Cook Rice in the Microwave With This Easy Hack

Rice cookers are great, but who needs one extra kitchen appliance taking up valuable cupboard or countertop space? But at the same time, who wants to stand in front of an oven for 50 minutes to cook rice on the stovetop?

What if we told you there was a quicker, less hands-on, and equally efficient way to make rice in your microwave?

And not, we’re not referring to the packs of instant rice you see at the grocery store. All you’ll need is a microwave-safe bowl, microwave-safe cover, and a measuring cup. Well, and a microwave, water, and rice itself, of course. Those are slightly important too.

Follow these six easy steps and you’ll have perfect fluffy rice in the same amount of time it takes a regular countertop rice cooker to make rice:

• Measure out your desired amount of rice and rinse it off, then add it to a microwave-safe bowl. 1 cup of white rice grains will make 4 cups of finished rice, while 1 cup of brown rice grains makes 3 cups total.
• Measure out your water and add it to the bowl. You’ll want roughly 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of long-grained white rice, 1.5 cups of water for every 1 cups of short-grained white rice, and 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of brown rice.
• Place the bowl in the microwave, uncovered, and cook it on high power for 10 minutes. You may also want to place the bowl on top of a microwave-safe plate to catch any water or drippings to make cleanup easier.
• Remove the bowl from the microwave; it’ll be hot so using oven mitts is recommended. Check and make sure the rice is now even with the water level. If not, carefully pour out any extra water.
• Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe cover, dish towel, or dampened paper towel, and place it back in the microwave.
• Reduce the microwave to half power. Cook for 15-20 more minutes. (15 minutes for white rice, 20 minutes for brown rice.)
• Let the rice sit for a few minutes, then fluff and enjoy!

That’s all there is to it! You can make as much or little rice as you want, as long as your bowl and microwave are large enough.