How To Cook Rice Perfectly In The Microwave

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Let's face it, convenience is king now more than ever before, especially when you need to whip up a quick and wholesome meal for the family. So when someone says you can use the microwave to cook rice, we're there like a bear. Plus this method cooks your rice without the chance of it burning on the bottom of the pot.

Rinse the rice to clear out any grit, bugs, and excess starch. Then get a microwave-safe dish — it should be able to hold around double the volume of raw rice and water you're adding. For 1 cup of rice you need one that will hold at least 1.5 to 2 quarts (the 2.6 quart version of these Oggi Prep microwave safe bowls with lids would work well, or a simple 2 quart glass mixing bowl and a separate lid). Pour 1 cup of rice into it, along with 2 cups of cold water. Stir then pop the bowl into the microwave uncovered for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it though — if there's still quite a lot of water in the bowl and you don't see little holes across the top where the steam has escaped, leave it in for another minute, check it, and if it's still not quite there, continue cooking for a minute at a time until ready.

Without stirring it, cover your bowl with a microwave-safe lid or tightly-secured microwave-safe plastic wrap, and put it back into the microwave for another 4 or so minutes. Then remove the bowl and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Test the doneness to see if it's just as you like it. If it needs a bit more cooking, give it 1-minute blasts in the microwave until it's just right. While this method isn't that much quicker than cooking rice in a pot on the stove top, it's less stressful, and can be adjusted more easily to get perfect results.

Keep in mind that all types of rice weren't made equal — some take longer to cook than others. But pretty much all types of rice can be cooked in the microwave. Brown rice, for example, will need more water and a longer cooking time than white rice because of the layer of bran that coats the rice kernels. For 1 cup of brown rice use 2¼ to 3 cups of water. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes or so, then check to see if all the water is gone and there are steam holes. If not, follow the 1-minute increment cooking method as above. Cover and leave it to rest for a couple of minutes, check the texture, and if done, fluff it with a fork and serve. It's likely that you'll soon perfect your timings, which will vary slightly depending on the rice, your microwave power, and the bowl you use.

For rice like basmati, jasmine, and wild rice, try a rice-to-water ratio of 1.5 cups to 1 cup. The rice should cook in the microwave for about 15 minutes, with a 10-minute resting time. If you're cooking up a risotto in the microwave (yes, it's possible) using arborio rice, use a 2:1 water-to-rice ratio as your starting point. Risotto needs a lot of water to become soft and edible — but consult the guidelines on the packaging of your rice for guidance. Also, you don't want to rinse any risotto-type rice as the starch is where that dreamy creaminess comes from, along with some stirring, which isn't advised for other types of rice.