How to cook Japanese Rice using a Rice Cooker?

You can’t miss rice when you are interested in Japanese food and culture! Rice is one of the most important foods in Japan and most Japanese people grow up with it their whole life.

In Japan, we eat rice everyday or every meal. Many Japanese foods are made with the expectation of eating them together with rice. I have had a hard time finding many Japanese foods but I am so happy that rice is one I can find and make so easily in the US.

I learnt how to make rice when I was little, and since then I cook it almost without thinking or asking if this is the best way to make the best rice. I bet so many people are like me. So today I am going to share what I learnt and you will make the best rice for the rest of your life!

How much water do I need (water ratio)?

So many website says, it is usually add 1.2 times more water than rice. But I feel like it is a bit softer. So I recommend 1.1 times more water than rice. It also changes which rice cooker you are using or how you like the texture. The below is the list you can follow!

* For normal rice, 1.1 times(round off) more water than rice in the list below. Softer is 1.3 times more water than rice.

The list of water and rice ratios

Rice cookers usually come with a cup for measuring the rice. 1cup is 180ml / 150g, so use it to measure the rice.

How much rice should I make per person?

1 rice bowl is 0.5 cup. But again this depends on how much you want to eat and how big your rice bowls are. For example, if you want to eat rice with breakfast and dinner then 1 cup is good.

How much rice can I get after cooked?

1 cup(150g) gives you 350g after cooked (Normal amount of water). This is perfect for 2 person!

How long does cooked rice stay good?

It says that the best rice is eaten within 6 hours of cooking. Longer than that, and the rice starts to get solid and isn’t as good. You can eat rice within about 24 hours after cooking but the earlier you eat it the better!

How to store rice?

You can store 3 ways.

• Rice cooker: eat within 24 hours
• Refrigerator: eat within 3 days
• Freezer: eat within 1 month

When you store in either the refrigerator or freezer,

4 tips for making the best rice

If you want to make the best rice, here are my most important tips!

1. Do not wash too much : if you wash too much, rice’s umami flavor and nutrition go away
2. Use filtered water or mineral water : If you are sensitive to chlorine odors
3. Before you cook and if you have time, soak rice for 30 minutes : To cook through the inside of the rice well and get it softer
4. After rice is done, stir lightly : To remove extra water and keep the rice from sticking

I am using Zojirushi rice cooker

People wonder which rice cooker is the best. In my experience, using a Japanese rice cooker brand is the best. Asian grocery stores usually carry a large variety of rice cookers, but I recommend you get a name brand one.

The reasons are:

1. You will use it for a long time. I’ve used my Zojirushi rice cooker for the past 5 years and it still works perfect.
2. In general, the more expensive the rice cooker, the more features it offers to make rice better.

In Japan, there are a lot of types of rice cookers that exist from cheap, starting at $20, to expensive models that can cost over $1000. I don’t think you need to buy one that expensive but again, you will use it for a long time so it is good to invest in a decent model instead of buying the cheapest one! My mom’s rice cooker was about $800 and she bought it about 15 years ago and it still works great.

I think great brand and affordable rice cookers are usually in the $150 – $400 range!

Here is the rice cooker I use in the US! (Zojirushi rice cooker)