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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!!!

4.89 from 87 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  7. 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

        • I also found this rice pudding recipe. I’m eager to try it, but haven’t yet.
          pipingpotcurry .com > rice pudding kheer instant pot

          Reply

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  17. 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

  18. 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

  20. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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 use par boiled rice you can use the rice button
        Have discovered that that is the only rice that it cooks on rice buttons the rest is all manual and you have to manually time , par boiled rice is marked on the package.
        I have not tried it myself.
        Hope this helps.

        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

  24. 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

  25. 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

  26. 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

  29. 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

  30. 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

  31. 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

  32. 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

  34. 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

  35. 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

  36. 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

  37. 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

  39. 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

  40. 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

  41. 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

  42. 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

  43. 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

  44. 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

  45. 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

  46. 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

  47. 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.

      Reply

  48. 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

  49. 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!

    Reply

  53. 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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  54. 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

  55. 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

  56. 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

  60. 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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