If you eat brown rice one of the biggest, and perhaps, most important Instant Pot questions is “how to get brown rice just like you want it”? After reading hundreds of answers to posts about brown rice, I am convinced that there are multiple issues involved when cooking brown rice so that it’s “perfect”.
First, it seems like we don’t all like our brown rice to turn out the same way. Some people want it stickier, some want it softer, others like it firm with separate grains and many other variations on this theme. So it would seem, sadly, that there isn’t one “right way”.
Second is the issue of the rice button which is meant for only white rice, yet many people use that button to make brown rice. That preset is 12 minutes at low pressure which will not, in my opinion, get your brown, or any other colored, rice cooked well. I have never been able to do it but some people swear that you can. However a very recent comment read suggested 1 cup brown rice, 1 ½ cups liquid for 15 minutes with natural release. She said that it might come out a little sticky. I would likely say that it will turn out a little crunchy. And here is the rub – back to reason number 1. We don’t all like our rice cooked the same way.
Third is the type of rice: Trader Joe’s Brown Basmati and Brown Jasmine call for stove top cooking for 35 to 40 minutes. I recommend cooking rice for half the time of package directions. So for these types of rice, I cook for either 17 or 18 minutes, thereby negating my advice below. NOT ALL RICE IS THE SAME.
My standard formula is 1 cup rice with 1 ½ cups water, 22 minutes at high pressure with natural release. However when you add the 2nd cup of rice, use only 1 ¼ cups for a total of 2 ¾ cups liquid and for the 3nd cup of rice use 3 ¾ cups liquid. This formula has served me well for more than 22 years because it’s the way that I like my rice. I believe that due to this formula existing in my cookbooks The New Fast Food and Vegan Under Pressure that many thousands of people use my recommendation with success. If you like your rice a different way or want to use a different method, please feel free. The joy of cooking is that you get to choose how you would like to have your food cooked: to your liking.
My “perfectly” cooked brown rice
Hi Jill,
Do you rinse the brown rice prior to putting in the Instant Pot?
Love your cookbook!
Generally I do not rinse the brown rice but you certainly can. If I were going to, I would lightly toast it before adding the liquid.
I am happy to hear that you are using my cookbook.