# Why the 2:1 ratio for cooking rice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730 "2012-01-26T14:25:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/21 "2012-01-26T17:28:07Z")
I’ll have to try some of these shorter cooking times using less water. I generally find that if I get to the 1.5 ratio, I get something that tastes undercooked. Or perhaps I just like my rice a little softer and fluffier than others. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/22 "2012-01-26T17:46:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > With risotto, the exact volume is not important, as long as you have enough liquid. You add it in ladle by ladle, and when it achieves the right texture, it’s done. I have no idea how much liquid my risotto typically absorbs. Well that’s what I meant - not “You must use 175ml of liquid per 100g of rice” or whatever, but that you can’t just slosh in any old amount. I make the distinction between dishes where you want the rice to absorb some sort of flavourful liquid, such as risottos, and those where you just want some plain white rice. For the latter, I’ve always cooked rice “pasta style” with an excess of water (and I never bother rinsing it first, as I figure the excess starch comes out in the drained water). ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/23 "2012-01-26T18:19:34Z")
I don’t pasta-drain my brown rice either. I use about a 1¼:1 ratio of liquid:rice and let it all absorb with the lid on tightly. For Hyderabad biryani, the basmati is boiled and drained pasta-style. However, its boil water is seasoned with whole spices: cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, black cumin. These stay with the rice when it’s drained and then they get baked together for lots & lots of flavor. And then you have to pick out the sticks & pods while eating and set them aside like vegetarian bones. When I make risotto, the ratio works out to about 4:1 liquid:rice because it’s open and evaporating out the whole time. And I use medium-grain rice if that makes any difference. For paella, it’s hard to say. It’s cooked open too, but _not_ stirred, which slows evaporation a little. Probably about 2¾:1, but then the rice is cooked in oil first and has the juices of the other things in it adding to the liquid also. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/24 "2012-01-26T18:24:10Z")
I always go with 2:1. Boil, reduce, and cover for 15 minutes. Comes out perfect every time, no need to drain or wash, no burning. I also prefer my rice on the soft and clumpy side. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/25 "2012-01-26T18:39:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > 2.71828 seems more natural. We saw what you did there.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/26 "2012-01-26T18:54:44Z")
Sorry, I meant 2¼:1 for brown rice. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/27 "2012-01-26T19:02:31Z")
I’ve been using a rice cooker for the last year inspired by [this article by Roger Ebert](http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/11/the_pot_and_how_to_use_it.html). I use it for much more than just cooking rice: Oatmeal, steaming vegetables, soups, stews and even steaming meat. You don’t necessarily need a fancy rice cooker for doing all of this but it’s handy because I can set it and forget it until it chimes and lets me know it’s done. But I still use it for cooking rice too! When I was starting out, I thought my rice was getting undercooked so I started upping the water ratio. It turned out it was in fact getting overcooked. The rice cooker keeps cooking until all the liquid water has evaporated so the ratio pretty much determines the cooking time. **I’ve since settled on a ratio of 1.75:1 for long grain brown rice**. My cooker has a countdown timer when it gets down to the last twenty-five minutes which is handy for knowing when to add vegetables: carrots go in with about 25 minutes left. Broccoli at about 20 minutes and Brussels sprouts (my favorite) go in with about 15 minutes remaining. I’m eating healthier, saving money at the grocery store by buying less processed food and spending not much more time in the kitchen than it took to throw something in the microwave. As [I’ve posted before](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=636012), my rice cooker is pretty much my religion. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/28 "2012-01-26T19:12:29Z")
If intelligent design manifests itself in rice, shouldn’t we accept that as evidence that Buddhism is the true faith? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/29 "2012-01-26T19:29:26Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Surely, you’re not serious. A 2:1 ratio indicates intelligent design? Why not a 1:1 ratio? Or 1.752343:1 ratio? Why wouldn’t an intelligent designer be able to choose any ratio? Actually, rice has had many intellegent designers over the centuries, doing artificial selection. No reason to say it wasn’t designed just because the designers didn’t start from scratch. On, preview, too late to talk about fuzzy logic rice cookers. Pity. I enjoy the term fuzzy logic. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/30 "2012-01-26T19:51:17Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Sorry, I meant 2¼:1 for brown rice. I was going to say, 1 1/4 seemed a bit optimistic for as long as brown rice takes to cook. 🙂 I used to just do the “normal” cooking method, but in the last year or so, I’ve been converted to boiling it. It cooks up a lot faster (about 30 minutes or so) and I find the texture better. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/31 "2012-01-26T20:32:14Z")
I do the common thing: Boil 2 cups of water, add (un-rinsed) one cup of white rice, cover, simmer for 12 minutes and then remove from the heat (still covered) for 5 minutes. Stir and fluff. Works every time. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/32 "2012-01-26T20:52:51Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > . . . The rice cooker keeps cooking until all the liquid water has evaporated so the ratio pretty much determines the cooking time. That’s really all this thread is about–with a rice cooker, the time variable is dependent, while on the stove top you’ve fixed it as a constant. Using the appropriate constraints with some linear programming these things can all be worked out, and your dinner will be ready shortly. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/33 "2012-01-26T23:05:36Z")
I always seem to need more than a 2:1, no matter what rice I cook with (and I have no fewer than 5 varieties of rice in my pantry right now). I guess i just really like my rice soft and wet. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/34 "2012-01-27T04:03:48Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Basmati rice likes 1:1.75 I buy my Basmati rice at an Indian grocery store and every type I have bought specifies 1:2. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/35 "2012-01-27T19:12:29Z")
I put my rice in a machine along with a bunch of water and push the lever and when the light comes on it’s done. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/36 "2012-01-27T19:54:29Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > I put my rice in a machine along with a bunch of water and push the lever and when the light comes on it’s done. In a rice cooker, the amount of water determines the cooking time, so it’s worth experimenting with the ratio. While there’s a wide latitude, I find overcooking tends to make rice mushy. ---
**Author:** ![Redfishhunter930](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Redfishhunter930](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redfishhunter930)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/37 "2012-01-27T20:03:31Z")
At culinary school when we were learning Asian cooking the instructor washed the rice 5-6 times until the water was clear. Then using his index finger touching the top of the rice level in the pan added water until the water was level with the first bend of his finger. Stirred until there was no clumps, turned on high until it boils put the lid on, turned the heat to low waited 5-10 minutes. Done I’ve used this method on long grain,basmati,jasmine,etc… Works perfectly every time no matter how much rice is in the pot. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/38 "2012-01-29T01:40:00Z")
Except for arborio rice (the type used for rissotto and some paellas) I stick to the 1:1.5, just controlling the cooking speed via heat and the time when I cover it. If I want a long grain rice that does not split and remains chewy and non-sticky I fry it a bit before adding boiling water. Since rice is a staple of our cuisine and I have been cooking since I was about 10 at this point I only measure when I am developing recipes (see link in my profile), otherwise I just eyeball it. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730/39 "2012-01-29T01:41:32Z")
I must clarify that the above does not apply to whole-grain rice, which, as has been mentioned before, needs more water and longer cooking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-2-1-ratio-for-cooking-rice/610730.md?page=1)