We asked chefs the secret to perfectly cooked rice—they all said the same thing

From rinsing to resting, chefs reveal the simple habits (and one appliance) that help every batch of rice turn out perfectly.

Key Points

• We asked six experts what the key to perfect rice was and they unanimously agreed—it’s a rice cooker.
• Even basic push-button rice cookers will perform consistently, but some versions offer scientific precision.
• Chef-approved habits can dramatically improve the texture of homemade rice.

Growing up in a Chinese family with a chef for a dad, perfectly cooked rice was a given for me. It wasn’t until college at a dining hall that I experienced bad rice for the first time. It was mushy and bland, its bloated, thick grains undefined and devoid of fragrance.

Unwilling to eat bad rice, I decided to try my hand at making my own. Following directions on the bag for the stovetop, I attempted to make jasmine rice in a pot. It was then that I learned how bad the combination of both burnt and undercooked rice could be, and that steaming rice just right was surprisingly difficult.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that the secret to perfect rice was simple: a good rice cooker. And on this, professional chefs, recipe developers, rice growers and other experts all unanimously agree.

Why Chefs Love Rice Cookers

The chefs we spoke with love rice cookers because they deliver more consistent results than a pot on the stove, with push-button efficiency. 

Even the most basic rice cooker models come with a measuring cup and corresponding water lines etched on the cooking pot to calculate the right ratios, which solves the problem that Niki Pattharakositkul, founder and CEO of Thai-centric 26 Hospitality Group, says is most common: using too much water, which turns the rice mushy. “On the other hand, if you use too little water, the rice becomes too dry and hard,” she says, never fully cooking.

However, measuring isn’t the only factor that can impact your rice-cooking results.

Nate Weir, director of culinary for Teriyaki Madness, explains, “Cooking ‘perfect’ rice is deceptively challenging. Even though it’s just rice and liquid, there are a lot of variables at play: starch control, water-to-rice ratio, elevation, heat intensity, steam release, carryover cooking, even ambient humidity.”

Fourth-generation rice farmer and communications manager for Lundberg Family Farms Brita Lundberg adds, “Rice cookers eliminate variability in heat source, cooking time and cooking vessel.” She also points out that, today, “Many models have technology built in to monitor heat and steam so they adjust in real time.”

Something else chefs love about rice cookers is that they typically have settings for different types of rice, which all have different ideal textures, explains Bryn Kline, marketing communications manager of another rice brand, Lotus Foods. “Most long-grain rice should be light and fragrant, while short-grain rice is naturally softer and a bit stickier … well-cooked rice should highlight the qualities that make that variety unique.”

Food writer and experimenter Dennis Lee, author of cult-favorite Substack Food Is Stupid, specifies, “Basmati and jasmine should have a more al dente texture when it’s properly cooked,” and all the experts agree that every grain should remain distinct and separate. Lundberg adds that sushi rice and other short-grain varieties, including arborio for risotto, should have a little bit of stickiness to them, while Pattharakositkul notes that “sticky rice should be even stickier, softer and much chewier.” Meanwhile, brown rice tastes and smells nuttier and should be bloomed only just to the cusp of bursting to retain a bit of chew.

They all agree with Marc Mansour, chef-owner of BEY Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar, who says, “Perfect rice should be tender but never mushy, with a pleasant texture and ability to absorb flavor without becoming gummy.”

How Rice Cookers Work

We asked Marilyn Matsuba, marketing manager of Zojirushi America Corporation, why even with the most basic cookers with a single mechanical switch are more precise than a pot on the stove. She explains, “Water and rice are heated together until the water is fully absorbed or evaporated. While water is present, the temperature remains around 212°F. But once the water is gone, the temperature begins to rise, signaling that the rice is done, automatically switching to a keep-warm setting.”

If you consistently make one type of rice, you can make do with one of the hundreds of affordable push-button rice cookers available on the market with starting prices as low as $20 for a small personal-size one. 

A premium rice cooker—one with an airtight lid and digital buttons—distributes the heat more precisely. “Rather than simply boiling the water, it manages the temperature to allow the rice to absorb moisture evenly, resulting in grains that are tender, fluffy and consistent from top to bottom,” says Matsuba.

Top-of-the-line rice cookers use sensors and a built-in microcomputer. Both work together to continuously monitor temperature and dynamically adjust cooking time and heat throughout the cycle. These cookers also make small adjustments based on factors like the type of rice, the amount being cooked, variations in room temperature, using tailored, tested profiles and criteria for the different varieties of rice, as well as other grains.

More Rice-Cooking Tips from Chefs

Rinsing

A close runner-up to the most important pro tip was to rinse your rice.

“Chefs never assume rice—or any grain—is ready to cook straight from the bag. Rinsing with cool water and allowing it to drain removes surface starch that can cause gumminess,” Weir says. “Rinsing thoroughly and spreading the grains out during rinsing avoids uneven hydration,” which sets you up for success.

This is incredibly important for long-grain varieties, which can easily get weighed down by the starch and become sticky. Lee says, “When you rinse it, though, you can immediately see the white starch on it turn the water cloudy— that starchiness adds a thickening or sticky agent to your rice later. Plus, you never know what’s in that batch of rice anyhow, it could have a little dust mixed in!”

Mansour promises that rinsing the grains thoroughly until the water runs mostly clear, then allowing it to rest for several minutes, is the trick to making his favorite type, aged basmati rice, cook most uniformly and separate more cleanly.

However, rinsing isn’t a blanket rule. Kline specifically notes that Lotus rices are developed and tested to cook well without rinsing, and Lundberg will cook her favorites —short-grain brown rice and her family’s Black Pearl rice—directly from the package because she personally prefers a little more stickiness. And for risotto varieties like arborio or carnaroli, rinsing is a big no-no as that excess starch is what creates that creamy base for the dish.

Soaking

Soaking your rice is also variety-dependent. It’s crucial for sticky rice. Pattharakositkul says, “It helps the rice cook evenly and gives it that soft, chewy texture it’s so beloved for.” Lee notices that “it goes from that translucent white color to a more opaque one and it swells just a touch.” Both note that soaking also helps rice cook faster.

Basmati benefits from a 20-minute soak to help elongate the grains, Mansour and Weir say, and this helps reduce the risk of grains breaking while cooking. For all other types, it’s not necessary nor recommended, and can be a matter of custom or preference. If you like your brown rice softer and fluffier, you can go ahead and soak it. But if, like me, you love that slight pop of resistance on the tooth, skip this step.

Resting & Fluffing

While the rice is cooking, it’s important to leave it alone and let the machine work its magic. “Excess stirring releases starch and can lead to a stickier texture,” Mansour warns. Once the cooker gives you the signal that it’s done, give it a few minutes to rest. This allows the moisture to redistribute throughout the grains, then you can fluff it as the final step.

Water Ratios

Predetermined measurements take the guesswork out of water ratios, but if you have a basic cooker that doesn’t offer a brown rice water line, filling it a third of the way up to the next marking will usually be enough to break through that bran. And if you can’t see those markings on the pan, you can use Pattharakositkul’s trick: “I put my palm on top of the rice and add just enough water to cover it!”

Seasoning the Cooking Liquid

While most East Asian cultures steam plain rice, plenty of others zhuzh up their rice by letting the grains absorb the flavors of stock, herbs and spices as they cook. As a Lebanese chef, Mansour says, “Rice is an opportunity to build flavor! Depending on the main dish, I’ll cook it in chicken, lamb or vegetable stock and add aromatics such as cardamom, bay leaves or allspice.”

Weir likes to cook rice in equal parts full-fat coconut milk and water. “It creates a creamy texture, adds subtle tropical flavor, brings in healthy fats like MCTs, and pairs especially well with seafood or marinated grilled chicken,” he says.

And Lundberg learned from her mother to cook rice in broth and to add minced garlic before starting the rice cooker. “You can add herbs and aromatic veggies at the beginning, too. For a decadent touch, try 2 tablespoons of butter or oil per cup of rice. Or, if you’re looking for brightness, add a teaspoon or two of rice vinegar. The options are endless!”

Toasting

Weir’s favorite trick is to lightly toast rinsed, well-drained rice in coconut oil or butter before adding water. “It’s a small-effort, big-payoff technique that deepens flavor, improves structure and helps manage surface starch. Toast over medium heat for two to four minutes, until it smells a bit like popcorn,” he says. Mansour notes, “In Lebanese cooking, rice is often toasted with vermicelli in butter or olive oil before liquid is added,” developing more texture and flavor that will enrich both the liquid and the grain.

Our Expert Take

Across all the different types of steamed rice —from long-grain to short-grain and medium in the middle; from white to brown and beyond to black—rice experts agree that no matter how much you’ve worked to perfect your stovetop technique, a rice cooker is the key to cooking perfect rice.

“At this point, I don’t even think this is a controversial opinion! They just put out a perfectly consistent batch of rice every time, and there are few appliances”—even among the cheapest models—“that are this reliable,” Lee says. Chefs, restaurateurs, rice growers and rice importers all agree that a rice cooker is a no-regret buy for their kitchens.

Read the original article on EatingWell