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Rice Water Ratio Calculator

Find the water you need to cook rice.

How it is calculated

You enter the amount of dry rice and the water ratio, meaning how many parts of water per one part of rice. The tool computes water = rice × ratio and cooked yield = rice × 3, both labelled in cups. The factor 3 is fixed: it is a rule-of-thumb for how much rice expands, and it does not change with the ratio or the type of rice. The ratio is a plain number that you choose; there is no rice-type menu, so look up or decide the ratio yourself (for instance 2 for a 1:2 rice-to-water ratio). Rice and ratio must be greater than zero. Because it is a pure ratio, any measuring unit works for the water if you use the same one for the rice, though the label will still say cups.

Worked example

You want to cook 1.5 cups of basmati rice and plan to use a ratio of 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice. Water: 1.5 × 1.5 = 2.25 cups. Cooked yield: 1.5 × 3 = 4.5 cups. The tool shows 2.25 cups of water and 4.50 cups of cooked rice.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Typing 1:2 or 2:1 into the ratio field. Only a single number is accepted, so enter 2 for one part rice to two parts water.
  • Reversing the ratio. A ratio of 0.5 would mean half a cup of water per cup of rice, far too little for most types.
  • Treating the cooked yield as exact. It always uses 3 times the raw amount, which is only an approximation and varies with the rice.
  • Using the same ratio for every rice. Brown, basmati and sushi rice absorb differently, and a ratio that suits one can leave another mushy or undercooked.
  • Forgetting that rinsing, soaking, lid fit and heat change how much water is lost, so treat the figure as a starting point.

About this calculator

This calculator finds the right water-to-rice ratio and the resulting cooked yield, since the ideal ratio varies significantly by rice type: long-grain white rice typically uses about 1:2 (rice to water), brown rice needs more water and time at roughly 1:2.25 because its bran layer slows water absorption, short-grain sushi rice uses a tighter 1:1.1–1.2, and basmati (often rinsed and sometimes soaked first) works well around 1:1.5. Cooked rice generally comes out to about three times its raw volume regardless of type, which is what the yield estimate is based on.

Home cooks use it to avoid the classic mistakes of mushy or undercooked rice by matching the ratio to the specific variety on hand; meal preppers use it to calculate exactly how much raw rice to cook for a target number of servings; and restaurants and caterers use the same ratios scaled up to estimate bulk quantities for large batches. There is no rice-type menu: enter the amount of rice and the water ratio for your variety (for example 2 for 1:2) to get the water needed and expected cooked yield.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    The cooked amount is always three times the raw rice, whatever ratio you enter, so changing the water changes only the water line: 2 cups of rice at a ratio of 1.5 gives 3.00 cups of water and 6.00 cups cooked. Use the cooked figure to plan portions and the water line to compare methods. Both lines say cups, but any consistent measure works for the water. Which rice and ratio work in your pot?

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