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After all, satisfyingly starchy meals are never far away with this essential skill in your back pocket.

Woman holding cooked jasmine rice bowls with spoon. Wearing a gray sweater.

Chaiwat Hemakom / Getty Images

But how do you ensure your rice is cooked to perfection every time?

Sure, you could use a handy digital rice cooker to help simplify the process.

But the truth is that you definitely dont need one to prepare this seminal grain to perfection.

Plus some rice-cooking know-how, of coursewhich well get to in a minute.

(You probably cant say the same forcauliflower rice, can you?)

Thats why weve got expert-approved tips and answers to common questions like how long does rice take to cook?

that will make the process easy every time, no matter what variety of rice youre using.

What are the most common rice varieties?

Theyve got different textures and, therefore, lend themselves well to different types of dishes.

And medium-grain rice is somewhere in the middle.

Should you rinse rice?

Although rinsing rice isnt an absolute must, it is highly recommended.

Its also fast and easy to do.

How do you rinse rice?

There are a couple of simple methods to quickly rinse rice in your kitchen sink.

She repeats this process three or four more times until the water is completely clear.

Do you season rice before or after cooking?

(Remember, you could always add more later.)

Seasoning doesnt have to mean just salt, either.

(If youre using stock, skip the additional salt.)

You could evenuse coconut milkfor a creamy side dish.

Yeung also likes to let the food she serves alongside the rice take care of the seasoning for her.

What is the ratio of water to rice?

Les general ratio is about one and a half cups of water to one cup white rice.

(Outlier wild rice especially needs a lot of water.)

Le sticks with about one and a half cups, though.

Here is a list of the recommended rice-to-water ratio ranges for different types of rice.

How long does rice take to cook?

The cooking time for different types of rice varies a bit depending on a few factors.

Different varieties and the age of the rice can affect cooking time, Stone says.

That said, you dont need to gettoofixated on exact cooking times.

Thats because they still have their firm, fibrous exteriors on.

In general, these grains will need at least 30 to 45 minutes over heat.

The recommended time on the bag is a good place to start.

What is the correct way to cook rice?

(For whole grain rice, let it cook for atleast30 minutes before peeking.)

Thats because its really the steam that cooks the rice, not the boiling water.

(Letting the rice rest also helps create the best texture.)

Why is my rice so mushy?

If your rice is consistently turning out mushy, odds are that youre using way too much water.

What can I add to plain white rice?

Feel free to experiment with your favorite homemade orstore-bought sauces, condiments, seasonings, andspice blends.

How long will my rice be good to eat?

Food and Drug Administrationadvises.