• DO NOT use scaling (x 2 or x 3) for this recipe.
• Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a soaking time of 20–30 minutes for white rice and 6–12 hours for brown rice. The rice-to-water ratio is 1 to 1.1 (or 1.2) for Japanese short-grain white rice and 1 to 1.6 (or 1.7) for Japanese short-grain brown rice.

  Please note that ¾ cup (150 g, 1 rice cooker cup) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yields 2¼ cups (330 g) of cooked rice. This is enough for 2 Japanese rice bowls (typically 150 g each) or 3 onigiri rice balls (typically 110 g each). 1 cup of cooked rice weighs about 5.3 oz (150 g).
• How to Measure: Overfill a US cup measure (a ¾-cup measure works well for this) or a rice cooker cup with uncooked short-grain rice and level it off. Put the rice in a large bowl. Repeat until you have the measured amount of rice needed. In this recipe, I‘m making 2 rice cooker cups of rice using my 2 rice cup size Kamado-san. You can also use a 3 rice cup size Kamado-san.
  

To Wash the Rice

• Gather the rice, the measured water, and a donabe.
  
• Quick Rinse: Add just enough tap water to the bowl to submerge all the rice. Then, discard the water immediately. Repeat one more time. Tip: Rice absorbs water very quickly when you start rinsing, so this step helps remove impurities from the rice and prevent it from absorbing the first few rounds of milky water.
  
• Wash: Next, use your fingers to gently agitate the wet rice grains in a circular motion for 10–15 seconds. Using very little water allows the grains to rub against each other. It also reduces the absorption of impurities from the milky water.
  
• Rinse: Add tap water and immediately discard the cloudy water. Repeat one more time.
  
• Repeat Wash and Rinse (steps 3 and 4) two more times.
• Drain: When the water is almost clear, drain the rice very well. Tip: Use a fine-mesh sieve to drain and shake off any excess water.
  

To Soak the Rice

• Transfer the well-drained rice to the donabe and add the measured amount of water (see below to find the water measurement for your amount of rice). Gently shake the pot and use your fingers to level the rice so that it‘s evenly distributed and submerged in the water.
  
• Place the lid (or both lids of the Kamado-san) on the pot and soak the rice in the donabe for 20–30 minutes. If you‘re cooking brown rice, it requires 12 hours of soaking time. You can also add a pinch of salt to help reduce the bitterness of brown rice (optional).
  

To Cook the Rice

• Set the donabe on a gas stovetop and turn the heat to medium high (or medium for a professional range). Cook* for 14 minutes for 4 servings (or find the cooking time below for your amount of rice). Alternately, simply watch for the steam to start puffing from the lid's hole, wait 2 minutes (for white rice), then turn off the heat.
  

* White rice cooking times:

• For 2 cups: 12–14 minutes (medium-high heat); 3 cups: 13–15 minutes (medium-high heat).

* Brown rice cooking times:

• For 2 cups: 28–30 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 13–15 minutes after the steam starts puffing); 3 cups: 35–38 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 15–18 minutes after the steam starts puffing).

To Steam the Rice

• Remove from the stove and let the donabe stand with the lid on (both lids for the Kamado-san) for 20 minutes for white rice and 40 minutes for brown rice. Tip: This resting period is crucial for the rice to steam properly. Resist the urge to peek under the lid and release the steam during this time.
  

To Serve

• Fluff the rice with a rice paddle, and it‘s ready to serve.
  

To Store

• Transfer the cooked rice to airtight containers and close the lid to keep the moisture in. Let the rice cool completely before storing the containers in the freezer (read my tutorial post).