Despite (or perhaps because of) its simplicity, making a pot of fluffy white rice on the stove challenges many cooks. If that’s you, don’t run out and get a rice cooker just yet. You may already have a perfectly fine rice cooker at home: your microwave!
Why Microwave Rice?
The microwave turns out steamed white rice that’s predictably light and tender, not mushy or crunchy. It also frees up your stovetop for other endeavors. The trickiest part is making sure you have the right microwavable vessel, but there’s some flexibility there.
Marianne Williams in our test kitchen describes this as “almost too easy! So many people feel intimidated when making rice, or as if theirs is never ‘right’. When using rinsed rice, this method works like a charm.”
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
The Best Rice to Use
Long-grain white rice is what you want here: jasmine, basmati, or plain old “long-grain white rice”—the most affordable rice option at the supermarket, as it turns out. Sushi rice, which is medium-grain rice, also worked with this method.
Choosing a Bowl
No need for a single-function microwave rice cooker! Many microwave-safe vessels will work. Whatever you microwave in, it needs to hold 8 cups; anything smaller and the cooking liquid can seep out and make a sticky mess.
A 2-quart glass or ceramic casserole with a lid (such as Pyrex or Corningware) is perfect. An 8-cup glass measuring cup is a fine choice, too, and some come with microwave-safe lids. If you don’t have a lid, plastic wrap works, but be mindful of steam. A microwave-safe ceramic plate that’s larger than your bowl also works.
For Fluffy Rice, Rinse First
Jasmine Smith in our development kitchen played around with variables to get the best result, and she discovered that the extra step of rinsing the rice was indeed worthwhile. “Rinsing the rice was better. The rice grains were more defined and not as starchy, “ she said.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
A Short Rest Before Serving
Once the microwave beeps after the final 4 minutes of cooking, your rice isn’t quite ready. The 5-minute resting period before serving is vital to fluffy rice; think of it as more cooking time, even though there’s no active heat involved. The rice finishes steaming in the residual heat and becomes lighter in texture.
Tip
You can let the cooked rice rest, covered, in your microwave for up to 15 minutes before your meal and it should still be piping hot.
Dress It Up!
- Finish the cooked rice by stirring in a pat of butter or a handful of your favorite chopped fresh herbs.
- Use chicken or vegetable stock instead of water. If the stock is on the salty side, omit the salt.
- For quick cilantro lime rice, add a little lime zest, fresh lime juice, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Leave Out the Salt…Or Not
Unseasoned rice can taste bland on its own, but if you’re serving it with something salty or saucy, it can be best to omit the salt.
A Matter of Watts
Not all microwaves have the same power, and this can affect your results—although in the case of this recipe, the differences were slight. We tested this in 1200-watt, 1000-watt, and 700-watt microwaves. All had the same cook time, but the rice in the 700-watt microwave needed a slightly longer rest, about 7 minutes.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm