How to Cook Rice in a Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Rice is one of the staple foods of the world, and besides being nutritious it’s versatile and tasty. There are so many ways to cook rice, but cooking it perfectly can be tricky.

If there is too much liquid, you will have soft, goopy rice, and too little liquid will leave it crunchy and undercooked. Rice cookers work great but you probably already own enough kitchen appliances.

Here we’ll explain how to cook rice in a stovetop pressure cooker, a handy appliance you may already own.

Learning how to cook rice in a stovetop pressure cooker will give you great results every time. Cooking rice and other grains require exact time and liquid measurements if you are to get the perfect pressure cooker outcome.

Keep reading to learn how to cook rice in a stovetop pressure cooker.

Which rice should you use?

Many rice types are available on the market: brown, white, wild, jasmine, basmati, sushi rice, long-grain, short-grain. We’ll list below some types of rice and their qualities, so you can choose the best one for your palate.

Basmati

Traditional long-grain rice,  found in many South Asian and Indian dishes topped with curries or stews. Comes out great in stir-fries.

Jasmine

Long-grain fragrant rice with a mild flavor. Commonly used in Thai meals and is slightly stickier than most long-grain rice.

Arborio

Short-grain rice, AKA Italian rice, is smooth and creamy. Arborio rice is often used in dishes like risotto or rice pudding.

Sushi rice

Short-grain rice is firm and holds together well when cooked. Commonly used in sushi.

Sticky rice (AKA glutinous rice)

Often used in Eastern or Southeast Asian breakfast or sweet dishes. Found in the popular dish sticky rice with mango.

Wild rice

These are not technically rice; it’s actually a type of grass seed. These thin black grains are chewy and crunchy and typically mixed with other types of rice.

Black rice (AKA forbidden rice)

Short-grained rice that turns out a rich purple color. Soft and crunchy, and visually stunning.

Cooking times and how much liquid to use

Once you have a stovetop pressure cooker you like, cooking rice is a breeze.

Cooking rice seems can be tricky for many home cooks, but you simply need to know the time and amount of liquid required. Here are some of the most common types of rice and how to cook them to perfection.

       Type of rice (1 Cup)                  Liquid                         Time

• Arborio (Risotto)           2 cups                      7 minutes
• Basmati                          1 ½ cups                 3 minutes
• Brown                             1 ¼ cups                 18 minutes
• Jasmine (rinsed)            1 cup                       1 minute
• Parboiled                        1 ½ cups                 5 minutes
• Sushi                                1 ½ cups                 7 minutes
• White long grain           1 ½ cups                 3 minutes
• White short grain          1 ½ cups                 8 minutes
• Wild                                 3 cups                     20 minutes

Tips for cooking rice in a stove pressure cooker

• Remember that cooking times may vary slightly depending on the stovetop cooker you are using, so check the cooker’s instructions.
• Make sure to read your pressure cooker’s user manual as they often come with recipes for essential foods such as rice.
• The ratio of rice to liquid stays consistent so you can scale recipes up or down.
• Cooking time remains the same regardless of how much rice you’re cooking.

Pro Tip: Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to the water when making rice. It will help prevent the grains from sticking together. (Don’t worry, it won’t make your rice taste like vinegar!)

How to cook basic white rice in a stovetop pressure cooker

This recipe can be done in just 15 minutes. Always ensure your pressure cooker isn’t filled more than halfway for safety reasons.

Ingredients

• A cup of long-grain white rice (such as Basmati)
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil (optional)

Instructions:

A cup of long-grain white rice (such as Basmati)

1. 1. Add the white rice, water, and optional butter or oil to the pressure cooker.
   2. Close the lid of the cooker and lock it.
   3. Turn the heat to high. Wait for the pressure cooker to show that it has reached high pressure, then turn the heat down only low enough to maintain it. Set the timer for 3 minutes of pressure cooker time.
   4. When 3 minutes is complete, carefully open the pressure cooker by using the 10-minute natural release.
   5. Natural release is moving the cooker off the hot burner without removing the lid. Set the stove timer for 10 minutes so the rice can complete its cooking by using the steam left with the cooker’s residual heat.
   6. When 10 minutes is complete, remove the rice from the cooker and fluff it with a fork before serving.

The Best Stovetop Pressure Cooker For Cooking Rice

When looking to cook rice, you want to buy a pressure cooker that is well-made, durable, easy to use and clean, and has useful safety features. Here are a few that fit this description:

Culina One-Touch Pressure Cooker. Stovetop, 6 Qt. Stainless Steel With Steamer Basket

The Culina One-Touch Pressure Cooker is an excellent stovetop pressure cooker, especially for those new to pressure cooking. It has six safety features, making it easy for anyone in your family to use comfortably.

The manual is extremely detailed so learning to use this appliance is a cinch. It has a one-touch open for ease of use and a lock to secure the lid that will only open when pressure is fully released after cooking.

T-Fal P45009 Stainless Steel Dishwasher Safe 12-Psi Pressure Cooker Cookware, 8-Quart

The T-fal P45009 Clipso Pressure Cooker is made of solid stainless steel. It has a basket for steaming, a stand, and a bonus recipe book. It is dishwasher safe making clean up easy if you remove the gasket and pressure valve.

Safety features include a locking lid that will not open until the pressure is ultimately released.

Nuwave 31201 Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker, 6.5 Quart

The NuWave 3201 Pressure Cooker is a well-made pressure cooker that will last for years, built with stainless steel materials that can hold up to frequent use.

It is dishwasher safe and cleans up by hand easily as well, so it’s great for those who will use it for cooking meals regularly.

Ready to cook some rice in your pressure cooker?

Cooking rice can be tricky, but a stovetop pressure cooker makes it easy and fast. If you don’t own a stovetop pressure cooker, you may also want to take a look at the popular electric pressure cookers.

Besides making great rice, they’re incredibly versatile appliances that do everything from making homemade yogurt to cooking tough cuts of meat. Happy cooking!