Rice is considered one of the most popular side dishes worldwide and many meals are simply incomplete without it. Think about red beans and rice without the rice 🙁 Cooking perfect rice is not always the easiest task but once you know the correct water-to-rice ratio it’s pretty smooth sailing from there.
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The most common amount of rice recipes call for are 2 cups of uncooked rice but exactly how much water should you add to 2 cups of rice? We answer this question and more in this article.
How Many Cups of Water To 2 Cups of Rice?
A seasoned cook or chef can simply look at a pot of uncooked rice and instinctively know how much water should be added. But did you know there’s a basic rule you can follow? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. Check out what we mean below 🙂
| Cups of Uncooked Rice | Cups of Water | = Cups of Cooked Rice |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 3 | 6 | 9 |
Here you can see that you should add 4 cups of water to 2 cups of uncooked rice. As you can see, the amount of water to add to uncooked rice is basically the cups of uncooked rice times (x) 2.
1 (cups rice) x 2 = 2 cups water
2 (cups rice) x 2 = 4 cups of water and so forth.
Follow these directions to cook 2 cups of long-grain rice on the stove
- Rinse rice before cooking to remove the excess starch. You can do this by using a strainer with holes small enough that the rice doesn’t fall through.
- Combine 2 cups of rice, 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of olive oil or butter in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the pan to a boil over high heat
- Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the temperature to medium-low and place the lid on the saucepan
- Allow the rice to simmer for approximately 15 – 18 minutes.
- You’ll know the rice is cooked when there is no longer visible boiling water in the middle of the saucepan
- Let the rice sit covered for about 10 minutes to allow the rice to steam and absorb any remaining water
- Finally, fluff the rice with a fork and you’re all done!
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Basmati or Jasmine Rice
Basmati and jasmine rice varieties are both long-grain rice that are pretty similar.
- Basmati rice – A type of long-grain aromatic rice traditionally used in Indian dishes.
- Jasmine rice – A type of long-grained rice that is also aromatic and has a nutty, slightly sweet taste. It actually smells like popcorn when being cooked.
You’d be fine following the 1:2 cup ratio cooking either of these varieties on the stove although it may take a little longer for the water to absorb. Following this guideline, 2 cups of uncooked basmati or jasmine rice will require 4 cups of water. Remember cups of uncooked rice x 2 = the water amount.
If you really want to be exact with the water amounts for your basmati or jasmine rice, you can follow this guideline:
| Type of Rice | Cups of Uncooked Rice | Cups of Water |
| Basmati | 1 | 1 1/2 |
| Jasmine | 1 | 1 3/4 |
Water to Rice Ratio for a Rice Cooker
There is no shame in using a rice cooker when preparing your rice. They are actually great for preparing large servings of rice and you can set it and forget it. This is especially handy when you have company over or are otherwise preoccupied with other tasks.
Rice cookers will require fewer cups of water than if you cooked rice on a stovetop. Instead of the 1:2 ratio (1 cup uncooked rice to 2 cups of water) like stove cooked rice, the water to rice ratio for a rice cooker is 1:1 (1 cup uncooked rice to 1 cup of water).
How Many Cups of Water to 2 Cups of Rice For a Rice Cooker?
Using the 1:1 ratio above, you should add 2 cups of water to 2 cups of uncooked rice when using a rice cooker.
Follow The Instructions Provided With Your Rice Cooker
The above water to rice ratio instructions are perfect if you lost your rice cooker instructions and/or the supplied measuring cup. All rice cookers will come with unit-specific instructions and a measuring cup. If you have the instructions for your rice cooker this would be the best guidance for making perfect rice.
I have a Hamilton Beach rice cooker that not only cooks rice but also steams veggies. It’s an absolute game changer in my kitchen!
2 Cups of Rice Feeds How Many People?
Now that you have guidelines for exactly how many cups of water to two cups of rice you’ll need to know exactly how many people this feeds. Well, to determine this you’ll need to know the typical rice serving size and go back to the guidelines learned earlier.
We learned that 2 cups of uncooked rice requires 4 cups of water and makes 6 cooked cups of rice. So, assuming each person consumes 1 cup of cooked rice then 2 cups of uncooked rice would feed 6 people. If each person consumed only ½ cup of rice (the typical amount of a side dish) then this would feed 12 people.
Related Article: Easy Fried Rice Recipe
Our Final Thoughts
The amount of water to add to 2 cups of rice is 4 cups. The amount of time it takes to cook rice on the stove or using a rice cooker varies from 15 – 30 minutes.
Again, be sure to rinse your rice thoroughly before cooking it. Also, avoid using too much water or you’ll end up with a sticky, mushy disappointment.
Stick to the easy 1-2-3 guidelines and you’ll be a rice pro in no time!