Hi, Yoshiyama here. This is an AI-assisted translation of the original Japanese text.
For everyday use, a rice cooker works perfectly fine.
However, when cooking with a pot or under non-standard heat sources, it helps to structure the process to ensure reproducibility.
The Four Elements of Rice Cooking
Cooking rice is determined by the following four factors:
- Amount of rice
- Amount of water
- Heat input (the characteristics of the cooking device)
- Time (after boiling begins)
Other factors such as ambient temperature and water quality also have effects, but we will ignore them for now and focus on these four.
Amount of Rice
This is determined by how much you need, so it is essentially fixed.
- 1 Japanese cup (about 160 g) = 2 bowls
Note that smaller quantities are more difficult to cook well.
This is because the margin for controlling heat and water becomes narrower.
Time (Heating Time After Boiling)
This is the primary factor that determines texture.
Raw rice starch is in a β-state and is difficult to digest.
It must be gelatinized (α-state) through heating.
- 10 minutes → firm (minimum gelatinization)
- 15 minutes → softer
- Beyond that → not softer, but structural breakdown into porridge
In other words, texture is primarily controlled by time.
Note:
With a rice cooker, you cannot directly control time, so texture is adjusted via water.
With pot cooking, controlling time yields better reproducibility.
Heat Input (Characteristics of the Cooking Device)
Heat input depends on the cooking equipment.
When heat can be adjusted
Basic pattern:
- High heat → until boiling
- Medium/low heat → maintain cooking
- Very low heat → when water is mostly absorbed
Adjust this sequence so it fits within your target cooking time.
Example:
Earthenware pots heat up slowly → extend the high-heat phase
When heat cannot be adjusted
(e.g., alcohol stoves)
You are effectively limited to constant high heat, which creates issues.
Insufficient heat
→ Cannot reach boiling
→ Reduce the amount of rice
If it never boils, the result is clearly inferior.
Excessive heat
→ Burns before the intended time
Countermeasures:
- Increase distance between heat source and pot
- Insert a heat-resistant buffer
Under these conditions, unattended cooking is generally difficult.
Amount of Water
General guidelines:
- Volume ratio: about 1.2× the rice (similar to rice cooker markings)
- Weight ratio: about 1.5×
Key idea
- Rice cooker → adjust texture with water
- Pot cooking → adjust texture with time, water is secondary
So:
- If it burns → increase water
- If it’s too wet → reduce water
Ultimately, you tune water to match the chosen cooking time.
Once this is set, the process becomes robust against minor changes in conditions.
Soaking
This is important.
- Ideal: 1 hour or more
- Minimum: until the grains turn fully opaque white
Skipping this step leads to hard centers in the rice.
Quality of Heating
Distributed heating is better than localized heating.
- Thin pots → prone to uneven heating
- Thick pots (e.g., earthenware) → more stable
Seasoned Rice
- Less likely to boil over
- Harder to judge timing in pots where you cannot see inside
Compared to plain rice, behavior is less predictable than plain rice, so caution is required.
On Steaming (Post-Cooking Rest)
It is often said that steaming “equalizes moisture,” but I am skeptical of this.
Reasons:
- Temperature distribution inside the pot is not uniform
- Moisture on the lid side is not controllable
Therefore, complete equalization is unlikely.
However, there are practical effects:
- Residual heat dissipates
- Surface structure firms up slightly
→ Rice becomes less prone to collapsing
In this sense, steaming still has practical value.
Summary
To achieve consistent results:
- Decide the amount of rice
- Decide cooking time (10–15 minutes) based on desired texture
- Adjust heat according to the equipment
- Tune water to match those conditions
Following this order improves reproducibility even when conditions change.
Enjoy your rice cooking.
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