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Failproof Instant Pot Rice

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After weeks of experimenting I got it right. Here is your fail-proof guide for Instant Pot Rice. Instant Pot white rice, Instant Pot brown rice, instant pot wild rice, and many more, basically an encyclopedia about cooking rice in an instant pot.

Instant Pot Rice - Instant Pot Brown Rice, Instant Pot White Rice, Instant Pot Wild Rice and more.

This literally took weeks. Finding out about water absorption in the Instant Pot and the perfect rice texture. How to achieve different textures and most importantly how to reheat rice in the instant pot.

If you’ve followed along for a while, you know I’m a huuuuge fan of the Instant Pot. My Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe is not only a hit at my house but thousands of others now, too. YAY!

Now it’s time to find out how long each individual kind of rice needs to cook. There is not only instant pot white rice, instant pot brown rice and instant pot wild rice, you know….. There is soooo many more….

What Is The Best Rice To Water Ratio For Instant Pot Rice?

You’ll be surprised but it is always and for ALL sorts 1:1. Yes, you read that right.

Instant Pot Rice calls for a 1:1 rice to water ratio

You wonder why on the stove different ratios are called for. Well, the darker or wilder the rice the longer it needs to cook and the longer something needs to cook, the more water evaporates during the process.

This leads us to the conclusion, that different kinds of rice do not necessarily need different kinds of amounts of water to “cook” but rather more water to evaporate.

Since the Instant Pot gives a tight seal and high pressure, no water evaporates at all.

An example to make it easier to understand is “a new towel”. If you buy a new towel it kind of doesn’t dry you well, right? It doesn’t absorb water that well. The more you wash it and “process it” the better it becomes and faster it becomes at absorbing. That doesn’t mean it can’t absorb the same amount of water on day 1 and day 10. If you soak a new towel it’ll absorb just as much as a used one of the same kind but it’ll take longer to get the new towel soaking wet.

Here is also a video explaining the science behind the 1:1 ratio:

When cooking Instant Pot Rice you’re basically cooking it as if in a sealed bag as shown in the video.

So yes, Instant Pot brown rice and even Instant Pot wild rice need the exact same amount of water as Instant Pot white rice. *mind-blown*

What If My Instant Pot Rice Is Too Hard With a 1:1 Ratio?

So, what if the rice is still crunchy and uncooked with the 1:1 ratio after pressure cooking. Doesn’t that mean it needs more water?

Here comes a counter question for you. Is the rice super dry and stuck to the bottom and burnt? Or is it nice and wet when you just open the lid?

I bet it’s still wet and only after stirring it and releasing all its steam it’s not super wet anymore. This means, there was still water in there the rice “could have” absorbed. If your rice is uncooked that doesn’t mean next time it needs more water, that means, next time it needs more TIME.

Does 1:1 Apply For 1 Cup Just As It Does For 4 Cups?

YES! When making Instant Pot Rice you need 1 cup of water for every cup of rice, regardless of if you cook just 1 cup or 4 cups.

This is different when you cook rice on the stovetop where evaporation happens. The more rice you cook the less water you need when using a regular pot. Because the same evaporation happens with 1 cup as with 4 cups, so you don’t need to account for evaporation for each individual cup of rice but rather a “batch” of rice.

Natural Pressure Release vs. Quick Pressure Release When Making Instant Pot Rice

What’s better? Hands down, no doubt >> natural pressure release. If you cook rice longer so you can do quick pressure release, with the hope to have the rice cooked faster overall, it gets sticky and mushy. It kind of overcooks and, argh I don’t even know how to explain but I guess I’ve just got to say: I don’t like it that way.

I encourage you to be patient and wait for natural pressure release. I timed all rices and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the timing. Even the same kind of rice in the same amount has had different natural pressure release times.

18 minutes has been the absolute max it ever took in my case. So to time for your Instant Pot Rice to be ready with whatever else you are making you have to account for 6-10 minutes getting to high pressure + high pressure cooking time + max 18 minutes natural pressure release.

Now let’s get to the individual kinds of rice for your perfect Instant Pot Rice:

Cooking Rice in Instant Pot

Instant Pot White Rice

I’ve tried both Basmati and Jasmin and both cook in the exact same time.

  • 1:1 rice to water ratio
  • 3 minutes high pressure
  • Natural Pressure Release (11-18 minutes)

Instant Pot Brown Rice

I’ve experimented with Basmati brown rice and with short grain brown rice and the Basmati cooked faster than the short grain. From all my experiments it seems like the thicker the individual grains, the longer they need. With exception of wild rice, that one needs long regardless of being a skinny dude.

Instant Pot Brown Rice (Basmati)

  • 1:1 rice to water ratio
  • 22 minutes high pressure
  • Natural Pressure Release (11-18 minutes)

Instant Pot Brown Rice (Short Grain)

  • 1:1 rice to water ratio
  • 24 minutes high pressure
  • Natural Pressure Release (11-18 minutes)

Instant Pot Wild Rice

Some people swear the grain HAS to burst open, others swear, it’s best when “just about to burst” and others like it completely unburst. Guess what, you can achieve any consistency you like when you cook Instant Pot Wild Rice. Here are the times for whole unbroken wild rice:

  • 1:1 rice to water ratio
  • 28-30-32 minutes high pressure (unburst-some burst some unburst-burst)
  • Natural Pressure Release (11-18 minutes)

Instant Pot Red Rice and Instant Pot Black Rice

Red rice and black rice is pretty thick and needs quite some time to break down so give it tiiime. It’s round and thick and it takes quite a bit for it to absorb all the water. It’s like a new towel that needs time to get soaking wet ;)

  • 1:1 rice to water ratio
  • 30 minutes high pressure
  • Natural Pressure Release (11-18 minutes)

Instant Pot Sushi Rice

I was actually pretty sure this would take just as long as regular white rice but surprise surprise. It’s not as sticky if you cook it or only 3 minutes and this is the only rice you really want to be sticky, right? So increasing the cooking time actually made it stickier and better to work with for sushi.

  • 1:1 rice to water ratio
  • 5 minutes high pressure
  • Natural Pressure Release (11-18 minutes)

Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend

Soooo, this one is the trickiest because it has several different kinds of rice that individually cook in different times. I found it cooks best in an in between time. The wild rice in the mix will be completely unburst but the brown rice won’t be all mushy.

  • 1:1 rice to water ratio
  • 28 minutes high pressure
  • Natural Pressure Release (11-18 minutes)

How To Reheat Rice In The Instant Pot

How to Reheat Rice in the Instant Pot

So, I’ve seen a couple people recommend adding water or oil and stir it in the inner pot and pretty much making a mess, haha.

Um, not my favorite method.

I like thinks simple. I basically want the same convenience as a microwave but without the waves. I haven’t owned a microwave in 10 years and always used a pan and the stove to reheat things.

When having leftovers though the amazing part is not having to cook, right? I not only want the benefit on not having to cook but also not having to do any dishes.

I store my leftover rice in a heat-proof glass container and then place the trivet in the Instant Pot, add a cup of water and place the rice uncovered on the trivet. Put the lid on, knob to sealing and press steam for 5 minutes. Quick pressure release, done!

Instant Pot Rice Better Than Stovetop Rice?

I like Instant Pot Rice (and quinoa and farro, too by the way) soooo much better than stovetop. It’s probably the fact that it absorbs the exact amount of water it needs. Since we have to account for water evaporation on the stove it’s difficult to cook it to absolute perfection.

Instant Pot Rice is the best rice EVER!

So here you have it. The longest post in the history of Green Healthy Cooking. Ha!

I hope you give one or more of these Instant Pot Rice “Recipes” a try and if you do, let me know how you liked them and how they turned out for you. Ever since getting my Instant Pot I haven’t cooked rice on the stovetop ever again.

A plea to you dear reader

If you had to adjust timing please tell me in the comments below and also include information about altitude you live in, rice kind and brand you cooked and personal consistency preference so others in a similar situation as you can read your comment and adjust accordingly.

Let’s make this post the Instant Pot Rice Encyclopedia, shall we? All of us together can make this the most complete post of all times by adding personal preference info and altitude info. Unfortunately, I lack the budget to travel around the world with my Instant Pot to test it all myself, lol.

Rice in Instant Pot

By the way, in case you were wondering, for the longest time there was a battle between Instant Pot white rice and instant pot brown rice in this house. We just couldn’t make up our mind which one we like better. Until we tried Instant Pot wild rice. NEW WINNER!!!

4.88 from 80 votes
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Instant Pot Rice

After weeks of experimenting I got it right. Here is your fail-proof guide for Instant Pot Rice. Instant Pot white rice, Instant Pot brown rice, instant pot wild rice, and many more, basically an encyclopedia about cooking rice in an instant pot.

Course Side, Side Dish
Cuisine International
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 168 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice (basmati white, jasmin white, basmati brown, short-grain brown, red, black, wild, wild blend, sushi)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients into the Instant Pot. You can double, triple or quadruple all ingredients in same amounts.

  2. Make sure sealing ring is placed properly in lid, add lid, turn shut and turn knob to sealing position.

  3. Cook on high pressure for amount of minutes instructed in the blog post above depending on type of rice. 

  4. Natural Pressure Release until pin drops (max. 18 minutes).

  5. Remove all rice from pot immediately to stop from cooking. If needing to keep warm, leave rice in pot after natural pressure release without opening the lid so avoid steam being released and drying out the rice.

Recipe Notes

  • I'm using a US standard cup. 236ml in volume. 
  • I do NOT rinse or wash my rice. It goes in the pot dry dry dry.
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 168
% Daily Value*
Sodium 296mg 12%
Potassium 53mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 3g 6%
Calcium 1.3%
Iron 2.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Comments

  1. I’m disabled and use my instant pot a lot. I’m in the mood for stir fry and will cook to eat for 2 days. If I brown chicken chunks lightly and add chicken and frozen veggies to the rice with some stir fry sauce can I do this and still cook 3 minutes for Jasmine rice and same amount of broth/water? Not worried about the veggies. I like them soft.

    Reply

    • Yes Jeannie, if you cut the chicken in chunks the 3 minutes will be enough. Just make sure you remove the chicken from the pot before adding the rice and broth/water and then place the chicken back on top and veggies, too. Chicken and veggies will cook without being submerged in water but the rice won’t. Make sure the rice is submerged.

      Reply

  2. If you use the Instant Pot rice option button it defaults to 12 minutes and you can’t change it.
    Are you setting it manually not using the Rice button?

    Reply

  4. THANK YOU for this! This was so needed.

    Quick question – I usually like to mix brown & white rice. I use short grain brown rice and jasmine white rice (1 cup each).

    Do you recommend just going with the 24 mins high pressure so the brown rice cooks fully? Will that overcook my white rice?

    Reply

    • Hi Ara, yes it will most likely overcook the white rice but there is no other option. The brown rice won’t cook through in less than 24 minutes. When you usually cook them on the stovetop you mix them together, too? Does that work? You can always make white rice first, then brown rice and then mix them both together. I’m sure the texture will be muuuuuch better.

      Reply

    • Please don’t feel silly!! All questions are relevant. You’re not the only one who asked. I should have specified. I leave the keep warm on. I basically don’t touch the pot until the pin drops.

      Reply

  7. Wow!

    After much struggling to get sushi-rice cooked to the correct consistency, your advice nailed it! I added *slightly* more water – 2.25 cups of water to 2-cups rice.

    Turned out light, fluffy, perfectly sticky, neither al-dente nor “mush” as I’ve had happen.

    Thank you so much for doing all the experimentation and write-up!

    Reply

  8. Hi Lorena,
    Do you use a dry ingredients measuring cup for the rice and a liquid measuring cup for the water or do you use the dry measuring cup for both?

    Reply

    • Hi Marie, it doesn’t really matter as long as it’s the same volume. You can also use a coffee cup or a washed out yogurt container. You just have to use the same volume of rice as you do of water. So fill up your yogurt container twice with rice and twice with water. The standard measuring cups and the glass jugs with measuring lines are for the exact same volume. You can use either for both rice and water as they measure the same volume.

      Reply

  9. Our Basmati is always sticky no matter what ratio or time we try? I think it is impossible to get grain-separated rice in the IP!

    Reply

    • Have you tried my method? Do you add the rice in dry (not washed as some people suggest) and then opened the post and immediately stirred and removed the rice? My Basmati is grain-separated every time.

      Reply

      • Lorena – have you tested higher cup numbers? This has worked perfectly for me with 1 -2 cups, but I had a major sticky rice event with 4 cups… (referring to basmati here). Just curious. Natural release time ups the cooking time presumably w/ higher volume… am I wrong? Has this been your experience?

        Reply

        • Hi Maddie, I’ve tried with up to 4 cups (never more) and have had the same results. I’ve actually had times where I cooked only 1 cup and then forgot about it and the natural pressure release had been finished an hour ago and the rice sitting there in the keep warm function and the rice was still perfect. You can definitely try and add less water though. How long did your pot take to NPR? I guess with 4 cups this COULD have an effect? I can’t tell though. I’m so sorry your rice was sticky :( This recipe has worked for pretty much everybody so far. So sad to hear about the first not so perfect result.

          Reply

          • It definitely took longer to NPR – ..30ish minutes I think! Still love it for 1-2 cups…just skittish to try 4 cups again. Maybe I wasnt exact enough with my water … hahaha… I will have to try again someday.

  11. So this recipe is amazing. It turned out perfect the first time! Not slimy, no extra liquid, just perfectly textured rice.
    I look forward to using this to meal prep. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  12. Thank you so much Lorena, for putting this together! You are very scientific in your approach. I love it!

    I have a 6QT instant pot which is quite large for 1 cup of rice. I was thinking of using PiP to cook the rice, but that usually means you have to add a cup of water to the main pot before I put the smaller pot inside. Do you think I should also add a cup to the pot that will contain the rice as well? Or is that too much water that will be in the pot (though some of it will be steam)?

    Reply

    • Hey Sammy, I’ve never tried the PiP method BUT from a pure logic standpoint of view I would add a cup of water to the Instant Pot Pot, then the trivet, and then 1 cup rice to small pot + 1 cup water also to small pot and then place the pot uncovered onto the trivet. The water at the bottom I think is necessary to not get a burn warning of a too hot pot touching a dry hot surface and the cup of water in the small pot is for the rice to absorb it all. The steam created by the water in the bottom shouldn’t necessarily all land in the small pot. I would assume it mostly drizzles down again on the sides of the pot? I’m not 100% sure though. You could also cover the small pot with a loosely fitted sheet of aluminum foil to avoid condensation dripping into it? Again, I haven’t tried this method so I can’t guarantee it’ll work. I have however successfully cooked 1 cup of rice with my regular method described here in the post in a 6qt. My Instant Pot gets to pressure with that little volume just fine.

      Reply

  14. Hello! Thanks so much for doing this page. I wanted to comment on what you said about not needing to rinse rice. I don’t know if you were also referring to brown rice, but I have been working with a brown rice farmer for years and washing isn’t one of the steps that is taken during processing.

    Reply

    • Hi Zak, that’s very interesting to hear. Thank you for your input. I never wash any kind of rice nor quinoa or any other grain but this recipe also works with washed rice from what I can read in many comments. If you feel more comfortable washing it, go ahead, it will still work :)

      Reply

  16. Do you rinse your rise before using?
    I just got some jade pearl rice, have you tried cooking that?

    When cooking the rice with frozen vegetables approximately how much water should i put in extra to cook everything with the rice?

    I keep everything in the instapot and typically just use the warming function to reheat it and for the most part it comes out fine, on occasion depending on which dish i cooked the rice will become hard :(

    Reply

    • Hey Ace, I never rinse the rice. All commercially sold rice in the Western world has already been washed and washing it more time just rinses away important nutrients. In terms of veggies, no need to add any more water. I do recommend using fresh hard vegetables though as opposed to frozen because the frozen veggies are already cooked and pressure cooking them on top just makes them extremely mushy. Use cut up raw carrots, bell pepper, celery etc and just place on top of the rice and it’ll be perfect :)

      Reply

  17. I am always sceptical of these types of “wonder shortcut” things, but you really did do your research–thank you for the guidelines and tips. I have never cooked rice in my pressure cooker because it was too hard (I thought). Today I cooked a huge pot of wild rice and put half in the freezer (on your recommendation, too). So thrilled to find someone who knows their stuff and is happy to share. Thanks!

    Reply

  18. Wow – wonderful research and advice! I’m at 7,200 feet (in Santa Fe, NM), and just tried white sushi rice at 5 min high pressure (i.e., no adjustment for altitude). Came out great (16 min natural release). Although another minute of cooking (20% longer) might have yielded stickier rice, the rice I got was cooked through.

    Reply

    • Awesome! I’m so happy you found my guide useful and always feel free to adjust to your liking. Thanks for commenting so others can learn, too :)

      Reply

  19. Thank you so much! I just cooked brown sticky rice as per your recommendations as my first Instant pot recipe. 24 mins and natural release. The grains came out intact and perfectly cooked no excess liquid. Swoon 😍

    Reply

  20. Thank you so much for your healthy post!
    Wondering if you know how to make quinoa with born rice in Insta Pot? Ratio the dam was brown rice?

    Reply

    • Hi Vanessa, brown rice takes 22-24 minutes depending on thickness so you’ll have to cook for that long when using a mix of both. The quinoa will overcook a little but there is no way around it. Better overcooked quinoa than hard brown rice ;)

      Reply

  21. I apologize. I was skeptical and didn’t believe this would work. I was wrong and I’m sorry for doubting you.
    I live at 8800 feet west of Denver. I figured I needed more water and a longer cooking time. I decided to follow your directions anyway. I rinsed 2 cups Brown Jasmine rice and added 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt. Cooked for 22 minutes. Set a timer for 15 minutes npr. Went outside to talk to a neighbor and came into the timer beeping. It was a 22 minute npr. Rice is perfect. Thank you so much for a new and fool proof method!

    Reply

    • This was a little confusing for me – did you cook on High pressure for the 3 minutes and the total time was 22 minutes? I did not know you could set a time for NPR.

      Reply

      • Hi Dianne, I’m sorry this was confusing. Yes, all pressure cooking times are for cooking with “HIGH PRESSURE” and no, you cannot set a time for Natural Pressure Release. It will always take a different time. NPR simply means you do NOTHING once the high pressure cooking time is over and wait for the safety pin to drop all on it’s own without touching the valve. It may take 10 minutes or it may take 20, that all depends on the size of your pot, the volume that’s inside and the altitude that you live in and the mood your pot is in that day ;) For white rice you click “manual” “high pressure” “x minutes as described” and then you walk away and only open the pot to perfectly cooked rice once the pin dropped. Let me know if you have any further questions.

        Reply

  22. I’m assuming I can switch it the water for broth? Have you ever added but to the rice/water while it’s cooking?

    Reply

    • Yes, you can easily replace with broth. I’m not sure I understood your second question. You can’t add anything to the rice while it’s cooking because it’s under pressure and the lid is not removable.

      Reply

  24. Thank you so much for sharing this. I successfully cooked wild rice in my new Instant Pot and am so excited about that! Following your suggestions I cooked two cups of wild rice in two cups of water for 32 in my (IP Duo). The rice came out exactly as I hoped it would. The natural release had not happened by 20 minutes so I just turned it off and took the lid off and it was perfect. Thanks again.

    Reply

  25. Thank you for this!! Can you tell me if toasting the rice first on the sautee setting will have an effect on the time? I’m new to rice cooking.

    Reply

    • It doesn’t have an effect on the timing. I do that often. I add some oil, some crushed garlic, the rice and toast, then add water. The only thing you have to pay attention to is to preferably not add freezing cold water but rather room temp AND to be ready to put on the lid fast. Since the pot is already hot and the water isn’t there happens a lot more evaporation. To avoid that you have to be quick adding the lid and closing the valve.

      Reply

  26. Thank you so much for this information. I just got my instant pot and have not used it yet, but we cook a lot of wild rice, and also packaged red beans and rice. My question is, would I used the same water to rice/beans ratio as for just rice? The package is 8 oz and calls for 4 cups water. Would you recommend the 1:1 ratio for this also. Thanks so much.

    Reply

    • Oh gosh, Charlotte, I’m sorry, I have no idea. I’ve never seen a package as you describe. I have a package of white rice and puy lentils which are super small and cook fast so for that I do the 1:1 and 3 minutes HP + NPR technique. Not sure if it’ll work with the red beans though. You’ll have to try to find out. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

      Reply

  27. I don’t know if my instant pot is malfunctioning or if this is normal, but there is a solid 3 minutes between when the red button pops up and when the timer finally starts counting the time. Should I count the rice cooking time from when the button pops up, or use the programmed time, even though it’s already been at pressure for 3 minutes?

    Reply

    • Jana, do you mean from the moment you press manual and 3 minutes high pressure to when the counter starts counting? Because that would be normal. That’s the time the pressure cooker takes to come to pressure. It heats and pressure forms in the pot and eventually the safety pin jumps up and makes it impossible to open the lid. That’s when the pressure cook timer starts. That’s when the 3 minutes start. I suggest you add rice, water, sea salt, close the lid, turn the valve to sealing position, press manual, make sure it’s on high pressure (not low), set timer to 3 minutes and then walk away for 20 minutes. Like, completely walk out of the kitchen and then come back and check.

      Reply

  28. Why doesn’t anybody talk about high altitude. They give times but that is for sea level. I live at 6000 feet. That affects everything we cook. Even when canning you can things for longer and higher pressure.

    Reply

    • I do talk about it in the blog post Mary :) Also, in a couple comments. From what I’ve read you have to add 5% cooking time per every 1,000 feet of altitude. I will never be able to confirm exact cooking times for anything but sea level and that’s where I do all experiments and cooking.

      Reply

  29. Hi!

    I just got my IP and tried to cook jasmine rice according to your instructions. 2 cups rice (unwashed) + 2 cups water. 3 minutes high pressure and manual release. After 21 minutes the pressure valve still hadn’t come down. I had a starving toddler to feed So I did a quick release which let out only a little squirt of steam and the valve fell. The rice was only slightly undercooked. It wasn’t awful but it certainly wasn’t perfect. Any thoughts as to why it was taking so long?

    Thanks.

    Reply

    • Hi Andree, at what altitude do you live? Was it “white” basmati rice? 21 minutes natural pressure release sounds about right for 2 cups. Pressure release takes longer the more volume is in the pot. Sometimes the safety pin gets stuck and all pressure is actually out. Usually after 25 minutes I turn the valve, too and if no pressure comes out I shake the lid a little and the pin drops. If you live at high altitude you might have to add another minute of high pressure cooking time for better rice.

      Reply

      • Hi thanks for the reply. For all intents and purposes I basically live at sea level. I was cooking white jasmine rice. But if it’s normal for more rice (ie. 2 cups) to take longer to manual pressure release that’s fair. I’m wondering too, if you have to step away from the rice and you won’t be around once the pressure is manually released, do you set it on the “keep warm” function? Or would that over cook the rice? Thanks.

        Reply

        • I put in the rice, the water, some sea salt, close the lid, turn valve to sealing and set it to 3 minutes high pressure (important, not low pressure) and then I literally walk away so yes, the keep warm function turn on automatically once the 3 minutes are over and I don’t mess with anything until the pin drops by itself. If after say 25-30 minutes the pin still hasn’t dropped I turn the valve and check if any pressure is still in. If there is I immediately turn it back to sealed. If there is non I know the pin simply got stuck, I shake the lid a little, it drops and I open.

          Reply

  32. I literally can’t thank you enough. I haven’t been able to cook a wild rice blend on the stove right yet and it turned out perfectly with your recipe for the instapot. Thank you thank you. You’re awesome

    Reply

  33. Appreciate the work that went into sleuthing this info out. This could be a great resource were it not lacking information for presoaked rice. Some of us IP users even still soak our beans.

    Reply

    • I have been on the hunt for a rice cooker to replace my old one. Discovered it may be toxic. I also discovered it’s better to soak brown and black rice for health reasons. Looking for presoaked rice cooking instructions for the Instant Pot. Considering getting a 3 quart Instant pot for rice and grains.

      Reply

      • This recipe will also work with washed rice and soaked rice according to some comments. I haven’t tried myself but I’m sure it works just fine :)

        Reply

  34. First of all, I really appreciate you putting together an epic post like this. I wanted this to work, but unfortunately it didn’t. I followed the white basmati rice instructions to the tee. (3 minutes cooking time + 17 minutes natural release time, did not rinse the rice). I cooked 2 cups of rice with 2 cups of water. Here’s what happened:
    – The rice was hard inside, but mushy on the outside
    – Water was pooled in the Pyrex bowl that I used to cook the rice (on a trivet within my Instant Pot)

    I let it sit on the counter for a while with the bowl’s cover to see if the residual heat would help to cook it, but to no avail. Any thoughts on what went wrong here?

    Reply

    • I believe you are suppose to cook the rice in the instapot alone, as in the only things in the pot are the rice & water. Placing the rice in a bowl is done after the rice has already been cooked and you are simply reheating it.

      Reply

    • Um, Jennifer, I’m so sorry you must have misunderstood. You don’t cook the rice in any recipient standing on any trivet. You cook it right in the pot. That’s why it was hard. The picture of the rice in the pyrex on the trivet is of COOKED rice being REHEATED. I never thought this could be misunderstood. I am so so sorry about that. Please give this recipe another try. Add the unrinsed rice directly in the instant pot’s stainless steel pot insert, then water, a little salt if you want, lid on, sealing valve on sealed. 3 minutes high pressure, NPR and you’ll have perfect rice. If you have leftovers store them in a glass pyrex and if you want to reheat the leftover rice use the method of putting on a trivet and adding water to the pot, not the pyrex. Please let me know if you have any more questions. Again, I’m so sorry there was this misunderstanding.

      Reply

    • Thank you :D And yes of course!!! Working on a series of salads over the summer but end of August back to pressure cooker recipes.

      Reply

      • Mmm…I like your style!!!

        New to your site!
        One quick question…I’m holding long grain brown rice in my hand. Looked through your list but must be missing it. Should I treat it as a brown baslmati when cooking?

        I love PC/IP lentil salad with feta…soo good!! Happy Instant Potting!! :0)

        Reply

        • Probably something in between short grain brown rice and Basmati brown rice. The long grain is a bit thicker than Basmati but not a thick as short grain. I’d try 23 minutes :)

          Reply

  36. Thank you for the time that that you dedicated to figuring out the water ratio and timings for lots of different rice. I was wary to use my instant pot as a rice cooker but after cooking my first batch I’m sold. I may have to retire my rice cooker. I made short grain brown rice. I live in Osaka, Japan btw.

    Reply

  37. Hi my wild rice mix doesn’t contain brown rice rather white would this change the cooking time. Ps I’m in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

    Reply

    • You have to go off of the grain in the mix that takes the longest to cook. Since it’s got wild rice I would defo cook for at least 22 minutes or it won’t be cooked through. The white might be overcooked but still edible.

      Reply

  38. I made jasmine rice. 2 cp rice, 2 cp water. High pressure 3 minutes. Natural vent 20 minutes. It’s hard. Not totally cooked. I’m in Michigan. I have a 6 qt instant pot. Not sure what went wrong. Thanks.

    Reply

    • I take that back. It sat for an hour before dinner. It was absolutely perfect. No mushy rice. Thank you so very much!!!!!

      Reply

    • Hm, Michigan isn’t high enough to make that a factor. Are you sure it was on high pressure? Did the pot seal well and did the safety pin jump up after only a couple of minutes? I’m not entirely sure what else it could have been. So sorry it didn’t work for you the first time.

      Reply

  39. So are you manually entering in 3 minute cook time and not using the “rice” button? I just bought an instant pot yesterday.

    Reply

    • Hi Sarah, the only buttons I use are basically “manual” or “pressure cook” depending on the model (it’s the same button), pressure level to set high pressure or low pressure and the plus and minus buttons to set time. I don’t use any of the other buttons. I prefer to experiment and get to the perect consistency of each ingredient that way.

      Reply

  40. Instapot and Rice – a site dedicated to this?!
    Priceless!!
    Lorena, I am so happy to have bumped onto your blog. All credit to you, this was the first result in my search for “cooked rice steam instapot”
    Thank you for all your kitchen experiments!

    Best, anu

    Reply

  41. I am so happy I found your site. I used my IP to make rice for the first time, arborio rice. I live in the Mile High City, Denver Colorado. 5,280 feet above sea level. Using your instructions it turned turned out awesome! Thank you!!!!!!!

    Reply

  42. This was my first time making rice in the Instant Pot and my short grain brown rice came out perfectly!! I was nervous after reading so many different recipes and methods, I didn’t want to ruin all that rice and I didn’t want to have to start over so close to dinner time. Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • I’m so happy it worked for you Megan. I’ve had only positive feedback with my method. I’ve tested it EXTENSIVELY before posting. It would surprise me if it didn’t work for somebody :)

      Reply

  43. I purchased a quinoa rice blend from Costco. There is basmati, wild and jasmine mixed with quinoa and not sure how long to cook especially since quinoa cooks much faster than the others. The stove top directions say to simmer for 15 and let sit for 5. Suggestions? Thanks much

    Reply

    • Hi Nadine, if the stove top directions say 15 minutes it’s basically cooked like any white rice. It surprises me because of the wild rice in it but I’d try maybe 5 minutes high pressure plus full NPR and still 1:1 water to grain mix ratio.

      Reply

  46. Thank you! This was the best site on all things Instapot rice. Very informative and accurate. The rice was perfect!

    Reply

  48. Oh my goodness ~ U really should be washing your rice
    before cooking it Have you ever been in a Rice Mill?
    Then you would know that storage does not keep it
    clean and free of things you don’t want on your rice
    grains.

    Reply

    • I won’t wash it. I’ve explained in several comments below but go ahead and wash yours if you want. The instructions will still work :)

      Reply

  50. Great advice!! Perfect rice every time. My only complaint is that I cannot find this post when I search my pins. It does not come up under rice, instant pot rice or instant pot. Please make this searchable.

    Reply

    • Hi Ann, I’m surprised to hear it doesn’t show up in your Pinterest. It shows up in mine. I do everything (believe me, EVERYTHING) on my side to make my recipes searchable but in the end social media decides on its own what they want to show to whom and what not. It’s the most frustrating thing in the world. I’m currently # 2 (sometimes #3) on google so you should easily find it when you google “Instant Pot Rice”.

      Reply

  51. Well I just made my first batch of rice using your directions and we are now best friends. (In my mind) ! Lol. Thank you so much. This has given me so much confidence and access to too much food. Ha.

    Reply

  52. Hello, I found your post fascinating. I have the Ultra IP with the rice setting. I’ve made white rice, brown rice and tonight wild rice all using the rice setting. Each came out perfect. I love the IP so much I donated my rice cooker.
    My question to you is have you ever made steel cut oats in the IP? I hadn’t thought about using it to cook my oats until you mentioned quinoa and farro.

    Reply

  53. Thank you so much for such great information! I’ve been referring to this post whenever I have to cook different kinds of rice. We live in the Philippines where it’s pretty easy to find locally grown red rice. My husband and I find the flavor too strong and we have been mixing it with white rice and cooking on the stovetop. Any suggestions on cooking white and red rice together in the IP? Based on your wild rice blend experiment, should I just find a happy medium time where the red rice is just about to burst? Thank you again!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Danielle!! Re mixing red with white rice. Hm. That’s a really tricky question because my wild rice blend was all grains that by default take longer to cook. No white rice mixed in because it cooks so fast. You could try at about 24-ish minutes but honestly I think you’ll have a lot better results cooking one rice first, then remove and store in a large ovenproof container (that would still fit in the IP, cover and place in the fridge, then cook the other rice. When the second batch is finished, add to the first batch and mix and then place the container in the IP to reheat both batches as instructed in the post. I think that way you’ll get the very best results.

      Reply

      • Hi sorry I couldn’t find where to make a new post so am replying to the above one. Firstly thank you so much, this is really helpful and unlike other recipes it works! I wondered on the reheating instructions if you add 1 cup of water regardless of the quantity or if it needs to be proportionate? many thanks

        Reply

        • Hi Caroline, you add 1 cup to the stainless steel pot under the trivet so to speak and place your glass container on the trivet so the water never touches the rice or the glass container really. 1 cup of water regardless of how much rice. Or 2 cups if you have a bigger instant pot (I believe the 8qt needs 2 cups), the water is basically just needed so the steam gets the pot to pressure which is what will reheat the rice.

          Reply

  54. Lorena, this Linda again at 5,500 feet. I am sorry, but I posted twice–I didn’t think the first one went through. I do have a follow-up question, though, to your much appreciated response. Do you think organic rice might cook differently than non-organic?

    Thank you again.

    Reply

    • Hi Linda, no it shouldn’t make a difference if it’s organic or not. The only thing that affects cooking time is altitude and thickness of the individual grain.

      Reply

  55. Lorena, I live at 5,500 feet altitude and am having trouble cooking organic brown basmati rice. Regardless of the recipe, the rice is undercooked and there is residual water in the Instant Pot when I remove the lid. I have even tried cooking it 30 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. I am anxious to try the ratio you recommend for water to rice. What should the HP time be for my altitude? What should the natural release time be? Thank you.

    Reply

    • I’ve been experimenting and getting ok results but nothing to write home about. I’ve done 1 cup arborio to 3 cups broth 10 minutes high pressure + full natural pressure release. I’ll have to continue experimenting until I find the BEST settings.

      Reply

  57. I live at 5,500 feet altitude. When cooking brown basmati rice in an IP, what times would you recommend for HP and for NPR?
    I am anxious to try your recipe. I have tried several recipes and the rice is always crunchy with water sitting in the pot. So frustrating!
    Thank you.

    Reply

    • Hi Linda, from what I’ve read you have to add 5% cooking time per every 1,000 feet of altitude. So at 5,500 feet you would have to pressure cook brown rice for at least 28 minutes at high pressure. The water rice ratio remains the same because there is no water evaporation in a pressure cooker regardless of altitude. The natural pressure release remains the same, too. Leave the vent untouched and let the pressure release naturally until the pin drops on its own. Let me know how it went. If the rice is still cunrchy, increase time by 2 minutes. Don’t add more water.

      Reply

  58. I just bought an instant pot and you are my new favorite person! I just made perfect chicken breasts for several casseroles and am making rice now! Thank you!

    Reply

  59. Hello,

    Thanks for the reference guide! Just got my Instant Pot and I’ve had bad luck with rice so far, so now that I’ve read your guide I’m eager to try again.

    Apologies if this was asked elsewhere…when adding things to spice up your rice (like salsa, lime, chicken stock, or whatever) do you displace the amount of water you’d normally put in or do you just add it on top of the water?

    (For example, for one cup of white rice do you only add 3/4 cup of water with 1/4 cup salsa?)

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Ryan, yes, you understood correctly. If you add in salsa, add 1 cup rice and 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup salsa. I recommend whisking salsa and water before adding, to make sure it gets to all rice kernels. Then stir the rice in the liquid once or twice. Let me know how you liked it :)

      Reply

  61. Simple question with an answer I may have overlooked… When cooking manual with the IP it automatically goes into “Keep Warm” after. Do you turn that off or allow to remain on during the natural pressure relief?

    Reply

    • I just made white rice with this method and wondered the same thing. I decided to turn it off and it turned out perfectly!

      Reply

  62. Great info and recipe! My mom taught me to cook rice on a stove top almost 40 years ago and it is foolproof… I jut recently got my Instant Pot and wanted to try making rice. I modified the recipe a bit to blend a bit of old and new.

    First, I never rinse my rice.
    Second, I always saute my rice in ghee before I add the liquid
    Third, I use a really good chicken stock instead of water.

    I followed your method for white rice, but added ghee (a rounded teaspoon per cup) ahead of time on saute. once the butter was melted and sizzling a bit, I stirred in the rice till every grain is coated. You can use olive oil, butter, or a combination of olive oil and butter, instead of ghee.

    When everything was combined, I poured in the chicken stock. After that, I followed your method and the rice came out perfect.

    Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • I cook it exactly the way you cook it but in addition I add garlic with the rice when frying it before adding stock :) The blog post is only for timing and liquid to rice measures so people know how to achieve fully cooked rice with great consistency. All the extras are to make rice fancy and I agree 100% rice that’s been fried a couple minutes before cooking tastes amazing!!

      Reply

    • I am a junior cook, and I have a simple question. Do you sauté the rice in ghee using instant pot? Does it mean you are using instant pot without putting the lid on?

      Thank you very much!

      Reply

      • Hi Ledi, you can absolutely do that. You first press “sautée” to heat it up (no lid). Once it says hot, you add ghee or any other fat you like and even onions, garlic, whatever you want, add the rice and sautée for a couple of minutes (3-5 minutes). Then you press “cancel”, add the liquid, immediately put on the lid so the liquid doesn’t evaporate, seal it and then follow the instructions of the post for your specific type of rice :)

        Reply

  63. I’ve cooked a lot of rice of all kinds for years, stove top and now in my Instant Pot, and your method really intrigued me! I’ve been messing with various amounts of water and cooking times for brown and wild rice, and mixed rice. Your explanation of why there is no need to vary the amount of water when using the PC was so logical I had to try it, and it works so well, no more mushy or watery brown /wild rice! I live at about 5000 ft, and I generally use the P in P for rice, using a heavy Pyrex bowl with about 1 1/2 C of water in the bottom of the PC and the bowl on the trivet of my 8 qt IP. I like mine pretty well done, not crunchy, and both the straight short grain brown rice and the brown and wild rice mix from Bob’s Red Mill come out perfect for me at 40 minutes, whether I’ve made 1, 1 1/2, or 2C rice 1:1 with water. Thanks a while bunch!!

    Reply

    • Wyn, I’m soooo happy you found my post useful. Comments like your fill my heart with joy! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leaving such a wonderful and thorough review. I really appreciate it.

      Reply

  65. When cooking ride in stainless steal stackable containers, do you add the liquid in with the rice or just put in underneath in the instant pot insert and use the steam lid on the container?

    Reply

  66. I was driving myself crazy earlier trying to find this posted in the FB IP Community page … didn’t think to check Pinterest until after LOL … SO glad to have this saved where I can remember to find it!! This is a great resource! Thanks for putting this together .. just incase I get brave and stray from the regular white rice :)

    Reply

    • I’m so happy you found it Lisa!!! Yes, pinning is always the best idea to save your favorite recipes and tutorials in one place.

      Reply

  67. Thank you! I have been so frustrated with rice in the pressure cooker. It would never turn out the same. It must have been the instant release verses natural release. Depending on if there main dish was ready or not.
    I am so excited to do it your proven way. Thank you!

    Reply

  68. Location: Denver the “Mile High City” at 5280 feet above sea level. :D

    This was very helpful! I did 2 cups of brown Basmati with 2 cups beef stock plus 1 tsp of Penzeys Greek Seasoning blend plus 2 tsp of Avocado Oil.

    25 minutes with NR of 20 minutes or so. (I got impatient and “poked” it at the end). lol. Taking off the lid, there was about a tbsp of water “collected” on the lid. The rice was tender with a bit of chew; would be very good for rice salads where you need to add other wet ingredients like a salad dressing.

    If I need softer rice, I’d likely add a couple of minutes for the volume.

    Reply

  70. That awesome guide cover everything! (Well except 1 thing). I keep this page and will follow it for all my rice.

    Do you know best pudding rice (short grain rice) with milk ratio? And cooking time? For rice pudding.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Jay, thank you for your comment and rating. Unfortunately, I don’t know I don’t dare trying. Milk usually scorches to the bottom in the Instant Pot. I could imagine it works if you cook the rice with water like sushi rice and then add milk after it’s cooked?

      Reply

      • Hi. Thanks for response.

        Shouldn’t do. Old fashioned stove top pressure cooker my grandma and dad used do use milk and rice and sugar and never problem.

        I did some research on google search while waiting your response. It seems most do 1 cup rice and 3 cup milk also use porridge button on instant pot. Like this link:

        http://thisnortherngal.co.uk/food-2/food-for-the-fearful-quick-and-easy-instant-pot-rice-pudding/

        Most include sugar and some don’t and American seem add eggs at end some reason. As far I know UK rice pudding don’t add eggs (they might do but not ones I seen).

        Reply

        • Well, excellent research Jay! Thank you for sharing!! I’m sure there will be quite a few asking me this same question. I’m happy your posted it. I will direct them to your comment :D

          Reply

  71. When you say “sushi rice” do you mean Japanese white rice? Like Tamaki or Nishiki-Koshihikari brand? Because actual “sushi rice” you add sugar and vinegar after rice is cooked to give that shine and vinegar taste

    Reply

    • Oh gosh, I’m sorry Tomomi, I’m not that versed in rice terminology. I used Lundberg’s “Sushi Rice”. It’s a blue bag and it just says “Sushi Rice”.

      Reply

  72. This page has been bookmarked! Thank you so much. I only eat brown rice, and most recipes give the time for white rice, so I’ve been “guessing”. There was no guess work for this and my rice was perfect! Thank you again!

    Reply

  73. Hey Vickie,

    I’m curious why your chart didn’t include Jasmine white rice. Are the cooking instructions the same as Basmati white rice? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Hm, not sure who Vickie is, haha. Under “white rice” I wrote that I tested both, Basmati and Jasmin and both cook to perfection in the same time.

      Reply

  74. I too have your info bookmarked and at the ready for reference. Thank you. My question is have you ever used the PIP method for rice and how do you feel about that? AND do you think the cook time would be the same for the PIP method?
    I have done it for sushi rice and I loved the texture and the cleanup was a breeze compared to putting it into the pot.
    Thank you again.

    Reply

    • Thank you for bookmarking :D I’ve never tried the PIP method but if I remember correctly someone else commented here that they did. They used my ratios in the pot and then 1 cup water in the IP pot and put the pot on the trivet and it worked. I never use PIP because I don’t feel it’s any more or less work. Using my method the rice doesn’t stick, I just remove all the rice immediately, clean out the pot with a sponge in less then a minute and that’s it.

      Reply

      • Hi Lorena,

        I’m sure using PIP method for the rice pudding with milk (previous comment by Jay) would solve your problem with fear of scorching in the bottom ;-)

        You should add a minute or two when using PIP because the cooking is slowed by the container.

        Reply

  75. I made IP brown rice today, first time I’ve had to make it since reading your article. I’m in Ottawa, not too much above sea level, so I anticipated that your instructions wouldn’t need any tweaking.

    It seemed counterintuitive to use only 1 cup of water per cup of rice, but I trusted you and all the testing you did…. The rice was absolutely perfect! Not a drop of water lurking in the pot; and the rice was perfectly, splendidly, wonderfully cooked.

    Thank you so much for this!

    Reply

  76. Just tried with store bought white rice (3 min) and it didn’t stick to the bottom but it definitely was a bit crunchy. Like I needed one more minute to cook it? I only did 1 cup which maybe isn’t enough in my 6 quart?

    Reply

    • I made all my tests with just 1 cup also in a 6-quart. Was it the rounder short grain kind of white rice? Because Basmati is very thin so it cooks faster than the thicker kind of white rice. If it’s a chunky rice grain I recommend 5 minutes like the sushi rice :)

      Reply

  77. I just finished making this recipe using Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice. I am using it to make wild rice bread. I used 1 1/2 c. Wild Rice and 1 1/2 c. water. I am extremely happy with the results. I did 32 minutes high pressure and 18 minutes slow release. I was aiming for curled rice and I have a mixture but it is soft and will be lovely in my bread. It made roughly 3 1/2 c. Wild Rice. Thank you! 2nd recipe I have made using my Instant Pot Ultra. 1st was hard boiled eggs, also perfect and will use the wild rice bread to make grilled egg salad sandwiches.

    Reply

  78. I want to try your method with Jade/Bamboo Pearl rice. Should I use the Sushi Rice time since the rice does not have a hull on it like the brown rice? Or should I use the Black/Forbidden Pearl time since the green rice is a pearl variety? I don’t have much of it on hand so I’m nervous to just try one in case it doesn’t work. Loved the blog. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Nikki, I’ve never cooked that rice before but I found a brand online (Lotus) and the package instructions say to cook it for 20 minutes so I assume you would cooke it like the sushi rice, NOT like the black rice. The sushi rice in a pot takes about 20 minutes as well. The black rice in a pot can take up to an hour.

      Reply

  80. Well this was a 2-fer post for me! Rice & reheating tips. My wild rice came out beautifully per your instructions, and then I also tried using the steam function to re heat for the 1st time. Wow. Sometimes the microwave over does when I use it to reheat, nice to have another option on hand. Thank you so much for all the information!

    Reply

  81. This is WONDERFUL! Thank you for all this labor. I have copied all this down and placed in a sheet protector and am keeping it in my kitchen drawer so I can fix rice in a moment without having to google cooking time. Thank you!

    Reply

  83. Awesome info. Generally cook long grain white rice, but have a love/hate relationship as sometimes it’s fabulous & sometimes it’s terrible. The video from Dan explained a lot, I’m going to give the instapot a try to get it right.

    Reply

  85. Thank you for this! I just ruined a whole meal last week because my brown rice was crunchy but I didn’t realize it until we’d already mixed it. I used the rice button which obviously was NOT the right option.

    Reply

  86. Great photo, and awesome advice.
    I love Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice. Is that a par=boiled rice? Anyway, I usually do it in the oven, adding butter and salt and baking for approximately 45 minutes at a 1:1.5 ratio. It comes out perfect after about 45 minutes. Just wondering how I can convert this to the IP?
    Or is this on your list for an additional experiment?
    TIA!

    Reply

    • Unfortunately, I don’t seem to be able to get parboiled rice here in Montreal. I’ve heard so much about it. If I ever get my hands on it I’ll make sure to test. May I ask why I got a 4-star rating from you? Have you tried my method and it didn’t work the way you like it?

      Reply

    • If you have any luck with Uncle Ben’s please share. That is the only kind some of my picky eaters will eat

      Reply

      • Sorry Laura, I’ve never cooked this brand of rice before. What does the packaging say? If it says to cook white rice for 15-20 minutes you should be able to cook it in the IP just like you do regular white Basmati or Jasmin rice. 3 minutes HP + NPR

        Reply

  87. Thank you!! I made white rice by your method and it turned out perfect! My pot (the ultra) has a rice button but when I used it and the amount of water specified in the instruction booklet, my rice all stuck to the bottom but was also crunchy on top. Your method turned out great. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  88. Wow!!! Looooove that photo!!! ;) (but seriously it’s suocool! :))
    Thanks for this post, it’s so well done!
    May I ask…when you say “cup”, does that mean a standard measuring cup, or the little one that comes with the IP?
    Thanks again!

    Reply

      • I’m very curious there are really two different kinds of measuring cups there is the liquid glass measuring cups or the plastic ones ( which I was always taught that this was for dry ingredients only )that most of us on which one did you use ?

        Reply

        • Hey Maggie, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is the volume. Use either US Standard with 236ml volume or Metric with 250ml volume. The important thing here is not the size of the cup but the 1:1 ratio and the minimum volume for your specific model of Instant Pot to come to pressure. Use a coffee cup if you like and just to make sure you have enough volume fill it twice with rice and then fill that same cup twice with water so you have the exact same volume of water to rice :)

          Reply

  89. I generally batch-cook brown basmati to use throughout the week, but have not been brave enough to make a big batch in the IP because I practice Rapid Fermentation (as presented by the Kitchen Stewardship blog), and wasn’t sure how much the cooking time would be affected by a long soak. It’s actually been a long time since I made rice in my (now-defunct) rice cooker. I think what I used to do for soaked brown rice was to cook it on the white rice setting, but I could be wrong about that. Has anyone else cooked soaked rice in the IP, and learned what adjustments (if any) to make to the timing?

    Reply

    • If you like your rice better rinsed don’t stop rinsing it. You have to do whatever you like better. I prefer the texture of unrinsed rice. I’m not concerned about any residue of anything even with imported rice. I live a risky life, hahaha
      May I ask why I got a 4-star rating? Have you tried my method and it didn’t turn out as expected?

      Reply

    • YES!!! I love sautéeing mine with minced garlic in a little oil. It’s so yummy! But that’s all “extra” stuff to give extra flavor. The basic recipe doesn’t change (1:1, HP, NPR)

      Reply

  92. This is just me sharing my experience: I have a rice cooker that I’ve used for years before I got an IP, so I rarely use the IP for rice lol! Habits…
    In terms of time I think the rice cooker is equal
    If not faster than IP for rice, but yes it’s another large gadget in the kitchen! Takes about 20-30 mins for any rice…
    But I love this post and will prob start using IP to experiment!

    Reply

    • If you love your rice cooker and the IP doesn’t give you the same results and you do have the space, keep both. For me that’s IP and slow cooker for example. I like my crockpot slow-cooker better than the slow-cook function on the IP. However I like IP rice just as much as rice cooker rice so for me there is no need for a rice cooker. I’ve heard from many others though that they gave their slow-cooker the bootie. It’s all about personal preference :)

      Reply

  93. I use lundberg short grain brown rice. When cooking in my Instant pot, it always comes out very sticky. It doesn’t matter if I am usine 1 to 1 water ratio or 1 to 1.25 water ratio. I tried different cooking times and doesn’t seem to matter. I have tried rinsing and not rinsing. Any thoughts on this? Does letting the steam naturally release make a big difference. I love my instant pot, but one of the reasons I got it was to cook rice.

    Reply

    • Hi,
      I use Lundberg short grain brown rice as well. The first time I made it in my IP it was a sticky mess. Lady time I made it, I rinsed, used 1:1.25 cups rice to water and added about a Tbs of oil. I cooked for 18 minutes and used natural release for 8 minutes and QR afterwards. It was much better. Tiny bit sticky but acceptable. I’m going to try this posted method to see how it comes out.

      Reply

  94. Hi thanks a lot for the guidance. I was wondering about the Rice option on the Instant pot should we really skip it and go for the high pressure timings always.

    Reply

    • With the “rice button” you can only cook white rice, no other kind. It cooks it 12 minutes on low pressure. It comes out cooked and fine, I like the texture with HP and NPR better though. If you like the rice button version better continue cooking with that :) You can use this guide for all the other kinds of rice.

      Reply

  95. Excellent information!
    Why use manual and not the automatic rice function?
    Is it just a matter or time?

    I use the auto with jasmine rice, rinsed, sometimes soaked if time allows, and no salt/oil, 1:1 water (the rice cup that comes with the IP and 3/4 cup water). It turns out good, but I’m always looking for better! :) I’ll usually load it at night with the timer function so its ready to pack for lunch.

    Reply

    • With the “rice button” you can only cook white rice, no other kind. It cooks it 12 minutes on low pressure. It comes out cooked and fine, I like the texture with HP and NPR better though. If you like the rice button version better continue cooking with that :) You can use this guide for all the other kinds of rice. If you rinse the rice reduce water a little just like you do in your version.

      Reply

  97. You didn’t mention arborio rice for risotto. I often cook it on the stove top with mushrooms and sausage. Once recently with mussels. I called that dish Muscles Risotto after the mafia hitman of the same name.

    Reply

    • This is very high on the list of things to test for me. I haven’t had the chance yet. I had to draw the line at some point. I will test this once my family forgave me the massive amounts of rice eating for breakfast lunch and dinner in various degrees of texture these past 2 weeks during the testing period, hahaha

      Reply

  98. Thank you for putting time into this and sharing your results. I’m new to the Instant Pot and have not made rice yet but I’m planning on trying it and now you have equipped me with great info. Thanks again!!

    Reply

  99. Thank you for this! I appreciate all the work and testing you did just to share this information with us. I’m usually an apprehensive cook to say the least, but this gives me confidence now!

    Reply

  100. Thank you for all your effort! I’m at 1900 feet and your basmati times are the same as I’ve used previously. So glad to have a handy guide for all the other types of rice now!

    Reply

    • HI! I come from a race of rice eaters for millennia. Basmati (means “fragrant lady” grows in the foothills of the Himalayas…
      That said, we rinse rice a couple of times in cold water before cooking. This removes mill dust, and some excess starch, so that the rice comes out less sticky. After rinsing, I let it drip dry in a mesh colander and cook the damp rice. “Frying” the rice first in oil, butter or ghee and then adding cooking water is a technique for making pulao (pilaf) and not necessarily for everyday cooking. But there is no harm in using that technique for everyday rice as well! ;)

      Reply

      • If you found your perfect way of cooking rice don’t change it Feryall :) This post is for everybody who hasn’t found their favorite method yet. In North America almost all packaged rise has already been washed, rinsed and re-dried so washing shouldn’t be necessary. As for a little more starch I guess I like mine with more starch but I’ve tried rinsed and dry and I have better results with dry rice. It’s more like the Peruvian-style prepared rice that I grew up eating :)

        Also, I will just casually drop this quote by the FDA here: “The new FDA research also shows that rinsing rice before cooking has a minimal effect on the arsenic content of the cooked grain. Rinsing does, however, wash off iron, folate, thiamin and niacin from polished and parboiled rice.” Source: https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm319948.htm

        Reply

  102. Hi, I really enjoyed this page about rice. I’m italian, so I use italian rice (like Arborio or Carnaroli) 95% of times. And when I cook risotto, I always use italian rice. I found that 8 mins Manual and rice:broth ratio 1:1,5 (with QR) are perfect for me. If in the risotto there is something which release water while cooking (like frozen Porcini mushrooms), then I use less broth.
    So, the general rules for risotto are: first, sautée the not-rice ingredients (like onion, veggies, ham, pancetta, etc), remove everything from the pot then sautée rice for like 2 minutes with white wine. Turn the pot off. Add the broth (1:1,5), then on top of the rice put the remaining ingredients. Close the lid, set Manual for 8 minutes and QR.
    I hope you may find this useful.

    Reply

  103. Great photos and information! I use either good ole Uncle Ben’s white rice, or Nishiki Japanese rice. I haven’t done Uncle Ben’s in the Instant Pot yet. (Have you?) The Nishiki, I have done at 1:1.5 on the rice setting (12 minutes high pressure, natural pressure release) and have been happy with it. Have to stir it and it does get a little closer to sticking to the pan. I’ll try 1:1 next time and a shorter cooking time…see what happens. How about arborio rice for risotto? Thanks for the time and effort you have put into this project!

    Reply

  104. Thank you for for this it is very helpful indeed, I’m just curious to know why you don’t use the rice button.

    Reply

  105. Thank you for all this information, it is fabulous! Can I please ask you what the cooking time would be for plain white long grain rice? Would it also be three minutes followed by the natural pressure release?

    Reply

  106. I’m still learning my way around my instant pot and I really appreciate the time and effort you put I to explaining this. I’m definitely going to save this post and pass it on. Thanks!!

    Reply

  107. What an amazing experiment you did! So very impressive and so very helpful. And your photos are artistic and helpful! Thank you so much!! I think you should take up a collection so that everybody that appreciates what you’re doing could pay to send you around the world to test it all LOL.
    I do have one other type of rice I make and I thought I would add it to your list for you. Coming from Hawaii we use calrose rice to make “Sticky Kine” and I have got the perfect recipe for cooking it after massive experimentation. I use the little standard rice cup to measure the rice. Then for every little rice cup I use one real cup of water. You could use one and a half rice cups of rice and one and a half cups of water or 4 rice cups of rice and 4 cups of water etc. Push the rice button which will cook at low pressure for 12 minutes. Then let it natural release for 6 minutes followed by opening the vent, and then open the lid and and you will have perfect sticky kine rice.

    Reply

    • Hahaha, I’d love to travel the world with nothing but my Instant Pot. That sounds like a dream job, hahaha. I promise that if I ever get my hands on calrose I’ll immediately buy it start experimenting. :)

      Reply

      • There are many different kinds of rice used to make sushi in Japan, so the term “sushi rice” is actually a pretty broad description, and to some people, it includes Calrose rice. “There is a variety of rice called Calrose, which was developed in 1948 and is a medium grain rice which has been grown by Japanese American producers in California for many years. While not a true Japanese rice, it is commonly used to prepare Japanese cuisine in North America and is a reasonably good to use for sushi.” (allaboutsushiguide.com) So perhaps both kinds offer similar results for the same IP cooking method!

        Reply

        • Sorry, I’m not familiar with the different kinds of Sushi rice. I had to draw the line at some point with rice. I chose the Lundberg Brand labeled “Sushi Rice”. I have no idea what kind exactly that is however.

          Reply

    • Thank you for sharing. I grew up in Hawaii eating the same rice. I only have Nishiki instead of calrose on hand, but wanted to make sure my rice was cooked the way we like it back home. Since they are both short grain rice I will cook it the way you mentioned.

      Reply

  108. First, a great big thank you for the vast amount of the time you invested in making cooking rice easier for all of us. Now for my question. Do the ratio and cooking times also apply for cooking PIP?

    Reply

    • You are very welcome :D I’ve never cooked anything PIP so unfortunately I don’t know. If you try please let me know. I will put this test on my list, too and hope I can get to it any time soon.

      Reply

    • Should work the same. I always do rice pot in pot covered and it’s nice to be able to pull that and just use rice out of that container all day

      Reply

  109. It’s me again. Have you played around with sweet rice and brown sweet rice? Also, is plain long grain the same as “white rice” on cooking instructions?

    Reply

    • No, I’ve never tried sweet rice. Sorry. And I’m pretty certain most white rices cook in 3-5 minutes. The thinner ones in 3 the thicker ones in 5.

      Reply

  110. So this is manual setting and high pressure, right? And, how many minutes would you add for 2K feet elevation? BTW, thanks for the terrific article, I got rid of all my stove top pressure cookers and now I want to find a new home for two rice cookers! AKA downsizing.

    Reply

    • Yes, “manual” is “pressure cook” in some of the newer models. For 2,000 feet I wouldn’t add anything to be honest. It’s still pretty low. Mayyybe 1 minute.

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  111. Thank you, thank you! I’m saving this. Great questions above too. In addition to those, I’d also like to know what size Instant Pot you’re using. Thanks!

    Reply

        • Hi Carmen, yes all tips apply. The only thing you have to pay attention to is the minimum liquid requirements. I believe the 8 qt calls for a minimum of 2 cups liquid to come to pressure so you’d have to cook 2 cups of rice with 2 cups water at least. It won’t work with just 1 cup. The ratios stay the same though one:one.

          Reply

  112. I’m wondering if I can cook glutinous rice (sweet rice) the way water ratio and how long should I be cooking it? Thanks in advance!

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  116. Excellent information! Thanks! Do you cook the rice and water in the inner pot or do you place another container on the trivet to cook it?

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  117. first THANK YOU and i have a couple of questions
    1- are you using regular pressure cook function or multi grain function
    2- what measuring cups are you using ? lm assuming a dry measuring cup for rice and a liquid measuring cup for water, but then im thinking maybe you are using the measurer that cam with the IP…
    so happy you posted this,

    Reply

    • Hi Laura, you are very welcome. I use the “manual” button (in some Instant Pots that’s the “pressure cook” button) and adjust timing and make sure the “high pressure” light is on. I use a US Standard measuring cup. 236ml in volume. It doesn’t really matter what container you use simply use the same container for rice and water to make sure you are using a 1:1 ratio plus make sure you use the minimum volume required by instruction manual of your Instant Pot model. If you pot says 2 cups liquid minimum you need to make at least 2 cups rice with 2 cups water.

      Reply

  118. Hi I’m New and still learning the IP. Your rice and liquid measurements call for 1 cup, are you using a standard measure cup or the cup that came with the instant pot ? Thank you dawn coco

    Reply

    • I use US Standard American. It’s 236ml in volume. It doesn’t really matter though. The important thing is that you use the same ratio. Whatever container you use, fill with rice and then fill with water to the same level. Also, make sure you add the minimum amount of volume per instruction manual of your pot model.

      Reply

  119. Awesome post! I’ve yet to master rice in the IP. I’ve been cooking with a sprouted blonde rice by Planet Rice. I think it’s somewhere between white and brown so I’ll have to play w the timing on that.

    Reply

      • I never rinse rice. In my opinion rinsing rice is a matter of personal preference in terms of texture. Rinsing removes starch and thus the consistency changes. It’s not a matter of hygiene. #1 rices in North America are all pre-washed and re-dried before packaging and on top you’re boiling your rice so all bacteria should basically die during that process.

        Reply

    • I don’t rinse it. I never rinse my rice regardless of the cooking device. I like the texture of rice better when adding it dry dry dry to the pot/instant pot/rice cooker.

      Reply

    • Is that feet or meters? If it’s feet I would add anything. Maaaaybe a minute. It’s still fairly low so it shouldn’t make a difference. If it’s meters I can’t tell for sure of course because I haven’t tested it but from the info I have from a friend at that altitude and our different spaghetti squash cooking times (3 minutes difference) I want to assume you’d have to add 3 minutes high pressure to each type of rice. Please let me know how that turns out when you try so I can add that info to the post. Oh and yes, I have a quinoa recipe >> https://greenhealthycooking.com/instant-pot-quinoa/

      Reply

  123. Great info! I haven’t cooked rice yet; however, will now give it a try!

    The instructions on my ULTRA 60 states a 2 cup liquid MINIMUM is required. Do you have a different IP?

    Thanks for your hard work!

    Vicki

    Reply

    • Hi Vicki. I have the ultra60 also and had the same question. I have cooked only 1c jasmine rice (236g) using 1c water. 3min. high pressure and NPR. I had rinced and drained the rice first (instructions from Amy/Jacky). Worked beautifully. :)

      Reply

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