Rice meals can’t master the art of cooking rice on the stovetop? Many things can go wrong when prepping rice: too gummy, too hard, burnt.

But, once you’ve got it down, it’s simple to get it right every time. Ugh, I know, rinsing is annoying, but it really is worth it to get rid of the dusty starches that may make the rice too sticky. Just place your rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. For most types of rice, you’ll always use a ratio of 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, which you can scale up or down. Double-check your rice packaging to be sure.

Feel free to swap in chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor. Then, stir in your rice and salt. And if you want to add a tab of butter, too, go for it — your rice will taste 10x better. After adding the rice, the temperature of your water will drop significantly, and it’ll stop boiling.

Cover the saucepan and reduce heat to low. Though it will be tempting, keep the lid on! It’s very important not to mess with the steam. For long grain white rice, I always set a timer for 18, knowing that it could need another minute or two. Let the rice be your indicator, not the water.

If there’s a little water leftover, it’s totally fine! Just tilt the saucepan slightly to drain it out. Turn off the heat, replace the lid, and let it rest for a few minutes in the steamy saucepan. Patience is a virtue, my friend.

Use a fork to gently mix and lift rice to make sure that the grains don’t stick together. If you have a rice cooker, the game is a lot easier. Use the same magic ratio and throw everything into the rice cooker, which does all the work for you. When the machine says it’s ready, the same “leave it alone” and fluffing instructions apply.

Let us know how it went in the comments below! In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add rice, butter, and a large pinch of salt. Bring pan back to a simmer then lower heat and cook, covered, 18 minutes, or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.