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How Long Does it Take to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker

Rice is one of the best staple foods you can consume today that boasted with many incredible benefits, however, sometimes time is not always on our side,  how long it takes to prepare a certain meal, can greatly influence which foods we opt for.

In this article, we are going to look at how long it takes to cook rice in a Rice Cooker, let’s dive in.

A quick answer: this varies for different types of rice, however, the average time it takes per one full cup for short-grain Rice is 13 minutes, 25 minutes for parboiled Rice, 40 minutes for whole grain rice, and 50 minutes for brown rice.

What is a Rice Cooker?

A rice cooker is a device that boils and cooks rice by using steam. Rice cookers use a rice paddle that stirs the rice, keeping it from sticking and deforming. Rice cookers are among the most popular cooking appliances in Japan, where they are often used to cook Western-style dishes such as risotto. Rice cookers have a variety of functions, but their use has been largely replaced by electric rice cookers which produce a more consistent result at a lower cost. The most common types of electric cooker combine a pan with an inner pot and steam vents.

How does a Rice Cooker Work?

A rice cooker first heats water in the inner pot of the rice cooker, then stirs this water around constantly. The temperature of the water determines the final cooking time. It starts by boiling water, then steams the rice through the vent holes in the lid. Once the rice is cooked, it keeps it warm for a certain period of time.

This can vary from cooker to cooker, but most keep rice warm for about two hours. The temperature of cooked rice can vary depending on the type of cooker used, but most have three temperature settings: low, medium, and high. Some cooks prefer to switch between high and low frequently during cooking to prevent scorching.

Types of Rice Cookers

  • Pot-Style Rice Cookers
  • Cool-Touch Rice Cookers

What are the different size Rice Cookers?

  • 5-cup
  •  7-cup
  • 10-cup

Source: https://www.thespruceeats.com/rice-cookers-tips-1907454

Rice cooker cooking time

The type of rice cooker you choose will influence the time it takes to cook rice in it, there are two most popular rice cookers which are:

  1.  Pot Style Rice Cooker
  2.  Cool-Touch Rice Cooker

Whichever one you use, will make a difference in the cooking times. Here are the average cooking times tables for Rice cookers:

Cool Touch Rice Cooker Cooking Time Table

White Rice

White Rice per CupCooking Time
(Minutes)
1 Cup 10-15 minutes
2 Cups20-25 minutes
3 Cups30-35 minutes
4 Cups40-45 minutes
5 Cups50-55 minutes
6 Cups60-65 minutes
7 Cups70-75 minutes
8 Cups80-85 minutes
9 Cups90-95 minutes
10 Cups100-105 munties

Brown Rice

Brown Rice per CupCooking time (minutes)
2 Cups60 minutes
3 Cups60 minutes
4 Cups60 minutes
5 Cups60 minutes
6 Cups60 minutes
7 Cups60 minutes
8 Cups60 minutes
9 Cups60 minutes
10 Cups60 minutes

Pot Style Rice Cooker Cooking Time Table

White Rice

White Rice per Cup Cooking time
(minutes)
1 Cup10-13 minutes
2 Cups20-25 minutes
3 Cups30-35 minutes
4 Cups40-45 minutes
5 Cups50-55 minutes
6 Cups60-65 minutes
7 Cups70-75 minutes
8 Cups80-85 minutes
9 Cups90-95 minutes
10 Cups100-105 minutes

Bown Rice

Brown Rice per cupCooking Time Minutes
1 Cup25 minutes
2 Cups35 minutes
3 Cups50 minutes
4 Cups60-70 minutes
5 Cups70-75 minutes
6 Cups75-80 minutes
7 Cups80-90 minutes
8 Cups100-110 minutes
9 Cups120-125 minutes
10 Cups130-135 minutes

It is important to note that these are average general times. source

How long do 3 cups of rice take to cook in a rice cooker?

To cook 3 cups of rice in a rice cooker will take you 30-35 minutes for white rice and 60 minutes for brown rice. The type of rice cooker you use will certainly have an impact on expected times.

How long does it take to cook 5 cups of rice in a rice cooker?

The Average number of minutes to cook 5 cups of rice in a rice cooker is 50-55 minutes for white rice and for brown rice, it takes 60-70 minutes.

How long does it take to cook 10 cups of rice?

One thing to note is the fact that the more cups of rice you put in, the longer the time it takes to fully cook it. With that said the average time it takes to cook 10 cups of rice is  105-130 minutes for white rice and 90-130 minutes for brown rice.

How can I speed up cooking rice?

If you have limited time and are looking for faster ways to cook rice, one of the things you can do right now is to put salted water in a rice cooker/pot and let it boil then add your rice and wait until your rice is softer and tender. (Source)

Another thing that you can do that works is to cook excessive rice, then leave the leftovers in a rice cooker, that way you can just reheat the rice and consume.  This really works well and I do it most of the time when I know I have a tight schedule.

How do you know when a rice cooker is done?

Different rice cookers have different functionalities, however, most of them will automatically switch off and switch it keep warm function when the rice cooker is done cooking like the Japanese rice cookers which are a bit advanced.

Can a rice cooker cook other foods besides rice?

Yes, a rice cooker can cook many different kinds of food such as oatmeal, porridge and calories and replacement. They are also used for steaming vegetables and making porridge, but keep in mind that you may have to buy different accessories such as liquid measuring cups and a steamer basket.

What are some of the Best Rice Cookers?

Bestseller No. 1
Aroma Housewares Aroma 6-cup (cooked)...
  • Perfectly prepares 2 to 6 cups of any variety of cooked rice
  • Simple, one-touch operation with automatic Keep-Warm
  • Great for soups, jambalaya, chili and so much more!
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COMFEE' Rice Cooker, 6-in-1 Stainless...
  • Multifunctional - Use-6 digital cooking programs including white rice,...
  • Compact Capacity -8 cup cooked (2 Qt) capacity yields up to 8 cups of...
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BLACK+DECKER Rice Cooker 6-Cup (Cooked)...
  • 6-Cup Capacity - Prepare anywhere from 1 to 6 cups of cooked rice, great...
  • Automatic Keep Warm - The rice stays ready for serving! The rice cooker...
  • Nonstick Rice Pot - The nonstick rice pot is completely removable for easy...
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AROMA Digital Rice Cooker, 4-Cup...
  • NEW UPGRADE!! 8x Bonded Granite nonstick inner pot that is more durable...
  • Easy-to-use programmable digital controls complete with an automatic Keep...
  • An array of preset functions for every kind of meal: White Rice, Brown...
Bestseller No. 5
Hamilton Beach Digital Programmable Rice...
  • ENJOY MAXIMUM COOKING VERSATILITY FROM BREAKFAST TO DINNER. Prepare a...
  • PREPARE MEALS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: The removable nonstick pot of the...
  • ONE-TOUCH COOKING WITH PREPROGRAMMED OPTIONS: Simply press the right button...

Final Thoughts

Rice is good for our health and eating enough rice is packed with a vast number of benefits, I hope this article shed a light on the cooking time it takes to cook rice.

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