Cook Rice in a Microwave

Most people cook rice in a pot or a rice cooker. If you don't have either available, or if you're just looking for an efficient way to cook a small serving of rice, consider using a microwave. You can even make rice in a mug!

Steps

 * 1) Mix rice and water in a microwave-safe container. A good place to start is two parts water for every part of rice (e.g. 2 cups rice, 4 cups water). You can adjust the ratio through experimentation, depending on how dry or moist you prefer your rice, the power of your microwave, the size/shape of the container, etc.
 * 2) *Some kinds of rice may benefit from being rinsed and/or soaked before cooking. Rinsing not only cleans the rice, but it also improves texture and flavor; in the U.S., rice is fortified with vitamins that rinsing will eliminate, although those vitamins should not be necessary if you already have a well-balanced diet. Soaking simply reduces cooking time but not by much when cooking rice in a microwave.
 * 3) * You can add salt or butter before cooking if you wish, or cook the rice in chicken or other stock instead of water.
 * 4) * Make sure the container is big enough to hold the rice after it expands.
 * 5) * There are also microwavable containers specifically designed for cooking rice; see the next section for instructions.
 * 6) Cover, place in the microwave and set the time. Here are some suggested guidelines for a 700 watt microwave and white rice:
 * 7) *1/2 cup rice, 9 minutes
 * 8) *3/4 cup rice, 12 minutes
 * 9) *1 cup rice, 16 minutes
 * 10) *1 1/4 cups rice, 20 minutes
 * 11) *1 1/2 cups rice, 23 minutes
 * For brown rice, start with three cups of boiling water per cup of rice and cook it for 25 minutes. Adjust through trial and error.
 * 1) Let the rice sit in the microwave for five minutes after it turns off. Don't open the door. This will finish the cooking process. You might observe that the rice grains start to orient themselves vertically (like they're "saluting").
 * 2) Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Microwave Rice Cooker Method
Follow the instructions that come with your microwave rice cooker; these steps provide an overview of the process, assuming you have the type with two bowls and a lid.


 * 1) Put dry rice in the inner bowl.
 * 2) Put the inner bowl in the outer bowl and fill with water.
 * 3) Cover with the lid.
 * 4) Microwave for the specified amount of time.

Tips

 * You don't need to cover or stir the rice during the cooking process. If you insist on covering it, though, do not seal it or the pressure will build and possibly cause the container to explode, making a big mess in your microwave.


 * If you are reheating rice such as chinese take-out, sprinkle a small amount of water (perhaps a teaspoon per cup of rice), onto the rice before microwaving. This helps prevent it from becoming hard again due to dehydration from the heat. Be careful not to put too much water on the rice or it may lose some of the flavor.


 * Alternatively, when reheating rice, you can loosely wrap or cover the rice with a damp paper towel to avoid losing the flavor.

Warnings

 * Do not leave rice at room temperature for longer than 1 hour. Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, bacteria that can cause food poisoning. When the rice is cooked, the spores can survive. Then, if the rice is left standing at room temperature, the spores will germinate into bacteria. These bacteria will multiply and may produce toxins (poisons) that cause vomiting or diarrhea. Reheating the rice won't get rid of these toxins.
 * Do not take this "shortcut" when cooking sushi rice.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Cook Rice
 * How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker
 * How to Scramble Eggs in a Microwave
 * How to Make Sushi Rice
 * How to Make Cheese Sauce in the Microwave
 * How to Cook Long Grained Rice