different cooking programs while others simply have a start button.
- When the rice is done cooking, remove the lid, let some of the steam vent out, and use a plastic spatula to fluff the rice and serve it.
Notes
- All rice cookers use a universal plastic cup. This cup fits ¾ cup of dry rice (190g) and 6oz or ¾ cup (180 ml) of water.
- Yield: each plastic cup filled with dry rice (¾ cup, 190 g) yields approximately 2 cups of cooked rice.
- Servings: each plastic (rice cooker) cup of dry rice you measure is enough for 2 servings (2 people).
- Ratio: 1 rice cooker cup filled with rice to 1 water line inside the rice cooker.
- Lost cup: use regular measuring cups to measure ¾ cup dry rice (190g) for each “plastic cup” you want to cook. Then, fill according to the lines inside the rice cooker.
Tali Go says
Thank you for saving my sanity. Your chart was very helpful!
Robby K says
Thanks for confirming my understanding that the plastic cup is equal to a 3/4 cup measurement. I’m making a six cup batch in my rice cooker to make SPAM musubis… so 6 times 3/4 equals 4 1/2 cups of dry rice in the cooker then fill water up to the six line. Easy Peasy!!
Anne Broomer says
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions on rice to water ratio. The instructions that came with the rice cooker were not clear to me. I am going to use the rice cooker for the first time today.
Jackie says
Great rice recipe!
Sol says
This ratio post explained it all.