Getting rice right comes down to one thing: the ratio of rice to water. Too little water and you get dry, undercooked grains. Too much and you get mush. The exact ratio changes depending on the rice you’re using, jasmine behaves differently from sushi rice, and sticky rice behaves differently from brown rice, so a single “2 cups water per cup of rice” rule doesn’t actually work across the board.
This calculator gives you the correct water amount for eight common rice varieties used across Asian cooking, adjusted for whether you’re cooking on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in an Instant Pot. Enter how much rice you’re using, pick your variety and method, and get an exact measurement plus an approximate cook time.
Calculate your ratio
1 cup uncooked rice makes roughly 3 cups cooked, depending on variety.
How to use this calculator
Pick your rice variety from the dropdown, since ratios genuinely differ between, say, sushi rice and brown rice. Enter the amount of uncooked rice you’re cooking, in cups. Select your cooking method, stovetop, rice cooker, or Instant Pot, since each requires a different amount of water for the same rice. Hit calculate and you’ll get the exact water measurement plus a rough cook time.
A quick note on rinsing: for jasmine, basmati, and long grain white rice, rinse until the water runs mostly clear before cooking. This removes surface starch and stops the rice from turning gummy. Skip rinsing for sushi rice if you want extra stickiness, and always rinse glutinous rice, then soak it, for the best texture.
How rice to water ratios actually work
Rice absorbs water as it cooks, and how much it absorbs depends on the grain’s starch content and how it was milled. Short and medium grain rice, like sushi rice and glutinous rice, hold more moisture internally and need less added water. Long grain rice, like basmati and jasmine, stay drier and separate, and need slightly more water relative to their volume. Brown rice keeps its bran layer intact, which slows water absorption, so it needs the most water and the longest cook time of the group.
Cooking method changes the ratio too. Rice cookers hold a consistent low simmer and lose less water to evaporation than an open pot on the stove, so they typically need slightly less water. Instant Pots and other pressure cookers are sealed, so evaporation is close to zero, which means even less water again, usually close to a 1:1 ratio regardless of rice type.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard rice to water ratio?
For most long grain white rice cooked on the stovetop, the standard ratio is about 1 cup of rice to 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water. That number shifts depending on the variety, sticky rice needs closer to 1:1, while brown rice needs closer to 1:2.25.
Do I need less water in a rice cooker than on the stovetop?
Usually yes, by a small margin. Rice cookers lose less water to evaporation than an open stovetop pot, so most varieties need about 10 to 15% less water in a rice cooker to hit the same texture.
Why does sushi rice need less water than jasmine rice?
Sushi rice is a short or medium grain variety with higher starch content, which lets it absorb water more efficiently and hold moisture without needing extra liquid. Jasmine, a long grain rice, is naturally drier and needs more added water to cook through properly.
Should I soak rice before cooking?
Basmati rice benefits from a 20 to 30 minute soak, which produces longer, more separate grains. Glutinous rice needs a longer soak, ideally 4 hours or more, before steaming, or it won’t cook evenly. Jasmine and sushi rice don’t require soaking.
Why is my rice mushy even though I followed a ratio?
The most common cause is using the wrong ratio for the variety, treating sticky rice or sushi rice like long grain white rice will add too much water. The second most common cause is lifting the lid during cooking, which lets steam escape and disrupts even cooking.
Can I use this calculator for large batches, like 5 or 10 cups of rice?
Yes, the ratio stays proportional regardless of batch size. Just enter the total cups of uncooked rice and the calculator will scale the water amount accordingly.
Ratios are starting points based on standard cooking guidance. Adjust slightly for your specific pot, altitude, or rice brand if needed.