Rice to Water Ratio Guide for Jasmine, Brown and Sushi Rice
Jasmine rice is 1:1.25, white long grain is 1:1.5, sushi rice is 1:1.2 and brown rice is 1:1.75. Those are volume ratios of rice to water using the absorption method, lid on, and they get you a good result on the stovetop or in a rice cooker.
The ratio is the easy part. Rinsing, resting and using the same cup for both measurements are where most rice goes wrong.
Use the Rice to Water Calculator, pick your rice type, enter how many cups you are cooking, and get the water and the cooked yield.
The ratio table
| Rice type | Ratio (rice : water) | For 1 cup of rice | Cook time | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasmine | 1 : 1.25 | 1¼ cups water | 12 min | 10 min |
| White long grain | 1 : 1.5 | 1½ cups water | 12 min | 10 min |
| Basmati | 1 : 1.5 | 1½ cups water | 12 min | 10 min |
| Sushi / short grain | 1 : 1.2 | 1.2 cups water | 12 min | 10 min |
| Medium grain white | 1 : 1.5 | 1½ cups water | 12 min | 10 min |
| Brown rice | 1 : 1.75 | 1¾ cups water | 35 to 40 min | 10 min |
Absorption method with the lid on. Rice cookers and microwaves need small adjustments, covered below.
The cup problem, and why it doesn't matter
Australia has a metric cup of 250mL. American recipes use a 240mL cup. The plastic cup that comes in a rice cooker box is a Japanese go, which is 180mL.
Three different cups, all called a cup. Here's the good news: ratios don't care. As long as you measure the rice and the water with the same vessel, 1:1.5 is 1:1.5. Use your coffee mug if you want.
Where it does matter is the water lines marked inside a rice cooker bowl. Those are calibrated to the 180mL cup that came with the machine. Measure with an Australian 250mL cup and then fill to the marked line and you'll get mush, because you've put in 39% more rice than the line expects.
Either use the supplied cup with the lines, or ignore the lines and use the ratios above.
Grams instead of cups
If you'd rather weigh it, roughly:
- 1 Australian cup (250mL) of raw long grain rice weighs about 190g
- 1 rice cooker cup (180mL) weighs about 150g
- A standard serve of raw rice is 60g to 75g per person, which cooks up to about 180g to 220g
By weight, jasmine at 1:1.25 means 190g of rice to 238g of water. Same ratio, different units.
Rinse or don't rinse
- Jasmine, basmati, sushi and other short grain: rinse until the water runs mostly clear, usually three or four changes. This removes surface starch and stops the grains gluing together.
- Brown rice: a quick rinse is enough. The bran layer is doing the work here.
- Risotto rice: never rinse. The surface starch is the entire point of risotto.
- Enriched or fortified rice: rinsing washes some of the added nutrients off. Uncommon in Australia but worth knowing.
If you rinse, shake the colander well. Water clinging to wet rice adds up and pushes your ratio out.
The stovetop method that works every time
- Rinse, drain properly.
- Rice and water in a pot with a tight lid. Add a pinch of salt if you want.
- Bring to a boil uncovered, then immediately drop to the lowest heat and put the lid on.
- Simmer without lifting the lid: 12 minutes for white and jasmine, 35 to 40 minutes for brown.
- Off the heat, lid still on, rest for 10 minutes. This is not optional.
- Fluff with a fork, not a spoon.
The rest is where the moisture redistributes. Skip it and the bottom is wet while the top is dry. It's the single most skipped step in home rice cooking.
Method-specific adjustments
| Method | Adjustment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rice cooker | Use the ratios above, ignore the bowl's water lines unless you used the supplied 180mL cup | The lines are calibrated to a 180mL cup, not an Australian 250mL one |
| Microwave | Add about 10% more water, cook covered, vent slightly | More evaporation, less sealed than a lidded pot |
| Pressure cooker | Reduce water by about 15% to 20% | Almost no evaporation under pressure |
| Large batch, 4+ cups | Reduce water slightly | Less surface area per grain means less evaporation |
| Loose or warped lid | Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water | Steam is escaping |
| Brown rice, pasta method | Boil in plenty of water, drain, steam 10 min off heat | Forgiving alternative if absorption keeps failing |
How much cooked rice do you get?
Raw rice roughly triples in volume. One cup of raw rice yields about three cups cooked, which serves three to four people as a side or two as a main.
For a dinner party, 60g to 75g of raw rice per person is the planning number. For six people, that's about 400g of raw rice, or a bit over two Australian cups.
Fixing rice that went wrong
- Too wet: tip it onto a tray, spread it out, and let the steam escape for a few minutes. Or return to very low heat with the lid off.
- Still hard on top: add two tablespoons of hot water, lid back on, five more minutes on the lowest heat.
- Burnt on the bottom: don't stir. Spoon the good rice off the top and leave the crust behind. Stirring distributes the burnt taste through everything.
- Gluey and clumped: you didn't rinse, or your ratio was too high. Both are fixable next time.
Leftover rice and food safety
Cooked rice can carry Bacillus cereus spores that survive cooking and multiply if the rice sits warm. Cool it quickly, ideally within an hour, get it in the fridge, use it within a day, and reheat it once until steaming hot all the way through. Don't leave a pot of rice on the stove overnight.
Related tools
- Rice to Water Calculator for rice, water and cooked yield
- Unit Converter for cups, grams and millilitres
- Air Fryer Conversion Calculator for the other kitchen conversion people ask about
Frequently asked questions
What is the rice to water ratio for jasmine rice?
1:1.25, so one cup of rinsed jasmine rice to one and a quarter cups of water. Simmer 12 minutes with the lid on, then rest off the heat for 10 minutes before fluffing.
What is the water ratio for brown rice?
1:1.75, so one cup of brown rice to one and three quarter cups of water. Brown rice needs 35 to 40 minutes of simmering because the bran layer slows water absorption.
Does it matter which cup I use to measure rice?
Not for the ratio, as long as you use the same cup for the rice and the water. It does matter for rice cooker water lines, which are calibrated to the 180mL cup supplied with the machine, not the Australian 250mL metric cup.
Why is my rice always mushy?
Usually too much water, not rinsing off the surface starch, or lifting the lid during cooking. If you use an Australian 250mL cup and then fill to a rice cooker's water line, you have added 39% more rice than the line expects.
How much cooked rice does one cup of raw rice make?
About three cups, which serves three to four people as a side dish. Plan on 60g to 75g of raw rice per person for a main.