Rice Water Ratio
Get the right amount of water and a rough cook time for white, jasmine, basmati, brown, sushi, or arborio rice, in cups or grams.
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Rice Water Ratio
Default for white long grain is 1:1.75. Edit for your pot or preference.
Results
- Water
- 1.75 cups (420 ml)
- Cook time
- 15–18 min
Absorption method: bring to a boil, cover, simmer on low until the water is absorbed, then rest 5–10 minutes off heat without lifting the lid.
About Rice Water Ratio
Different rices drink different amounts of water: sushi rice barely needs more water than rice, while brown rice wants over twice its volume. Choose the type, enter how much rice you're cooking in cups or grams, and get the water amount in cups and milliliters plus a realistic stovetop time.
The default ratio for each type is editable — pots, lids, and altitude all shift the sweet spot slightly.
Common uses
- Cook a rice you don't make often without guessing the water
- Convert a recipe that lists rice in grams to cup measurements
- Check how long brown rice actually takes before starting dinner
Example
Input
White long grain · 2 cups
Output
3.5 cups water (840 ml) · 15–18 min
Limitations
- Ratios assume the absorption method with a tight lid; rinsed rice carries a little extra water in with it.
- Gram conversion assumes about 185 g of uncooked rice per cup — heaped or packed cups vary.
Frequently asked questions
How much water do I need for 1 cup of rice?
It depends on the rice: 1.75 cups for white long grain, 1.5 for jasmine or basmati, 1.2 for sushi rice, and 2.25 for brown rice, all by volume using the absorption method. The old 2:1 rule overwaters most white rices.
Why does brown rice need so much more water than white rice?
Brown rice keeps its bran layer, which slows water absorption, so it wants about 2.25 times its volume in water and 40 to 50 minutes on the stove — roughly triple the 12 to 18 minutes white rices take.
How many grams of uncooked rice are in a cup?
The calculator uses 185 grams per US cup as an average for uncooked rice. Grain shape and how heaped the cup is move the real figure a little either way.
Do these ratios work in a rice cooker?
They target stovetop absorption cooking with a tight lid. A rice cooker loses less steam, so its markings usually call for slightly less water — follow the cooker's lines or start a touch below the stovetop ratio.
Is anything I enter in the rice calculator uploaded?
No. The ratio and cook-time lookup happens in your browser; no amounts are sent to a server or saved.