I dont wash my rice and it turns out fine. Most other Filipinos i know who wash it said to remove possible dirt (occasionally i’ll find a stone or two in the rice). But i dont see why people would want to remove the starch. I like sticky rice, i dont like it when it doesnt stick. The more starch the better. My family doesnt add salt to it either.
We also use a rice cooker. My grandmother says anyone who cooks rice on the stove is either: crazy, or: their rice cooker broke. The rice cooker is the way to go, it’s a lot easier to cook rice that way and a lot more convenient.
But here’s how dad taught me to cook it on the stove:
measure the rice out using your index finger. remember the spot. Add water to two times the depth of the rice. Cover tightly and boil until the water has been absorbed. I tried this once and didnt watch it closely and ended up burning it on the bottom. Rice cooker is the way to go.
You can get rice cookers in a variety of sizes, from two cup versions, to pots that will cook 12 cups of rice. Also, if you eat a lot of rice, a rice dispenser is the way to go (it will measure your rice for you as well).
Side story: I was absolutely shocked when my friend Paul said it would take him two years to finish a 50 lb bag of rice…i told him my family could finish it in a month :).