Rice to water ratio by type of rice
Ratios are cups of water per cup of uncooked rice, by volume, so they work with any cup as long as you use the same one for both. These are stovetop figures: bring the water to a boil, stir in the rice, cover, and simmer on low until the water is absorbed.
| Rice | Water per 1 cup | Brands range | Simmer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-grain white rice | 2 cups | 1¾ to 2 cups | 15–20 minthen 10 min covered |
| Jasmine rice | 1½ cups | 1½ to 2 cups | 15–18 min |
| Basmati rice | 1¾ cups | 1¾ to 2 cups | 15–20 min |
| Short- and medium-grain rice (sushi rice) | 1½ cups | 1¼ to 1¾ cups | 15–20 minthen 10 min covered |
| Brown rice | 2¼ cups | 1¾ to 2¼ cups | 35–45 minthen 10 min covered |
| Wild rice | 3 cups | 1.8 to 3 cups | 40–50 minthen 10 min covered |
| Parboiled (converted) rice | 2¼ cups | All agree | 20–25 minthen 5 min covered |
The USA Rice Federation's rule of thumb is 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice, and it notes that some types need a little less or more. It also advises checking the package directions for the specific rice you are using.
How much water for 1 cup of rice?
For 1 cup of long-grain white rice, use 2 cups (480 mL) of water. For 1 cup of jasmine, 1½ cups (360 mL); basmati, 1¾ cups (420 mL); brown rice, 2¼ cups (540 mL). One cup of uncooked rice makes about 3 cups cooked, according to USA Rice, enough for about 4 servings at the label serving of ¼ cup dry.
| 1 cup of | Water | Simmer |
|---|---|---|
| Long-grain white | 2 cups480 mL | 15–20 min |
| Jasmine | 1½ cups360 mL | 15–18 min |
| Basmati | 1¾ cups420 mL | 15–20 min |
| Short/medium grain, sushi | 1½ cups360 mL | 15–20 min |
| Brown | 2¼ cups540 mL | 35–45 min |
| Wild | 3 cups720 mL | 40–50 min |
| Parboiled | 2¼ cups540 mL | 20–25 min |
How much water for 2 cups of rice?
For 2 cups of long-grain white rice, use 4 cups (960 mL) of water. Jasmine takes 3 cups and brown rice 4½ cups. Scale the water with the rice; the simmer time stays about the same. Use a pot big enough for rice that triples in volume.
| Rice | Long-grain white | Jasmine | Basmati | Short/medium grain, sushi | Brown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ½ cupmakes ~1½ cooked | 1 cup | ¾ cup | ⅞ cup | ¾ cup | 1⅛ cups |
| 1 cupmakes ~3 cooked | 2 cups | 1½ cups | 1¾ cups | 1½ cups | 2¼ cups |
| 1½ cupsmakes ~4½ cooked | 3 cups | 2¼ cups | 2⅝ cups | 2¼ cups | 3⅜ cups |
| 2 cupsmakes ~6 cooked | 4 cups | 3 cups | 3½ cups | 3 cups | 4½ cups |
| 3 cupsmakes ~9 cooked | 6 cups | 4½ cups | 5¼ cups | 4½ cups | 6¾ cups |
| 4 cupsmakes ~12 cooked | 8 cups | 6 cups | 7 cups | 6 cups | 9 cups |
Water at each column's default ratio: white 2, jasmine 1½, basmati 1¾, sushi 1½, brown 2¼ cups per cup of rice.
White rice water ratio
Use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of long-grain white rice, the figure Mahatma and the USA Rice Federation both give. Simmer it covered for 15 to 20 minutes. Lundberg uses a little less water, 1¾ cups, and a shorter 15-minute simmer followed by 10 minutes of steaming off the heat.
| Who | Water per 1 cup | Stovetop time |
|---|---|---|
| MahatmaWhite Rice (extra long grain) | 2 cups | Simmer 20 min |
| USA Rice FederationWhite, long grain | 2 cups | Simmer 15–18 min |
| LundbergOrganic Long Grain White | 1¾ cups | Simmer 15 minthen 10 min covered |
Jasmine rice water ratio
Use 1½ cups of water for 1 cup of Thai jasmine rice, per Mahatma, and simmer 15 minutes. Mahatma suggests ¼ cup less water for drier rice or ¼ cup more for softer. The USA Rice Federation's chart, written for US-grown jasmine, gives 2 cups, so if your bag is grown in the US, check its own directions.
| Who | Water per 1 cup | Stovetop time |
|---|---|---|
| MahatmaJasmine White Rice (Thai) | 1½ cups¼ cup less water for drier rice, ¼ cup more for moister | Simmer 15 min |
| USA Rice FederationU.S. jasmine, white | 2 cups | Simmer 15–18 min |
Basmati rice water ratio
Use 1¾ cups of water for 1 cup of basmati rice, per Mahatma's directions for its rice from India, and simmer 20 minutes. USA Rice lists 2 cups and 15 to 18 minutes for US-grown basmati. Mahatma calls rinsing optional: it gives fluffier grains but can wash away some flavor.
| Who | Water per 1 cup | Stovetop time |
|---|---|---|
| MahatmaBasmati Rice (India) | 1¾ cups¼ cup less water for drier rice, ¼ cup more for moister | Simmer 20 min |
| USA Rice FederationU.S. basmati, white | 2 cups | Simmer 15–18 min |
Sushi rice water ratio (short and medium grain)
Use about 1½ cups of water for 1 cup of sushi rice or other short- and medium-grain white rice. Lundberg, Mahatma's sticky rice and the USA Rice chart for medium grain all land on 1½ cups. USA Rice gives less, 1¼ cups, for short grain, and Mahatma's Valencia rice for paella takes more, 1¾. Lundberg rinses sushi rice until the water runs clear, soaks it 30 minutes, drains it, then cooks it in fresh water.
| Who | Water per 1 cup | Stovetop time |
|---|---|---|
| LundbergOrganic Sushi Rice | 1½ cupsrinse, soak 30 minutes, drain, use fresh water | Simmer 20 minthen 10 min covered |
| MahatmaSticky Rice | 1½ cupsrinse until the water runs clear | Simmer 15 min |
| MahatmaValencia (short grain, for paella) | 1¾ cups | Simmer 20 min |
| USA Rice FederationWhite, medium grain | 1½ cups | Simmer 15–18 min |
| USA Rice FederationWhite, short grain | 1¼ cups | Simmer 15–18 min |
Brown rice water ratio
Use 2¼ cups of water for 1 cup of long-grain brown rice. Mahatma, Ben's Original and the USA Rice Federation agree on 2¼ cups; Mahatma simmers 35 minutes and USA Rice 40 to 45. Lundberg uses 2 cups for its long-grain brown and 1¾ cups for short-grain brown, both simmered 45 minutes and then left covered 10 minutes.
| Who | Water per 1 cup | Stovetop time |
|---|---|---|
| MahatmaWhole Grain Brown Rice | 2¼ cups | Simmer 35 min |
| Ben's OriginalNatural Whole Grain Brown Rice | 2¼ cups | Not given |
| USA Rice FederationBrown, medium or long grain | 2¼ cups | Simmer 40–45 min |
| LundbergOrganic Long Grain Brown | 2 cups | Simmer 45 minthen 10 min covered |
| LundbergShort Grain Brown | 1¾ cups | Simmer 45 minthen 10 min covered |
Wild rice water ratio
The USA Rice Federation gives 3 cups of water per cup of wild rice and 40 to 50 minutes. Lundberg uses much less: 2¼ cups of water for its 8 oz bag, which its label counts as about five ¼-cup servings, so roughly 1¼ cups of rice and about 1.8 cups of water per cup. Lundberg simmers fast for 45 to 50 minutes, then lets the rice steam 10 minutes. If it is still firm, Lundberg adds 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and cooks a few minutes more.
| Who | Water per 1 cup | Stovetop time |
|---|---|---|
| USA Rice FederationWild rice | 3 cups | Simmer 40–50 min |
| LundbergOrganic Wild Rice | About 1.8 cups2¼ cups water per 8 oz bag, which is about 1¼ cups by the label’s ¼-cup servings | Simmer 45–50 minthen 10 min covered |
Parboiled rice water ratio
Use 2¼ cups of water for 1 cup of parboiled (converted) rice. Ben's Original, Mahatma and USA Rice all give 2¼ cups. Ben's simmers it covered for 20 minutes and lets it stand 5; Mahatma simmers 25 minutes. Ben's says its rice does not need rinsing.
| Who | Water per 1 cup | Stovetop time |
|---|---|---|
| Ben's OriginalParboiled Long Grain (Converted) | 2¼ cups | Simmer 20 minthen 5 min covered |
| MahatmaParboiled Rice | 2¼ cups | Simmer 25 min |
| USA Rice FederationParboiled | 2¼ cups | Simmer 20 min |
Rice cooker water ratio
In a rice cooker, measure the rice with the cup that came with it and fill water to the matching line inside the pot: 2 cups of rice, water to the 2 line. Zojirushi, Tiger, Cuckoo and Aroma all work this way, and their lines assume their own 180 mL cup, not a US measuring cup. Zojirushi pans have separate lines for white, sushi, brown, mixed rice and porridge; Tiger's have Plain, Sweet, Risotto and Brown scales.
The lines hold less water per cup than most stovetop directions. Aroma publishes what its lines measure:
| Aroma model | Rice | Water line | Ratio | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-cup | 1 rice cup (180 mL) | Line 1, about 240 mL | 1.3:1 | 17–22 min |
| 4-cup | 2 rice cups (360 mL) | Line 2, about 495 mL | 1⅜:1 | 30–35 min |
| 6-cup, white | 1 rice cup (180 mL) | Line 1, about 270 mL | 1½:1 | 16–21 min |
| 6-cup, brown | 1 rice cup (180 mL) | Line 1, about 270 mL | 1½:1 | 28–33 min |
The amount behind each line varies by model, so trust your pot's lines over any chart. If your cooker has no lines, Lundberg's advice for its rice is to use the same ratio as the stovetop. Tiger says to adjust by no more than a third of a line if you like softer or firmer rice, and Cuckoo suggests about half a marking more for older, drier rice.
Run times vary far more than on the stove. Aroma's simple cookers take 16 to 22 minutes for 1 cup of white rice; Tiger's JAJ-A55U takes 40 to 50 minutes on Plain and 68 to 82 on Brown. Of our picks, the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy is the slow, forgiving one, the Cuckoo CRP-P1009SW uses pressure to cook faster, and the Hamilton Beach is the budget option.
How big is a rice cooker cup?
A rice cooker cup holds 180 mL, about ¾ of a US measuring cup. Zojirushi, Tiger, Cuckoo and Aroma all use it; Zojirushi calls it the standard Japanese rice cup, or go, and Tiger puts it at about 150 g of rice. A "5½-cup" or "10-cup" rice cooker counts these smaller cups of uncooked rice.
| Rice-cooker cups | Uncooked rice | US cups | Cooked rice, about |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 180 mL | ¾ | 2¼ US cups |
| 2 | 360 mL | 1½ | 4½ US cups |
| 3 | 540 mL | 2¼ | 6¾ US cups |
| 4 | 720 mL | 3 | 9 US cups |
| 5 | 900 mL | 3¾ | 11¼ US cups |
| 6 | 1,080 mL | 4½ | 13½ US cups |
| 8 | 1,440 mL | 6 | 18 US cups |
| 10 | 1,800 mL | 7½ | 22½ US cups |
If you measure rice with a US cup and fill to the rice-cooker line, you have a third more rice than the line expects, and the ratio is off from the start. Zojirushi lists this first among common measuring mistakes. Aroma counts cooked rice in rice cups too: 1 rice cup in, 2 rice cups out.
Instant Pot rice water ratio
Instant Pot's own recipes use 1 cup of water per cup of white, jasmine or brown rice. Basmati gets a little more.
| Rice | Water per 1 cup | Pressure cook | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-grain white | 1 cup | High pressure, 7 minutes (Instant Pot’s time table says 4) | quick release |
| Jasmine | 1 cup | Pressure Cook, 3 minutes | 10 minutes natural release, then quick release |
| Basmati | 1½ cups | High pressure, 3 minutes | 10 minutes natural release, then vent |
| Brown | 1 cup | High pressure, 25 minutes (Instant Pot’s time table says 20) | quick release |
Instant Pot's cooking time table gives shorter times than its recipes: 4 minutes for white, jasmine and basmati, and 20 minutes for brown and wild rice. It lists no water amount for wild rice, and we found no Instant Pot figure for sushi or parboiled rice. Ben's Original advises against pressure cookers for its rice because rice foams and can clog the vent.
Two limits from the Instant Pot Pro manual: don't fill the pot past the ½ line with rice, and use at least 1½ cups (375 mL) of liquid in the 6-quart pot or 2 cups (500 mL) in the 8-quart. The Pro's Rice program defaults to Low pressure for 12 minutes for white rice and High for 30 minutes for brown.
How much rice per person?
Plan on ¼ cup of uncooked rice per person, which makes about ¾ cup cooked. That is the serving on Mahatma's and Lundberg's labels: ¼ cup, 45 grams, which matches the FDA's reference amount of 45 g of dry rice (140 g cooked). Lundberg also counts a serving as ¾ cup cooked. It is a side-dish portion, so plan on more when rice is the main part of the meal.
| People | Uncooked rice | Rice-cooker cups | Cooked, about | Water (white) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ¼ cup | ⅜ | ¾ cup | ½ cup |
| 2 | ½ cup | ⅝ | 1½ cups | 1 cup |
| 4 | 1 cup | 1⅜ | 3 cups | 2 cups |
| 6 | 1½ cups | 2 | 4½ cups | 3 cups |
| 8 | 2 cups | 2⅝ | 6 cups | 4 cups |
| 10 | 2½ cups | 3⅜ | 7½ cups | 5 cups |
| 12 | 3 cups | 4 | 9 cups | 6 cups |
| 20 | 5 cups | 6⅝ | 15 cups | 10 cups |
How this calculator works
- Ratios are by volume, cups of water per cup of uncooked rice. The default for each type is the figure most of its sources agree on, and the result shows the range when they differ.
- Cups: a US cup is counted as 240 mL, as Zojirushi does, and a rice-cooker cup as 180 mL. Results round to the nearest ⅛ cup and 10 mL.
- Cooked yield uses USA Rice's rule that rice triples in volume, which it calls typical, so treat it as approximate.
- Servings are ¼ cup of uncooked rice (45 g), the label serving.
- Rice cooker results tell you which water line to use; the water amount shown for cookers without lines uses the stovetop ratio, as Lundberg advises.
- Instant Pot results use Instant Pot's published recipes. Types without one say so instead of guessing.
We could not find cooking directions for Nishiki or Kokuho Rose on their makers' own websites, so they are not included. Sources were checked on October 7, 2026.
Sources
- USA Rice Federation, How to Cook Rice: rice cooking chart (parts liquid to 1 part rice and cooking time by type), stovetop times, and yields (1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked; 1 cup dry ≈ 7 oz; 1 cup cooked ≈ 8 oz). www.usarice.com/thinkrice/how-to/how-to-cook-rice
- FDA, 21 CFR 101.12, reference amounts customarily consumed: grains such as rice, plain, 140 g prepared or 45 g dry. www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-A/section-101.12
- Mahatma (Riviana Foods), White Rice: 2 cups water per cup of rice, simmer 20 minutes. mahatmarice.com/products/white-rice/
- Mahatma, Jasmine White Rice (Thai): 1½ cups water per cup, simmer 15 minutes; ¼ cup less water for drier rice, ¼ cup more for moister; serving ¼ cup (45 g). mahatmarice.com/products/jasmine-white-rice/
- Mahatma, Basmati Rice: 1¾ cups water per cup, simmer 20 minutes; rinsing optional. mahatmarice.com/products/basmati-rice/
- Mahatma, Whole Grain Brown Rice: 2¼ cups water per cup, simmer 35 minutes. mahatmarice.com/products/whole-grain-brown-rice/
- Mahatma, Parboiled Rice: 2¼ cups water per cup, simmer 25 minutes. mahatmarice.com/products/parboiled-rice/
- Mahatma, Sticky Rice (for sushi and poke): rinse until clear, 1½ cups water per cup, simmer 15 minutes. mahatmarice.com/products/mahatma-sticky-rice/
- Mahatma, Valencia (Short Grain) Rice: 1¾ cups water per cup, simmer 20 minutes. mahatmarice.com/products/valencia-short-grain-rice/
- Ben's Original, Parboiled Long Grain White Rice: 1 cup rice to 2¼ cups water, simmer covered 20 minutes, stand 5 minutes. www.bensoriginal.com/products/white-rice/bens-original-parboiled-long-grain-white-rice
- Ben's Original FAQ: brown rice 2¼ parts liquid to 1 part rice; products do not have to be rinsed; pressure cookers not recommended because rice foams. www.bensoriginal.com/faq-contact
- Lundberg Family Farms, Organic Long Grain White Rice: 1 cup rice to 1¾ cups water, simmer 15 minutes, steam 10; 1 serving = ¾ cup cooked, 1 cup dry = 4–6 servings; same ratio in a rice cooker. www.lundberg.com/products/organic-white-long-grain-rice
- Lundberg, Organic Long Grain Brown Rice: 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, simmer 45 minutes, steam 10. www.lundberg.com/products/organic-long-grain-brown-rice-2lb
- Lundberg, Short Grain Brown Rice: 1 cup rice to 1¾ cups water, simmer 45 minutes, steam 10. www.lundberg.com/products/short-grain-brown-rice-25lb
- Lundberg, Organic Sushi Rice: rinse, soak 30 minutes, drain, then 1 cup rice to 1½ cups fresh water, simmer 20 minutes, steam 10. www.lundberg.com/products/organic-california-sushi-rice-2lb
- Lundberg, Organic Wild Rice: 8 oz rice to 2¼ cups water, fast simmer 45–50 minutes, steam 10; label serving ¼ cup dry (45 g), about 5 servings per 8 oz bag. www.lundberg.com/products/organic-wild-rice-8oz
- Zojirushi, How to Measure Rice in a Rice Cooker the Right Way: the rice cup holds 180 mL, a US cup 240 mL; water lines are numbered to the rice cup; separate lines for white, sushi, brown, mixed and porridge. www.zojirushi.com/blog/back-to-basics-how-to-measure-rice-in-a-rice-cooker-the-right-way/
- Aroma, Quick & Easy Cooking Guide for 4-rice-cup cookers: 1 rice measuring cup = ¾ US cup (180 mL); line 1 ≈ 240 mL, 17–22 minutes; line 2 ≈ 495 mL, 30–35 minutes; 1 rice cup yields 2 rice cups cooked. www.aromaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cooking_guide_0023_4-cup.pdf
- Aroma, Quick & Easy Cooking Guide for 6-rice-cup cookers: white rice line 1 ≈ 270 mL, 16–21 minutes; brown rice line 1 ≈ 270 mL, 28–33 minutes. www.aromaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Cooking_guide_0023_6-cup_WOS.pdf
- Tiger JAJ-A55U operating instructions: measuring cup about 0.18 L (150 g of rice); Plain 40–50 min, Quick 26–36 min, Brown 68–82 min; adjust water by no more than ⅓ of a line. tiger-corporation-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/JAJ_A55U-English.pdf
- Cuckoo America, The #1 Secret to Cooking Perfect Rice: Water Ratio: use the included 180 mL cup and the inner pot water markings; add about half a marking more water for aged, drier rice. cuckooamerica.com/blogs/recipes/the-1-secret-to-cooking-perfect-rice-water-ratio
- Instant Pot cooking time tables (multi-cooker): white, jasmine and basmati rice 4 minutes; brown and wild rice 20 minutes. instantpot.com/pages/cooking-time-tables
- Instant Pot Culinary Team, White Rice: 1 cup rinsed rice, 1 cup water, High pressure 7 minutes, quick release. instantpot.com/blogs/recipes/white-rice
- Instant Pot Culinary Team, Brown Rice: 1 cup rice, 1 cup water, High pressure 25 minutes, quick release. instantpot.com/blogs/recipes/brown-rice
- Instant Pot Culinary Team, Basic Jasmine Rice: 2 cups rinsed rice, 2 cups water, 3 minutes, 10 minutes natural release. instantpot.com/blogs/recipes/basic-jasmine-rice
- Instant Pot Culinary Team, Basmati Rice: 1 cup rice, 1½ cups water, High pressure 3 minutes, 10 minutes natural release. instantpot.com/blogs/recipes/basmati-rice
- Instant Pot Pro 6 and 8 qt user manual: minimum liquid 1½ cups (375 mL) for 6 qt and 2 cups (500 mL) for 8 qt; do not fill past the ½ line with rice; Rice program defaults White (Low, 12 min) and Brown (High, 30 min). p.widencdn.net/dxeysn/112-0123-01_113-0044-01_PRO_6QT_8QT_Manual_399-1268-03US_US_R26_FINAL-02-27-2026.pdf