AIBU to think I'll never be able to...

[HelloBrass]

...cook rice?

No matter what I try, it comes out like mush. Very, very occasionally I may fluke it and it's edible but most of the time it's bloody awful. I hate wasting it, so I force down what is basically wallpaper paste.

Does anyone have any fail safe techniques??

I just buy the uncle bens micro rice.

I use a trick from, I think, Delia - warm a. It of oil on the pan first and coat the rice with it, then cook - stops it sticking together. Also don’t over-cook

Are you actually measuring out the right amount of water in a measuring jug and cooking it for the amount of time that the packet says to?

I bought this www.josephjoseph.com/en-gb/m-cuisine-rice-cooker

The manual it comes with explains how much per person and how long you need to cook all different types of rice and it comes out perfectly every time.

Get some basmati rice, soak for as long as you can and then rinse and wash thoroughly before using. Use double the amount of water to rice (e.g. one mug rice + 2 cups water is usually enough for 3 adults + child). Bring to boil and then turn heat down to low so it simmers. Put lid on and cook for 10mins. Turn heat off and leave to steam for 10mins. Do not remove lid until that 10mins is up! The steaming is crucial to avoid the mushiness and ensure all the water is absorbed.

I cup rice, two cups cold water.
Bring to the boil
Give it a quick stir just as it starts boiling, then lid on, heat down, and don't touch it until all water absorbed (10 mins white, 30-40 brown)
Then turn the heat off, put a clean folded teatowel on top of the pan with the lid on top of it, leave for a little bit then fluffy with a fork

There are better ways but this is simple and works well enough.

Boil until just tender, drain, cover, leave to stand for 5 minutes.

PS I don't bother rinsing but if you do use slightly less water

1 cup of rice in a big pan, add salt.

2 cups of boiling water into the pan, bring to boil, then simmer for 20 min, lid on.

Do not open the lid for 20 min and once cooked, fluff up lightly with a fork.

Hey Presto - perfect rice every time.

Also don't bother rinsing before hand

I was always able to cook rice perfectly and couldn't understand why anyone would be able to until I moved house. The electric hob in my new house was much hotter than my previous one and even at the lowest setting it boiled the rice much too hard and I ended up with a claggy mess.

I now edge the lid off the pan and turn the hob off soon after it's up to the boil and let the rice cook in the residual heat from the hob and have regained my rice-cooking prowess once more!

Perhaps it's the same for you and you're doing it at too hot a temperature?

Same op.

I have a rice cooker

Ratio of rice:water should be 1:2 add a dash of oil and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and leave on a low heat until all the water is gone. Fluff up the rice with a fork and try some. If it is fine as it is fluff it all up with the fork by raking it across the rice. If the rice is too hard or too dry for your liking add a bit more water and return it to a low heat until that water is gone and repeat if necessary.

Exactly what bumpertobumper said. Also do NOT stir it more than once at the start. If you stir it it releases the starch from the rice and this makes it go sticky and mushy

My method

Big pan of salted water. Wait for it to boil and add rice.
Make sure there is more water than rice

Stir a couple of times and taste it 15 mins in.

Once you've got it cooked to how you like it, drain the rice in a colander and rinse through with a kettle of hot water.

Voila

Nice and easy rice

I do the same as racecardriver

I cook mine in the microwave, put desired amount in a big bowl, add boiling water, usually takes about 10 minutes, you can add more boiling water half way through if needed.

I can cook many things much more complicated than rice but cannot get rice right. I buy boil in the bag rice now.

Me too, I just buy microwave bags from Aldi - life’s too short for all this faffage

Now if I could just figure out how to not burn garlic bread every.single.time...

Sounds like you're just over-cooking it.

What? I just boil it it’s delicious. Been doing it for 35 years.
Now that I’ve encountered other people’s rice trouble, I bet I start having problems!

If it’s basmati I rinse it. Otherwise boil the kettle, fill the pan put the rice in, set the timer.
Oh, one thing I have problems with is I tend to cook too much.

I don't struggle with rice but have never over complicated it. One part rice to two parts water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and leave well alone. Never had anything other than perfect rice. No oil, no rinsing, no stirring.

Porridge is the same. One part oats to two parts liquid, v low heat and do not touch. When it bubbles, it's done.

rice cooker argos own brand. very cheap. no more cooking rice.

Rice cooker. You can get very cheap ones. But if you don't have the space for one, microwave is a good second choice.

Rinse the rice.

Heat a little oil in non stick pan.

Add rice, coat grains with the oil.

Add boiling water or stock, to cover plus a bit more.

Cook on moderate heat till water has just evaporated (don't stir).

Then turn heat right down, cover the pan tightly and allow the rice to absorb the rest of the moisture in the pan.

Check to see if cooked through.

This almost always works for me. Difficult to say how much rice to water as absorbency seems to vary, so it might take a few attempts till you get s sense of that with whichever rice you use.