Rice Cooker Water Ratio Calculator
Get the perfect water-to-rice ratio for any rice type and serving size.
Works for rice cookers, stovetop, and Instant Pot.
Never cook mushy rice again.
The water-to-rice ratio is the single most important factor in perfectly cooked rice. Too little water and the rice is hard and undercooked. Too much and it becomes sticky or mushy.
Standard ratios by rice type:
| Rice Type | Rice Cooker | Stovetop | Instant Pot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long grain white | 1 : 1.5 | 1 : 1.75 | 1 : 1.0 |
| Short grain white | 1 : 1.25 | 1 : 1.5 | 1 : 1.0 |
| Basmati | 1 : 1.5 | 1 : 1.75 | 1 : 1.0 |
| Jasmine | 1 : 1.25 | 1 : 1.5 | 1 : 1.0 |
| Brown rice | 1 : 2.0 | 1 : 2.25 | 1 : 1.25 |
| Wild rice | 1 : 3.0 | 1 : 3.5 | 1 : 1.5 |
| Sushi rice | 1 : 1.1 | 1 : 1.25 | 1 : 1.0 |
How it works: Enter the rice in cups and the calculator applies the ratio for that type and that cooking method, then converts to grams and millilitres alongside so you can weigh instead if you prefer.
Serving size guide:
- One serving = about 45 g (¼ cup) dry rice per person for a side dish
- One serving = about 90 g (½ cup) dry rice per person as a main
Yield is not the same for every type, so the calculator uses a figure per rice rather than one blanket number. A cup of dry long grain, basmati, jasmine or brown rice comes back as roughly 3 cups cooked. Short grain lands nearer 2.75 and sushi rice nearer 2.5, because both are cooked with less water to begin with. Wild rice is the outlier at about 3.5, since the grains split open and take on far more water than their size suggests.
Tips for perfect rice:
- Rinse it. Washing off the surface starch is what stops the grains gluing together. Rinse until the water runs mostly clear.
- Then leave it alone. Every time the lid comes off, steam that was part of your ratio leaves with it.
- Rest before fluffing: 10 minutes with the lid on, or 15 for sushi rice. The grains at the top are still steaming through when the timer goes, which is why lifting the lid early gives you a wet layer at the bottom and a dry one on top.
- Old rice is drier. A bag that has been in the pantry for months will take a splash more water than a fresh one.
Above about 3,000 feet (900 m), water boils below 100°C and rice cooks more slowly as a result. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra water per cup and give it roughly 5 minutes longer.
Converting measurements:
- 1 cup of dry white rice ≈ 185 grams ≈ 6.5 oz
- 1 cup of dry brown rice ≈ 195 grams ≈ 6.9 oz
- 1 cup of dry wild rice ≈ 160 grams ≈ 5.6 oz
- 1 US cup = 240 mL of water
One warning about the cup itself. Most rice cookers ship with a plastic measuring cup that holds 180 mL, not the 240 mL of a US cup, and the fill lines inside the bowl are marked for that smaller cup. Use the cooker’s own cup for both the rice and the water and the ratio still works, because a ratio does not care what the unit is. Mix the two cups up and you will be out by a quarter.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.