Here's How To Cook The Perfect Rice In The Microwave

Whether you're an impatient home cook, needed a quick meal done five minutes ago, or simply need a break from the stove, this hack for cooking rice could be your best new secret. If you weren't aware, it is actually possible to cook rice in the microwave. While you might worry it could be a little hard and undercooked, getting the rice soft and done is easy — with a bit of troubleshooting.

Both long-grain, medium-grain, and short-grain rice varieties can be cooked in the microwave — that's right, basmati, sushi, and jasmine rice work well when nuked. Some even argue the microwave makes "better" rice. That hot take is up to you, but when you're in a pinch, the microwave will not let you down (via Epicurious). 

If you really want to make sure this doesn't go wrong and you plan to visit the grocery store soon, just buy microwaveable rice. MyRecipes even tried out nine different brands to find out which one yields the best results.

To microwave any type of rice, you will need water, rice, a microwaveable container, and an accompanying lid or heat-safe plastic wrap. Start by adding 2 cups of cold water for every cup of rice you plan to make into the container. The dish you choose will need to be big enough to hold at least 1 1/2 quarts, if not larger.

Next, microwave the rice uncovered for 10 minutes. Most of the water should evaporate as steam, causing small pockets or holes to appear among the rice. If this does not happen in the first 10 minutes of microwaving, continue to heat using one-minute increments until the pockets appear.

Once the steam pockets appear, add a lid or plastic wrap to cover the dish and heat again for an additional four minutes. Carefully remove the rice from the microwave and let it stand covered for five minutes. Taste the rice before serving. If it is still not as done as you like, then continue to microwave the rice in one-minute intervals again until it reaches the softness you prefer.