Rice Converter

Rice expands when cooked. The ratio depends on the type of rice.

Dry to cooked ratios (by volume):

• Long grain white rice: 1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked
• Basmati rice: 1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked
• Jasmine rice: 1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked
• Short grain white rice: 1 cup dry = 2.5 cups cooked
• Brown rice: 1 cup dry = 2.5 cups cooked
• Wild rice: 1 cup dry = 3.5 cups cooked

Weight conversions:

• 1 cup dry white rice = 185 g (6.5 oz)
• 1 cup cooked white rice = 175 g (6.2 oz)
• 1 serving = 0.5 cups dry = 1.5 cups cooked = about 90 g dry

Water ratios (rice to water):

• White rice: 1:2 (1 cup rice, 2 cups water)
• Brown rice: 1:2.5 (1 cup rice, 2.5 cups water)

Why do the ratios differ so much by type? It comes down to the bran. White rice is polished smooth, so it drinks up water fast and roughly triples. Brown rice keeps its fibrous outer layer, which resists water, so it needs more liquid and a longer simmer to soften, and it expands a bit less for the same dry cup. Jasmine and basmati want a touch less water than plain white because you’re after separate, dry grains rather than a soft fluff.

The classic kitchen shortcut, the finger trick, works because absorption scales with surface area, not pot size: rinse the rice, level it, add water until it reaches the first knuckle above the grain, and the ratio comes out about right no matter how much you’re cooking. Rinsing matters more than people think, since it washes off loose surface starch that otherwise turns the batch gummy. And don’t read too much into “servings,” because a cup of dry rice feeds three as a side dish but barely two when it’s the main event.