Rice Water Ratio Calculator | How Much Water for 1, 2 or 3 Gō of Rice in a Rice Cooker, Donabe Clay Pot, Pot or Pressure Cooker, for White, Musenmai, New-Crop, Brown and Glutinous Rice, With Sushi Vinegar, Takikomi Gohan, Soaking Time and How Much Rice to Cook
The Rice Water Ratio Calculator answers questions such as “how many mL of water for 3 gō of rice?”, “how much water in a donabe clay pot?”, “should I add more water for no-rinse rice?”, “what is the water ratio for brown rice in a pot?” and “how much sushi vinegar for 3 gō?”. Choose the amount of rice in gō (the Japanese rice cup, 180 mL), the type (white, musenmai, new-crop, brown or glutinous rice), the method (rice cooker, donabe, pot or pressure cooker) and how firm you like it, and it shows the water to add to the rinsed rice in mL and in 200 mL measuring cups and 180 mL rice cups (for 1 gō of white rice, about 200 mL in a rice cooker and about 215 mL in a donabe or pot). Musenmai gets a little over 1 tablespoon more per gō, new-crop rice 1 tablespoon less, and sushi rice 10% less. Mixed grains and mochi barley add twice their weight in water, and for takikomi gohan the soy sauce, sake and mirin are subtracted. Includes soaking times by season, the cooked weight with the number of bowls and onigiri, sushi vinegar (vinegar, sugar, salt), a step timer for cooking in a donabe, pot or pressure cooker, a calculator for how many gō to cook for a number of people, and a water chart.
Water from the amount of rice and the cooking method
Choose the gō, type of rice and cooking method to get the water to add (mL), the soaking time and the cooked weight. The water is for rice that has been rinsed and drained (musenmai goes in unrinsed).
2 gō = about 300 g of rice (360 mL). One cup of the measuring cup that comes with a rice cooker is 1 gō.
Type of rice
Cooking method
What you are making
Firmness
Season (soaking time)
Water to add
About 395 mL
1 × 200 mL cup + 195 mL (2 × 180 mL cup + 35 mL)
1.1 times the rice volume, 198 mL per gō. Water is 1 mL = 1 g, so the same number works on scales.
Soaking time
45 min to 1 h
Spring / autumn
Cooked weight
About 660 g
About 2.2 times the raw rice weight
Bowls (150 g)
About 4.4
Onigiri (100 g)
About 6
If the cooker bowl has water lines, following them is the most reliable. Use these numbers when you cannot see the lines or want to adjust slightly.
Soaking timer
Some rice cookers include soaking in their program. In that case you can start cooking straight away.
1. Soak45 min
When the grains turn opaque white, they have absorbed the water
The numbers are guides for home cooking. The right amount of water depends on the variety, how long ago the rice was polished and your cooker or pot. Cook once, and if it is too firm, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) per gō, and so on, to suit your taste.
ABOUT
About Rice Water Ratio Calculator | How Much Water for 1, 2 or 3 Gō of Rice in a Rice Cooker, Donabe Clay Pot, Pot or Pressure Cooker, for White, Musenmai, New-Crop, Brown and Glutinous Rice, With Sushi Vinegar, Takikomi Gohan, Soaking Time and How Much Rice to Cook
The Rice Water Ratio Calculator is a free tool that works out how much water (mL) to add to rinsed rice from the amount in gō, the type of rice (white, musenmai no-rinse, new-crop, brown or glutinous) and the cooking method (rice cooker, donabe clay pot, pot or pressure cooker). It also works out sushi vinegar, the seasoning adjustment for takikomi gohan, soaking time and how many gō to cook.
How to use Rice Water Ratio Calculator | How Much Water for 1, 2 or 3 Gō of Rice in a Rice Cooker, Donabe Clay Pot, Pot or Pressure Cooker, for White, Musenmai, New-Crop, Brown and Glutinous Rice, With Sushi Vinegar, Takikomi Gohan, Soaking Time and How Much Rice to Cook
- 1Enter the amount of rice in gō (or tap 1, 2, 3 gō and so on)
- 2Choose the type of rice (white, musenmai, new-crop, brown or glutinous) and the method (rice cooker, donabe, pot or pressure cooker)
- 3Choose what you are making (plain rice, sushi rice or takikomi gohan), how firm you like it and the season
- 4Check the water to add (in mL and in measuring cups), the soaking time and the cooked weight
- 5For a donabe, pot or pressure cooker, start the step timer and cook
Great for
- Finding out how many mL of water 3 gō of rice needs when you cannot see the lines in the rice cooker bowl
- Checking the water and heat times for cooking rice in a donabe clay pot or an ordinary pot
- Knowing how many mL to add or take away for musenmai, new-crop, brown or glutinous rice
- Working out how much to cut the water for sushi rice and how much vinegar, sugar and salt to use
- Getting the water for takikomi gohan after subtracting the soy sauce, sake and mirin
- Working out how many gō to cook for a number of people or onigiri
Good to know
- 1 gō is 180 mL (about 180.39 mL under the Japanese Measurement Act), and 1 gō of white rice weighs about 150 g. The water is the amount added to rice that has been rinsed and drained. For white rice the tool uses 1.1 times the rice volume in a rice cooker (about 200 mL for 1 gō, 395 mL for 2 gō and 595 mL for 3 gō), 1.2 times in a donabe or pot because more steam escapes (about 215 mL for 1 gō, 430 mL for 2 gō) and 1.0 times in a pressure cooker (180 mL for 1 gō).
- Musenmai (no-rinse rice) absorbs no water during rinsing, so it gets a little over 1 tablespoon (18 mL) more per gō (about 430 mL for 2 gō). If you measure it with the dedicated musenmai cup (about 171 mL), use the same water as white rice. New-crop rice holds more moisture, so it gets 1 tablespoon (15 mL) less per gō (about 365 mL for 2 gō). Firmer and softer change the water by 15 mL per gō.
- Brown rice uses 1.5 times in a rice cooker (about 540 mL for 2 gō), 1.8 times in a donabe or pot (about 650 mL) and 1.3 times in a pressure cooker (about 470 mL). Glutinous rice (okowa) absorbs water easily, so it uses less: 0.85 times in a rice cooker (about 305 mL for 2 gō).
- Sushi rice uses 10% less water (about 535 mL for 3 gō of white rice in a rice cooker). The standard sushi vinegar is 22.5 mL vinegar, 7 g sugar and 3 g salt per gō of rice, or 67.5 mL vinegar, 21 g sugar and 9 g salt for 3 gō. For takikomi gohan, the water is reduced by the volume of the liquid seasonings (about 345 mL for 2 gō with 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake and 1 tbsp mirin). Mixed grains, pressed barley and mochi barley add twice their weight in water.
- The numbers are guides for home cooking. If your rice cooker bowl has water lines, following them is the most reliable. The right amount of water also depends on the variety of rice, how long ago it was polished and the thickness of the pot.
Questions this tool answers
Use Rice Water Ratio Calculator | How Much Water for 1, 2 or 3 Gō of Rice in a Rice Cooker, Donabe Clay Pot, Pot or Pressure Cooker, for White, Musenmai, New-Crop, Brown and Glutinous Rice, With Sushi Vinegar, Takikomi Gohan, Soaking Time and How Much Rice to Cook for searches like these:
- how much water for 3 go of rice
- how much water for 2 cups of japanese rice in a rice cooker
- donabe rice 2 cups water and time
- musenmai how much extra water
- new crop rice how much less water
- brown rice in a pot water ratio
- glutinous rice in a rice cooker how much water
- sushi rice water and vinegar for 3 cups
- takikomi gohan how much water to reduce for seasoning
- how much rice to cook for 4 people
FAQ
- How many mL of water for 3 gō of rice?
- For white rice, about 595 mL in a rice cooker (1.1 times the rice volume) and about 650 mL in a donabe or pot (1.2 times). In a 200 mL measuring cup that is 2 cups and 195 mL for the rice cooker, or 3 cups and 50 mL for the donabe. For musenmai, add 18 mL more per gō, to about 650 mL.
- How much water for 1 gō?
- For 1 gō of white rice (180 mL, about 150 g), about 200 mL in a rice cooker, about 215 mL in a donabe or pot and about 180 mL in a pressure cooker. Water is 1 mL = 1 g, so weighing 200 g on scales gives the same result.
- How much water and how long when cooking rice in a donabe clay pot?
- For 2 gō of white rice, about 430 mL of water. Soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour, bring to the boil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, cook on low heat for 13 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam for 10 minutes. The tool's timer beeps at each step.
- Should I add more water for musenmai (no-rinse rice)?
- If you measure it with an ordinary rice cup (180 mL), add a little over 1 tablespoon (18 mL) more per gō: about 430 mL for 2 gō instead of about 395 mL for white rice. If you use the dedicated musenmai cup (about 171 mL), the cup already makes the adjustment, so use the same water as white rice.
- How much water and sushi vinegar for sushi rice?
- Use 10% less water: about 535 mL for 3 gō of white rice in a rice cooker. The standard sushi vinegar for 3 gō is 67.5 mL vinegar (4 tbsp plus 1.5 tsp), 21 g sugar and 9 g salt. For a sweeter version, use 12 g sugar per gō.
- How many gō should a family of four cook?
- One normal bowl (150 g) each is 600 g, and 1 gō of white rice cooks to about 330 g, so 2 gō (about 660 g). You can add seconds or packed lunches on the “How many gō to cook?” tab.
Special Thanks