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How Much Water For 4 Cups Of Rice? Fluffy White Rice For A Sweet Meal

White rice is an essential part of Southern cuisine. Almost every region of the South has a preferred and unique way of preparing this pantry staple.

Perfect white rice can be a great side dish with any main course if you apply the correct rice-to-water ratio.

Particularly when you have a four or five-person family, you need to know how much water applies to 4 cups of rice as 4 cups cooked rice is a decent amount for a decent family meal.

When making white rice, you usually need 1 and 1/2 to 1 and 3/4 cups of water for one cup of rice. So, to make 4 cups of dry rice, you’ll need 6-7 cups of water. This rice to water ratio depends on the type of rice you use.

Our helpful tips will help make each pot of white rice cook up fluffy, tender, and delicious, no matter what type of grain you’re cooking.

How Much Water For 4 Cups Of Rice?

how much water for 4 cups of rice

How much water do four cups of rice require?

Do you know 4 cups of rice how much water? Getting to know the proper water amount for 4 cups of rice also lets you understand 4 cups cooked rice equals how much uncooked rice.

All types of rice need to absorb 1 size of water for every 1 size of rice to be perfectly cooked. Does that mean that we’ll always use a 1 to 1 ratio?

No, of course, unless you can cook rice in a perfectly sealed environment. And the reason is due to the evaporation.

As we cook, some of the water evaporates, so we need to add extra water to compensate for the part that evaporates.

There are basically three factors affecting how much water evaporates.

  • The pot/cooker and the lid that we’re using: depending on the shape of the pot and how tight the lid is, and the amount of evaporated water will change.
  • The heat of the stove: more heat means more evaporation.
  • The time it takes to cook rice: more time means more evaporation.

Simply put, there isn’t a single ratio that fits every situation.

But since the pots and lids are usually quite similar and the heat will always be the lowest, we can estimate pretty well how much water will evaporate over time and how much uncooked rice makes 4 cups cooked.

Please note, if your heat source makes the water boil instead of simmer in the lowest position or if your lid fits loosely, you may need to add more water (usually up to 1/4 cup or 50 ml) than the calculated.

Finally, the water amount for 4 cups of rice will depend mainly on the time you need to cook white rice.

The rice to water will be 1:1 + the extra water to compensate for the evaporation.

Once you figure out the right ratio, you can answer the question, 4 cups cooked rice is how much dry?

Let’s use an example: Ratios for a specific brand of long white rice that takes 15 minutes to cook.

  • 1 cup of that rice – 1 and 1/4 cups of water (1:1 + 1/4 cups that will evaporate)
  • 2 cups of that rice – 2 and 1/4 cups of water
  • 3 cups of that rice – 3 and 1/4 cups of water

As you can see, you do not double or triple the ratios. Once you know how much water will evaporate, we use a 1:1 ratio + the extra.

Just to be clear, the extra depends on the time, not the amount of rice.

Related: How Much Water For 2 Cups Of Rice

How To Cook Perfect Rice?

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Different types of rice require slightly different rice to water ratios.

So now, you’ve learned about how much uncooked rice makes 4 cups in the previous section. Let’s delve into the simple methods of cooking three different types of rice deliciously using a rice cooker.

Long Grain Rice

  • Types of rice: Long-grain rice cooks up fluffy with distinct grains. Varieties include Basmati and jasmine.
  • Water to rice ratio: 2 cups water to 1 cup rice
  • How to cook: Combine the water and rice in a rice cooker pot with a lid. Bring the water to a boil on the stovetop, then reduce the heat to low.

Once the water is simmering, cover the pot with its lid. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, keeping the pot covered.

At the end of the cooking time, uncover the rice cooker and taste a few grains for doneness.

If the rice is done, remove it from the heat, then recover the rice cooker and set it aside for about 10 minutes.

The hot steam will help the rice dry out a bit and turn fluffy instead of sticky. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Short Grain Rice

  • Types of rice: Short grain rice cooks up tender and a bit sticky. Varieties include Japanese-style rice (also called sushi rice) and bomba rice, traditionally used in Spanish paellas.
  • Water to rice ratio: 1 ¼ cups water to 1 cup rice
  • How to cook: Rinse the dry rice two or three times in a fine-mesh sieve to remove excess starch, if desired. Transfer the grains to a rice cooker pot with a lid and add the water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the rice cook for 25 to 30 minutes, keeping the pot covered.

At the end of the cooking time, uncover the rice cooker and taste a few grains for doneness.

If the rice is done, remove it from the heat, then recover the rice cooker and set it aside for about 10 minutes.

Brown Rice

  • Types of rice: Brown rice still has the bran on the rice grain, which gives it a nutty flavor and makes it more nutritious. Brown rice can be medium, long, or short grain.
  • Water to rice ratio: 1 ¾ cups water to 1 cup long-grain rice or 2 cups water to 1 cup short-grain rice
  • How to cook brown rice: Combine the water and brown rice in a rice cooker pot with a lid. Bring the water to a boil on the stovetop, then reduce the heat to low.

Once the water is simmering, close the rice cooker lid. Cook brown rice for 45 minutes, keeping the pot covered.

At the end of the cooking time, uncover the pot and taste a few grains for doneness.

They should be slightly chewy but still tender.

If the rice is done, remove it from the heat, drain any excess water, then recover the pot and set it aside for about 10 minutes.

The hot steam will help the brown rice dry out a bit and turn fluffy instead of sticky.

If the rice isn’t entirely done cooking, add a few more tablespoons of water, recover the rice cooker, and continue to cook rice. Check every 5 minutes until your brown rice is done.

How To Avoid Sticky Rice?

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How to avoid the soggy rice problem?

Knowing how much dry rice to make 4 cups cooked aside, you need to understand why sticky rice happens to avoid this problem during cooking white rice.

First things first, white rice usually has a thin film of chalky powder on it. Sticky rice happens because the rice rubs against one another during shipping.

That thin powder is what we call starch, and if you don’t rinse it properly, it will make your white rice super sticky.

So the solution to this issue is to rinse your rise very well. When you rinse your perfect rice, you get rid of the excess starches to get a perfectly fluffy white rice bowl!

How To Reheat Cooked Rice?

Another tip we’ll offer in this article besides how much dry rice for 4 cups cooked is how to reheat leftover rice.

To reheat cooked white rice in the microwave, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle a bit of water on top, then drape a damp paper towel over the top before heating it to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

View more: How Much Water For 1/2 Cup Of Rice

You can also reheat it in a pot:  give it a generous sprinkle of water, and heat with the lid on over low heat, stirring and fluffing frequently.

What Are Tips For Fluffy Rice?

  • Always rinse your rice – if you don’t want your white rice to be a ball of mush, rinse it before cooking rice! Getting rid of those extra starches will give you the tasty cooked white rice.
  • Add salt – You don’t have to add salt to your perfect rice while it’s cooking, but it is always better to add it into the water so that the rice absorbs it.
  • Don’t remove the lid – Keep the lid on after having cooked the white rice. This will redistribute the moisture and heat evenly to get each grain of rice cooked to perfection.

Conclusion

Knowing the rice-to-water ratio is crucial if you want to cook rice using the absorption method (steamed), which is the absolute best way of cooking rice, especially plain rice.

We’ve provided you with extra info on the correct water amount for 4 cups of rice as well as on other tips to serve your big family a traditional, delicious meal.

Feeling more confident to cook rice now, right?

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