How to Cook Japanese Rice in a Rice Cooker: Follow my rice to water ratio tips, and you’d get the perfect steamed rice every time! No more mushy or dry rice!
The Japanese eat rice almost every day, sometimes 3 meals a day! Cultivated for thousands of years in Japan, rice places a highly important place in the culture and is the quintessential staple of the Japanese diet.
When comes to the quality of the rice down to the cooking technique, we take every aspect seriously.
Today I will share how the Japanese cook rice in a rice cooker. Most importantly, how we measure rice and water to achieve a perfect result.
The Rice to Water Ratio for Short-Grain Rice
Over the years, I’ve received a lot of questions from my readers asking why their rice comes out dry.
And I think I know the reason.
Most online resource (in English) for the rice to water ratio for short-grain rice is 1 : 1 (rice : water).
But what you probably didn’t know is this:
The Japanese golden rule for rice to water ratio is 1 : 1.1 (or 1.2).
That is 10-20% more water (that you didn’t add)! For 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml), you will need 200 ml of water, not 180 ml.
That means, if you still want to use a 1:1 ratio, the rice must be soaked in separate water for 20-30 minutes (for that extra 10-20%), drain well, and add the measured (a 1:1 ratio) water. This way, you made sure your rice got moisture it needs.
Most recipes online do not include that step, which means the rice is missing the additional 10-20% of water that it needs.
So… Exactly How Much Water Do You Need for Each Cup?
The plastic rice cooker cup that comes with the rice cooker is a 180 ml cup. In Japan, this amount is called ichi go (一合). Here’s how much water you need for each rice cooker cup when you follow the 1:1.1 (or 1.2) ratio.
1 rice cooker cup (180 ml) = 200 ml
2 rice cooker cups (360 ml) = 400 ml
3 rice cooker cups (540 ml) = 600 ml
4 rice cooker cups (720 ml) = 800 ml
5 rice cooker cups (900 ml) = 1000 ml
Calculation: 180 ml x 1.1 (or 1.2) = 198 ml (or 216 ml)
🤫 If you don’t want to be so precise, pour water just a little bit above the marked water line (see below). You can always adjust the amount of water after you see the result.
Important Tip: Never Skip Soaking!
Short-grain rice always requires soaking (20-30 minutes) unlike other kinds of rice.
The rice grains are rounder and fatter so they need a head start to absorb moisture to the core of the rice kernel.
For newer rice cookers, about 10-minute “soaking” time has already been programmed into the rice cooking menu. However, in my opinion, 10 minutes is not sufficient. I would suggest giving at least 20-30 minutes to soak and revive the rice.
Remember…
- 1 Rice Cooker Cup (180 ml / 150 g) – yields 330 g of cooked rice, which is about 2 bowls of rice (150 g per bowl) or 3 rice balls (a typical Japanese rice ball is 110 g).
- When you use a new crop (新米) – reduce the water slightly.
- Different brands of rice – require a slightly different amount of water.
- No measuring cup? – Use a mug to measure rice and water (exact same volume). Soak the rice for 20-30 minutes and drain well. Then add the measured water (a 1:1 ratio approach).
My Favorite Rice Cooker
The rice cookers in Japan are more high tech and have a very futuristic look, but they are also very expensive. The rice cookers, which many of my friends in Japan have, would have cost $1,000!
Those of us who live outside of Japan don’t have too many (fancy) choices. Since I came to the US, I’ve been using only Zojirushi brand rice cookers (3 of them).
This is my current rice cooker by Zojirushi. It is a 5.5 cups Zojirushi Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker & Warmer (Amazon).
As we eat rice at home almost every single day, I depend highly on a superior quality rice cooker to cook the perfect rice for my family.
Zojirushi rice cooker uses pressurized cooking and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to cook rice. It also has a platinum infused nonstick inner cooking pan that brings out the natural sweetness of the rice.
The other features include:
- Automatically selects from three pressure levels according to the menu selected
- Healthy cooking options: brown rice and GABA brown rice settings
- Menu settings include: white (regular, softer or harder), umami, mixed, sushi/sweet, porridge, brown, GABA brown, steam-reduce, scorch, rinse-free and quick cooking
- Made in Japan
With this rice cooker, I’ve never once needed to worry about dry or mushy rice. It is absolutely one of the must-have kitchen gadgets I can’t live without!
If you’re interested, you can purchase the rice cooker on Amazon.
I hope you’ve found the above tips helpful. I’ve also included more topics on rice after the recipe below. If you have more questions, leave me a comment below!
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How to Cook Japanese Rice in a Rice Cooker - Following my rice to water ratio tips, you get the perfect steamed rice every time! No more mushy or dry rice!
- 200 ml water (Not warm or hot)
- 400 ml water
- 600 ml water
- 800 ml water
- 1000 ml water
- 300-320 ml water
- pinch kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
- 570-600 ml water
- pinch kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
- 900 ml water
- pinch kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
- 1200 ml water
- pinch kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
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The rice to water ratio is 1 : 1.1 (or 1.2 ). Please read the blog post for a detailed explanation.
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Overfill the plastic rice cooker cup (180 ml) and level off. In this recipe, I'm using 3 rice cooker cups (540 ml).
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Add water just enough till it submerges all the rice. Then discard the water immediately. Repeat this process 2-3 times. Tip: Rice absorbs water very quickly when you start rinsing, so don't let the rice absorb the first few rounds of water.
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Use your fingers to gently wash the rice in a circular motion for 10-15 seconds. Repeat this process 1-2 times.
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Add water and discard the water. Repeat this process 1-2 times.
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Repeat this process 2 more times.
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When the water is almost clear, drain well. Tip: Use a fine-mesh sieve to drain and shake off excess water.
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Transfer the drained rice to the rice cooker (I use the Zojirushi IH). Add water (600 ml for my 3 rice cooker cups).
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Soak the rice for 20-30 minutes (especially if you're using an older rice cooker). Select your menu and press "Start". Tip: Even though my rice cooker includes soaking time, I soak my rice for 20-30 minutes. Note: For this Zojirushi rice cooker, 3-cup "regular" white rice takes 55 minutes to cook, which already includes a 10-minute soaking time and 10-minute steaming time in the program.
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Once the rice is done cooking, let it steam for 10 minutes (if your rice cooker does not include the steaming time). Open the lid and fluff the rice with a rice paddle.
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Transfer the rice in airtight containers and close the lid to keep the moisture in. Let cool completely before storing the containers in the freezer (read my tutorial post).
1 Rice Cooker Cup (180 ml / 150 g): It yields 330 g of cooked rice, which is about 2 bowls of rice (150 g per bowl) or 3 rice balls (a typical Japanese rice ball is 110 g).
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
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How to Cook Rice in an Instant Pot
Making Delicious Sushi Rice
In order to make all types of sushi (sushi rolls, nigiri sushi, hand rolls, etc), you will need Sushi Rice seasoned with sushi vinegar.
Hi Nami,
Is there a reason why you specifically said to not wash the rice in rice cooker’s bowl? My hubby loves to do this because it saves him one less bowl to wash after dinner.
Hi Dora! It’s recommended not to do that. The rice cooker bowl nowadays are very expensive and may get scratches while you are washing/handling and coating may come off. Usually rice cooker company sells the bowl for replacemenet, but it is very expensive, so it’s recommended to keep it just for cooking. Also you need to drain in a sieve, so you don’t really need the rice cooker bowl until later on. Hope that helps. 🙂
Look up Japanese Rice Washing Bowl on an online store (like Amazon) and you will find some very cheap and awesome ones in either plastic or metal that have a built in strainer on one end where you can tilt the bowl to drain. I found one of these at my local Asian market and it has been a lifesaver. I used to wash the rice in my rice cooker pot and it gradually made the numbers and lines wear off. Now that I have a new rice cooker, I will never be doing that again!
Thanks for the tip, Lion! I’ve NEVER seen this bowl (https://amzn.to/2LXHDcx) until now! Wow!!!
If you get the stainless steel one, Nami, let me know how you like it! I have one of the clear plastic ones. I love that it has little nubs and ridges along the inside of the bowl to help clean the rice, but I would certainly be interested in upgrading to the stainless steel one if it’s good!
I’m very tempted (you can imagine all the kitchen tools I have in the kitchen for just one job)!!! But at the same time I’ve been rinsing rice since I was before my age is two digit and I kind of have my own way of doing it, so it doesn’t bother me. I just wish that someone invented this a lot sooner. 😀
I’m just a little confused. Do you fill water to the sushi line, or white rice line? Your picture doesn’t look like it is either.
Hi Amanda! We only use Sushi Rice measuring when you make sushi rice (rice that we use for making sushi). Sushi rice is made with steamed rice seasoned with sushi vinegar. But in outside of Japan, people call Japanese rice “sushi rice” which could be confusing to some…
Hope this helps!
I have one question…
We have a Tiger rice cooker that we have been using for years and it will do both Japanese (Short grained white) or traditional Chinese Jasmine rice to perfection in ~12 minutes + 5 minutes sit time. I think we paid around $90 USD for it. I was looking at the higher end cookers (~$300+ USD) and the manuals say it would take ~40 minutes for the same. What is the reasoning for that?
Hi NeilVN! I have one of those “high end” rice cooker, and it takes 40 mins for regular cooking, but quick cooking mode is much shorter time (I never checked exactly how long). So you have the option of quick cooking.
I think the newer rice cooker is all about enhancing the rice. Japanese people are CRAZY about the rice. The quality of rice itself is one thing, but how the rice cooker cooks the rice is another thing. The rice cooker which makes the rice fluffy and moist, shiny, and all the stuff… wins. More expensive rice cooker also has thicker inner pot and the materials are a lot nicer, using the technology as earthenware pot cooking method. The heat distribution and everything matters… so I actually believe the rice cooker is evolving to make much better rice than before. Though, there are some rice cookers that cost over $1000 in Japan. I personally think that’s a bit too much…. 😀
Thanks for the feedback Nami,
We have been using that toaster style Tiger cooker for a while; and while it works well (once you get it down to a science) we would rather have something that beeps at us and not babysit it.
Outside of the Japanese cooking; the wife (and family) is Chinese so we cook rice in various forms every day and buy it by the 50 lb. bag. The extra features wouldn’t be wasted.
I get the “time vs quality” and probably missed the “quick mode” in the manuals I downloaded; for when you just want to “get it done now”. Just didn’t want to be paying for software 😉
Thanks for the response!
You’re welcome! Haha. I use my rice cooker everyday, and I especially love the timer setting (as I make lunchbox for my kids and it’s nice to set timer before going to sleep or dinner time so rice is already being cooked). My first rice cooker was a cheaper version of Zojirushi with inner pot was really cheap material. When I changed to current one, I definitely noticed the quality improvement of rice (even tho using the same rice). Having really good rice is important to me. 😀
My Zojirushi induction rice cooker says in the manual that I do not need to soak rice (no matter what kind), but that all I need to do is wash it and then add the right amount of water. The manual says soaking it will give “softer rice” but is optional. THIS IS NEWS TO ME. Right? Every Japanese cook I have met or read recipes from soaks Japanese rice for at least half an hour before cooking it, and this is how I teach every friend how to make Japanese rice when they don’t know how. I thought maybe this claim has something to do with the induction heating cooking the rice from all sides at once (do the non-induction models say in the manual that you can cook without soaking?), and maybe it is a “feature” of my new rice cooker, even though it is different from what I learned. So of course, I had to try it (for science).
The rice came out fine, and yes, a little firmer than I’m used to (more firm than I prefer, but definitely fully cooked). It makes me wonder, if I do not soak the rice, then use “softer” cooking setting, will I get rice that is the same as if I did soak it and used the “regular” setting? Hmmmm. Unfortunately, I only have one rice cooker, so I cannot make the rice side-by-side to compare. I feel that is the only way I would be able to tell the subtle differences exactly, but I’m sure every factor you change will result in slightly different rice. For example, to me it seems like rice is a better texture if you cook at least 1 cup. You can cook 0.5 cups in my rice cooker, which is handy for me sometimes when I just need one meal for myself, but the rice seems just slightly less luxurious in the end, or is it just my imagination? ????
I will have to do some more experiments with not soaking the rice first (and use different cooking settings) and pay very close attention to the results. I suspect that it will always be a little less good than rice that is soaked first (because Japanese cooks recommend this, and to me it makes sense that doing this will “open” up the rice texture to prepare it for cooking), but I guess it’s good news that if I’m in a hurry I can still get edible rice on the table without having to soak it first… and I haven’t even tried the “quick cook” option yet (kind of scared to, lol). The many mysteries of cooking…
Hi Lion! The recent rice cookers do include the soaking time in their programmed time (may not be ALL rice cookers), so if your rice cooker instructions say it does, you don’t have to. But I would suggest to try with your rice. Rice is quite different from one type to another, and I do adjust based on rice I get (first time is always finding out). When I don’t have time, I skip soaking time, and I even use “Quick” cooking instead of regular time. In that case, I usually add extra water (if it’s 2 cups, I would add 2.5).
My rice cooker has different functions for cooking – Regular, Softer, Harder, and I find my “regular” quite dry, so I add extra water for my rice (even new crop) and usually cook at “Softer”. So my point is that you have to figure out what is your perfect setting based on rice, water, soaking time, and cooking time (your program selection). 🙂
And it’s true that rice is best to cook more than just 1/2 cup, or even 1 cup. The reason is that there will be a lot of steam even a small amount of rice, and the surface of rice gets cooked too fast while inside won’t be cooked through. Or something like that. I do minimum 2 cups and freeze the rest if we have leftover.
Have fun experimenting! 😀
Hi Nami! Nikki J. From Idaho again.
I literally just fluffed the rice from your recipe and I think I’m in love. I’ve been experimenting with rice for the last 2 + years and have settled on your recipe. I purchased Japanese short grain rice from Amazon because while we were in Boise last, all of the Asian markets were between shipments and had nothing in stock! I have loads of medium grain and long grain rice but I wanted to try authentic Japanese short grain rice. Tamanashiki Super Premium, 15 lb bag is what I bought. Now, I have to find bigger bags!! It’s perfect. I have to admit, when I read the rice -to- water ratio, I was a bit sceptical but silly me…. “NEVER entertain scepticism when it comes to one of Nami’s recipes!” Even my husband, who hates mushy, flavorless rice (actually wouldn’t eat it at all until I started cooking East Asian cuisine), thought it came out perfect. Now, I don’t have a big, beautiful, fancy Zojirushi rice cooker, or a Tiger or any other Japanese machine, I have an Aroma BUT….. it works just fine. Although……if someone wanted to GIFT one of those beautiful cookers to me, you would NOT hear me complain!! Hahahahaha! Thank you again Nami for another fan-tabulous recipe! Keep ’em coming. ; )
Hi Nikki! Aww I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the Japanese rice! I really enjoy reading your Japanese cooking journey in Idaho! I know it’s not so easy to find ingredients without buying online, and I really appreciate that you are trying to cook Japanese food with authentic ingredients. 🙂 xo
My rice steamer does not have sushi measures marked. If I use 150 g of rice should I add 200 ml of water to the wet, drained rice? In other words, the total water will be whatever remains with the rice after washing and draining plus an ADDITIONAL 200 ml of water?
Hi Richard! Yes, you’re correct. 200 ml water is going to the pot along with rice that’s rinsed, soaked for 20-30 mins, and drained completely (no excess water). 🙂
Hi I am Noriko. Thank you for putting Rice cooking episode. My husband is insisting to use IP but I am saying that don’t through away the rice cooker.
Now it is clear that I would like to cook rice in rice cooker. And you agree. Now you made it clear I should not through the rice cooker.
Hi Noriko! You can purchase the non-stick inner bowl for IP then it’s like rice cooker. However, it’s nice to cook rice in a rice cooker while you make a main dish in the instant pot. 😊
Hello. I find the water/rice ratio here a little confusing. Early in the article, it says:
“ If you want to use a 1:1 ratio, the rice must be soaked in separate water for 20-30 minutes and then drain well before adding the measured (a 1:1 ratio) water.”
However later on, you state that rice must *always* be soaked, even when using the 1:1.1 (or 1.2) ratio.
Could you please clarify how to use the 1:1 ratio successfully?
Thank you.
Hi Caroline! I apologize for the confusion. First thing first. Japanese rice requires soaking and it’s a must.
In Japan, we only follow the 1:1.1 (or 1.2) ratio. And my recipe goes by this.
Now, online recipes often say Japanese rice to water ratio is 1:1, which I do not follow, if you measure 1 part of rice and 1 part of water and cook.
I would only agree 1:1 ratio IF you soak the rice first in separate water (this is not your measured water, just random water from faucet), let the rice absorb water fully, then add the measured 1 part water. What you just did is making sure rice has additional moisture (not coming from 1 part water).
Most recipes online DO NOT do that. So the 1:1 ratio does not make ideal Japanese rice because you’re missing extra water that required for the rice to absorb before cooking.
Hope this makes sense. I’m sorry my English is not very good. Let me know if you have more questions. 🙂
I rephrased the section of the post. I hope it’s clear now…
I’m sure this is common knowledge for most people who grew up with rice as a staple in their diet, but coming from someone who didn’t – WOW. What a world of difference the soaking makes! I just reheated leftover rice, which I stored in the freezer according to the directions, and it reheated beautifully! No burnt pieces, and it tasted like I had just made it. Fantastic, informative post 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Judy! Aww thank you so much for your kind feedback. It meant so much to me! Enjoy the delicious Japanese rice whenever you want, by freezing it. We always have some in the freezer. 🙂 Thank you for soaking the Japanese rice. It’s so important and most people (or instructions) don’t stress enough. 🙂
I wound up– after over 15 years of doing Japanese “bachelor” cooking (in other words, simpler things for a single guy without as much access to some ingredients as I might like!) with cheap 20 dollar rice cookers (you know, the simple pot + lid with a heating plate at the bottom, that have a cook setting and a warm setting, and that’s it)– taking the plunge and buying a Zojirushi.
It’s not as advanced as the one you describe above, but it’s smaller (3 cups is big enough for me), has the fuzzy logic and digital things, a bunch of settings, and instead of cooking with only heat from the bottom, says that it cooks with heat from all sides, including the lid. No pressure, no induction heating, but a heck of a lot more advanced than what I had been using.
Also, a heck of a lot more expensive, at 140$ USD compared to about 20$ at the local Walmart for a simple pot type…
AND I LOVE IT. The difference in my rice is amazing! Yeah, it cost a lot more than I would have normally spent, but I figured “Hey, I’m old now, who’s gonna complain?” Not me, for sure!
It’s also got a setting that you would probably never use– for Long Grain White rice. Not all my cooking is based on Japanese cuisine, I live in the southern US, and there are a few recipes that simply don’t taste (or feel!) right with Japanese rice, I’m afraid. The texture and separate grains of Long Grain are kinda a part of a Jambalaya or for New Orleans style Red Beans and Rice, for example. But I tend to use Japanese rice for almost everything else, and oh boy does this make a difference there. (Well, it also makes a difference with the long grain.)
Just thought you’d like to know one of your readers has upgraded to a real rice cooker after a while, and does not regret it in the least. (And everyone else, what are you waiting for? If you can afford it, throw your money at Zojirushi right now!)
Hi Robert! Hahaha!!! Your comment brightened my day and thank you for sharing your experience with me and my readers. Because Zojirushi lasts for a long time, I rarely get to update to a newer model, but I truly enjoy my latest one (pressure cook function) and see the difference from my previous one (IH). I thought IH was pretty good! It’s really interesting how technology keeps improving and the same rice tastes better and better. Thank you again for sharing!
A Japanese friend taught me the method she used passed down from her grandmother. After the rice has been soaked and transferred to the rice cooker she adds enough water that the amount of water above the rice is the equivalent of a flat hand. Perfect rice every time.
Hi Donna! Thank you for sharing! My grandma used to do that too. 🙂