Home › Home & Kitchen › Kitchen & Dining › Cookware › Stockpots How to Cook Rice in a Pot Published: July 9, 2026 · Updated: July 9, 2026
Rinse the rice, add water at about 1.2–1.5 times the rice by volume, bring it to a boil uncovered, then cover and drop to the lowest simmer for 10–12 minutes until the water is gone. Take it off the heat and let it rest, lid on, for 10 minutes — the steam finishes the grains and stops them sticking, so don't lift the lid until then.
Recommended Rinse, ~1.2–1.5× water, boil then covered low simmer 10–12 min, rest 10 min off heat — Stovetop rice is just measured water absorbed at a gentle simmer, so the two things that matter are the water ratio and not disturbing it while it steams. Rinse white rice in a couple of changes of water until it runs fairly clear, which removes surface starch that makes it gluey. Use a heavy pot with a tight lid and roughly 1.2–1.5 cups water per cup of rice — nearer 1.2 for Japanese short-grain, nearer 1.5 for long-grain like basmati (the finger method, water a knuckle above the rice, works too). Bring it to a boil uncovered, then put the lid on and turn to the lowest heat for 10–12 minutes until the water is absorbed; resist stirring or peeking, which lets out the steam that cooks the top layer. When the time's up, move the pot off the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork or paddle. If it caught on the bottom the heat was too high; if it's still firm, add a splash of hot water and steam a few minutes more. A wide pot cooks more evenly than a tall narrow one.
