To think rice manufacturers should tell the truth

Agreed, and only about £20 in Argos.

Brown rice does take longer op!

Use a multi cooker, mine makes amazing rice using the pressure cooker function including perfect brown basmati every time.

For future reference, old rice, that's been open a while does need a bit more water

Cooking instructions are never accurate, they are a guide only imo.

Very interesting about the arsenic, but given that we only have rice once a week at most and usually have basmati (and are all adults) I think our risk is extremely low. It's no problem to me to avoid rice cakes. I've always thought they taste like I assume polystyrene ceiling tiles would. Can't see the point of them at all.

This is the way I do it, with a good rinse beforehand. Perfect rice every time.

No they do not lie. Millions of people in the world can cook rice.
Suggest you may have too much water in pot

I'm not surprised. Unwashed and unseasoned rice will never cook on principle. Such bland grossness.

Soak the rice or at least rinse it til clear but cooking basmati rice in 6 times the amount of water?! I'd rather take my chances with arsenic than eat rice cooked like that

Love my rice cooker...it's so easy

It’s nothing to get overly hysterical about ( rice has been a staple food for many countries)

That reads as incredibly patronising. No one is "hysterical"

I read this and made up my own mind.

BBC arsenic in rice link

Exactly. Especially if you're giving it to children.

I just use ordinary white rice rinsed and put it in the microwave with tiny bit more than double the quantity of very hot water. A cup of raw white rice takes 13 minutes or so with occasional stirring. If it not quite done but dry I add a bit more water and give it a couple more minutes. It tastes like ordinary rice. It tends to clump if not rinsed though.

Rice cooker - honestly game changer. Perfect fluffy rice every time.

I'm so confused now from these comments 😅

I do 2 cups of water to one cup of rice. Chicken bouillon in the water. Once it boils I bring it to a simmer for 18- 20 minutes. I've had gummy rice a couple times but it always comes out fine to me.

30 minutes?? There's something wrong 😳

Wash the rice first then 1 part rice to two parts hot water. Add the rice to the water, bring to a boil, put the lid on and turn the heat as low as possible for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid under any circumstances until the 15 minutes is over. It's never failed me.

Avoid rice labeled 'quick cook' or 'easy cook' as these take forever and generally taste awful.

Boiling some rice. Says 10 mins. It's been on a boil for 20 and still not done. FFS this is why I buy microwave rice. Just needed to rant. They lie on the packets

It's probs out of date rice and you've done it wrong.

Anyhoo. My kids left home eons ago and there's only 2 of us so we just
get microwave rice now.

Similar. Except I work with volume. I do a water/rice ratio of around 5/1, and 10 mins for the amounts I usually do. I buy the same stuff from the same shop too, which might help.

Slightly different for different white rice, and wholemeal is twice as long. I got a nice rubber tub for microwaving different grains that came with all the ratios and timings for each, and they're bang on. The lid has holes for draining excess water easily, when necessary

Best bit about microwave is consist heat and time, it can't stay on too long cos you're distracted or on the loo 😁

Lots of food actually has trace amounts of arsenic as it’s in soil and groundwater but the way rice grows means it has higher levels. It’s nothing to get overly hysterical about ( rice has been a staple food for many countries), but it’s better to rinse before and after and cook in copious amounts of water ( about 6 x water to rice) rather than absorbing all the cooking water. This reduces the arsenic. Over the longer term higher arsenic levels can contribute to cancer risk it is thought.

whats with all the arsenic?

Well it's a dangerous substance in rice (absorbed when it grows). I thought it was widely known. That's why I always soak/pre-rinse/post-rinse mine. It's a health risk. Not sure what's particularly funny about it?

whats with all the arsenic?! 😂😂😂

FFS I swear this site gets weirder and weirder 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yes this rinsing before and after is not always popular but is quite important as rice is high in arsenic. Methods that absorb all the cooking water are problematic in that sense.

I've not had a problem with brown rice cooking times but presoak and rinse and rinse with boiling water afterwards.

DS 'cooks' himself microwave rice - I think it smells/tastes vile.

You could have mentioned it was brown rice in your opening post........

I very much doubt the instructions said 10 minutes for brown rice! The instructions on my packet say simmer for 25 minutes after it has boiled.

Use a ratio of 1 rice to 2 water.

Put rice and water in a pot.
Add salt.
Bring to boil.
Cover loosely.
Turn down heat to simmer.
Set timer for 15-20 minutes.
Rice will be done.
Fluff with fork.

Works for all varieties of rice.